Peter 'Chap' Cleere
Ceist:1. Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee that oversees agriculture will next meet. [67675/25]
Ceisteanna - Questions
Cabinet Committees
Aindrias Moynihan
Ceist:2. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee that oversees agriculture will next meet. [67676/25]
Michael Cahill
Ceist:3. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Taoiseach which Cabinet committee oversees agriculture; and when it will next meet. [67677/25]
Brendan Smith
Ceist:4. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Taoiseach which Cabinet committee oversees agriculture; and when it will next meet. [69859/25]
Ryan O'Meara
Ceist:5. Deputy Ryan O'Meara asked the Taoiseach which Cabinet committee oversees agriculture; and when it will next meet. [69860/25]
Malcolm Byrne
Ceist:6. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Taoiseach which Cabinet committee oversees agriculture and when it will meet next. [5806/26]
Peadar Tóibín
Ceist:7. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee that oversees agriculture will next meet. [5977/26]
Paul Lawless
Ceist:8. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee that oversees agriculture will next meet. [5989/26]
Liam Quaide
Ceist:9. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee that oversees agriculture will next meet. [7331/26]
Darren O'Rourke
Ceist:10. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee that oversees agriculture will next meet. [7578/26]
Ruairí Ó Murchú
Ceist:11. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee that oversees agriculture will next meet. [7693/26]
Barry Heneghan
Ceist:12. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee that oversees agriculture and the marine will next meet. [7698/26]
Jennifer Whitmore
Ceist:13. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee that oversees agriculture will next meet. [8091/26]
Richard Boyd Barrett
Ceist:14. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the Cabinet committee that oversees agriculture. [8094/26]
Paul Murphy
Ceist:15. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the Cabinet committee that oversees agriculture. [8097/26]
Conor D McGuinness
Ceist:16. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee that oversees agriculture will next meet. [8197/26]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 16, inclusive, together.
The Government has placed agriculture and rural development at the heart of its work and the programme for Government sets out our ambitions to do more to grow our agrifood sector and see our rural economy and rural communities thrive. Government has mainstreamed agriculture across the Cabinet committee system to ensure that agriculture and rural policy are always factored into wider considerations and Government action. With this in mind, we established the Cabinet committee on water quality, which has been instrumental in our efforts to secure a derogation on the nitrates directive. Likewise, the Cabinet committee on European Union and international affairs has been a forum for closely monitoring CAP developments, other issues to do with agriculture and Europe, and shaping our positions from a negotiating perspective. The Cabinet committee on economy, trade and competitiveness and the Cabinet committee on climate action, environment and energy have also regularly discussed agricultural issues, particularly with regards to fully unlocking the economic potential within rural Ireland. As with all policy areas, agriculture issues are regularly discussed at Cabinet and there is regular cross-departmental engagement on issues that affect agriculture and our farming communities.
Budget 2026 saw €2.3 billion allocated to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. This was an increase of €170 million over the 2025 budget. This Government commitment is showing very strong results. In 2024, agrifood exports were a record €19 billion and estimates for 2025 show even further growth, to €21 billion. This highlights the global orientation and exceptional quality of Irish produce and, when viewed in the context of international trade uncertainty, is all the more impressive.
This success directly benefits Irish farm families. In 2024, the national farm survey showed that average family farm income rose by 89%. The figures for 2025 are not yet finalised, but indications show that it could see a further 30% growth. This is real progress and is the outcome of years of investments by the Government and, above all, by farmers themselves. By way of example, one can look at the success and implementation of the ACRES programme, which is part of Ireland's Common Agricultural Policy strategic plan. This work is relevant to multiple Cabinet committees and will see €1.5 billion allocated, with 60% funding from the Exchequer and 40% from the European Union budget. That will have a huge impact on our rural environment and will deliver an income support for up to 50,000 farm families. The Government will build on this success and the hard work of our farming families to ensure a thriving, resilient and sustainable agrifood sector.
When it comes Ireland’s priorities for the next CAP, our position is very clear and remains unchanged. We want a CAP that gives sufficient certainty and stability for farmers, fishers, and rural communities, allows for policy tools tailored to the Irish agrifood system and provides sufficient funding for farmers and rural communities. As the Deputies will be aware, the proposed CAP structure post 2027 seeks to consolidate existing measures into a single policy framework. The Government will be going through the proposals line by line to work towards our CAP priorities and assess the practicality of the Commission’s proposed approach, given the associated governance and conditionality requirements. I also note that the European Parliament has expressed dissatisfaction with the proposed merging of CAP elements with other funding structures and streams.
Ireland will advocate for maximum flexibility, retention of the full toolbox of measures, ring-fenced funding and a CAP framework that supports competitiveness, sustainability and food security. Ireland will play an influential role during our upcoming Presidency, acting as an honest broker in progressing CAP discussions. The Minister, Deputy Heydon, and all of Government will continue to engage actively at European Union level.
A huge number of rural roads in Carlow-Kilkenny have been absolutely destroyed in the past couple of weeks due to the torrential rainfall and serious flooding in the area. This has resulted in serious potholes and, in many cases, complete disintegration of road surfaces, making them impassable. In some cases, there are potholes so big you could lose a small child in them. I am asking the Taoiseach and the Government to provide additional once-off emergency funding to those counties which have been so desperately affected by the storm.
There are lots of roads that are in brutal condition, some still impassible, and they need complete reconstruction. At the weekend, when driving in places like Drummin, St. Mullins, Spahill, Glynn, Tomduff, Ballyglisheen and Knocksquire, I saw that all of the roads had been seriously damaged. Many of these are local roads with high agricultural volumes but these routes serve as the only route for many rural residents. They are vital for vulnerable residents. They are school bus routes and there are also access requirements for milk lorries and other essential services. Could additional emergency funding be made available separate from the additional funding for roadworks?
A huge range of significant issues are putting pressure on farmers. They include bluetongue, the new Common Agricultural Policy, CAP, the Mercosur deal and Bord Bia. Last week, the agriculture committee questioned the Bord Bia chair on Brazilian beef imports. There are very strong views on the issue and farmers are really upset about what they saw happen in the weeks leading up to the committee meeting. Time and again at the meeting, the question came up about discussions and getting people around the table, face to face and talking. Is there some way of getting the various interest groups - the farmer organisations and Bord Bia - around the table to get progress on the current impasse?
I raise the matter of compensation ceilings currently in place for tuberculosis, TB, reactors. I am acutely aware of the emotional and financial impacts of bovine TB on farmers and their families. An outbreak of TB can be soul-destroying. The on-farm market valuation scheme is the principal compensation measure available to farmers who experience a TB outbreak in their herd. The scheme aims to compensate farmers up to the open market value of the animal. The compensation under the on-farm market valuation scheme is payable subject to ceilings. If the actual value of the animal exceeds the ceiling, the farmer is at a loss. I know of families who were left out of pocket, in some cases involving thousands of euro. We must do everything possible to help these farmers and ensure they are adequately compensated. Due to the increased cost of the bovine TB programme in recent years, the Government's focus should now be on reducing the levels of the disease and, if at all possible, eradicating it. This will reduce the impact on Irish farm families and reduce the cost of the programme, which has risen year on year and stood at over €121 million in 2025. The Government must do everything possible to eradicate this disease.
The Taoiseach rightly referred in his response to the massive scale of our food exports. Those food export markets have been hard-earned. There has been massive investment by the State over the decades, and by farmers, in building up a top-class, world-standard food industry. We have animal husbandry and food production to the highest standard. That is why we have been successful in so many markets throughout the world.
As Deputy Moynihan said, there is a very urgent issue to be resolved, that is, the ongoing dispute between farmers and Bord Bia. It must be resolved immediately because we do not want the good standing of our industry worldwide to be damaged in any way.
As the Taoiseach knows, one of the most important things during Ireland's Presidency of the European Union is finalisation of the multi-annual financial framework, MFF. As we all know, the Common Agricultural Policy is essential to ensuring a secure supply of safe food for the citizens of Europe and it is also an essential income support for farmers. That CAP, post 2027, must be properly resourced.
Agfood.ie, a revamped agrifood portal, was launched by the Minister for agriculture at the National Ploughing Championships last September. Dual-factor authentication, which has become a part of that, is proving quite difficult for a number of farmers who have contacted me, namely, farmers with poor phone coverage or those who have given their phone number to a son or a daughter to help them log in to the system. It is a very good system. It helps with compliance announcements, information from the Department, payment information and projected nitrates information. However, it is making the portal more inaccessible for a lot of farmers who have someone else logging into the portal safely. For them to do so, we need to look at other login methods that would make this technology more accessible for those helping farmers.
In regard to the community involvement scheme, CIS, and the local improvement scheme, LIS, funding for those in rural areas is absolutely essential, as the first speaker said. I have lanes in north Tipperary and they are so big, I could lose Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere in the potholes at the moment.
Shocking. That is an awful slur on Deputy Cleere.
The issue of generational renewal is critical in the context of the forthcoming CAP negotiations. I know it has been raised in the discussions with Commissioner Hansen. The Taoiseach will be aware that almost 40% of farmers are now aged 65 and over, whereas fewer than 5% are under the age of 35. He will know that Macra na Feirme has been seeking, as an essential part of the next CAP, fully funded succession schemes. I know in my own case that both Wicklow Macra and Wexford Macra are very active on these issues. It is critical, if we are to safeguard rural communities and the future of the traditional family farm, that we have fully funded succession schemes in place under a fully funded CAP. I would like the Taoiseach to give a commitment that this will be a priority in the discussions on the next CAP.
The script the Taoiseach read out has no relation at all to the reality for farmers. If the backbenchers ever manage to overthrow him, I think there is a Booker Prize for fiction in him when he retires.
Thanks, Deputy.
Some 1,400 farmers are leaving agriculture on an annual basis, with 8,400 farmers having left since Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael got together back in 2020. Another 5,600 will have disappeared from the land by the time this Government is finished. That is the stark reality facing farmers at the moment. The Mercosur deal is simply going to accelerate that process. Farm incomes will be lower, there will be rural depopulation and the food security of this country will also be threatened. The idea that we have Mr. Murrin importing beef that would likely fail the standards Bord Bia is using to audit farmers across the country is incredible. This week, we in Aontú found out that the Department of education is paying for food under the schools food programme that is coming from Brazil. Is it any wonder there is a collapse in farm incomes and numbers in this country when the Government is acting against the best interests of farmers?
The Government's credibility and its relationship with farmers have been damaged significantly. In regard to its efforts on the Mercosur agreement, it only really opposed it when it was clear the deal would be passed. The Government failed to lobby any MEPs or member states-----
(Interruptions).
Sorry, Deputies.
These are the facts. I appreciate that, as a backbencher, Deputy Cleere must be frustrated-----
Deputy Lawless should ask a question because his time will be up.
-----with the direction of Government but the facts are the facts.
In relation to Bord Bia, the Taoiseach's attitude can only be described as smug, lacking understanding and showing an unwillingness to engage with farmers. There is a significant impasse at the moment and the Government's attitude is one of "Hands off, there is nothing to see here" when the reality is that farmers are hurting because Bord Bia pushed them for standards and, meanwhile, its chair is importing beef. How many tonnes of Brazilian beef are coming into this country on an annual basis? How many tonnes of poultry are coming into this country?
Commissioners Hansen and Serafin were here last week. We all had an opportunity to engage with them. We had them in at the EU affairs committee. The fear I have is that they did not rule out the ability, the capacity and, maybe, the willingness to introduce provisional application of the Mercosur agreement before the European Court of Justice carries out its due diligence of the legality of the deal. Our big fear relates to imports of 100,000 tonnes of Brazilian beef and 180,000 tonnes of poultry that will not be up to the standard of European and, in particular, Irish farming. I want to know what the Government is going to do to make sure there is not provisional application. This is happening in the context of the issue with Larry Murrin. I do not think any of the backbenchers could have been particularly happy with his answers at the agriculture committee. Mr. Murrin has to go. There is an unacceptable conflict of interest and it is doing damage to Irish farming.
I do not know as much about the Mercosur deal as my colleagues in the regional group but the facts are that Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the regional independents gave a commitment in the programme for Government to reject the deal in its current form and to work with like-minded governments.
To get back to Dublin, I want to speak about the Clontarf area and the north city arterial main, a major semi-State project. We all saw in The Irish Times last week that there is huge confusion because the Baldoyle Road is to be closed for nearly a year. In regard to major projects, what level of information should be guaranteed to public representatives? I went to the open night. I asked if I could take photos of the traffic plans and I was told "No". We held a general election in north Dublin to represent the people and when a TD asks for photos of traffic management, they should be allowed get those drawings.
The Marine Institute recently released a report on the devastating impacts of the use of tangle nets on many endangered species in our waters.
This report looked at what was happening in our national park. Incredibly we see tangle nets are killing angel shark which is on the brink of extinction. A consultation was done by the Department of agriculture on a sustainable crayfish management plan in 2021 but I can find no other information about that. There was no follow up and no report seemed to result from that consultation. It is important that we move away from tangle nets but we need to do it and support fishers as we do so. It is important that we start protecting these endangered species. Can the Taoiseach tell me if he knows where that consultation is or will he look into it for me?
Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett. Excuse me. Deputy Paul Murphy.
Indistinguishable.
Last week at the public accounts committee we heard that the Department of agriculture last year killed 7,735 badgers. It killed over 60,000 badgers in the course of the past decade even though they are supposedly a protected species. They are first trapped in snares causing internal organ damage, ruptured bladders and disembowelment. Pregnant and lactating badgers are killed leaving their cubs to starve to death. Snaring badgers is banned in Scotland and Wales. Two-thirds of people want it banned here. We are the only country in Europe which funds the large-scale slaughter of badgers. The truth is they are scapegoats for the spread of bovine TB. We have a programme that is killing more and more badgers yet the incidence rate goes up and up. It is over 66% at this stage. The EU refuses to fund this programme any more. It means the public is funding €100 million a year. Will the Taoiseach commit to end the mass slaughter of badgers? We need to move to 100% vaccination and have implementation of biosecurity measures to actually deal with the problem.
Farmers feel undermined, ignored and taken for granted. They are angry – in fact, they are livid – because the importation of Brazilian beef represents not only an existential threat to their livelihoods but the way Brazilian beef is produced runs completely contrary to the standards to which they are held. The Government’s late-in-the-day opposition and lukewarm approach to Mercosur exposed its real attitude to it. The regulations that Irish farmers must adhere to ensure our beef and dairy products are the best in the world, and the fact that Bord Bia benefits directly from this and promotes this message around the world, while at the same time the chair, Larry Murrin, imports Brazilian beef through his private company has destroyed the confidence farmers have in Bord Bia. It has done serious damage to the confidence they have in this Government or whatever is left of it. His evasiveness in his answers at the committee last week might have seemed like a masterclass to people who observe this particular bubble but I think that farmers who are used to speaking plainly and listening saw it for what it was. Will the Taoiseach apply the Whip to his Fianna Fáil councillors who are being lobbied at the moment by the IFA and the ICSA, like in Waterford and Kilmacthomas this evening where the IFA calls councillors in to meet them?
I thank all the Deputies for raising the broad spectrum of issues that they have. In response to Deputy 'Chap' Cleere, I have spoken to the Minister for Transport, Darragh O’Brien. Without question, very significant damage has been done to quite a lot of local roads in areas of severe flooding over the past month. I was in Aughrim recently with Deputy Byrne and saw at first hand the damage done to the roads there. In fact, some of the roads came with the flood. The situation is very serious. The officials who were with the Minister said they are awaiting returns from the councils in respect of an assessment and an estimate of the damage that has been done. I will talk to the Minister again to allocate funding to those roads in the context of the weather damage that has been done. They are waiting on the rough estimates from the councils for the cost of restoring the roads that have been without question damaged as a result of the flooding. I will keep in touch with the Deputy on that and with other Deputies who are concerned.
Deputy Moynihan raised the range of issues that face farmers at the moment. He is correct. I welcome the offer of dialogue from the Minister for agriculture to the farm organisations, the IFA, the ICSA and others, in respect of the Bord Bia issue as well as the full gambit of issues that face farming at the moment. I have been in touch with some of the farming organisations. In my view there is a need for dialogue to chart a way forward for Irish agriculture and farming out of the current controversy that focuses on the core issues. The single biggest issue this year is the CAP. Be under no illusions that when the dust settles on the current row, it will be the CAP. There are other issues but the CAP is the one I am most concerned about now. There is protecting the derogation, blue tongue and the various assurance schemes and the imposition and the burden they represent for farmers. I know Deputy Smith has raised this as well. He was involved in the first ever major food plan. Was it Harvest 2020?
Food Harvest 2020.
Food Harvest 2020 was the first major strategic document which set the roadmap for the development of the food industry. I think CAP and the budget are key but also the need to get into a dialogue pathway with the organisations. I would encourage the organisations to respond positively to the correspondence that the Minister issued to them today in respect of those issues. In my view, that cannot happen quickly enough. I will come back to that issue.
Deputy Cahill raised the issue of TB. It is a very significant issue. The Government believes its efforts to tackle the ongoing challenge of bovine TB is having a positive effect. The herd incidence has started to reduce in recent months. In June the Government agreed to introduce additional measures to the bovine TB programme following extensive stakeholder agreement. The bovine TB action plan was launched in September underpinned by scientific research and veterinary expertise. The aim of the action plan is to reset the programme in the context of putting in place measures necessary to tackle the current disease situation. Those measures are targeting both transmission between wildlife and cattle, which does happen, and transmission between cattle. There is a heavy emphasis on vaccination in the action plan. The budget has also been substantially increased to €157 million this year, 2026, to focus on driving down it through the implementation of the measures laid out in the action plan itself. I will talk to the Minister in the context of what Deputy Cahill asked for in terms of whether something can be done about the compensation levels that farmers are getting at the moment and the degree to which a substantial number are out of pocket. Nothing is more devastating than to be told a herd has TB.
I think I dealt with Deputy Smith's issue. Without question, we have a top-class food industry and we have got to protect it. The issue more generally is that the global supply chain is key here. We are not an island on our own. It is complex. If we want to supply markets in Europe, and people are buying our food in Europe, or Middle Eastern or Asian companies or whatever, they too will set terms that will govern the basis on which we sell them food and very often contingency of supply is one of those conditions, so this is not simple and we need to be careful of the message we are sending. So far, we have penetrated markets all over the world - in Asia, America and Europe - because of the quality of our food, including our dairy produce, beef, poultry and fish. We want to maintain that level of high-quality exports.
In response to Deputy O'Meara, I will talk to the Minister about accessibility to new technology. He said the log in method in that authentication process is too difficult and it is causing enormous problems. I will talk to the Minister in respect of this and revert to the Deputy. We will see what we can do on the funding. The funding may be stretched to cover a pothole that would cover Deputy Cleere but we will certainly do our level best to stretch it.
Deputy Byrne raised a key point. We want generational succession to be part of the Common Agricultural Policy. Our concern at the moment is that, as drafted, the seven-year budget is about 20% below what the previous seven-year allocation was.
That is the issue at the moment and we should be focusing on that collectively with the farming community and Government because people will be quite annoyed if we do not try to improve that somewhat. I am concerned about it from my discussions, last week in particular. We have a lot of work to do on it and we also have to work with other member states to try and get a higher budget for CAP. That would include within it proposals on farm succession, which is a big issue. It is about certainty and clarity, which is why the derogation was important. Young farmers want certainty. It also the adoption of new technology. I suspect it is a lifestyle issue in that people want a life as well. Farming is a 24-7 occupation with a lot of responsibilities. There is a lot of bureaucracy, obligations and pressure. Therefore, we need to create that roadmap for young people showing that there is a future and viability above all else for young farmers. That will be key.
Deputy Tóibín suggested I would be in line for the Booker Prize. I wish I could ever be as good a writer as to get the Booker Prize.
You are very good at fiction.
The facts are that exports of food products have increased exponentially. They have done very well in high-quality markets across the world. Incomes have increased over the last two years. One of issues with farming is that it is cyclical. There have been proposals on taxation. Deputies Tóibín and Paul Lawless are the doomsday couple.
(Interruptions).
The language switched dramatically from incredible to terrible, to the world is going to collapse at any moment.
Just listen to farmers.
Listen to your backbenchers.
Please, it is not a back-and-forth.
The point I would make is that it is difficult; it is a challenging world. I think Deputy Lawless said farmers feel ignored. Let us consider ACRES, comprising €1.5 billion, with 60% of that from the Irish Exchequer and 40% from the European Union. Admittedly, some of it is funded by the carbon tax but it provides incomes to 50,000 farmers.
However, they want to make a living from farming; they do not want social welfare.
The Deputy asked the question; he should now wait for the answer.
The Deputy never mentioned the derogation. We are the only country in European Union that has a derogation from the nitrates directive. We voted against the Mercosur deal but we negotiated for safeguards, just as we will negotiate for an increase in CAP.
Deputies
Hear, hear.
There is not an increase in CAP. CAP is reducing.
Calm down.
Deputy-----
The next CAP has a 20% reduction.
I ask the Deputy to stop talking.
Did the Deputy not hear me saying that? We have to negotiate it up. The only way we can do it is by negotiation, just as we negotiated on Mercosur to get safeguards in place. Our MEPs got safeguards in place, better than they were a year ago, because the likelihood was that if one of the bigger states went for Mercosur, the blocking minority would go.
The Taoiseach's objective-----
Deputy, stop.
The safeguards were very important to get done.
The Taoiseach's objective is to improve the Mercosur-----
The Deputy asked his question and this is the answer.
No one is smug at all about anything. To be frank with the Deputies, the Members of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael know an awful lot more about agriculture than the two of them together.
The Taoiseach is not listening to them.
Please, Deputy.
Deputy Ó Murchú-----
They said it here a few weeks ago.
Please, Deputy Lawless-----
I want to reply to Deputy Ó Murchú-----
If possible.
-----who is one of the more consistent Members in the House. He is here consistently every Tuesday, to give him his due. He said that he met the two Commissioners and so did I. One of the issues I had was the issue with the CAP and the need to impress on those Commissioners that the CAP is not where we want it to be in terms of income levels for Irish farmers. My sense of that conversation is that we have some distance to go to get the Common Agricultural Policy limits up. The Commissioners were reticent on other issues, including the issue the Deputy referenced.
The provisional application.
They did not say that to me. That is probably a matter higher up the scale.
Deputy Heneghan somehow got the adaptation measures in Clontarf into the agriculture debate.
Flood defences.
Flood defences are a serious issue in its own right. I do not know why the Deputy is not allowed to take photos. Of course, he should be allowed to take photos. I presume he took them anyway. I would say he did, given form. I do not know; I will check it. There should be full transparency. Is the Deputy saying the flood scheme is not being allowed? I do not know, but there should be full transparency in these matters. There are significant issues there with flood relief, and there have been for quite some time.
I agree with Deputy Whitmore. I read that report in the media about the tangled nets in our waters. That is not good enough and cannot happen. It will do irreparable damage from a biodiversity point of view. I will talk to the Ministers. I know the Minister of State, Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan, is concerned about it. I will talk to the Minister of State, Deputy Dooley, as well.
Badgers.
We are not there yet, Deputy.
I am coming to him. The bulk of the plan is on vaccination. The scientific advice is different. The advice is-----
The bulk of it is not vaccination.
The Deputy has asked his question. Will he please-----
Most of it is not vaccination.
It is not a back-and-forth.
There were more killed than vaccinated last year.
There will be a hell of a lot of vaccination this year. The budget has gone up significantly to €157 million. There will be vaccination and there will also be the wildlife measures because there is transmission. It is not as simple as the Deputy has articulated.
In response to Deputy McGuinness, farmers are not ignored. I just spoke about ACRES, the derogation and the various funding mechanisms we have taken in to support different farmers at different levels. We have been supportive of farmers, from sheep to tillage to sucklers, right across the board. We are not ignoring anything. I mentioned the nitrates directive and so on. The bigger issue for us is we want to continue to export. Sinn Féin opposed the Canada trade deal. We are exporting food to Canada. I do not get the logic of opposing a trade deal that helps Irish farmers.
Deputies
Hear, hear.
Mercosur, Taoiseach.
Sorry-----
I am talking about CETA at the moment.
I was talking about-----
We opposed Mercosur.
Deputy, wait for the answer.
While I cannot verify it, one of the Commissioners told me last week that a few food producers went out on an EU mission to Mercosur countries, showing that some people will see if they can get opportunities there. On CETA, we did well and the embassy in Ottawa in Canada did a fantastic study on the economic benefits of CETA for Ireland and for the Canada-Ireland trade relationship.
A couple of thousand-----
Deputy, it is not a back-and-forth. He should listen to the answer, please.
It is Brazilian beef. I referenced it several times in my question.
Sorry, I am just going to say it once to be clear.
No, but the Deputy says we are ignoring-----
If the Taoiseach does not give the Deputy the answer he wants, that is not my problem.
Why is he talking about Brazil?
It is because I mentioned it in my question.
I already told him that we voted against Mercosur.
This is not the way this forum, Taoiseach's Questions, is meant-----
We got safeguards in. We are not ignoring farmers. About a month ago, I went to the AGM of the IFA, just before this latest round. There is no sense of ignoring. In fact, it was quite an agreeable, good conversation. I listened, as did the Minister, Deputy Heydon, and the Ministers of State, Deputies Dooley and Healy-Rae. The was no reference to the Bord Bia issue, which may not have surfaced at the time. There was no sense of people being ignored, whatever else the Deputy may say. That kind of language is rubbish. It is just exaggeration.
The Taoiseach is now in the realms of waffle. Seventeen minutes-----
Sorry, Deputy McDonald; you did not have a question.
It is just throwing out words that mean nothing. There was never any sense that farmers were being ignored by this Government, nor could there have been.
Cabinet Committees
Ryan O'Meara
Ceist:17. Deputy Ryan O'Meara asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on children and education will next meet. [67844/25]
John Connolly
Ceist:18. Deputy John Connolly asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on children and education will next meet. [69864/25]
Aisling Dempsey
Ceist:19. Deputy Aisling Dempsey asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on children and education will next meet. [69876/25]
Erin McGreehan
Ceist:20. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on children and education will next meet. [69877/25]
Cathal Crowe
Ceist:21. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on children and education will next meet. [74523/25]
Ruairí Ó Murchú
Ceist:22. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on children and education will next meet. [3640/26]
Mark Wall
Ceist:23. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on children and education will next meet. [4033/26]
Malcolm Byrne
Ceist:24. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on children and education will meet next. [5807/26]
Ruth Coppinger
Ceist:25. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on children and education will next meet. [5974/26]
Cian O'Callaghan
Ceist:26. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on children and education will next meet. [6068/26]
Darren O'Rourke
Ceist:27. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet Committee on children and education will next meet. [7579/26]
Barry Heneghan
Ceist:28. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet Committee on children and education will next meet. [7699/26]
Jennifer Whitmore
Ceist:29. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on children and education will next meet. [8093/26]
Richard Boyd Barrett
Ceist:30. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the Cabinet committee on children and education. [8095/26]
Paul Murphy
Ceist:31. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the Cabinet committee on children and education. [8098/26]
Rose Conway-Walsh
Ceist:32. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on children and education will next meet. [8270/26]
Liam Quaide
Ceist:33. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on children and education will next meet. [9560/26]
David Cullinane
Ceist:34. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on children and education will next meet. [9922/26]
Louis O'Hara
Ceist:35. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on children and education will next meet. [9944/26]
Peter 'Chap' Cleere
Ceist:36. Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on children and education will next meet. [9959/26]
Conor D McGuinness
Ceist:37. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on children and education will next meet. [9962/26]
Barry Heneghan
Ceist:38. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on children and education will next meet. [10027/26]
Mark Ward
Ceist:39. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on children and education will next meet. [10029/26]
Paul Lawless
Ceist:40. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on children and education will next meet. [10089/26]
Mary Lou McDonald
Ceist:41. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on children and education will next meet. [10095/26]
As there are over 14 Deputies, we will take a minute at a time and see where we end up.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 17 to 41, inclusive, together.
The Cabinet committee on children and education oversees the implementation of programme for Government commitments in the area of children and education. It receives detailed reports on identified policy areas such as child poverty and well-being, and education. The membership of the Cabinet committee on children and education comprises the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste, the Minister for Health and others. I will not go through the full list; there are quite a number of Ministers on it.
The programme for Government contains many important commitments intended to improve the lives of all children and especially those children who need our help most. These commitments include setting an ambitious child poverty target; progressively increasing the child-support payment; expanding eligibility for the fuel allowance to families in receipt of the working family payment; and exploring a targeted child benefit payment. The Cabinet committee meets quarterly and met for the third time in December. It will next meet in the first part of 2026.
The Government’s vision for education is to deliver a world-class education system which breaks down barriers and ensures every child can achieve their full potential. That is why we remain committed to building on the work of the DEIS programme, which, since 2006, has been operating to tackle educational disadvantage.
Budget 2026 moved towards permanent targeted payments to support the most vulnerable. A €320 million social welfare package for children includes the largest increase ever in the child support payment, increased income thresholds for the working family payment and the extension of fuel allowance to those on the working family payment.
Increases in prices and wages have widened the gap between people reliant on social welfare and the average income in society. In recent years, as a result, the Government has invested to protect low-income families with children. Since 2020, the weekly child support payment has increased by 95% for children aged 12 and over and by 61% for children under 12. This exceeds the growth in average wages of 28% and exceeds the rate of increase of many other permanent social welfare payments.
Other new or enhanced allocations in budget 2026 to address child poverty through the provision of services include an additional €5.14 million for Equal Start, which is a 30% increase on last year; an additional €16.5 million - a €48 million full-year cost - to the Department of education to implement a new DEIS strategy and the new DEIS plus scheme; a 22% increase of €7.3 million for youth justice supports; €3.2 million of funding to expand and strengthen the national network of family resource centres, with the addition of ten new centres bringing the national total to 136; and an expansion of the income thresholds for the national childcare scheme.
Given the growing demand for many children's services, "Breaking the Cycle: New Measures in Budget 2026 to Address Child Poverty and Promote Well-being", our third report on child poverty spending in the annual budget, highlights new and additional spending in that area. Analysis from the ESRI shows that the permanent measures taken in budget 2026 are progressive and prioritise protecting the incomes of the poorest families.
On disabilities and children, we have established a dedicated Cabinet committee on disability. The work of this committee is progressing important initiatives to respond to the needs and well-being of children. There was a record allocation of €3 billion for special education provision in 2026, including funding for 1,700 additional SNAs and 860 additional teachers for special education. We are also establishing the new education therapy service as an additional support for children with special educational needs. It is intended to commence in special schools, with roll-out over time to special classes and mainstream schools. Recruitment is advancing and it is anticipated that the service will commence in 45 special schools at a later stage in the 2025-26 school year. Significant investments in disability services are also being delivered, particularly in the children's disability network teams, CDNTs. I will leave it at that because I am conscious that a number of Deputies want to get back in.
Actually, we only have eight minutes left. We will begin with Deputy O'Meara. I suggest 30 seconds but it is rather pointless.
Is mór an trua é nach bhfuil níos mó daoine líofa as Gaeilge sa tír seo, go háirithe i dTiobraid Árann. It is well recognised that immersion in the language is the best way to attain fluency. That is why last summer I asked the Minister for education to look at introducing a mandatory Gaeltacht course for all students studying Gaeilge at leaving certificate level. Another important version of immersion in a language is Irish-medium education but that is not possible at second level in Tipperary because we do not have a Gaelcholáiste. In 2024 and 2025 statistics showed that 23% of parents would send their children to a Gaelcholáiste if one was available locally. At primary level in Tipperary, 4.6% of students are in a Gaelscoil. This rises to 5.2% in south Tipperary but the national average is 6.8%, so Tipperary is well below that.
Thank you Deputy.
At second level, it is 0% in all of Tipperary as we do not have a Gaelcholáiste.
Deputy John Connolly.
We are dead last in the national rankings. I ask that we would look at introducing a Gaelcholáiste in Tipperary.
I very much welcome the formal announcing of the national therapy service in education involving the placement of occupational therapists and speech therapists in special schools. I particularly welcome its introduction in two schools in Galway, Ábalta Special School and St. Joseph's Special School in Newcastle. I also welcome the announcement of 301 new classes for children with additional needs in the mainstream setting. However, the lists that we get do not define the category of class and I am concerned that we are not opening up enough classes for children with developmental language disorder, DLD. These are classes that children attend for two years and then they return to their own mainstream class or school. We need more of these classes. Early intervention is important in this area.
I recognise that progress has been made in the last 12 months in relation to the cost of childcare, with the expansion of the national childcare scheme subsidies, improvements to core funding and a lowering of the maximum cap on fees. This has brought weekly costs for childcare to around €200 for families who are paying the highest rates. Many of my constituents in Meath West have told me that there has been good progress in the downward trajectory of their childcare bills. About 15% more families availed of subsidies in Meath last year, so the changes are working but we still have a significant way to go to turn €200 per week into €200 per month.
Will the committee specifically address the high number of child protection and welfare cases awaiting the allocation of a social worker in the Louth and Meath areas? Tusla's multi-service performance data continuously outlines that these are some of the worst areas of the country in terms of children not being allocated a social worker. I ask the Government to take action to reduce the numbers of unallocated cases, improve timely intervention and support the most vulnerable children in County Louth.
I want to speak about Gaelscoil Mhíchíl Cíosóg in Ennis, County Clare. It is a fabulous school with 451 pupils.
I am sorry, which Gaelscoil?
Gaelscoil Mhíchíl Cíosóg. Michael Cusack primary school. It is a scoil lánGhaelach. There were 452 pupils enrolled last September and 480 are projected for next year. This school was designed for eight teachers. It has prefabs. It is a fabulous school with lovely education going on. I was there yesterday and got a tour of the school. Curtains have to be pulled so that one class can be taught alongside learning support. School meals are being prepared in an area where an autism class being taught. It is quite chaotic. The school has planning permission for a new build project and has gone through all of the statutory phases. It kills the school to think that it will not get that new build of seven new mainstream classrooms, autism classes, SET support rooms-----
Thank you Deputy.
----for the next few years.
Deputy Ó Murchú.
I ask that this be put back on the agenda because the current status quo cannot continue.
Deputy Ó Murchú will be the last participant before the Taoiseach responds.
We have had the really tragic cases of Kyran Durnin-----
That is really unfair, a Cheann Comhairle.
That is not fair.
-----Oísín Reddin, Daniel Aruebose, Vadym Davydenko-----
Do you understand the format, Deputy Coppinger?
You can extend.
We also have the issues raised by the child law project and the terrible case of a serious assault of a ten-year-old girl in Citywest. While we have heard from Tusla that it is reorientating and we know that there are legislative changes on the way, a big issue remains. Mr. Gerry Hone, the national director of services and integration for Tusla, appeared before an Oireachtas committee recently and said that we are missing or we need 300 more social workers and 100 more social care workers.
The point is made, thank you. The Taoiseach to respond.
He told me afterwards that at least 500 foster carers are needed.
Ceann Comhairle, can I raise a point of order?
This is not fair.
We do not have sufficient capacity.
Can I raise a point of order?
On a point of order-----
Just before you raise a point of order, I do not have the remit in this case to extend Taoiseach's Questions.
We get all of the Government backbenchers but not the Opposition at large, a Cheann Comhairle-----
On a point of order, a Cheann Comhairle-----
How are-----
Can I raise my point of order?
----which is the strategy. That is the strategy.
Point of order-----
Sorry, Deputy. The Taoiseach to respond.
You speak about 30 times a week; would you go away out of that.
(Interruptions).
Take it to Dáil reform, please.
I have a point of order, Ceann Comhairle.
Sorry, but you said you would take my point of order.
Deputy, there is no point of order.
(Interruptions).
Can all of you stop shouting over me? I was making a point of order.
There is no point of order, Deputy. The Taoiseach is going to respond.
This is completely unfair.
I want to talk about Tullow, Callan and Borris. I want to talk about all of those schools.
The Taoiseach to respond. Deputy, please resume your seat.
Can you take my point of order?
No, there is no point of order. The clock is the clock. The Taoiseach to respond.
You said you would take a point of order.
It is completely unfair.
Deputy, please resume your seat. I understand. I said to take it to Dáil reform.
You could extend it.
It has been extended before.
Once.
Well, it is incorrect-----
The Taoiseach went way over in his answers.
Respect the Ceann Comhairle.
Only the backbenchers have been heard and no Opposition.
Deputy, I am not going to get to you one way or the other, unless you want me to extend by 20 minutes.
You have five times more speaking time than we do.
You cut Taoiseach's Questions and now it is being cut for the second slot.
You are only running down the clock on everybody, Deputy. The Taoiseach to respond.
Show respect for the Ceann Comhairle.
The Ceann Comhairle should allow me make a point of order and then I will sit down.
Ba mhaith liom-----
Deputy, you are being disruptive. Please resume your seat. Please.
Ba mhaith liom-----
Why will you not let me make a point of order? It is not right to just ignore what we are saying.
It is not a point of order. Please resume your seat.
It is a point of order. You could have just let me make it and then answered it.
Ba mhaith liom a rá leis an Teachta O’Meara go bhfuil ionadh orm-----
The Taoiseach can talk for 15 minutes over his time-----
Please, Deputy, do not be so disruptive.
----- nach bhfuil Gaelcholáiste dara leibhéal i dTiobraid Árann. B’fhéidir go mbeidh seans againn teagmháil a dhéanamh leis an ETB chun clár de shaghas éigin a chur i bhfeidhm ionas go mbeidh, diaidh ar ndiaidh, Gaelcholáiste againn. De ghnáth, tá Gaelcholáiste i mbeagnach gach aon chontae anois. There are Gaelcholáistí in most areas now. There is at least one in many counties across the country, so I am surprised. Perhaps the ETB might be in a position to work with the Department or with local interests and schools, particularly the Gaelscoileanna, to see if consensus can be arrived at in respect of a Gaelcholáiste that would be centrally located and could be availed of by those who want to pursue second level through the medium of Irish.
Beidh mise sásta tacú a thabairt le tioscnamh den chineál sin.
On Deputy John Connolly's issue, the national therapy service is commencing. We want to roll it out to the remainder of the special schools. That is important. It is a significant development. We made this a red-line issue in the most recent general election. I agree 100% on the developmental language disorders. I brought in the first of those classes back in the late 1990s. They are game-changers in how they can facilitate children to deal with language challenges at an early age in order that they can transition back into mainstream education. It is one of the better outcomes I have seen with children down through the years. I will talk to the Minister of State with responsibility for special education in relation to that.
Deputy Dempsey referred to cost of childcare. We can do more and we have to do more to meet the commitment in the programme for Government. In the forthcoming budget, we will examine that issue to see what more we can do. We hope to have earlier discussions with Deputies on the next budget. We are conscious that the European Presidency is coming our way, so we need to talk about these things a bit earlier than usual.
I will pursue the issue Deputy McGreehan raised in respect of unallocated social workers for children in the Louth-Meath area with Tusla. The Deputy stated that the situation there is out of kilter with the rest of the country in the context of the numbers that remain unallocated. That is a concern. At some stage, we need to look at how people are deployed as well. Numbers generally seem to be increasing and caseloads are increasing. That is across a range of professional service engagement.
Maidir leis an Teachta Crowe agus Gaelscoil Mhíchíl Ciosóg, beidh me ag caint leis an Aire faoi thionscadail tógála sa Roinn. I will talk to the Minister about school buildings. We have a lot of challenges.
Deputy Ó Murchú also referred to social workers. We have had a lot of cases. I fully take on board what the Deputy is saying. We need to look at allocating more social workers and at the best way to deploy them.