Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate – Dáil Éireann (34th Dáil) – Wednesday, 28 May 2025

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate

Family Reunification

Deputy Ruth Coppinger

This is a very important issue. It is about treating workers in a humanitarian way. We have a huge number of healthcare assistants, mainly working in private nursing homes, who the State brought here on special work permits because it could not find the labour in this country. These people are mainly women and mainly nurses. They are fully qualified nurses who work, if you like, below the level of their qualifications. We are getting added value from them. They work here as healthcare assistants to make a better life for their families. Most are from India, mainly the Kerala region, as well as from the Philippines and other countries.

These workers have been here for three years. They are completely separated from their families. Think about it: these women do not see their children for years. They have to try to communicate with them via Zoom, which, as anyone who has ever tried to have a Zoom call with children knows, is practically impossible, and particularly with different time zones.

These people do essential work in this country. Care of the elderly will be a huge issue with our ageing population. The State has decided to privatise this type of care in the main. Many of the nursing homes are highly profitable. In many cases, they are operated by large multinational companies. However, the workers are kept on wages that prevent them from taking part in family reunification. My request is that we recognise that we need these workers and that they have a right to be treated humanely. Just imagine: we are forcibly separating them from their families while they are looking after our families. That is not the kind of care system I want. I do not want someone looking after my older relatives who is miserable and cannot enjoy being with their children and who is separated from their spouse as well.

The Minister looked as though he was sorting this matter out during the term of the previous Dáil. Then what was proposed was suddenly withdrawn. I am of the view that this was the result of pressure from private nursing homes about income limits. What we are asking for is to leave the private nursing homes out of it and that every worker who is resident in this country and who is working here should have the right to apply for family reunification without having to deal with all the barriers that are put in the way. For example, a worker must be earning €34,000 under the scheme now, but the minimum salary has been €30,000 for new recruits. It is even lower for previous recruits, so they are kept deliberately under that level. Somebody would need a minimum household net income of €36,660 to bring one child over. It is €41,912 for two children. In excess of €47,000 is needed to bring three children here. There are also higher thresholds. We are separating families, even though we know these workers will be here for the long term.

There are two categories. Category A comprises critical skills workers, which includes religious ministers and postgraduate students who do not have to adhere to any of those thresholds and who can apply for family reunification. Category B comprises the workers to whom I refer. They are essential workers. They have critical skills. We are asking that the Minister for Justice abolish the categories in question in order that any workers who are resident here may bring their spouses, most of whom are health workers who could help to meet the need for staff in the health service, to live with them.

Minister of State at the Department of Children, Disability and Equality (Deputy Hildegarde Naughton)

I thank Deputy Coppinger for raising this important issue, which I will bring to the attention of the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan. I am taking this on his behalf.

The enormous contribution made by migrant workers, particularly those working in the health sector, is recognised and valued by this Government. It is a central priority for the Minister that our immigration laws are fair and efficient. An important part of this is having legal pathways for workers and their families. I am advised by the Minister that there has been a significant increase in join family visa applications received by his Department. Approximately 22,000 such visa applications were made last year, an increase of 14% on 2023. The vast majority receive a decision within 12 months. In 2024, the average processing time for these applications was 72 calendar days.

There are differences in the criteria applied to these applications. The Deputy outlined some, which are linked to the sponsors immigration permission. Health workers who are critical skills employment permit holders can apply for join family visas immediately. However, it is acknowledged that there are many healthcare professionals on general employment permits who are subject to additional waiting periods and financial thresholds. While some may find the difference in criteria difficult to understand, I assure the Deputy that the primary focus is to ensure that a sponsor is in a secure position and able to demonstrate a clear capacity to provide for family members before approving applications for families to join them here.

As the Deputy is aware, the Department of Justice policy document for non-EEA family reunification, which was last amended in 2016, is under review. While this review is ongoing, it is not possible to pre-empt what changes may be introduced. The Minister has advised that the review is examining a wide range of matters relating to applications for family reunification. He expects that the next stage of the review will be concluded soon.

Officials from his Department have consulted with a wide variety of stakeholders, including relevant Departments and external organisations, and will continue to engage with stakeholders regarding any changes. In addition to concluding the review, the Minister has advised me that in recent months more resources and staff have been assigned to his Department's visa division which are expected to reduce the waiting times for join family applications overall.

Deputy Ruth Coppinger

I am surprised to hear the review is still under way. People have made submissions. Unite trade union is now organising these workers. This is very positive because migrant workers have not traditionally been able to participate in the trade union movement. It is very difficult and scary for somebody working in a private nursing home to put their head above the parapet. These workers staged a demonstration at the Dáil last year. Again, that was historic as it was unusual to have workers coming from all around the country. It would break your heart to hear the stories they have told us. This will not be a cost to the State. That is highly important. These workers are living here. They have houses. They have homes and accommodation. If their spouses come over, it is not that they will be getting social welfare or anything like that. They will be able to work or organise childcare, whichever the case may be. The Migrant Rights Centre Ireland made a submission and the point on this is that granting immediate family reunion rights to all GEP holders is not a burden financially on the State. It stated the permit holders will continue to generate income to the State and that the net income of the State would increase substantially with full family reunion rights. Therefore, any idea of pandering to racism or anything else is not justified whatsoever. The other key point is that we have to examine the type of care system we want. The care system should be run by the public and the State system and not for profit. This ensures we get the best care but also that workers who work in the system are guaranteed their employment rights and are treated fairly. This has to be reviewed and this review has to speed up so that these workers are not left continuing to suffer.

Deputy Hildegarde Naughton

I thank the Deputy. I, and the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, also recognise and acknowledge the contributions that migrants and their families bring to our economy and our society as a whole. The Minister's Department is committed to ensuring we provide legal pathways for economic migration that are fair, efficient and responsive to the needs of the economy. While the Minister cannot pre-empt the changes to be introduced to his Department's family reunification policy until that review has been concluded, he can assure the Deputy that he is acutely aware that join family applications are hugely important for those families impacted and that he is committed to improving the service his Department provides. I will relay what the Deputy has said to the Minister.

Disability Services

Deputy Matt Carthy

I thank the Minister of State for being here. Last week, the Dáil debated the motion in respect of the assessment of need scandal, as I would describe it, where Government is flagrantly breaching the law on a daily basis in terms of providing assessment of need for children with disabilities in particular. What might have got lost in that scandal is that for many families of children who have received assessment of need, their battle only starts there. In Monaghan and Cavan we have CDNTs that are at crisis point. In March, in a response to a parliamentary question I received from the HSE, it was confirmed at least 12 posts were unfilled. These ranged from social workers, speech and language therapists, psychologists, OTs and across virtually every discipline. Although I have not received the information, I suspect the situation is worse in County Cavan because the numbers of parents who are contacting my office at absolute crisis point is increasing all the time. In County Monaghan this is an issue that has been getting steadily worse in respect of the length of time people are expected to wait for appointments and then the routine in which appointments are offered. There is a pattern with many families who contact me; I am sure it is the same for other Deputies and elected representatives. The families contact us to let us know they are waiting on OT, speech and language therapy, physiotherapy or other appointments in some cases for years without hearing a dickey bird. They contact our office and we contact the CDNT. In some cases, an appointment is offered fairly quickly and there is a pattern of a number of appointments within a short period of time. Then it all starts again; radio silence. Of course, that is because the CDNT is under huge and immense pressure and it is trying to juggle all of the competing demands of families who are in very stressed situations.

My call on the Minister of State this morning is to ensure there is a direct intervention at every CDNT level. First, to decide whether the structure of the current CDNTs within each region is fit for purpose, whether the level of service delivery is up to the standards any of us expect and that those families would deserve and, second, to ensure adequate resources are within each CDNT. I mention particularly the issue of staffing allocations because there is clearly a problem. I do not know if this is across every CDNT but certainly, in the two I am aware of, there are huge and substantive gaps that are resulting in a situation that means even if the posts were to be filled tomorrow we would have backlogs that would last for years. There is a need for direct intervention from the Department and the HSE to ensure those blatant gaps are addressed. I do not think it is fair to expect CDNT managers, who are dealing with all these families while at the same time trying to fill staff gaps when they emerge, to also have a holistic eye to the long term, which is what is required if we are going to get a handle of this situation.

Deputy Hildegarde Naughton

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. He can be assured when I came into this role our CDNTs and that step change in disabilities service are an absolute priority. As he will know, we are working on a national disability strategy at the higher end where every single Department will have to feed in what they are going to do. Whether it is the Departments of Justice, Health, Social Protection, transport, or enterprise, that step change will be required right across Government.

Regarding the issue of assessments of need, which the Deputy raised, we can all acknowledge it is currently not working. The waiting lists are far too long. There is an issue around therapists. We are doing our recruitment drives at a domestic and international level. Last year, my colleague, Deputy O'Donovan, when he was Minister for higher education, put in place an extra 150 therapy places through our higher education institutions and we will be doing at least that again this coming September. We are also looking at therapy assistant posts and how they can support our CDNTs to ensure our children and adults are getting the therapies they deserve and need. As the Deputy will know, I am also working my colleague, the Minister, Deputy McEntee, regarding therapies going directly into our special schools and eventually into special classes in mainstream schools. That will also help to ensure that those children most in need - or some of them - are getting access to therapies. I found instances in my last brief in special education going into special schools where a child would not have seen a therapist. That is just not acceptable. Those measures are part of it. We have an extra 272 whole-time equivalents within our CDNTs across the country. That is more than a 20% increase but we need to do much more. I am certainly open to suggestions as to how we can ensure we have a greater supply of those therapies, be it occupational therapists or speech and language therapists.

I am engaging with the HSE, including Mr. Bernard Gloster, and the Department on what else we can do about the assessment of need process. I am sure the Deputy has found in his own area that it is not just about getting the assessment of need. Sometimes when someone gets one, he or she is still waiting to get access to those therapies. These issues are a top priority for me to make sure that adults and, in particular, children get early access to the therapies they need. We are spending €3.2 billion on disability under the previous budget. We want to see the expansion and reform of our disability services in order to maximise people's independence and to help to support them to live the lives they so wish. There will continue to be significant investment in this area.

Deputy Matt Carthy

I thank the Minister of State. The truth of the matter is that disability services in my constituency are an actual embarrassment. I am embarrassed, as an elected representative, when dealing with parents who are at their absolute wits' end trying to be all things to their children. As well as being parents, they are also expected in some cases to be teachers. They are absolutely expected to be OTs, speech and language therapists and physiotherapists.

There is a clear problem in getting appointments. There is also a clear problem that, when people have no choice, have reached their absolute limits and seek private care for their children to access those services, they are substantially financially impacted, yet the Department has not made any supports available to families in those instances.

There are a number of points in the Minister of State's written response that I will deal with. The interim respite centre for children in County Monaghan is very welcome. I know that interim centre was put in place pending a permanent respite centre. Will the Minister of State give an update on the permanent respite centre? I suggest that, when that permanent centre is opened, the interim centre also be made permanent because the demand is of such a level.

The Minister of State mentioned the Errigal Truagh Special Needs Centre. It is a hugely impressive centre started by a group of volunteers in north Monaghan. They have made applications for capital funding to the Department in order to expand their services and I encourage the Minister of State ensures that happens. Likewise, Steadfast House in Carrickmacross provides crucial supports for people with disabilities. It also has plans to expand its services. Will the Minister of State give assurances that she will ensure these applications are dealt with quickly and positively?

Deputy Hildegarde Naughton

The Deputy's first question veered into another area, so the response to that is in the written reply.

I am having pre-Estimate discussions with the Ministers for public expenditure and Finance for the upcoming budget. What we all need to see is an increase in the budget and support for our day, respite and residential services right across the country to ensure that there is a good geographical spread and that, no matter where one is living, access to the disability services one requires is not based on a postcode lottery. That will require capital and current spending.

Regarding the CDNTs, we are examining recruitment and retention and means to incentivise therapists, for example, to work within our CDNTs.

The Deputy mentioned a number of projects within the Cavan-Monaghan area that were referenced in my reply. This is about ensuring we are dealing directly with the HSE but also with service users and those with lived experience on the ground to ensure they get access to respite and day services. Some of these projects will take time, and perhaps a phased basis, but the Deputy can be assured of my commitment to rolling this out. I look forward to working with him on these projects.

Mental Health Services

Deputy Catherine Ardagh

I rise to speak about the Loreto Centre Crumlin in Dublin 12. It is a trusted and vital mental health and community support service that has been serving families, individuals and young people in Crumlin and Dublin South-Central more widely for more than 25 years. The Loreto Centre Crumlin was founded by the Loreto order of nuns and has grown over the decades into a cornerstone of the community. It provides counselling, education and support services to those in crisis or in need of emotional and mental health support. It is widely relied upon by local GPs and residents and plays a unique role in meeting the mental health needs of those in an area that is often, as we know, underserved.

The centre delivers approximately 3,000 units of counselling per year. This is a remarkable achievement in itself, even more so when we consider that all of the therapists and the clinical director work on a voluntary basis. There is one permanent member of staff, supported by six community employment workers and one job initiative worker. This speaks volumes about the dedication and heart of those involved but also highlights the fragility of this funding model.

On 21 October 2024, the Loreto Centre Crumlin submitted a funding application to the head of mental health services in the Department of Health requesting multiannual financial support. That application is still pending and the centre is now operating with an annual deficit of nearly €50,000. It is unsustainable to continue without secure funding and the centre may not survive. This would be an enormous loss to the community and a huge setback for the broader effort to provide local, accessible, community-based mental healthcare.

I cannot overstate the importance of protecting and strengthening organisations such as the Loreto Centre Crumlin. They embody what we mean when we talk about community-led healthcare provision. They offer compassionate local support at a very low cost to the State and with extraordinary levels of volunteerism and public benefit. Investing in this centre is not only morally right, but also represents a high-impact, value-for-money commitment to mental health in an area that truly needs it. I urge the Minister of State to prioritise the review of this funding application and to commit to supporting the Loreto Centre Crumlin for 2025 and beyond. The service it provides is not a luxury; it is a necessity. Without it, we risk failing those in our society who are struggling the most.

I would like to personally extend an invitation to the Minister of State or to senior representatives from her Department to visit the Loreto Centre Crumlin and see the work done there, meet the volunteers and meet the clients and families who rely on this incredible resource. Seeing it first hand will powerfully demonstrate the need to preserve and support what has been built there. I look forward to the Minister of State's response.

Minister of State at the Department of Health (Deputy Mary Butler)

I thank the Deputy for raising this important matter in the House. I commend the Loreto Centre Crumlin on the good work it does, which last year saw the centre providing counselling services to 230 clients in the community, with almost 3,000 counselling sessions recorded in 2024.

I understand that, in recent years, the centre has received funding from a number of public bodies, including Tusla, the Department of Social Protection, the City of Dublin Education and Training Board, Dublin South City Partnership and Dublin City Council. The centre does not currently have any funding relationship with HSE mental health services.

It is a priority of Government to promote positive mental health and reduce the burden of mental health difficulties for all, supported by substantial investment in mental health services each year. This includes significant investment in mental health voluntary and community organisations, which receive substantial funding of €110 million euro from the mental health budget each year. This includes national organisations such as Mental Health Ireland, Pieta, Shine, Jigsaw, the Samaritans, MyMind, BeLonG To and many other smaller regional organisations doing vital work in their communities. Funding to regional voluntary and community organisations is arranged through the section 39 process, administered by HSE mental health services locally, once necessary criteria are met and where a need has been identified. All such organisations must make an application for section 39 funding, which is then assessed by regional HSE mental health services and advanced depending on a variety of conditions, such as the organisation supplying the required clinical and corporate governance information, local operational and clinical considerations and the HSE's budgetary constraints.

I understand a meeting took place in recent weeks between the HSE and the Loreto Centre Crumlin to explore the current issues facing the service. The HSE reports that the legal status of the service is in flux, as the service and building are currently being transferred from the ownership of the Loreto Sisters to a new entity to be established by a committee made up of members of the local community. The committee has advised the HSE that it intends to form a company limited by guarantee and apply to the Charities Regulator for charitable status for the new entity.

There is no existing relationship between the Loreto Centre Crumlin and the HSE, but the recent meeting explored the current funding of the centre's services and the financial situation facing the organisation at this time. I understand the committee is planning to use existing funds to refurbish the centre's therapy rooms and to bring six new therapy rooms into service after which there will be approximately 15 months of running costs left in its reserves. The HSE advises that further discussions are required between local leadership in the regional health area and the service to discuss the scope of the service it wishes to provide on behalf of the HSE. The HSE must be assured that the proposed new legal structure, which has been established, is compatible with the required corporate governance structures for the administration of section 39 funding. The HSE must also be provided with an indicative timeline for the completion of the establishment of the new structure and the composition of the governing body of the new structure along with the proposed arrangements for clinical governance under the new structure. Ensuring the correct corporate and clinical governance is in place is standard across all organisations. It is particularly important for any organisations that will be potentially providing talk therapies on behalf of the HSE as a recipient of public funding. They are essential and appropriate steps on the road to providing funding to any organisation. The HSE is not in a position to provide funding in the absence of the information necessary to provide assurance and corporate and clinical governance, but it is happy to continue engaging with this organisation.

Deputy Catherine Ardagh

I thank the Minister of State for her response. I must respectfully state that the situation with this centre is now urgent. The suggestion that the centre should be a section 39 agency is understood but the process for becoming a recognised section 39 funded body is opaque, lengthy and deeply under-resourced. In the meantime, the centre is expected to maintain 3,000 units of counselling per year with only one salaried staff and the rest of the team working voluntarily. I am asking for interim financial support or at the very least a departmental liaison to be assigned to assist the centre in preparing and progressing its section 39 application. It cannot do this alone, especially without the stability of short-term funding.

I urge the Department to not treat this as a box-ticking funding issue but as a public health concern. The Loreto Centre Crumlin is an early intervention service that prevents more serious mental health crises from developing and it does so in an exceptionally efficient manner.

I again invite the Minister of State to visit the centre. She will see that the value of its work speaks for itself.

Deputy Mary Butler

I assure the Deputy that any applications that come for funding are not treated as box-ticking exercises. Ensuring the correct corporate and clinical governance is in place is particularly important for any organisation that will potentially be providing talk therapies on behalf of the HSE.

The most appropriate avenue for the application for funding is through the section 39 process administered by regional HSE mental health services management. That is how it works throughout the country. Through this process, it can be determined whether the necessary criteria are fulfilled and what service need exists. I am glad that the HSE is already engaging with the centre. I expect that the engagement will continue as the committee progresses the restructuring of the governance of the service. I accept that such processes and applications can take time and I recognise the challenges faced by the Loreto Centre Crumlin and the good work that is undertaken there. However, these steps are essential and the HSE is not in a position to provide funding in the absence of certainty as to the legal status, the clinical governance arrangements and the financial sustainability of the organisation. The HSE is available, however, should any guidance on the necessary work be needed. I encourage the Loreto Centre Crumlin to continue to engage with the HSE locally on this matter. My Department and I will continue to liaise with the Deputy. I can arrange to pay a visit to see the good work that is undertaken there to see if we move this on.

Road Projects

Deputy Natasha Newsome Drennan

Part of the N25, in particular the stretch out past the Rhu Glenn Hotel, can be described in no other terms than a deadly accident black spot. Over the past number of years, there have been several fatal road accidents along this road. The road traffic report clearly states that the road has completely exceeded the safe number of vehicles. It has a 360% increase in road users. The community has repeatedly sought road traffic safety measures. In February, following the death of a local woman on the road, her family again appealed for urgent safety measures to be put in place. I raised these requests with the Minister. I raised them with the council. I raised them with Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII. While the concerns were acknowledged, no timeline for improvements was given. There was just talk of carrying out reviews of the road, again with no timeline for completion. In February, I warned that every delay and deflection would risk more lives. Tragically, there was yet another fatal traffic collision at the end of April when another woman lost her life.

It is not acceptable that Government bodies can acknowledge the risk and danger along the N25 but show no level of urgency in installing road safety measures. We cannot sit idle on this. We need to see action before any more devastation. Funding needs to be prioritised for this road. Will the Government commit to funding the N25 Waterford to Glenmore road scheme in 2025? More than 80 people have died along this stretch of road in the past 40 years. It is more than just a black spot; this is a death trap.

Deputy David Cullinane

The Waterford to Glenmore road scheme is an important scheme for the south east. Residents in Wexford, Waterford and Kilkenny are concerned. A public meeting has been organised in a couple weeks’ time in June in Kilkenny. It has been organised by a nurse from Wexford and other local community members because they are so concerned about the fatalities that have happened on this stretch of the road over the course of the past number of years. I engaged with officials in Waterford City and County Council but also in Kilkenny County Council. I understand that the cathaoirleach and CEO of Kilkenny County Council have written to the Minister, Darragh O'Brien, setting out the real road safety issues that are at play here.

As Deputy Newsome Drennan referenced, there have been four fatalities since 2022 when the scheme was essentially paused. The scheme got funding for phases 1 and 2 but has not received any funding since 2022. It cannot progress onto stage 3 and stage 4 until funding is forthcoming. We were hoping it would get funding in this year's round of funding. That did not happen. A total of €728,000 is required for this year. That would have made a huge difference to advance this project, but as Kilkenny County Council has said, the project is essentially stalled.

There was a fatality again recently on that stretch of the road. Local residents and local communities are concerned about this stretch of the road. It makes perfect sense from every perspective, economically as well, to link what is the Waterford city bypass and the New Ross bypass. From an economic perspective, it is necessary, but from a road safety perspective, it is absolutely necessary. I ask that the decision not to fund that project this year be revisited, the funding be forthcoming and the local authorities in the region be allowed to progress this onto the next stage.

Deputy Hildegarde Naughton

I thank the Deputies for raising this matter. I am taking this on behalf of the Minister for Transport, who has responsibility for overall policy and Exchequer funding relating to the national roads programme.

Once funding arrangements have been put in place with TII, under the Roads Acts 1993 to 2015, and in line with the national development plan, NDP, the operation and management of individual national roads is a matter for TII, in conjunction with the local authorities concerned. TII ultimately delivers the national roads programme in line with Project Ireland 2040 and the NDP. The Government has earmarked €5.1 billion for capital spending on new national roads projects from 2021 to 2030 as part of the NDP. This funding will enable improved regional accessibility across the country as well as compact growth, which are key national strategic outcomes. The funding will provide for the development of numerous national road projects, including the completion of projects that are already at construction stage and those close to it, as well as the development of a number of others.

The funding for new roads was phased across the period of the NDP, with €1.1 billion allocated for the national roads from 2021 to 2025 and €4 billion allocated between 2026 and 2030. As the greater portion of this funding becomes available in the second half of the decade, this meant that TII was unable to provide funding over the past three years for the N25 Waterford to Glenmore scheme.

However, approximately €502 million of Exchequer capital funds have been provided for national roads through TII to local authorities in 2025.

The N25 Waterford to Glenmore project would link the N25 New Ross bypass and the N25 Waterford city bypass and is expected to consist of approximately 9.4 km of high-quality road, completing the upgrade of the N25 between New Ross and Waterford. As regards the status of the N25 Waterford to Glenmore project, the preferred transport route was selected in 2021. As the scheme did not receive an allocation for 2025, it cannot progress to the design and environmental evaluation phase at this time and remains at the end of the route options selection phase. As with all projects in the current NDP, however, the delivery programme for this project will be kept under review in future years and considered in terms of the overall funding envelope to TII.

The Minister understands from TII that three high-collision sites have been identified in recent years on this section of the N25. One site at Curraghmore was improved as part of a pavement scheme in 2020 and saw the introduction of central hatching and ghost island junctions; another at Gaulstown involved roadside boulders being removed; and at Ballynamona a fixed-speed camera is expected to go live in the next few weeks. In recent years, substantial lengths of timber post and rail fence along this section of the N25 have been replaced with tension mesh fence, making the roadside boundary more forgiving.

The signage at the end of the southbound climbing lane near Glenmore is under review by Kilkenny County Council. A scheme to improve this has been designed and is expected to be implemented in the coming months.

Deputy Natasha Newsome Drennan

The volume of traffic on this route has increased hugely. For 2024, we are looking at a figure of 15,000. That should be 8,000 or 9,000. This route has hugely exceeded what it was built for. There are also 11 local road junctions along this road now. This road was not built for those. We have what is the main route for Wexford traffic coming in to go to the hospitals. More than 80 people have died in the last 40 years. This is an urgent road project. Kilkenny County Council has more than done its job; now we need funding for it. Transport Infrastructure Ireland has committed to carry out a review of the road layout at particular junctions, which I have spoken about, including at the Rhu Glenn Hotel, but how is this acceptable? This is urgent.

Deputy David Cullinane

In the Minister of State's response she said TII has identified three high-collision sites. That in and of itself tells us how important this road scheme is. Three high-collision sites have been identified because, I would imagine, of the number of fatalities that have happened since 2022. We also have local authorities in the area telling the Minister for Transport very clearly that the road is operating beyond capacity. We have very concerned motorists and very concerned members of the community who are raising these issues, we have the local authority at the highest level raising public safety concerns and road safety concerns and we have the TII identifying high-collision sites on stretches of that road, yet the funding has not come this year. I just find it incredible and cannot get my head around the fact that what is only €750,000 has not been allocated this year to proceed this project. I ask that the Minister of State take this back to the Minister for Transport and urge that he reconsider and provide the funding for this year.

Deputy Hildegarde Naughton

I will raise the matter with the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien. Approximately €502 million of Exchequer capital funds has been provided to TII for national roads in 2025. In line with the NDP and Government policy, TII has sought to allocate national road funding to local authorities in a manner that seeks to achieve the following key outcomes: protection and renewal of the existing national road network; progressing major projects in or near construction; and progressing major projects that are at an earlier stage of the development pipeline.

An allocation of approximately €6.6 million has been provided to Kilkenny County Council for national roads in 2025. A number of new roads projects which are included in the current NDP have already been delivered. This includes the N22 Ballyvourney to Macroom project, the Dunkettle interchange upgrade, the N5 from Westport to Turlough and the Moycullen and Listowel bypasses.

A review of the NDP is being undertaken and the outcome of that review will inform TII on the schemes to be progressed over the coming years, pending the availability of sufficient funding. The programme for Government commits to investing in all road projects in the current NDP. The programme for Government commits to increased funding for new roads as part of the NDP review and to the maintenance of existing roads. I will raise the matter with the Minister.

Housing Schemes

Deputy Brian Brennan

I represent the new constituency of Wicklow-Wexford, which straddles the border between south Wicklow and north Wexford. As with the rest of the country, in all areas of my constituency there are issues with housing supply and availability of rental properties that are impacting families and communities. However, depending on which side of the border they live on, my constituents will receive significantly different support from the State to assist with the cost of housing. If we take, for example, a couple with three children who are renting a home in the town of Carnew, County Wicklow, if they are eligible for housing assistance payments they can be awarded up to €1,250 on HAP per month to cover the cost of rent. If we travel ten minutes down the road to the neighbouring community of Craanford, County Wexford, a family with a similar composition and income level will be eligible only to receive a maximum payment of €600 under the same housing assistance payment. This is simply not fair and must be addressed.

This is due to the differences in the maximum monthly rent limits for the housing assistance payment in each local authority - for instance, Wexford and Wicklow county councils. The monthly asking price for rental properties of comparable size in both these rural areas is very similar. They would offer access to the same services in the community: schools, sports clubs, local shops, local buses - all that rural life has to offer. One big difference, however, is that the family in Craanford will receive €650 less in the housing assistance payment than the family living down the road.

Both these communities are located within the rent pressure zones, an acknowledgment in itself of the pressures on renters in an area where rents are the highest and rising and where households have greatest difficulty finding affordable accommodation. However, this does not appear to be taken into consideration with regard to the setting of the HAP limits, putting one family at a distinct disadvantage to the other.

The discrepancy gets even starker if you travel ten minutes down the road to Gorey. Gorey is a large, thriving rural town, a great place to live and work, as I well know. With the success of Gorey, however, comes even higher rents and even more pressure on supply. Again, the fact that the Gorey local authority area has been identified as a rent pressure zone is proof in itself of the demand for the rental accommodation in the town, but again, it is not reflected in the HAP limits. Gorey has traditionally had the highest average rent in County Wexford for many years, yet the renters in this town are faced with lower HAP levels than people living just over the border, putting them at a significant disadvantage compared with their neighbouring towns and counties. Yes, it is true that local authorities have the discretion to increase the HAP limits for renters on a case-by-case basis, but this is capped at 35% over the maximum limit and is often offset by a calculation of the tenant's ability to pay, so their hands are tied in terms of flexibility.

The fact of the matter is that we need people from all walks of life living in our towns and villages: workers, families and community members, not just the people who can afford these high rents. We need to support them accordingly and appropriately. We need to ask: is the system working? Is it fair that neighbours are asked to pay the same amount of rent but receive completely different levels of State support to help them pay that rent? Is the blanket approach to HAP limits on a county-by-county basis a reasonable, fair and equitable way to administer this scheme? Clearly, looking at the disparity between Carnew and Craanford, it is not and we have to address this.

Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan)

I thank Deputy Brennan for raising this important issue. He is in an unusual position in that he is a TD who represents two different counties in a new constituency. I wish him the best of luck and congratulate him on his election.

The Deputy highlighted an issue with regard to discrepancies between different counties. These schemes are constantly under review and we will certainly consider amending them, if necessary, perhaps at a municipal district level. If a degree of flexibility is needed, I will ask the Department to see if there is anything that can be done.

I will explain how we arrived at the limits. Once a household is deemed eligible for social housing support, it is a matter for the local authority to examine the suite of social housing supports available, including the housing assistance payment scheme, to determine the most appropriate form of social housing support for that household in the administrative area of that local authority. A key principle of the housing assistance payment is that eligible households source their own accommodation in the private rented market. The accommodation should be within the prescribed maximum HAP rent limits, which are based on household size and the rental market within the area concerned.

Maximum rent limits for HAP were set for each housing authority area in 2016. This is where the current limits come from. This was done in conjunction with the Department of Social Protection. In reviewing rent limits, the Department worked closely with the Department of Social Protection and monitored data gathered from the Residential Tenancies Board and the HAP shared services centre. In prescribing these limits, household size and prevailing rents in the relevant areas are taken into consideration. I guess that is done on a county-wide basis. The issue the Deputy raised is more localised as some counties are big and there are different population sizes in each county. Each local authority has statutory discretion to agree to a HAP payment above the prescribed maximum rent limit. In July 2022, this discretion level was increased to 35% and local authorities were given the option to extend the couple’s rate to single person households. Up to 50% discretion can be provided in the case of homeless households in the Dublin region. It is a matter for the local authority to determine whether, and to what extent, the application of the flexibility is warranted.

At the end of quarter 4 2024, the number of households being supported by HAP in Wicklow County Council was 1,352 and in Wexford County Council it was 1,108. In Wicklow, 48% of households were benefiting from additional flexibility and were receiving an average discretionary increase above rent limits of just over 22%. In Wexford, there was more use of the discretionary increase available to the local authority, with an average of 64% of households benefiting from the additional flexibility, at an average rate of discretionary payment of almost 27%.

It is not feasible to extend the established rent limits of one local authority area into bordering areas. However, where appropriate, the HAP scheme allows for interauthority movement to facilitate the movement of HAP households from one local authority area to another in cases where a tenant wishes to access rented accommodation, with HAP support, in another local authority area, subject to certain conditions.

As the Deputy can see, there is a level of discretion available and this was reflected in what he said. Wexford County Council has availed of that discretion to a greater extent. In 64% of cases, it has used that discretion whereas in Wicklow, the figure is only 48%. That reflects the Deputy's point about a discrepancy between the two counties. There is still scope for Wicklow County Council to avail of that discretion more regularly and reduce the gap between the two counties. However, I take the Deputy's point on board. There are discrepancies between areas that are a couple of miles apart. I will certainly have the Department look at this but, as is clear from my response, there is a limit to what we can do.

Deputy Brian Brennan

I thank the Minister of State for his reply. I am dealing with two families, a brother and sister, one of whom lives in Arklow while the other lives just down the road in Coolgreany. There is a difference of €650 in the payment they receive. Since opening my constituency offices in Gorey and Arklow, the most prominent issue for people coming in the door has been housing. Day in, day out, I meet people just trying to find a place to live, so they can send their kids to the local school, go to work and build a life in the community. They are getting nowhere. There are roadblocks all along the way for these people, as we all know, and one of the biggest is the cost of renting.

The HAP is one of the systems we have in place to support these people in paying their rent. As the examples I cited show, it is not fit for purpose. It is not enough to ask local authorities to look at using their discretion in every case, as the Minister of State mentioned. There are a lot of cases in Wexford but they are only allowed to negotiate discretion of up to 35%. We need to look at every case that is over the limit.

I acknowledge the efforts that have been made across the board by the local authorities in bringing more housing stock into their portfolios. I note Irish Water will be before the Joint Committee on Infrastructure and National Development Plan Delivery later today. We need to get answers. I understand the bigger issue is housing stock but my focus today is on HAP and levelling the playing field between Wicklow and Wexford or between Wexford and anywhere else in Ireland.

Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan

It is a matter for each local authority to determine what level of support is appropriate for each HAP tenancy within its area, including whether and to what extent the application of a discretionary increase above rent limits is warranted. In doing so, it is the responsibility of the local authority to ensure that tenancies are sustainable. They are advised not to provide HAP support to tenancies where the household would not be in a position to meet the rental cost sought.

I am very conscious of the pressures in the private rental market and my Department continues to keep the operation of the HAP scheme under review. My Department is conscious that the scheme has the potential to have a detrimental inflationary impact on the wider rental market, including for those households not receiving HAP support. As such, any changes to the prescribed rent limits in any given local authority can only be taken after detailed and comprehensive consideration.

If amendments are proposed to the caps on a county-by-county basis, it would require further research similar to what was done in collaboration with the Department of Social Protection. I accept Deputy Brennan's point that there are discrepancies within a close geographical area, and that in one case the difference is €600. I reiterate that 35% is a large margin of discretion. There is considerable flexibility within that and I urge local authorities to use it. On the bigger question as to whether rent limits for HAP can be set outside of a county-by-county basis, which is the way we assess them at the moment, I will bring that back to the Department. The current position is that it would be very difficult to do so but I will see if there is something that can be done.

I thank the Deputy again for raising this matter. The best way we can reduce rents and get people into homes is through the provision of housing. That is key, as the Deputy noted.

Dáil Éireann díospóireacht - Wednesday, 28 May 2025