Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate – Dáil Éireann (34th Dáil) – Tuesday, 21 Oct 2025

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate

Sports Funding

Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan

I thank the Minister of State, Deputy McConalogue, for coming in. It is rare enough to come in here for a Topical Issue and get the line Minister, so I do appreciate it.

This is a long story. It goes back to 2020 initially. I think in January 2020 we were delighted when the Taoiseach, Deputy Micheál Martin, unveiled plans for a massive development, or so we thought, of a centre of excellence in Glanmire in co-operation with the FAI. It was sold as a project which we were very excited about, to be honest, particularly due to its relationship with Cork City FC. We thought it would be a massive benefit to the community in Glanmire and the wider Munster and Cork regions.

That allocation of €86.4 million was made in January 2020, of course, in good faith. I think that funding was spread across 33 projects, of which an initial €2 million was dedicated to Glanmire. We fast-forward then to 2023 when the FAI wrote to the Department stating it no longer intended to proceed with that project in Glanmire with regard to the LSSIF grant I am talking about. If we move on again to 2024, the FAI board agreed at that time that it would look at alternative proposals. My understanding is that is an internal matter for the FAI that it is still considering its next steps, and the Minister might be able to elicit more of what it is thinking in his own response.

My understanding is that we are still waiting for updates from UCC and the FAI. My understanding is that very little has happened. It is very frustrating for us locally because we did genuinely feel that this would be a trademark and would really put Cork football on the map. It is an internal matter for the FAI but we are growing increasingly frustrated over the past number of years with the lack of progress on the site.

The Minister of State might be aware that Riverstown Football Club has actually become the main sublessee of the site and that needs to be finalised with Cork County Council. We are in the latter stages of that. Ultimately, the council's proposal that it will go out to a public consultation and consider alternative proposals for the remainder of the site, one of which is a multisport community centre proposal is being prepared by members of the community.

I was encouraged by the Minister, Deputy O'Donovan's, comments in reply to me two weeks ago at a sports committee meeting on the departmental Estimates. At that time, he stressed for all existing grant programmes, be they sports capital funding or the LSSIF, the urgency of drawing down those existing funds that are committed. In the case of Glanmire, an initial €2 million was allocated in 2020. It is 2025 now and we are yet to see any drawdown of that funding. The reason I tabled this matter is that I do not have an issue with whatever proposal the FAI come up with, I just want to see the funding drawn down. We have been waiting the bulk of five years for that funding to be drawn down and, as I said, little or no progress has been made on the alternative the FAI promised a considerable time ago that it would come up with. Is the FAI dealing with this matter expeditiously with their partners? Does the Minister of State believe they can meet the local funding requirements in light of its recently published financial report?

Minister of State at the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport (Deputy Charlie McConalogue)

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter.

Government investment in sport is essential to increasing participation levels in all sports, across all sectors of society. The allocation for the sports programme in budget 2026 is over €290 million, an increase of just under €60 million or 26%, compared to last year's allocation. When the national sports policy was published in 2018, it set a commitment to double investment in sport to more than €220 million by 2027, so I am pleased that we have well exceeded that commitment already. My Department operates two capital funding programmes for sport, namely the community sports facilities fund and the large-scale sport infrastructure fund, which we are discussing in relation to one particular awardee this evening.

Through that fund, over €250 million euro was allocated to 3,000 community sports facilities in 2024 from the 2023 round of the fund. A total of €297 million has been invested through the LSSIF across 68 projects. The 2018 round allocated €124 million to 33 projects, of which this is one, including top-ups in 2023. In November 2024, €173 million was allocated to 35 projects following record demand on that occasion.

To deal with the specific award raised by the Deputy, my Department provided a provisional allocation of just over €2.025 million for the Munster centre of excellence under the first round of the LSSIF in 2020. The proposal involved the development of grass pitches, an AstroTurf facility, floodlighting and dressing rooms. The FAI wrote to the Department on 10 May 2023 stating that it no longer intended to proceed with the LSSIF-funded centre of excellence in Glanmire. According to the FAL the decision not to proceed with the proposal was due to the fact that the original proposal no longer represented the greatest return on investment for the parties involved. Regarding the Glanmire site originally designated for the Munster centre of excellence, Cork County Council, which holds the title, are currently in negotiations with Riverstown FC in relation to a sublease. The FAI currently holds a lease on the site. Once legal formalities between the FAI, the council and Riverstown FC are concluded - and I understand that they are nearing completion - Riverstown FC plans to develop the site into a multisport facility for the local community with the intention of incorporating additional amenities to further support community needs.

In relation to a new location for the Munster centre of excellence, the FAI has been providing ongoing updates to my officials. On 16 October 2025, my Department formally wrote to the FAI seeking a detailed update, which was received today. The FAI has confirmed that negotiations are actively progressing, with discussions at an advanced stage, regarding a potential new site for the centre. The FAI plans to present the proposed site and project details to its board at the next scheduled meeting at the end of this month. Subject to board approval, the FAI intends to seek my Department’s support in transferring the original LSSIF grant to the newly proposed location. The FAI will submit a business case to the Department outlining the revised project location, scope and partnership arrangements for consideration. As negotiations are ongoing, further details cannot be disclosed at this time. As I have previously stated, my Department remains open to considering a request to repurpose the original grant, provided the revised proposal continues to meet the overarching objectives of the original project. Any amended submission from the FAI must comply with the established LSSIF guidelines and be supported by appropriate due diligence.

It is important to note the sizable financial support given to the FAI and to football more generally over the past few years. Over €75 million in State funding was allocated to the FAI between 2019 and 2024, including €30.2 million specifically to support football development and aimed at promoting participation in football by young people, with the balance in funding comprising Covid-specific and energy supports to the FAI and the wider football sector.

Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan

I thank the Minister of State for the response. The one thing I can glean from this response, and that is encouraging, is that the Minister of State has stated the FAI told him at its next board meeting it will bring forward details on the project. That is welcome progress because this is something that the community of Glanmire and all the public representatives involved, including local authority members, have pushed for some time. This project dates back six or seven years since its inception. My fundamental frustration is around the drawdown of funds. This is not the only project across the country that has not been drawn down from the LSSIF or, indeed, from other sports capital grants. Is there going to come a tipping point? Aside from this specific project, is there going to come a point where the Department will say to awardees that they have five, six, seven years to draw funding down, whatever the project is around the country, and if they do not use it, they are going to lose it and it will be go back to the Exchequer to be reallocated to some other worthy project? All these projects are worthy. We are all looking to support the development of infrastructure and facilities. The Minister of State referenced the record funding the Government has invested in the recent budget. I hope in next year's budget we will see a similar allocation into the sports capital funding. Is there ever going to come a point where if an awardee cannot or is unable to draw down the funding they have been allocated, there will be a cut-off point? I welcome the response the FAI has given stating that at its next board meeting it will have an update, but I ask that in relation to that update, commitments are given on timelines and when this can be delivered.

Deputy Charlie McConalogue

I thank the Deputy for his advocacy in wanting to see this important project moved forward. There will come a point, because these will not be kept open forever. We need to make sure these projects get a move on. The Department has been tolerant to those awarded, but our objective at the moment is to try to make sure they are all moving. If they do not move, we will intervene and look to see how other projects will be able to move instead. I have given the House an update around the current status with regard to the potential for a new site for the Munster centre of excellence and the fact the FAI is updating its board at the next meeting. This is a new funding stream The large-scale sports infrastructure fund did not exist prior to the first funding round in 2020 followed by the second round in 2024. My objective, as Minister of State, is to work to try to make sure that the funds that have been awarded move forward by looking and assessing each of the projects intensively and monitoring them very closely to make sure they are held to account before moving forward. We are seeing movement now on this. As long as the objectives for the centre of excellence and the facilities that were initially intended in relation to the funding grant can be accommodated and are held true to in moving to a different site, we would be very much open to facilitating that and seeing the funding delivered for the benefit of football in the wider Cork area. This project could deliver a very significant benefit. I know the Deputy understands that and realises its potential.

We need to see it moving on. I will keep a very close eye on how the project develops to make sure that if it does move, decisions are taken and the process is stepped out so that funding can be availed of and drawn down for the purpose for which it was awarded.

Fishing Industry

Deputy Pat the Cope Gallagher

Ar an chéad dul síos, is mian liom mo bhuíochas a chur in iúl d’Oifig an Cheann Comhairle as ucht deis a thabhairt dom an cheist seo a ardú mar Shaincheist Thráthúil ag an am seo anocht.

I refer to the question of a reduction in pelagic quotas - there are demersal quotas - in particular mackerel, blue whiting and boarfish. Drastic reductions were recommended by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea, ICES, for 2026. I repeat my gratitude to the Minister of State with responsibility for the marine, Deputy Timmy Dooley, for responding to a request to meet an organisation in Killybegs on a Sunday morning a few weeks ago. Fishermen from Donegal, Galway and the south west were present and the Minister of State listened attentively to all of them. It was not his first visit – I understand it was his sixth visit to Killybegs within a short time.

Producers and processors made very clear to him the detrimental effects of the proposed quotas. Over the past number of years, Norway, Iceland, the Faroe Islands and, to an extent since Brexit, the UK, have fished 1 million tonnes of mackerel. In some years, Norway alone overfishes its quota by 55%. This has led directly to a proposal from ICES to reduce the total allowable catch of mackerel by 70%, blue whiting by 41% and boarfish by 22%. This has the potential to cost Ireland over €150 million in lost catches at the first point of sale. Of course, with the added value the figure would be much greater than that.

Our catching sector is facing the biggest cuts in its history in real terms in 2026. It is equivalent to the cumulative impact of four years of Brexit. While Ireland generally was pleased that Brexit got over the line, once more the fishing industry suffered as a result. I met Michel Barnier, who negotiated at the time, and told him in this House, in the dining room, that I was extremely concerned for the future of the fishing industry. He looked me straight in the eye and said I could take it that it would not be affected because fishing and trade would be inextricably linked. I believed the man.

Of course, I advocated at the time that we should have threatened to veto Brexit because of the implications for the fishing industry. That was not a popular thing to do at the time. There was a bigger picture. Had we threatened to do that at the time, I have no doubt that there would not have been such drastic reductions in those quotas as a result of Brexit. It is a very serious situation for the country, in particular the most peripheral parts where there are no alternative sources of employment.

I know the Minister of State will do his utmost and will hold bilateral meetings with many other countries in Europe. We must ensure that we convince Europe to put sanctions in place for the sale of fish from Norway into the European Union. I will deal with that later.

Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Deputy Timmy Dooley)

I thank Deputy Gallagher for raising this important issue. I also thank him for his guidance through this. As somebody with vast experience of the sector and an intimate knowledge at European level, he has been a source of good and wise counsel to me over recent months on this issue. He has identified the scientific advice now providing the backdrop to this and which will guide the total allowable catch for the pelagic sector for 2026, which was released on 30 September.

I am acutely aware of the scale these reductions will have and the grave concerns for the seafood sector as a result, in particular in coastal communities which are so dependent on fishing from an economic and socioeconomic perspective. Killybegs is one of the prime examples of a fishing community that has developed the sector well through the foresight and ingenuity of some great people from a different era and made it what it is. It now sees a life's work and generational work counting for naught if this continues.

From what the Deputy has said and from what we are all aware of, it is very clear that an unfortunate situation has been allowed to develop. A number of coastal states, of which Norway, Iceland and the Faroe Islands form a trio, have, through the unilateral allocation of quotas, engaged in a considerable amount of overfishing. Elements of the industry would indicate that over the past five years about 1 million tonnes have been fished above what would be acceptable based on scientific advice. That has had a huge impact on fish stocks.

As the Deputy said, I met fishermen, fisherwomen and other interested parties in Killybegs on 5 October. On 8 October, I met relevant stakeholder groups as part of the annual sustainability impact assessment process. This provided a further opportunity to discuss that scientific advice. At the Agriculture and Fisheries Council in June and again in September, I highlighted Ireland's concerns regarding Norway's action in setting excessive and unsustainable mackerel quotas. I made it clear to the Commissioner and other member states that we need to take action to protect this important stock and send a clear message that actions that threaten the sustainability of our shared stocks are not acceptable to the EU.

The programme for Government recognises the valuable role fisheries will play in the future of this country and in the communities that rely on this activity for their livelihood. Furthermore, it notes the commitment of the Government to defend Irish interests in the context of further negotiations between the EU and third countries.

Last week, I presented that sustainability impact assessment to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Fisheries and Maritime Affairs to provide clear discussion at parliamentary level. We will have a debate on the issue here tomorrow. The assessment involved a public consultation process. Along with expert contributions from the Marine Institute and Bord Iascaigh Mhara, BIM, this is an essential step in Ireland's preparations for the autumn negotiation on fishing opportunities for the forthcoming year.

The sustainability impact assessment highlights the potential for significant impacts on the Irish fishing industry. I am committed to working across Departments to assess what supports may be available to the seafood sector at this very difficult time. I am conscious that fishermen and fisherwomen are not looking for handouts. They would far prefer to be getting fish to catch, process and sell to end users.

I have had discussions with the EU Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans. I have obviously spoken to the Taoiseach and the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation to explore options within the constraints of EU and national Exchequer funding and the relevant EU and national legislation, in particular taking account of constraints imposed by EU state aid rules.

Deputy Pat the Cope Gallagher

Europe has been weak in coastal states. The very same Norway will attempt to gain access to fish blue whiting west of Ireland in the next number of weeks. We must oppose that completely and convince Europe to support us in the actions the Minister will take. Market access and trade restrictions for fish products need to be fully applied against Norway, as well as the Faroe Islands and Iceland. That can be done under regulation 1026/2012. It needs to be fully applied by the Commission.

We cannot have these coastal states destroying a shared fishery and expect to have zero consequences. The damage has been done and I can say hand on heart that in my years involved in fish processing and as Minister of State and as a TD for Donegal and Killybegs, they have complied fully with the restrictions and the regulations that have been laid down, whereas these other countries have fished indiscriminately and, as a result, we now find ourselves in the situation we are suffering. The European Union must apply the necessary sanctions under Regulation 1026/2012 and hopefully then they will come to the realisation they cannot continue like this.

Brexit hurt us and the TAC costs our fishermen in the region of €220 million. It is not all about the fishermen alone; it is about the many who work in the factories to supplement their other income from small farming. It is just a disaster and I do not think anyone fully appreciates this. It is for everyone in Government and the Minister in particular, and if it has to go to the European Council then so be it. It is too serious for Ireland to sit back and accept the consequences. I wish the Minister of State well in his endeavours.

Deputy Timmy Dooley

I thank Deputy Gallagher for his continued support. I have made it very clear to officials who negotiate on our behalf in advance of Council meetings that it cannot be business as usual. Today I instructed officials to vote against any access to blue whiting in European waters for Norway. I intend to maintain this position throughout. I accept we do not have a veto and that a blocking minority will be difficult. Notwithstanding this, we have to make it very clear, particularly as a country that will suffer most as a result of this overfishing and this unilateral allocation of quota, that we cannot allow a state that has robbed us of our breakfast, lunch and tea to expect we should hand it something in return. I do not believe this is acceptable or appropriate. We have to begin a process of a wider trade issue between the European Union and Norway in particular.

Since my appointment as Minister of State with responsibility for fisheries and the marine, I have sought every opportunity to engage with all the stakeholders directly and I will continue to work with fishermen and women, processors, co-operatives and aquacultural operators to build a sustainable future for Ireland's fishing industry, which has shown itself to be resilient in the face of unprecedented challenges. I am also conscious it will require the wider support of the Government and to this extent, as I have said, I have spoken to a number of colleagues. It is my intention to prepare initially a memorandum of information for Government, which the Minister, Deputy Heydon, will forward and address at Cabinet level. I am looking forward to continued engagement here tomorrow as we have set aside three and a half hours to discuss this very issue. The Government remains committed to assisting the sector and recognises the significant threat and challenges we face.

School Facilities

Deputy Paul Nicholas Gogarty

I have tabled this question as I have long been an advocate of multiuse school buildings. I want to get an update from the Minister on a response I received from the Department on how to repurpose the design of buildings so they can be used in a safe way so we can educate schoolchildren and have a creche on one side, a meeting room for community events later and enough space for full-sized pitches that can be used during the day for organisations such as Cumann na mBunscoil and at night by the community. That is one aspect of the issue I raised.

Specifically, as I received a query from Holy Family Community School in Rathcoole, I submitted a parliamentary question asking the Minister for Education and Youth the reason hand dryers were not installed in the school. This relates to some of the design criteria with regard to their long-term cost savings and environmental benefits. The reply stated that the project brief for the major project at Holy Family Community School was to demolish the school and construct a three-storey 1,000 pupil building with a special educational needs unit and a PE hall. The Department's school design guide SDG 02-06 Sanitary Facilities states that the provision for hand-drying facilities shall be paper towels or cotton or linen towels and that electric hand dryers are not permitted. It states that the sanitary facilities should have adequate space for disposable hand towel dispensers and a refuse bin for the disposal of paper towels. I would like to know why, given the environmental benefits of hand driers. I know there have been suggestions that when machines are used in a high turnover environment, there is more risk of airborne infection but I would be grateful for a reply.

Given that we are talking about the Rathcoole and Saggart area - this is not for the Minister of State to comment on unless he so wishes but it is past midnight and I hope things have quietened down - I want to put on record my absolute disgust at what took place in Citywest tonight. I have been raising issues on behalf of residents who have genuine concerns about the purchase by the State of the Citywest Hotel complex and its long-term use, the lack of security, the lack of Garda numbers in the community, reports of people hanging around smoking and taking drugs in the vicinity of schools and all of the genuine concerns that ordinary decent residents have expressed. I am with them 100%.

There was a so-called peaceful protest organised tonight, which I am sure many of the locals thought was going to be peaceful. It turned into stones been thrown at gardaí, horses being ridden at gardaí, fireworks being shot at gardaí and the barriers being thrown at gardaí. Full credit is due to the members of An Garda Síochána for trying to keep the peace. The people purporting to be there in solidarity with the poor girl who was subject to the horrendous attack I referenced earlier today had no thoughts whatsoever for the many young children in the Citywest Hotel complex, who would have been scared for their lives with what went on. Anyone who is using an alleged but atrocious attack on a young child to further a hateful agenda needs to be condemned absolutely. This is to reiterate I have continued to support the residents in their genuine concerns. I wanted to put this on record because of what happened tonight. It was appalling. I ask the Minister of State to refer to the issue at hand on the policy regarding multiuse school buildings and hand dryers.

Minister of State at the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht (Deputy Jerry Buttimer)

I join Deputy Gogarty in condemning the actions tonight of those who engaged in thuggery. We are, and should be, as Deputy Gogarty rightly said, thinking about the young girl who was attacked. We send our best wishes to her. We also think of the member of An Garda Síochána who was attacked tonight in the line of duty. All of us who are balanced and fair people recognise there is no place in society for what happened tonight. I am conscious Deputy Gogarty has raised legitimate questions about the concerns of residents and I hope we can address them further.

I thank Deputy Gogarty for raising the matter regarding the Department of Education and Youth guidelines. I am taking this matter for the Minister for Education and Youth. It provides me with an opportunity to discuss the role of the Department's technical guidance documents and school design guidance documentation. To facilitate the design of new school buildings, the Department has developed a suite of technical guidance documents and school design guides, which provide guidance on a wide range of technical and building design-related issues for use by school authorities and design teams. These guidance documents have been in operation for a number of years and are continually reviewed and updated based on an ongoing policy of research, curriculum development and feedback.

School design guidance documents include a range of multiuse and flexible time spaces, including general purpose halls and internal and external multiuse physical education spaces. These spaces are also designed to allow for after-school community activities. As a former teacher and a former director of adult education, I concur with Deputy Gogarty that a school is best served by being able to have flexibility regarding after-school use also. At a school where I worked, I had the pleasure of being involved in the transition to a new school building as part of a public-private partnership. In saying this, I agree with the points raised by Deputy Gogarty on the use of space and buildings.

The design briefs for contemporary school building projects include social spaces and active circulation areas outside of the formal classroom settings that facilitate a more flexible and multi-purpose type of environment for collaborative learning and social interactions. These spaces contribute to the well-being of students and all of the school community. There are also a number of design layouts for specific school facilities such as for music, art, graphics, library and technology rooms, which offer a more flexible approach to creative learning. The guidance states that the architecture of the school should promote cross-disciplinary learning. The learning environment is a type of pedagogical tool as it subtly supports learning through textures, colours, materials and, most of all, the innovative use of space. In this way, the interiors can be regrouped and used flexibly for various purposes.

Regarding the specific query on hand-drying facilities in schools, paper, cotton or linen towel dispensers are classified as loose furniture and fittings and are not part of the construction contract for new school building projects. I was not aware of that until I read this reply earlier this evening. Some schools may choose to install electric air hand dryers. However, under current departmental guidance based on previous research and an assessment of a number of criteria, it is recommended that the provision of electric air hand dryers in schools be carefully considered on health, noise and energy consumption grounds. Electric hand dryers are not considered the most effective means for children in primary schools to dry their hands with regard to the removal of bacteria as young children will not spend sufficient time at the unit. The noise generated by dryers in toilet en suites within primary school classrooms can also be disruptive to the teaching and leaning environment. Also, in relation to universal accessibility, towel dispensers are easy to use with a single hand and by people with limited manual dexterity and reduced hand and arm movement. As with all areas of school design guidance, this will continue to be reviewed and considered in line with technological and regulatory developments.

I do not have a specific answer in relation to the Holy Family school in Rathcoole but I am happy to go back to the Department to get further information for the Deputy.

Deputy Paul Nicholas Gogarty

I thank the Minister of State. In relation to the situation at Citywest, I thank him for his comments. I want to add that residents who may have been in fear because of some incidents of antisocial behaviour in the community by a very small minority of residents at the IPAS centre are now in fear of rioters. Property was damaged tonight. Implements were taken out of people's gardens and used as weapons against gardaí. I thank the Minister of State for sharing my condemnation.

On the response to this Topical Issue, I would like to see more from the Department in terms of multi-use design. Often, the size of the pitches provided is not sufficient in the context of community provision. We saw that in the Clonburris SDZ, where we trying to build up apartments in order to leave space for one full-size GAA pitch, one rugby pitch and two soccer pitches. There is a model in Adamstown, where a community building was provided separately as a sports hall for Adamstown Community College, which is then used as a sports hall by the community at night time. I would love to see more of that.

I note the response in relation to primary schools and how electric dryers would not be considered the most effective means of hand-drying because young children will not spend sufficient time at the unit to ensure the removal of bacteria. That makes logical sense and I thank the Department for that response. However, in second level schools there should be a better level of hygiene awareness among the students. Perhaps we need a more blended model. There could be the option of towels but from an efficiency point of view, dryers are a more cost-effective option in the longer term. I hope a review could examine this, especially at second level.

Deputy Jerry Buttimer

The Deputy is right to raise the issue of residents in the area. There is fear, property has been damaged and public transport stopped. People have been discommoded and unable to get to and from work and home tonight. It is important that we send a strong message not just to those who have rioted but to the people who are affected and living in fear.

I have a huge amount of sympathy with the Deputy in regard to this Topical Issue. As a former director of education and teacher, what he is saying about community facilities and pitches makes absolute sense to me. I also agree with him on a blended approach at second level in particular. The Department has developed a suite of technical guidance documents and school design guides, which are continually reviewed. I hope, based upon our conversation tonight, they can be updated based on research, feedback and curriculum development. The Deputy's contribution tonight is part of that feedback. A range of multi-use and flexible spaces exists within schools, both internally and externally. These spaces are also designed for the after-school community. I must take a look at the Adamstown model but there are areas where we can improve and do better. The installation of electric dryers is a decision for individual schools but a blended approach, in second level in particular, is one that I hope the planning and building unit in the Department will take note of and provide technical advice to schools on. That blended model is the right approach, working to put our schools at the heart of our communities and further integrating them through community use of school facilities. Again, I thank the Deputy for raising this matter.

Special Educational Needs

Deputy Pa Daly

The education of children with special needs is one of the most frustrating and distressing situations for parents in County Kerry. They look on and see potential and achievable progress denied. As one mother said to me, the early years system is broken and the lack of appropriate services will have lifelong impacts on her son. Everywhere we turn we see that services have huge waiting lists, a shortage of staff and a lack of resources. Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Healy-Rae brothers are continuing to stand over a system that is broken. Children are being denied their basic right to an education and far too many of them are in Kerry. Specifically, I want to raise the issue of early intervention for preschool children with autism who should get a support teacher and an SNA. Despite four Government-supporting TDs representing the county, I recently learned through a reply to a parliamentary question that Kerry has one of the lowest numbers of early-intervention classes in the Twenty-six Counties. When one adjusts for population size, the outlook is even more bleak. There are just two classes available in the whole of the county and a total of six places for children in the whole year. However, because many children stay on for a second year, the actual number of new spaces is just three or four. In a county with a population of 160,000, this beggars belief. While the situation is dire the length and breadth of the country, there is no doubt that Kerry has been left behind. The Minister of State's own county of Cork has 22 classes. Mallow alone has three early-intervention classes. Tipperary and Wexford have ten and 12 classes, respectively, with equivalent populations while Offaly, whose population is half that of Kerry, has nine classes. To add insult to injury, there are schools with the space and resources available to establish new classes but the Department of education has repeatedly ignored pleas from parents to give their children access to the education they deserve.

I was contacted recently by the parent of a child who is being denied access to the education that he deserves. Despite his profound needs, and the recommendation from a SENO for a special class placement, there is no place in an early-intervention class available to him in the county. His mother tells me that it was proposed to open a third early-intervention class in Kerry in a school in Killarney. The school stepped forward to open it. She was told by the principal that the school had the necessary space, staff and support but the Government refused to sanction it. This is an indictment of the continued failure of the Government to keep its word.

If one compares these statistics with some of the ministerial replies that are on record, a different picture is painted. On 16 October, I received a reply to a parliamentary question that said that early-intervention classes are available in mainstream and special school settings for children aged three to five years with a diagnosis of autism. Does anybody believe that is the case? The Kerry TD and Minister Deputy Normal Foley said in response to a parliamentary question that the Government recognises the importance of early intervention for children with disabilities and ensuring they receive the right services at the right time. She went on to say that under the programme for Government, she and the Government were committed to ensuring that children and families who need early intervention and therapy can access that in a timely way. The key vehicle for change, according to the Minister, is the roadmap for service improvement for disability services.

However, considering that this roadmap was supposedly to be implemented by 2026, does the Minister really believe the three to four places available for that school year are being delivered? It sounds more like lip service.

Research clearly demonstrates that early intervention vastly improves outcomes for children and can negate the need for a special education placement down the line. Ignoring these children until they reach school age is short-sighted and will exacerbate what is already a serious crisis. Will the Government prepare now to ensure extra spaces are available in classes for students in Kerry?

Deputy Jerry Buttimer

I thank Deputy Daly for raising this very important matter. As somebody who was involved with the Cope Foundation in Cork, now Horizons, I recognise the huge work being done in special education and for those with disabilities in Kerry. I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister for Education and Youth.

The Government is committed to the provision of additional special places for children with additional needs. The Deputy is right that there is huge frustration and stress being felt by parents, and that should not be the case. As I said earlier, as a former teacher I recognise that early intervention is critical and early years provision is so important to young children, particularly those with additional needs. There are 160 early intervention classes nationwide, the vast majority of which are for children with a diagnosis of autism. Many of the early intervention classes sanctioned to date have been reclassified as the children enrolled reach primary level age. This allows the children to remain in the class at the school they attended for early intervention. However, this it is not always the case, with many classes enrolling a new cohort of children yearly.

As the Deputy knows, budget 2026 secured funding for 3,000 new specialist places. The National Council for Special Education, NCSE, is currently examining where these places would be best located for the 2026-27 school year. More than 400 new special classes were provided for the 2025-26 school year, meaning there are now 3,741 special classes nationwide. The Government is committed to building on this figure next year, placing provision in locations where it is best placed to meet existing and future demand.

In County Kerry, which Deputy Daly represents and has referenced, 114 special classes are now in operation, providing capacity for up to 864 students. That provision includes 25 new special classes for this school year. In total, the number of special classes in County Kerry has almost doubled since 2020. Two of these classes are early intervention classes. Where the NCSE identifies need for an early intervention class, the class is sanctioned and supports are provided by the Department to ensure the school identified can accommodate the class. These classes are available in mainstream and special school settings for children aged between three and five with a diagnosis of autism. There is also a small number of classes dedicated to children who are deaf or hard of hearing. The classes are intended to provide early support to children with the most complex of needs before they start school and can aid their transition to junior infants.

Looking ahead to the 2026-27 school year, the NCSE will have a clear picture of local demand for special class places after it reviews and assesses all the information provided through the parents' notification process, which, as Members know, closed on 1 October. The NCSE will then engage directly with school boards of management in relation to the opening of new special classes, including early intervention classes. I assure the House that the Department, the Minister, the Minister of State and the NCSE are committed to ensuring sufficient special education placements remain available for all children with additional needs.

It is Important to note that within the early years sector, the access and inclusion model, AIM, under the Department of Children, Disability and Equality, continues to support a growing number of young children with additional needs. AIM provides a tiered system of support, including extra staffing for early years providers, and, importantly, it does not require a formal diagnosis for access. There has been a significant increase in resources and supports provided to children with additional needs accessing the AIM programme over recent years.

I will convey the matters the Deputy raised, particularly the parliamentary question he referenced, to the Minister. To be fair, there has been significant investment in special education. However, I accept there is frustration and concern on the part of parents, which should not be the case.

Deputy Pa Daly

I thank the Minister of State for his reply. I appreciate that he is only standing in for his ministerial colleague. He said there has been significant investment but we are just not seeing that locally in Kerry, which has one of the lowest numbers of early intervention classes in the State. An early intervention class includes a qualified primary school teacher and SNAs teaching the children. As one mother said to me, this setting of targeted and specific expertise can be life-changing for children. This is why there is frustration for parents. They are hearing about all the great investment that is coming but they are not seeing the progress in their community, particularly, it seems, in County Kerry.

When the Government has failed to deliver early intervention classes, as a backup or plan B or C, some parents have been offered AIM support. Many of them consider that provision unsatisfactory because they then have to source some home support. Even then, there are delays in getting the home support registered with and approved by the Teaching Council. Unfortunately, that system is not as speedy as it should be. While the AIM staff are qualified childcare workers, they have had no training in special education provision. Most of the time, according to a mother I spoke to, the children are left to their own devices.

The educational tasks taking place in mainstream classes have little to no relevance to children with autism. They need the practical life skills and educational tasks that take place in early intervention settings, which will scaffold and support the children to sit and attend to a simple task, such as washing their hands unaided. The work that takes place in early intervention is child-led and is a million miles away from the mainstream preschool setting. Is what they are currently being provided with an appropriate education? Their parents say it is not because AIM is not monitored and they feel their children are missing out. It is a plan B but it is not working.

Deputy Jerry Buttimer

I again thank the Deputy for raising this matter. I acknowledge the concerns he has articulated on behalf of the children and parents concerned. I want to make it clear that the Government, the Department, the Minister, Deputy McEntee, and the Minister of State, Deputy Michael Moynihan, working with the NCSE, have committed to ensuring all children can access an education suitable to their needs. AIM is about ensuring accession and inclusion and it is disturbing to hear the Deputy's remarks regarding the testimony of parents and children.

The Department of Education and Youth will continue to engage extensively and intensively with the NCSE in regard to the forward planning for new school provisions to ensure every child, including children in Kerry, have a place in an education setting that best fits their educational need. It is important that we do this with a focus on the policy of having an inclusive education model that promotes that children will be supported to receive an education that is in the most inclusive and appropriate setting possible. That is why there has been a significant increase in recent years in resources and supports provided to children with additional needs accessing the AIM programme.

Where demand is identified for early intervention classes, they will be sanctioned by the NCSE and established in the relevant schools. The NCSE continues to examine the information gathered through the parents' notification system and to match that demand to appropriate schools in local areas. It is envisaged that the location of the majority of special classes, including early intervention classes, will be sanctioned by December this year, which is four months earlier than in previous years. Parents, therefore, will be able to apply for specialist places much earlier than in previous years.

The Minister and Minister of State, Deputies McEntee and Moynihan, continue to meet with the NCSE and with senior departmental officials on a weekly basis to discuss the progress being made in providing special classes for the next school year. I will take the points made by Deputy Daly back to them. I thank him for raising the matter.

Cuireadh an Dáil ar athló ar 12.30 a.m. go dtí 9 a.m., Dé Céadaoin, an 22 Deireadh Fómhair 2025.

The Dáil adjourned at 12.30 a.m. until 9 a.m. on Wednesday, 22 October 2025.

Dáil Éireann díospóireacht - Tuesday, 21 Oct 2025