Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate – Dáil Éireann (34th Dáil) – Wednesday, 15 Oct 2025

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate

Flood Risk Management

Deputy Michael Collins

I thank the Minister of State for being here with us today to discuss a very important matter for the constituency of Cork South West, namely, the many areas of flooding and, in particular, the Bantry, Ballylickey and Ballinascarthy flood relief schemes. This morning, I was talking to somebody from Bantry. They said that in 1983, 42 years ago, they had to sit in a shop with their legs up in the air to avoid the floodwater that was coming into the shop. It is 42 years later and there have been no changes. There is something wrong somewhere along the line. The Government has been place for God knows how long and it has failed to deliver a proper flood relief scheme for Bantry. That is all the people of Bantry want.

I am worn to my teeth from going around with Ministers every time there is a flood, spreading sympathies to business people when their businesses have been destroyed. Some have gone out of business and walked away because they could not get insurance. The "cross cover", or whatever it is called, is not covering businesses. Why has the flood relief scheme not been delivered? There is now a recent announcement saying it will be delivered in 2031. In the name of God, what are Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil doing in government, because they are not delivering for the people of Bantry? They cannot wait until 2031. The businesses cannot wait. The people living there cannot wait until 2031 for the scheme. It has been going on for 40 years and maybe longer because that person is only 50 so they were only a child 42 years ago. We cannot guarantee that if there is a flood tomorrow, it will not happen again.

Not far from Bantry, there is St. Colum's football pitch in Kealkill and the Ballylickey river. In 2017, the Minister of State, Deputy Kevin Boxer Moran, visited with me and it was embarrassing. I will never do it again. I will never again take a Minister of State with responsibility for the OPW into a house. I took him into the house of Dan Dineen and many more along the Ballylickey river. In 2017, I told the Minister of State what the problem was, as did the people, which was that the river was blocked. Fast-forward to 2025, the river is still blocked. My brother, Councillor Danny Collins, was drawing bags of sand two weeks ago to houses to stop the water going into the houses. Why? For some insistent, God damn reason, they will not clean out the rivers. It is common sense; clean out the rivers. Good God almighty, if you had a bath at home and you blocked the outlet, it would overfill and spill.

The pearl mussel is always mentioned. I have nothing against the pearl mussel, of course, but the Minister of State knows damn well that if the river floods, the pearl mussel will be pegged out into the field and die anyway. There has to be some way forward. Inland Fisheries Ireland is away with the fairies because it has no notion of cleaning out a river. It is quite happy rolling along and implementing its rules and regulations. When we fast-forward to February 2025, the people of Ballinascarthy, another side of west Cork, were absolutely destroyed by a flood. Everyone in the country was screaming and roaring on their behalf but not one thing has happened since. A bit of a bridge that was struck by a vehicle three or four years ago was put back up but other than that, the river is blocked and there are other works to be done. We are now in October and they do not know whether they are going ahead or not. Their hearts are in their mouths with the news of every flood that is coming. It is the same with St Colum's pitch in Kealkill and the Ballylickey river. It is backing itself up, it is blocked and it is flooding the pitch. It certainly must have contributed to the massive flood recently at Coomhola bridge. It burst out over the bridge and into a house.

Places like Madore, Reenrour and Inchera suffer from rivers that are not being cleaned out. Can the Minister of State tell me today that there will be a programme in these areas for the rivers to be cleaned out? That is all I ask.

Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Deputy Noel Grealish)

Gabhaim buíochas to Deputy Collins for raising this important issue. I know it is very important to the Deputy and his constituents. I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister of State with responsibility for the OPW, Deputy Kevin Boxer Moran.

To date, 56 flood relief schemes have been completed, which are providing protection to over 13,850 properties and an economic benefit to the State in damages and losses avoided estimated to be in the region of €2 billion. Through the national catchment flood risk assessment and management, CFRAM, programme, the largest study of flood risk was completed by the Office of Public Works in 2018. This studied the flood risk from rivers and the sea for two thirds of the population. The Government’s flood risk management plans, an output of CFRAM, provided the evidence for a proactive approach to designing and constructing flood relief schemes for the most at-risk communities.

Since 2018, the Government has trebled the number of flood relief schemes at design and construction to some 100 schemes. It is not possible to progress all 150 flood relief schemes identified by the flood risk management plans simultaneously, due to the limited availability of the professional and specialised engineering and other skills that are required to design and construct flood relief schemes. Under the national delivery model, Cork County Council is leading the delivery of six flood relief schemes in the first tranche, including Bantry flood relief scheme, with nine schemes planned in the second tranche. The OPW is funding nine staff in Cork County Council to support the delivery of its programme of schemes.

The €60 million Bantry flood relief scheme is to protect up to 200 homes. The scheme consultants have identified an emerging preferred option, which is expected to be presented to the public before the end of this year. Submission of the scheme to planning is currently estimated for quarter 3 of 2027. The Deputy is correct in that it is estimated that construction will commence in 2031.

Cork County Council is advancing the Mill culvert upgrade project in Bantry ahead of the main flood relief scheme and Part 8 planning consent has been granted. Cork County Council has identified a consultant for the detailed design, contractor procurement and construction management of this project. The OPW recently approved funding to meet the costs associated with this stage of the project. Cork County Council is working with stakeholders including the OPW and Uisce Éireann on the overall funding proposal for the Mill culvert upgrade project. To mitigate damage from recurring flood events in Bantry, the OPW, since 2021, has approved some €335,000 to Cork County Council under the OPW minor flood mitigation works and coastal protection scheme, to strengthen its emergency response for the installation of non-return valves, purchase of pumps, large sandbags and individual property protection for affected properties in Bantry.

Cork County Council is also progressing the installation of a screen in the Mill river as an interim measure and is engaging with the landowner concerned. Ballinascarthy flood risk was not included in the CFRAM programme. Cork County Council has confirmed that three properties did flood in Ballinascarthy earlier this year when the Owenreagh river broke its banks, and the council has reviewed this flooding issue. I understand there is a drainage district, which is a scheme constructed before the passing of the Arterial Drainage Act 1945, located in the vicinity of Ballinascarthy village and that Cork County Council is responsible for its ongoing maintenance.

Localised flooding issues are a matter, in the first instance, for each local authority to investigate and address, and local authorities may carry out flood mitigation works using their own resources. Cork County Council can apply to the OPW for funding for flood mitigation works under the OPW's minor flood mitigation works and coastal protection scheme. The purpose of the scheme is to provide funding to local authorities to undertake minor flood mitigation works or studies to address localised flooding and coastal protection problems within their administrative areas.

A consultant's report with respect to a remedial works application to address flood risk to a number of properties in Ballylickey, which was submitted by Cork County Council to the Minister of State's office, is being examined. It will complete its examination of the report shortly and will then be writing to Cork County Council on the matter.

Deputy Michael Collins

I thank the Minister of State for the reply but the problem here is that the can is being kicked down the road in relation to the Bantry flood scheme. It looks to me as if the Minister of State in charge of the OPW, whoever it may be, will be heading down to Bantry for the next six or seven years. I will be giving the same spin below, telling businesses that I am very sorry but we will have to wait for the next flood when the television cameras will be down and we will follow the Minister of State and reporters around. The bottom line is that 2031 is too far out. This problem has been going on for 50 to 60 years. How in the name of God can the Department turn around and say that it has done 56 of them? Skibbereen was one and it was a success. I am not going to say anything different but what Bantry needs is a similar scheme. Skibbereen is a success but there are 150 more schemes to do. Bantry is not going to be done until 2031 but 50 years ago businesses there were being flooded. That is not good enough. I plead with the Minister of State to go back and fight to see if we can bring delivery forward to 2026 or 2027 instead of all of this carry-on, where we have to go here and there and talk to this and that body. We need to go in and do the job.

The response in relation to the situation in Ballylickey all the way up to Coomhola, including St. Colum's pitch, is that the Department is examining a report. In 2017, the Minister of State, Deputy Moran, went with me along the river. We looked at the houses and we saw the water up to the walls of the houses, including that of Dan Dineen and many others. Good God almighty, the Department is only looking at a report now and considering it. That is not good enough. How can I go back to the people with that? The same is true for Ballinascarthy. When there is a flood, they are terrified. I think of the local people in the hall and the mighty people doing their best for them, including Councillor Daniel Sexton, who tried to help them, to see if they could block the water from coming in. The rivers are blocked but the Minister of State never mentioned that in his reply. Is there anything being done on his side of the border in relation to the rivers? There were fewer rules about it when I got into politics years ago. Bandon was being flooded because the river was blocked. I told the council I would put in a machine myself and would pay for it myself. The next day, a machine was put in and the river was cleaned out. A scheme was done there.

The bottom line with these schemes is that 2031 is not good enough. Ballylickey has been left with nothing happening and the same is true in Ballinascarthy, with the OPW passing the buck to the council.

Deputy Noel Grealish

I assure the Deputy and the House that the Minister of State and the Government are committed to proactively addressing, along with Cork County Council, the flood risk to homes, businesses and communities in County Cork. These measures are being funded through the Government's €1.3 billion allocation for flood relief measures under the national development plan. The Minister of State will continue to work with Cork County Council on the delivery of flood relief schemes and interim measures for the most at-risk communities. I encourage Cork County Council to consider using the demand-led OPW minor flood mitigation works and coastal protection scheme to address and manage localised flood risk. The Minister of State's recent announcement is making it easier for local authorities to address flood risk in local areas.

I agree with Deputy Collins on many of the issues he raised. In 2009, there was a major flood in the west and 14 houses in my area were flooded. It took nearly five years for reports to be done by the OPW. I have to say that when it finally did the work, it did excellent work. When it does the work, it does it right. The OPW has done a job for life in my area. I know it is frustrating for business and homeowners, particularly when their businesses and homes are flooded again and again, but unfortunately, it takes a long time for reports to be completed and to ensure that the job is done right. I recognise the passion that the Deputy speaks with because I experienced it at first hand myself recently in Clarinbridge, when a number of businesses were flooded during a storm. The flood waters actually lifted a 10-tonne container, such was the strength of the waves that came in off the sea. Water does a lot of damage to houses and businesses.

I will raise these issues with the Minister of State. I spoke to him earlier this morning. Unfortunately, he could not be here because he had a prior engagement with the Tánaiste. I assure the Deputy that I will speak to the Minister of State again. I thank Deputy Collins for raising this important issue and acknowledge the passion he put into it.

Air and Water Pollution

Deputy Paul Murphy

I want to raise a major unaddressed public health failure. It is a local issue that arose not in my constituency but in Dún Laoghaire, but it has quite wide national implications in the context of climate change and the likelihood of an increased number of gorse fires. Effectively over a two-week period in August, repeated fires in Ticknick Park affected thousands of residents in Cherrywood but the response by the State agencies was completely inadequate. As a result, residents have had to get themselves organised. They have done an incredible amount of research, which I am happy to share with the Minister of State, and are demanding action. They have been working with our local councillor, Dave O'Keeffe. I have spoken to them and they have provided me with a document containing a detailed account of more than 20 interconnected major fire incidents, comprising over 135 recorded events and more than 150 fire-fighting operations within a two-week period in August. The fires repeatedly reignited within hours of being declared disposed but they were downplayed. The health hazard was downplayed, they were prematurely closed as incidents and their priority was downgraded. No public health warnings issued and no sustained escalation occurred. Residents were left continuously exposed until the weather conditions shifted.

I submitted a parliamentary question on this and received an answer from the Minister and the HSE. Basically what we are being told is that nothing serious happened here in terms of a health issue. However, there is a significant issue here because this is not just regular smoke. There are extra particles in the context of gorse fires. The air monitoring stations that State agencies are relying on to say that everything is fine are quite a distance from where the fires took place and are quite far away from the affected homes. The residents themselves did a study of indoor air quality. They assessed the air inside people's homes and the results are striking. I have all of the data here and can send it on to the Department. The data confirms continuous toxic exposure inside homes for two weeks. These toxic levels were recorded inside homes that are just 10 m away from Cherrywood primary school. The school was obviously closed in August but if it had been open, children would have spent hours directly downwind of the smoke. The levels of PM2.5 of organic carbon, OC, were up to nine times the WHO limits. There was no effective protection or practical health guidance. Instead, there was deference to outdated protocols and distant air monitoring stations. Children, in particular, were left unprotected, as were vulnerable residents.

What the residents are asking for is quite simple. They want formal recognition that gorse wildfire smoke is a direct public health hazard and updated health guidance and fire response protocols that reflect modern science and international best practice. They also want to see incident-specific monitoring located where fires impact. In other words, they want monitoring to happen where the fires are actually taking place. Residents want access to practical protection. Families were faced with spending hundreds of euro on HEPA filters, masks and so on. They want State agencies to prioritise schools and national groups in the provision of such protection and a clear national framework ensuring that the HSE, EPA, local authorities and fire services act together so that no community is left unprotected again.

This is a serious issue. The research the residents have done is very impressive and proves very clearly that this is a significant issue that is going to reoccur and that we need a change of policy to deal with it, not least to be in line with our EU safe-level obligations.

Deputy Noel Grealish

I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue, which I am dealing with on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien. The air we breathe is fundamental to our health, environment and the overall well-being of our communities. Nationally, from an ambient air-quality point of view, the main air pollutants of concern are fine particulate matter from solid fuel combustion and nitrogen dioxide from transport. However, wildfires or localised fire incidents, though infrequent, can impact air quality. Under the Air Pollution Act 1987, where it appears to a local authority that urgent measures are necessary to prevent or limit air pollution affecting any part of its functional area or any adjoining area, the local authority may take steps to carry out such operations or give such assistance as it considers necessary to prevent or limit such pollution or to remedy the effects of same.

Local authorities are independent in the exercise of their statutory functions under the Air Pollution Act 1987. In addition, the EPA has advised that it works closely with Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown local authority regarding such incidents and can assist through the provision of support and advice on air pollution.

In terms of dealing with fires, including gorse fires, the provision of fire services in a local authority’s functional area, including the establishment and maintenance of a fire brigade, the assessment of fire cover needs and the provision of fire station premises, is a statutory function of individual fire authorities under the fire services Acts 1981 and 2003.

The national directorate for fire and emergency management, NDFEM, supports the fire authorities through setting general policy, providing a central training programme, issuing guidance on operational and other related matters and providing capital funding for equipment and priority infrastructure projects. The NDFEM developed a policy document, Keeping Communities Safe, which sets out a system of national processes and standards for fire service delivery in Ireland based on a risk management approach. Keeping Communities Safe is the outcome of a wide-ranging review of fire service activities and it is supported by a series of documents on issues such as fire services training and safety management systems for fire services. A further set of documents, titled "good practice notes", describes methods for the fire service to deal with a range of solutions in order to achieve consistent good practice nationally.

When it comes to the monitoring ambient air quality, the national competent authority for the monitoring and assessment of ambient air quality is the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA. The EPA works closely with local authorities to site, install, operate and maintain monitoring stations at locations around the country. Health data is provided to the public in the form of the air quality index for health, which translates both monitored and modelled air quality to health advice.

The European Environment Agency’s report, Europe's Environment 2025, noted in its country profile that Ireland’s air quality is among Europe’s best. It also noted that Ireland meets current EU air quality standards. Significant progress in improving Ireland’s air quality was also noted this year in the annual clean air strategy progress report in July 2025, including that Ireland has reduced ammonia emissions on foot of improvements in agricultural practices and reduced sulphur dioxide emissions due to a greater use of renewables in energy generation and increased retrofitting and heat pump installation. However, as acknowledged in Ireland’s clean air strategy, there is no safe level of air pollution and we must continue to ensure that we put the appropriate measures in place to protect our air quality.

Deputy Paul Murphy

I thank the Minister of State for his answer. He might acknowledge himself that there is not much in his response relating to the incidents residents have experienced and the petition they have launched. By the way, they have sent all the data to the Minister for Health, Deputy Carroll MacNeill.

I will outline some of the key findings from the survey conducted by residents, which give a picture of the problem residents in Cherrywood are facing, but it can also be a problem for people all across the country or anywhere where gorse fires can impact on air quality. A total of 60 households responded to the survey, of which 100% reported smoke entering indoors despite them keeping their windows shut, with exposure lasting ten to 14 consecutive days for most of the households. A total of 80% of households reported persistent coughing or sore throat; 70% reported headaches or migraines; 65% reported sleep disruption from night-time smoke; 40% reported stress and anxiety about health and safety; and 25% reported nausea, fatigue or eye irritation. Children were affected in at least 60% of households.

I will outline some of the personal stories of residents. One resident said that, "Even with windows sealed, my toddler woke up coughing and needed a doctor". Another remarked that, "We spent €400 on a purifier but our baby still woke coughing. The heat made it unbearable", while another resident described, "I woke at night thinking the house was on fire. The smoke inside was so strong". One other resident said, "Our newborn was exposed during her first three weeks of life. This is unacceptable in a modern country".

The World Health Organization, the CDC in the US and the European Environment Agency treat wildfire smoke as a major public health hazard. The EU directive requires member states to provide representative protective air quality information to the public but here we have an actual incident over a period of two weeks in Cherrywood where families are enduring exposure without meaningful monitoring, warnings or health advice. We need to do better.

Deputy Noel Grealish

I thank Deputy Murphy for his input this morning on this important issue. Although ambient air quality in Ireland is recognised as being among the best in Europe, there is no safe level of air pollution. There are policies and legislation in place to ensure that we continue to strive to minimise the impact of air pollution on our citizens and the environment.

Local authorities are independent statutory bodies which are key in tackling gorse fires and air pollution more generally. They are supported by policy and legislation to carry out the necessary actions within their functional areas. We need to continue to support our local authorities in their work, both in dealing with localised incidents and also more generally supporting them to implement relevant measures in the clean air strategy to protect our air quality in Ireland.

I wish to take this opportunity to thank the local authority and fire brigade personnel on the ground who are at the coalface dealing with such fires. As the Deputy will be aware, a lot of these fires happen all over the country, not just in his local area. It is an issue that affects the air we breathe. I compliment the fire brigade. In all fairness, sometimes fire brigade personnel are out for 24 hours trying to quench these gorse fires. Some of these fires are started deliberately, although I do not know why, while others are started by nature, but they have a huge impact on the air we breathe, particularly if they are near a town or village. The first thing people must try to do is close all the windows. Smoke eventually gets in, however.

I will bring this matter to the attention of both the Minister, Deputy O’Brien, and the Minister for Health, Deputy Carroll MacNeill. Deputy Murphy said that the petition has been submitted to the Department for Health. I will ensure the Minister sees and reads it. I will ask her to come back directly to the Deputy on this matter. I thank him for raising the issue.

Schools Building Projects

Deputy Marie Sherlock

My Topical Issue relates to Gaelscoil Choláiste Mhuire and its new school building on Dominick Street in Dublin 1. I stood with Government Ministers and representatives from the school two and a half years ago when the sod was turned in June 2023. The school was supposed to be open in June 2025, but instead we have an empty building site. The Department of education terminated the contract for building works on 24 June 2025. The school community is now about to move to yet another temporary building, having already spent two decades in a temporary dilapidated building. We have zero information about what is happening with the new school building. Four months on from the termination of that contract, what is the Department of education and the Minister of State's plan B? What is the plan to get this long-awaited school built? Will the Department go out to tender? How long will that take? Is the Department confident that it is going to be able to get another contractor in to take up where the original contractor left off? Let us remember that this is a job that is just weeks away from coming to roof level.

With regard to the Department’s role in all of this, it brought in a project manager last year to great fanfare. We were told that KSNPM would sort out all the issues, including the design, the delays and all of that. We are now 16 months on and we have an empty building site. There are serious questions about the money the Department is paying to project managers and everyone else in this project because we have no resolution, despite these project managers being brought in. There is still no solution in sight.

Why was the contract terminated? We have to understand the reasons for the termination, particularly with regard to the cost. Was cost the reason? If it was cost related, as I understand it, the cost this year stood somewhere between €21 million and €25 million. If we go back out to tender again, however, the Department will have little change from €30 million for this school building, which would probably make it one of the most expensive school buildings in the State. The reason for that is because of the mess and incompetence within the Department. There are serious questions for Department officials in how they have handled this. In advance of the election last year, Department officials sat around a table with members of the board of management, parents and elected representatives.

One official in particular, Hubert Loftus, gave a commitment that there would be a report at the end of the year updating the school community about the school building. That report never came. We do not even know if it was ever produced. I have contacted the officials directly seeking that information and we have heard nothing back. We have written to the Minister seeking a meeting about these issues and we have heard nothing back. Notwithstanding the lack of information, what we do know is that this school has been treated disgracefully. Solemn promises were made in November 2023 after those horrendous events, that this long-awaited building would be built. Instead, I have reason to believe that no official from the Department has ever set foot on that building site after the works commenced, even though it is only a five minute walk from the Department of Education and Youth in Marlborough Street.

Will there be a new tender for the completion of the works in Gaelscoil Choláiste Mhuire? What is the timeline of that tender? When does the Department expect that the school community, the staff, parents and pupils, will get their new school building?

Minister of State at the Department of Education and Youth (Deputy Michael Moynihan)

I thank the Deputy for raising the issue regarding Gaelscoil Choláiste Mhuire on Dominick Street. It gives me the opportunity to outline to the Dáil the current position. The Minister and the Department of Education and Youth are fully committed to delivering a new school building for Gaelscoil Choláiste Mhuire as quickly as possible. Department officials are in constant contact with the school authorities, meeting every number of weeks, and more frequently when required. The Minister and her Department are committed to continuing to support the school. The project is included in the Department’s construction programme and is being delivered under the national development plan as part of the Project Ireland 2040 framework.

A number of issues arose on site at the outset, which is not unusual given the nature of a brownfield city centre site, but this led to a delay. While all parties actively engaged to discuss and resolve the issues and to reduce any risk to the programme, these unforeseen matters did lead to a delay. In response to issues on the site, the Department sanctioned the appointment of a project manager on the project, who has engaged with both the design team and contractor to minimise project delays on the programme and ensure clear lines of communication were in operation with everybody. The appointed project managers developed various proposals and strategies to remedy any issues impacting the programme, realigning the full project team roles, and agreeing the project delivery timelines and goals.

Good progress was initially made following the project manager's intervention in the summer of 2024 up to year end with significant visible progress being made on the structure. Since Christmas however, the project issues have intensified. The Department has had ongoing engagement with the contractor and the design team to try to resolve these issues. As a result, the Department entered into a conciliation hearing to try to reach agreement on a solution to ensure the earliest possible delivery of the school while respecting its statutory obligations. In accordance with standard practice and contractual requirements, the conciliation process is of a confidential nature. A temporary pause on works, under the suspension of works provisions of the contract, provided an opportunity to consider outcomes from the conciliation process. A notice of suspension of works was communicated to the contractor on 23 May 2025 in accordance with the provisions of the contract. During the suspension, the Department carefully considered the best way to deliver a school building while also respecting its statutory obligations. A notice of termination was issued under the contract on 1 July 2025 following careful consideration of the need to ensure compliance with those statutory obligations. Department officials will continue to work extremely closely with the school principal and board of management.

The Deputy will probably we aware that as an interim measure, the Department is providing accommodation more suitable to the current needs of the school nearby in Cathal Brugha Street. The Department was informed that the school has provided information to parents recently in relation to these next steps for the school. Some small-scale refurbishment works at the building will provide a good interim accommodation solution for the school and include teaching and learning spaces for all of the classes, education support and sensory spaces, adequate meeting and office spaces, a staff room, a communal area and access to a safe outdoor space for the students. It is anticipated the works will be completed next month, following which the school will move into the new premises. Finally, let me assure the Deputy that the Minister and the Department are fully committed to delivering a school building for this school as soon as possible.

Deputy Marie Sherlock

I thank the Minister of State for conveying the written response from the Department. A lot of it is a copy-and-paste job of what was circulated in June of this year. To be very clear, there is no update in this response from the Department, that is zero update as to what is happening the new school building. There is no plan B apparent in the Minister of State's response here. For a school to have been told repeatedly that all efforts were going to be made by the Department to get this new school building built, I see no detail in the response, other than bland general assurances that the Department is doing all it can. That is not good enough. The parents, staff and most crucially the pupils of Gaelscoil Choláiste Mhuire deserve answers from the Department. This school has had to move into a second temporary building, its second in 20 years, because of the Department's incompetence in managing this process. There have been commitments that the project will be completed by 2027, given verbally earlier this year. Is the project going to be completed by mid-2027 to allow the school community to move into its new school building in Dominick Street, Dublin 1?

Deputy Michael Moynihan

The Department sets out to make sure building projects are moved forward. Issues have arisen with this project. The Department, the Minister and ourselves take very seriously the obligations we have in relation to public funding. We are very committed. My understanding clearly is that the Department officials are in contact with the school authorities on a regular basis. I accept the frustration----

Deputy Marie Sherlock

But the Minister of State is not conveying the information here.

Deputy Michael Moynihan

I accept the frustration in relation to this project, which has been ongoing and which is hugely important for the community. I reassure the Deputy that the Department is engaging to find an interim solution first, but the long-term solution is to make sure this project is completed. That is the aim and the goal of both the Department and the school authorities. They will work together to try to make sure a resolution is found and the building can commence as soon as possible. There is huge work. All Departments take their responsibility very seriously. Issues arose and the commitment I will give the Deputy is that we will ensure that the engagement will continue between the school authorities and the Department to try to find a resolution as quickly as possible.

Schools Building Projects

An Cathaoirleach Gníomhach (Deputy Conor Sheehan)

There are five Deputies named on this Topical Issues matter. They have 48 seconds each so I encourage them to rattle it off, please.

Deputy Cian O'Callaghan

Gaelcholáiste Reachrann was founded in 2001 and, 24 years later, na daltaí, na múinteoirí agus pobal na scoile are still left waiting for permanent school buildings. Invitations to tender should have issued on 1 September. That is what was promised. That deadline has come and gone. Correspondence I have seen states that the Department of Education and Youth has failed to date to give the necessary approval for this to proceed to tender. What is causing this delay? When will it go to tender? Will the Minister of State tell us when the construction of these much-needed permanent school buildings will actually commence?

Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí

I echo Deputy O'Callaghan's comments. The five Dublin Bay North Deputies are here together. The Minister of State has worked with us before on Belmayne Educate Together. This underlines the importance of the issue for the community. There is a very committed community of students, parents and teachers who have been waiting for 25 years for that building. The Minister, Deputy McEntee, visited earlier this year and witnessed first-hand the commitment of the teachers, students and parents to education in the difficult facilities they have to work in. At the time, the officials and the Minister spoke about end of quarter 3, which is the end of September, for going to tender and breaking ground hopefully at the end of quarter 1 or the start of quarter 2 next year, depending on the tendering process.

We all understand little issues can knock things out of time. Based on my discussions with the Minister and on her visit, the project is a high priority for the Department. I urge the Minister of State to work with us and the Minister on getting the process completed and the project out to tender so the school can move on and prepare.

Deputy Barry Heneghan

Níl aon rud greanta i gcloch. Táimid fós ag fanacht. Tá sé deas go bhfuil gach Teachta Dála ó Cuan Bhaile Átha Cliath Thuaidh anois ag cur brú air seo ach táimid ag fanacht naoi mhí ar an Rialtas nua freagra a thabhairt. Tá sé deas go raibh an t-Aire sa scoil.

I appreciate everything the Aire Stáit has done for Dublin Bay North and I urge him to put pressure on to get an answer for those parents and students. Tá sé an-tábhachtach go bhfuil Gaeilge i Cuan Bhaile Átha Cliath Thuaidh ag feabhsú. Is é sin an rud is tábhachtaí.

Deputy Tom Brabazon

Tá scoláirí, tuistí, oidí agus an pobal máguaird gar do Ghaelcholáiste Reachrann ag fanacht ar bhuanfhoirgneamh le 24 bliain anuas. Tháinig an t-Aire amach chun na scoile i mí an Mheithimh agus fágadh gach duine leis an tuairim go mbeadh foirgneamh na scoile ag dul amach le haghaidh tairiscintí an mhí seo caite. In ainneoin ceisteanna parlaiminte, táimid ar fad ag fáil na freagraí ceannann céanna. Cut and paste atá ann mar a dúirt an Teachta Sherlock níos luaithe. Is léir ó na freagraí nach bhfuil a fhios ag éinne cathain a bheidh an conradh á chur amach le haghaidh tairiscintí. Tá freagraí uainn. Táimid ar fad, mar phobal, dearg le fearg. Níl sé seo maith go leor agus tá dul chun cinn ag teastáil go práinneach. Chun a bheith macánta, tá cic sa tóin tuillte go maith ag an Roinn as ucht na moille thar tréimhse blianta fada. Níl aon spás do a thuilleadh moille.

Deputy Denise Mitchell

Gaelcholáiste Reachrann has been raised in the House many times over many years. I will not speak to the conditions of the school as they are well-documented but I acknowledge that the Minister, her officials and representatives of Dublin and Dún Laoghaire ETB visited the school in late May and gave a commitment that this would go to tender for our new permanent school build. Since then, we cannot get a clear answer about when it is going to tender. It is totally unfair to the school environment. We gather here today as Deputies from Dublin Bay North asking the Minister of State for a clear update on our new school build for Gaelcholáiste Reachrann.

Deputy Michael Moynihan

What is the old Irish seanfhocal - "Ní neart go cur le chéile"? I worked with the Deputies on Belmayne Educate Together and it is encouraging to see all Deputies from the area coming together. It sends a powerful signal to their communities, to us and to the Department about the seriousness of it. I commend the Deputies on that.

I thank them for raising the issue. We are fully committed to delivering a new school building for Gaelcholáiste Reachrann. This large-scale capital project involves the provision of a new 600-pupil school and ancillary accommodation.

The project was originally authorised to proceed to tender upon completion of the prequalification questionnaire shortlisting process in September 2022. Planning permission was due to expire in December 2022 and it was anticipated that an application to extend the duration could be submitted. However, due to changes in the Planning and Development Act 2000, there was no longer provision to apply for an extension and a new application would be required. Authorisation was given in June 2022 to progress the new planning application. The new application was submitted in March 2023 with additional supporting documentation requested by Dublin City Council over and above what had been supplied with the original application. Our Department previously advised a new grant of planning was received in December 2023 with a number of conditions attached. As a result, decarbonisation measures were included in a revised project scope, in line with climate action objectives.

The design team has finalised the pre-tender checks and documents in line with revised technical guidance documentation from the Department and a report was recently submitted to the Department for review. This review is being undertaken in the context of the Department’s national development plan allocation and the finalisation of the NDP implementation plan. The design team has finalised the tender documents in line with revised technical guidance documentation from the Department. I am informed by the senior Minister that she expects the review of the project by Department officials to be completed shortly, which will allow the tender to take place. This large-scale capital project remains a priority for delivery and departmental officials remain engaged throughout with the patron, Dublin and Dun Laoghaire ETB.

The Department promotes and supports Irish-medium school provision, including Gaelcholáistí and Gaelscoileanna. There are 248 Gaelscoileanna and 50 Gaelcholáistí throughout the country. Between 2020 and 2024, capital expenditure of over €400 million was invested in Irish-medium schools, demonstrating the Department’s commitment to the Irish-medium school sector.

Deputy Cian O’Callaghan

When the pre-tender documentation was issued, it stated tenders would be sought on 1 September 2025. That deadline for dispatching invitations has come and gone. The Minister of State made no reference to it in his reply. Why has that deadline been broken?

When the Minister visited Gaelcholáiste Reachrann in late May, the promise was construction would start in the first half of 2026. Is that promise being stood over? Is the Minister of State sticking to that promise or breaking it? Will he give us firm details on when construction will start?

Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí

It is a bit frustrating. We are all fully committed to this project and are waiting for officials to make what should be a no-brainer of a decision, given where the project is, what the community is at and where we need to go. I urge the Minister of State to keep pressure on departmental officials and get the decision made quickly so we can get through this gate and the community can move on and start planning for a fine new building that is so badly needed.

Deputy Barry Heneghan

Gabhaim buíochas le gach Teachta Dála sa Teach. Mar a dúirt an tAire Stáit, tá sé iontach go bhfuil gach duine ag obair le chéile. To reiterate what colleagues have said, it is disappointing. We will all be making phone calls to parents of children in the school to tell them there is no definite answer. Is there anything the Minister of State can do to get a definite answer and a concrete timeline? It is very important.

Deputy Tom Brabazon

Tá mé ag éisteacht le leithscéalta ón Roinn le blianta fada anuas agus níl sé maith go leor. Tá freagraí dearfacha i scríbhinn ag teastáil.

Deputy Denise Mitchell

I could say I am frustrated by the Minister of State's response but I do not know how to put it in words. For 24 years, Gaelcholáiste Reachrann has been fighting for a new build. We have had promise after promise. I stand here as a representative of Dublin Bay North and a parent of two children in that school. I am expressing the frustration of the parents in the school. We were promised ground would be broken in April of next year. Will the Minister of State give us the commitment that we will finally see our new school build starting in April?

Deputy Michael Moynihan

The first thing I will say is I will not be giving any wild commitments. I understand the frustration and accept it absolutely.

Deputy Cian O’Callaghan

Does that mean the senior Minister's commitment was a wild commitment?

Deputy Denise Mitchell

So it was a photo op.

Deputy Michael Moynihan

The design team has finalised the tender documentation. The review of the documentation is in the Department. The commitment I will give is we will make sure it is not delayed within it. There was a commitment given for 1 September. We are now heading for the end of October. That is six weeks of a delay. Every week and day is a delay. I accept people's frustration. As public representatives in the community, the Deputies have articulated it clearly and demonstrated unity this morning on the issue. I will give a commitment to move what has to be done in the Department speedily through the process and make sure this project is completed.

I understand the frustration of parents and the community that something that was promised over 25 years ago has not been delivered. It is needed. When we look at the draft of the documentation I have been given, it is frustrating to see that because of some technical issues on the planning side of it. I give a commitment that we will do everything that can be done to move this project on. I will report back to the Deputies with an update.

Special Educational Needs

Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

My Topical Issue concerns the shortage of SNAs and access to respite in respect of special schools in Cork. I have two specific schools in mind and the Minister of State will be familiar with the issues regarding them. I initially tabled this in the context of the news that had just broken to parents of children in St. Gabriel's Special School, Bishopstown, which caused enormous alarm. I spoke to a number of those parents. It was articulated that due to a lack of SNAs, it was proposed that children deemed high risk would be reduced to a three-day week while children deemed at lower risk would be looking at a four-day week.

In respect of this and the other issue, which relates to Carrigaline Community Special School, fundamental to special education and the philosophy that underpins it of ensuring children get the support and education they need to reach their potential is continuity, consistency and predictability. Undoubtedly, had the school introduced three-day-per-week or four-day-per-week provision to children for a period - I think the period being talked about was six weeks - that would have caused enormous problems. A number of public representatives contacted the Minister of State, including Councillor Joe Lynch from our side on our behalf. There was a quick enough response from his office and parents were subsequently informed that the proposal to go a reduced week would not proceed and that the NCSE would be engaging with the school to address the staff shortages.

I am asking for an update on how the Department and the NCSE will work with St. Gabriel's Special School to ensure there is adequate staff. The concern from the management was that there was insufficient staff to ensure safety and the quality education to which the children were entitled. It is positive that the NCSE and the Department engaged to the extent that they did on Friday to ensure the school re-opened in full but the underlying issues need to be resolved in terms of ensuring adequate staffing.

The second issue concerns Carrigaline Community Special School. Several issues have arisen there, many of which relate to staff turnover but also because of the lack of respite and therapies due to it being an ETB school. There are reports today of one child having three teachers within a relatively short period. These are all interlinked. A child who does not have access to adequate therapies will potentially be dysregulated, not reach his or her full potential and find the experience difficult. The teachers are then under pressure because the child is dysregulated leading to a knock-on impact in terms of burnout. That has an impact on parents, who are frustrated and see turnover. Those parents are not being supported by adequate respite and have to fight for everything. The situation there is not good enough.

The focus needs to be on solutions to the issues facing the school. The Department am an ghátair had to ask the ETB to open special schools in Rochestown and Carrigaline but the lack of access to therapies and respite is hugely undermining their ability to do that. This has an impact in terms of staff burnout and turnover. Who pays the price for this ultimately? Who is paying the price of the State being unable to put in place everything they need? It is the children. It is those who are most at the margins so we clearly need a solution to the issues. I would also like an update on St. Gabriel's Special School.

Deputy Michael Moynihan

Last Thursday, Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan contacted me about St. Gabriel's Special School and the information it had given to parents. It is a very challenging and distressing situation. On Friday morning, the Department and the National Council for Special Education made contact with the school and a very extensive meeting was held in the afternoon. Thankfully, the position taken by the management and board on Thursday night was reversed and the full school opened on Monday morning.

I thank all those who work in special schools for their enormous commitment to special education. The NCSE and the Department are continuing to work with St. Gabriel's Special School on any issues it has and to provide the best possible supports. It is important that we understand the challenges within school communities and that if they exist, they are communicated to the NCSE and the Department before any decisions are taken relating to school hours.

There are ongoing discussions with the ETB, the Department and the NCSE regarding Carrigaline Community Special School. I am well aware of the issues in the public domain. I do not want to comment publicly on them. I want to make sure we find resolutions for both schools. We met with the National Association of Boards of Management in Special Education last Friday at its annual conference and I met many of its teams. I have visited many of the schools around the country and know acutely the work that is happening and the challenges they face. ETBs throughout the country are taking on special schools and we must compliment them on the work they do. We also need to support them in a very meaningful way. When delivering schools at post-primary or primary level or at further education level, ETBs will have directors and it is important that we have one contact within the ETBs who is the director of the special schools. Cork ETB has taken on a number of schools and is constructing another school in Carrignavar on the site of the previous school so a lot of work is ongoing. We have to make sure we have the proper resources to support them and the teams that run the special schools.

The Government took the decision earlier in April or May of this year to put therapists back into special schools. That work is ongoing. The education therapy service, ETS, is being developed and is a priority for Government. Recruitment will starting in phases but we must also ensure we are training enough therapists to put them back into special schools. That will equip the special schools with the human resources to provide the best possible service, help and support to students and the teams that work in special schools. We are committed to that.

Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

I have the written part of the Minister of State's statement and some of that is useful as well. I am glad he is here today because I appreciate that he is up to date on the issues. It is important that the Department takes this seriously. The NCSE and the Department are taking it seriously but, clearly, we need solutions. While the potential reduced hours did not proceed in St. Gabriel's Special School, there is still an issue. To the best of my knowledge, no additional staff have been allocated since the issue arose on Thursday. Could the Minister give me an update of what is planned over the next couple of weeks to address the issues in terms of the staffing?

It is good to hear that there is a discussion happening between the Department and the ETBs. It is also important that parents are a part of that too, in relation to the issues in Carrigaline Community Special School. In many instances, because it is the State's patron effectively, the ETB is very often not in a position to say, "Yes", "No" or whatever. If it is asked to open a special school, it opens a special school and that is the way it is. It is right that it does so but it needs to get the support it ought to get. The lack of access to respite is very hard to comprehend. Parents who have enrolled a child in a special school would have assumed, just because the patron was the patron, that these schools would have the same terms, conditions and supports that any special school would have, and it is right that they should have. That needs to happen.

Returning to the issue I submitted, clearly there is an issue in ensuring that we recruit and retain special needs assistants, SNAs. Some of this pertains to the terms and conditions that apply but it seems that there is an issue in relation to teachers in special schools because maybe there are opportunities available in some other schools outside the special education sector. It can be difficult to hold onto them but ultimately that is having a knock-on effect on the children and their continuity of education.

Deputy Michael Moynihan

The budget for special education is over €3 billion this year. The Deputy will recall that following the budget last week, we will hire over 1,700 additional SNAs and over 860 teachers in special schools and special classes. The first thing I would like to say is that the work being done by the teachers and the teams working in special schools or special classes helping children with additional needs throughout the country is absolutely phenomenal. Phenomenal work is being done by the SNAs. All of the people and the teams willing to work in the special schools or special classes are top of the range and we have to make sure we support them in every way.

The Deputy raised an issue in relation to the ETBs versus the State. It is the duty of the State to open and run special schools throughout the country. Over the decades some of the special schools were developed basically by community organisations and community groups of volunteers that set up and started off in their communities. We are duty bound. We have to ensure that we have the arm of the State, which is the ETBs, working with the Department of education and the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, to develop special schools across the country. I do take the point in relation to resourcing them because there is a particular skill set. I would classify those who work in the special schools and special classes as superhuman beings, be they teachers, leadership or SNAs. We have to support them in a very meaningful way and we have to understand the challenges that are being faced.

The Deputy mentioned two schools at the very outset. I reassure him that we are engaging. The Department and the NCSE are engaging very closely with St. Gabriel's and with the school in Carrigaline. I am in contact with parents who have contacted me. I will continue to be in contact with both schools and both teams to ensure we have proper resolution of any issues there.

Dáil Éireann díospóireacht - Wednesday, 15 Oct 2025