Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate – Dáil Éireann (34th Dáil) – Wednesday, 15 Apr 2026

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate

Nursing Homes

Deputy Thomas Gould

As the Minister of State and I both know, a 19-bed unit in Heather House was first announced in 2022. Four years later this special dementia unit has not been opened and all we are getting is excuse after excuse and no date for when it will be open. The latest update from the HSE is that following HIQA's inspection, it is now looking to make amendments to the building. There is still no opening time. I was told in response to a parliamentary question last October that this was ready to go. I was told it again in November and in December. Then I was told that all the Government was waiting for was a licence from HIQA to open it.

I want to outline to the Minister of State just how serious the situation is with the special dementia unit not being opened. I have a lady who is living in the nursing home in Cloyne. Cloyne nursing home is doing a great job but this lady and her family are all from the northside of Cork city. The lady has dementia, and what the staff tell the family is that on the days when they go out to visit her they can see an improvement in her. The problem is that she has two elderly sisters who do not drive. She has family, but they have their own families and jobs. Cloyne is a fair spin from the northside of Cork city. We are talking about 45 minutes, depending on traffic, and it could be even longer. If Heather House was open they would be in to her every day, sometimes multiple times a day. Family members and other family friends who live in the community could also call in. People should get nursing home care in their communities. That goes to the heart of looking after older and more vulnerable people. We do not have answers.

I have another gentleman who is in Ballincollig. His sister and his two granddaughters try to get in to see him. The girls are working. His sister is looking after the family. Heather House is from here over to Dawson Street away from where those families live. There is also another family.

We were successful in saving Mount Cara. I was also involved with successful campaigns to make sure that Sarsfield Court dementia unit and nursing home was not closed down. It is really important that we get Heather House dementia unit open. The thing about it is that it is a brand new purpose-built building that cost millions. It is ready. It is unbelievable - we are looking at a building that is ready. It is fully equipped. What I cannot understand is how after four years HIQA is now coming back looking for more to be done. HIQA was asked in January and it came back to the HSE four months later. Is there a reason that Heather House is not being opened?

We have people with dementia in inappropriate settings. This is the unit that was designed and built for them. That is where they should be. I am not sure if the Minister of State understands the situation. We need compassion from the Government, the HSE and HIQA. We need to get this nursing home open. There is a huge crisis with nursing home spaces on the northside of Cork city. People from the northside are going all over Cork county to get nursing home spaces.

An Cathaoirleach Gníomhach (Deputy Aindrias Moynihan)

Gabhaim buíochas.

Deputy Thomas Gould

That is not right.

Minister of State at the Department of Health (Deputy Kieran O'Donnell)

I thank Deputy Gould for raising this important matter. Heather House Community Nursing Unit, CNU, provides important and valued services for the people of the northside of Cork city and surrounding areas. There is a typo in the reply. I understand the significant role the CNU plays in the community and the importance of the facility.

Heather House Community Nursing Unit was opened in 2011, and a 60-bed extension was added in 2023. The CNU is currently registered with HIQA to accommodate a maximum of 60 residents in two units, namely, Poppy and Lily, which are located in the new extension. The two units in the original building, Daisy and Primrose, are currently closed. The HSE informed me today that the new 17-bed dementia-specific unit is at the final stage for application to register with HIQA. Deputy Gould name-checked 19. HIQA has come back and said that there are two twin rooms and they want them to be single, so it is going from 19 to 17. The HSE advised that the final works, as agreed with HIQA, are in progress and will be completed in the coming weeks.

I want to see this unit opened as quickly as possible as well. I am getting directly involved, as Minister of State, to ensure we get it open as quickly as possible. I assure the Deputy that I am committed to working alongside HSE South West to get Primrose, the new dementia-specific unit, opened in Heather House as soon as HIQA registration is obtained.

I wish to inform the Deputy that the 25-bed Daisy unit located in the original building is currently undergoing essential fire upgrade works and the HSE advised me that it is scheduled to reopen at the end of 2026. I am going to look at that as well to see if we can expedite the opening of the 25-bed unit.

HSE South West has been working to increase the quantity of public nursing home beds in the region to offer further long-term residential care capacity and choice for older people living in Cork city and county.

The HSE continues to focus on providing a residential care service focused on quality and safety while also meeting the needs of individual residents. HSE South West continuously reviews the community’s needs in line with population health planning and Sláintecare principles. To this end, it is committed to ensuring that optimal services will continue to be provided and developed for older people in Cork. Older persons' services in Cork will soon be enhanced by the opening of two new community nursing units. St. Finbarr’s in Cork city will have a total of 105 beds and Midleton CNU will have a total of 50 beds. With specific regard to dementia, I advise the Deputy that 30 dementia-specific beds will form part of the bed complement at St. Finbarr’s CNU.

I assure the Deputy that I am committed to working alongside the HSE to address all concerns in respect of the residential care of older people in Cork city and county over the coming years. I will give him a commitment that I have already made direct contact with the HSE and with my officials and that this is something I am going to personally follow up on myself. I am going to see what the reasons for the delays are and how we can expedite the opening of the new dementia unit. I also want to look at including the 25-bed unit in the Daisy wing. The key element here is that, if they are all opened, there would be 102 beds within Heather House. That is hugely significant in terms of increased capacity. That is the up-to-date position. I will listen to the Deputy's follow-up and then come back with a closing statement.

Deputy Thomas Gould

I appreciate that the Minister of State has said he is going to look into this personally but I am really disappointed because four years on it is still not open. The 25 beds in the nursing home are also really important but people with dementia are really vulnerable. They are scattered around nursing homes all over County Cork when there is a purpose-built nursing home at Heather House.

I was hoping that the Minister of State would be able to give me a date today. Regardless of whether it is June, July or August, I would like to have a date for those families. There is one gentleman who is in a special unit at Cork University Hospital because there is nowhere for him to go. His family are afraid that he is going to die in hospital. He comes from the area. He comes from Church Street. This unit is at the top of Gurranabraher, right next to Church Street. The family are saying they want to bring him home or as close to home as they can. For too long, the HSE and HIQA have not been giving answers or a date. I want a date so I can go back to the people of the northside. I could fill that dementia unit. Does the Minister of State see this notebook I am holding? It contains the details of people who could enter this dementia unit. I could fill the whole unit with people who are looking to get into it. I appreciate what the Minister of State is saying but we need a definite timeline for the opening of the unit. People on the northside are sick and tired of being the last to get anything and the first to lose services. Why is it that the northside must always fight? Why must I come in here every week to stand up for the northside? Heather House has been built and the funding is supposed to be there.

The Minister mentioned units at St. Finbarr's and in Midleton. I do not think they will be open before the end of the year. The Minister of State has said they will be opening and that those beds will be available but I have fierce doubts about that.

Deputy Kieran O'Donnell

Community nursing units such as Heather House form an integral part of local communities and provide invaluable service to the people who live in those communities as they age. I have already outlined that there are currently 60 beds open in Heather House CNU. I will once again reiterate that the new 17-bed dementia unit is at the final stage of applying for registration with HIQA. The HSE advises that the final works agreed with HIQA are in progress and will be completed in the coming weeks. I have to work within a process. The process is that the HSE applies to HIQA and HIQA has to give approval. The unit cannot be opened until HIQA gives its approval. I cannot give the Deputy a final date today because I have to work through that process. However, I will give another commitment. I want to see the unit open as quickly as possible and I am going to get directly involved with Department officials and the HSE to see how it can be expedited. This redesigned Primrose unit will offer a choice in long-term residential care for people with dementia. I agree with the Deputy that dementia units are hugely important. As I have already outlined, the Daisy unit located in the original building is currently undergoing essential fire upgrade works and is scheduled to reopen at the end of the year. I want to see if that can be expedited. When complete, this will bring the total capacity of the Heather House CNU to 102 beds.

I am committed to maximising the number of beds for older people. As already mentioned, older persons' services in Cork will soon be enhanced by the opening of two new CNUs, St. Finbarr's in Cork city, which will have 105 beds, and Midleton CNU, which will have a total of 50 beds. I want to see those opened as quickly as possible. I am working with the HSE and the Department to make that happen. I think the Deputy will find they will be opened relatively soon. The HSE continually reviews its services in line with population health planning and Sláintecare principles to ensure adequate and appropriate residential care is available for our older population.

I will be following up on Heather House. I ask the Deputy to keep in contact with my office for updates. I will come back to him with a direct update. Any updates I get, I will provide to the Deputy.

Wastewater Treatment

Deputy John Paul O'Shea

I will today highlight an issue of critical importance to the people of north Cork, namely, the urgent need to upgrade the wastewater treatment plant in Kanturk. Kanturk is a proud and growing town with a strong community spirit, vibrant local businesses and enormous potential for future development. However, that potential is being held back by infrastructure that is no longer fit for purpose. The current wastewater treatment plant in Kanturk is operating at or beyond its capacity. This is not just a technical issue; it has real and tangible consequences for the town. It is restricting housing development, limiting business expansion and placing unnecessary pressure on local planning decisions. Quite simply, without adequate water infrastructure, Kanturk cannot grow in the way it needs to. At a time when we are facing a national housing crisis, it is deeply frustrating that towns like Kanturk, which are willing and able to accommodate growth, are being constrained by outdated infrastructure. We cannot continue to speak about balanced regional development while allowing bottlenecks like this to persist. Local families are also feeling the impact. Young people who want to build or buy homes in their own communities are facing delays and uncertainty. Developers are also hesitant to proceed with projects due to capacity concerns and businesses are also limited in their ability to expand and create jobs within the town of Kanturk. This is not acceptable and it is not sustainable.

Investment in wastewater infrastructure might not always grab headlines, but it is absolutely fundamental in delivering housing, supporting economic growth and protecting our environment. An upgraded treatment plant in Kanturk would unlock significant opportunities, enabling new housing developments, supporting local enterprise and ensuring compliance with environmental standards. I acknowledge the work of Uisce Éireann in the area to date and the engagement that has taken place with Cork County Council and the EPA with regard to putting in some bridging infrastructure and modular infrastructure alongside the current treatment plant. However, what is now needed is a clear commitment and prioritisation in respect of delivery. The people of Kanturk need certainty. They need to know that this project is not just being discussed, but that it is being actively progressed. We must ensure that Kanturk is included as a priority in the capital investment programme. Funding must be allocated, timelines must be set and the project must move forward without any more unnecessary delays.

This is about more than pipes and plants; it is about the future of a town and its people. It is about giving communities the tools they need to thrive. Kanturk has a great deal to offer. It is strategically located, well served by a strong community network and ready for growth. However, without the necessary infrastructure, that growth will remain stalled. I call on the Government and Uisce Éireann to recognise the urgency of this issue and to act decisively. Let us remove this barrier and invest in Kanturk's future. Let use ensure the town can realise its full potential.

Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Deputy John Cummins)

I thank the Deputy very much for raising what is a very important issue for the area of Kanturk - an area that the Deputy is exceptionally passionate about.

The operation of public wastewater treatment, together with the operational issues locally, are matters for Uisce Éireann, which has statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services, planning, delivery and operational at national, regional and local levels. Neither the Minister, Deputy Browne, nor I have a function in the matters which the Deputy refers. However, that being said, I have made inquiries with Uisce Éireann on foot of the Deputy's Topical Issue being submitted. I have been informed that there are, obviously, capacity constraints on the wastewater treatment plant at Kanturk. This is currently under review.

Any proposed development requires engagement with Uisce Éireann to assess feasibility on a case-by-case basis. In other words, connection applications need to be assessed on an individual basis considering their specific load requirements. Engagement with Uisce Éireann’s connections and developer services team ahead of planning a project is recommended and required. Uisce Éireann recognises the need to enhance wastewater treatment capacity in Kanturk and a planned upgrade is under way. This project is currently at the strategic assessment stage, where Uisce Éireann develops the project rationale and objectives, project outcomes, lists of potential options and an indicative range of costs. This work will continue in 2026 as the project progresses to a preliminary business case, which should be completed by quarter 1 of 2027. This involves undertaking a detailed analysis, developing a shortlist of solutions and finding a preferred option for the shortlisted projects.

That should be achievable in a shorter period of time. I will take that back to Uisce Éireann because the Deputy is correct. We cannot have a situation where we cannot have development in an area. The Deputy said it is not acceptable or sustainable and I agree with him in relation to that. There may be elements of bridging infrastructure that may be possible. I also point to the new developer-led wastewater services infrastructure initiative, which took effect on 4 March 2026. This might be an option for housing development in the interim. This developer-led infrastructure enables developers to design and construct wastewater infrastructure, in conjunction with Uisce Éireann, to agreed standards with the infrastructure owned by Uisce Eireann upon completion.

In areas such as Kanturk where capacity is currently constrained, an application under the developer-led infrastructure initiative may provide a pathway to support development in advance of planned network upgrades, subject to meeting the relevant technical, environmental and planning requirements. Uisce Éireann is available to engage with developers at an early stage to assess proposals and support the progression of suitable projects. Uisce Éireann has made investments in upgrading wastewater treatment infrastructure across County Cork since 2014 and remains committed to doing so under the future investment plans, which the Government has funded under the national development plan to the tune of €11.7 billion. This investment is going to support the delivery of key projects in cities and regions to deliver additional water services capacity for the new housing targets. That is what we expect Uisce Éireann to do with the capital allocations that we have made as a Government.

An Cathaoirleach Gníomhach (Deputy Aindrias Moynihan)

I thank the Minister of State for the Kanturk update. Deputy O'Shea has two minutes to respond.

Deputy John Paul O'Shea

I thank the Minister of State for his correspondence and response on the issue with the wastewater treatment plant in Kanturk. I particularly welcome the opportunity of maybe having some bridging infrastructure which would take place. There are serious discussions ongoing with Cork County Council, the EPA and Uisce Éireann on this matter. I certainly hope that in his position as Minister of State he will follow up with Uisce Éireann and try to urge the continued push on this because the situation on the ground in Kanturk makes this even more stark than ever before. There are houses that have already been built in good faith but cannot be occupied now because they cannot secure a wastewater connection. Families are in limbo. Homes have been completed yet are still sitting idle.

At the same time, there other sites in and around Kanturk that have secured planning permission but cannot proceed to construction because a connection to the system cannot be guaranteed. This is a deeply frustrating and unacceptable position for homeowners, developers and the wider community to be in. It represents not only a waste of time and investment, but a missed opportunity to deliver much-needed housing. Local families are feeling the impact. Young people who want to build and buy homes in their own community are facing delays and uncertainties. Developers are hesitant to proceed with projects due to capacity concerns and businesses too are limited in their ability to expand and create.

There are plenty of options available for Kanturk. It is good to see that Irish Water has it on its priority list. It is important that we work collectively with Uisce Éireann to make sure that the €12 billion that has been given to it by the Government is spent and spent wisely and rapidly to ensure towns like Kanturk can continue to develop into the future.

Deputy John Cummins

There is no question that our water and wastewater systems require substantial and sustained investment over a number of cycles to be able to bring it up to the quality required for a modern service. On the upgrading of plants, there have been many plants across the county that have been upgraded over the past number of years. I compliment Uisce Éireann for its work in that respect. However, there is a hell of a lot more work to be done. That is why the Government is investing record sums of money in Uisce Éireann.

The Deputy mentioned points on bridging infrastructure, the piece that I mentioned around the developer-led infrastructure, and of course, there is the overall upgrade of the plant, which is necessary. In the interim, as the Deputy rightly pointed out, there may be options worth exploring. I will take it away from this Topical Issue debate to write formally to Uisce Éireann in that respect to see what may be done in the interim period. I recognise that a town of the nature of Kanturk and many equivalent towns right across the country have to be able to be developed if we are to achieve our housing targets. It is one of the reasons we have introduced that developer-led infrastructure initiative and are learning from the mistakes of the past where substandard infrastructure was put in place. There is now a very clear framework that is in place between Uisce Éireann and the EPA that projects would be delivered to a set standard and specification and on completion will be taken in charge and operated in perpetuity by Uisce Éireann. That may be an option. I thank the Deputy for raising this matter.

Land Development Agency

Deputy Tom Brabazon

I wish to raise the Land Development Agency's phase two plans for Clongriffin. A lot of these issues will also affect the neighbouring area of Belmayne. On the phase two plan that the LDA has consulted with locals on, locals are telling me - and I agree with them - that this is not being handled correctly. There is a huge investment in housing in this area. It is unprecedented. We all agree that we need housing. However, at the same time we must put together the surrounding infrastructure in terms of parking, community facilities, transport, health facilities and proper policing facilities. This is not being done.

One of the big concerns in relation to parking is that the LDA told me that as a result of its consultation with one of the statutory consultees, the National Transport Authority, that the NTA is dictating to the LDA that there would be 0.4 of a car parking space per unit. We have seen this type of policy before, where people are allocated housing on the basis that they do not have a car, but they do have a car and the car parking overspills into neighbouring communities. It pits neighbour against neighbour. It does not bode well for future development or future sustainable community and neighbourly relations.

Regarding the NTA, this is the same NTA that is unable to provide a regular 15 bus service to Clongriffin. I could tell the Minister of State the countless representations I have made in relation to ghostbus services and, while I know it is not his portfolio, it is all highly relevant to the proposed development. This is also the same NTA that cannot build a bus shelter to keep people who want to use public transport on the Hole in The Wall road out of the rain. I passed it this morning and there were about 40 people standing at the bus stop cowering under umbrellas.

There is a huge gap in this programme. There have been ongoing discussions between Dublin City Council and the LDA in respect of provision of community facilities. None has been provided to date by DCC or the LDA. We need to plan for successful communities. There is no agreement between DCC and the LDA in respect of those community facilities. I could stand here all day and talk about those needs but in four minutes, I do not have the time.

Transport is a major issue. Residents are dealing with problems with transport every day of the week, between traffic congestion and no clear plan for any additional capacity alongside this development for buses and additional DARTs. I know we have the DART+ coastal plan, which was recently passed, but that is probably going to take ten years to start delivering. That means we are just doing a box-ticking exercise.

With policing, Coolock Garda station, which is the local station, got three extra gardaí under the latest tranche, despite the fact the population in this area is burgeoning and growing on a daily basis with new residents moving in. Policing resources are stretched beyond capacity and none of the design and safety concerns I raised with the LDA in respect of crime prevention has been taken on board. I asked it if it consulted the crime prevention office and I was told it had but I do not see any evidence of that. Any points that have been made to the LDA it robustly bats off and does not acknowledge.

Deputy John Cummins

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter in the House today. As the Deputy knows, the Land Development Agency, LDA, acquired land beside Clongriffin train station from the market with existing permission in 2023. It subsequently sought and was granted approval for a revised planning application, broadly similar to the existing planning which took into account the new objectives and policies in Dublin City Council's development plan 2022-2028.

The development on the site has an overall potential for more than 2,000 homes upon full completion. Construction of Phase 1 commenced in February 2025 and will provide for a total of 408 apartments, comprising 367 cost rental and 41 social housing homes to be delivered across two blocks. I note the Deputy said there is a deficit in community infrastructure but my notes say that in addition to the much-needed homes, a créche to cater for up to 99 children, together with community and arts space, along with landscaped public areas and a new public park, are also planned for delivery within this phase of the development.

The Land Development Agency has advised officials in my Department that phase 1 of this project is on course for delivery of new homes from quarter 4 of this year, which is obviously a positive development. Subject to planning permission, which is the thrust of the Deputy’s Topical Issue this morning, phase 2 will see the delivery of over 700 new homes. My understanding is that will comprise of 630 affordable and 70 social units across a whole range of housing typologies, together with the provision of a second créche space and other cultural amenities.

I understand that the commercial focus during this phase will be the strategic distribution of amenities, such as retail and other services across Main Street, Market Street and Station Square, and consolidating activities around Station Square to create a real town focal point, providing for both day and night-time uses. Furthermore, the Land Development Agency is also advancing engagements with Dublin City Council and other agencies on the provision of consolidated multi-purpose community space for the Clongriffin area, to be delivered in phase 3 of this scheme.

As noted previously, the development of this site has an overall potential for more than 2,000 homes and its completion will assist in meeting our housing need in this part of north Dublin, the Deputy’s constituency, which I know he represents with distinction. I am assured the Land Development Agency will continue to prioritise the delivery of the much-needed social and affordable housing, along with the provision of the other amenities on this site. However, I note some of the Deputy’s comments regarding the engagement, which I will perhaps take up in my follow-on.

Deputy Tom Brabazon

I thank the Minister of State for the response but it appears the LDA has given him its party piece in respect of this particular development. I know there has been engagement but the engagement has been more or less window dressing. The plan has not changed in any way as a result of the consultation with the local community. I attended a meeting before Easter with some of my Oireachtas colleagues and several councillors from the area, and there was palpable anger among all the public representatives in respect of the lack of flexibility shown by the LDA. It was its way or the highway as far as we were concerned. The LDA refused to listen to the issues and the problems.

I subsequently engaged with Dublin City Council, which is doing its level best to provide community facilities and which may in fact be given charge of some of the community facilities that are going to be there. However, the Minister of State says there are going to be 2,000 homes there, and it is absolutely crucial we get the community infrastructure correct.

One thing I will say for the LDA is it is providing créche facilities. That is absolutely welcome and is necessary, and I will not fault it on that. However, the local scouts group, for example, needs a hall-type of area but the facilities being provided are on the ground floor of the apartment block, so there are pillars in the middle. This renders it unsuitable for the scout group. There has been no flexibility shown by the LDA in respect of that. It is talking about a green landscaped area. To me, that is going to turn out to be like a mugger's alley. I am very fearful for the future of this area if the LDA and the Department of housing do not start sitting up and listening to the genuine concerns of the people of this area.

Deputy John Cummins

I thank the Deputy. Obviously, the successful delivery of projects of this scale are certainly dependent on a number of factors and that includes engagement with the community. Certainly, I know the Deputy would have written to his colleague, the Minister, Deputy Browne, in this respect and I am informed that there has been consultation meetings which have included meetings with local councillors, drop-in clinics for members of the public, meetings held with the community association there, as well as engagement with Oireachtas Members and Dublin City Council.

I take the Deputy's point as regards the meaningful nature of that and trying to shape the community and plans that are required and obviously meeting the needs of the community in the area. The Deputy mentioned the scout group. Having been involved in scouts all my life, I understand the needs but I also understand that scouting organisations, by their nature, are well able to adapt. In my days in scouting, we were in a very small area. That being said, I understand the need for community facilities.

Créches are obviously important for a growing community like this one which has the potential for 2,000 homes. However, I will take back the Deputy's comment to the Minister who engages with the LDA on a regular basis. It is important when we are developing new communities of scale that we get it right and that we learn from issues of the past. Certainly, the Deputy, as an Oireachtas Government representative, Deputy Ó Muirí and others will continue to engage on this matter.

School Funding

Deputy Ruth Coppinger

I am raising the issue of DEIS plus, which is a new scheme announced to give enhanced supports to the most disadvantaged schools in the country. Obviously, I am all in favour of enhanced supports for schools, but there are a number of problems.

I bring to the attention of the Minister of State the Corduff area of Dublin 15. I have been contacted by the principals of St. Patrick's Senior National School and St. Patrick’s Junior National School in the area. They will be in the DEIS band 1 scheme but have been excluded from the DEIS plus scheme. One of the principals, Mary O’Riordan, spoke to The Irish Times about this. For example, she said the area has been beset by a vicious feud involving local rival gangs in recent years. There was absolute devastation at the school when they learned they were not included in the new scheme. She has worked in the area for 26 years. The level of disadvantage is massive, with issues such as addiction, poverty and crime. While I do not know whether crime is a criterion for the scheme, I do know that trauma is a criterion. It is mentioned that up to 50% of children in the schools under the DEIS plus scheme will have experienced trauma. One of the issues in Corduff, which is frequently in the news for all the wrong reasons, is that gangs have historically been located there.

The principals of the schools in question say that a lot of parents are doing a brilliant job but that others are struggling. The schools have put additional supports in place. For example, both schools are currently paying a trained counsellor and play therapist to work at each school one day per week, at a cost of €350 per day. They used to pay for four days but they can no longer afford to maintain that level of support. Both schools need a counselling service five days per week. Children often come to school and it is noticed straight away that something has happened to them. The schools want to open nurture rooms but they need to pay staff members to staff such rooms. That is something for which the DEIS plus scheme would provide. It would provide a well-being co-ordinator and extra teaching support.

In general, the way this scheme has been implemented is a bit strange. While I am all in favour of the scheme, it seems that a super league is being created whereby schools will nearly have to compete to get on it. As the Minister of States knows, or maybe he does not, Dublin 15 is one of the fastest-growing areas in the country. One in four people there is under 15 years of age. Only one school in Dublin 15 has got onto the DEIS plus scheme. It does not make any sense given the population and social profile of the area. Not one of the 25 secondary schools got on the list, despite having massive diversity. Corduff, Tyrrelstown and Mulhuddart in particular are the fastest-growing areas in the whole of Fingal. Other schools in Blakestown and Mountview, which are currently in the scheme, have also not been included. That seems a bit bizarre. These schools are dealing with the huge and complex social issues of crime and drug addiction that have historically been experienced in the area. In the statistics and data, Corduff is described as very disadvantaged. In the Pobal HP deprivation indices, there is colour coding on maps for the area. Corduff is marked by the strongest orange colour. In fact, it is even more deprived than some other areas that have been included in the scheme.

Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation (Deputy Frankie Feighan)

I thank the Deputy for raising this important matter, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Naughton. The Deputy’s raised issues relating to a vicious feud and rival gangs, as well as issues around addiction, poverty and trauma. The latter have caused serious problems in Corduff and many other areas. I am familiar with Dublin 15. Addressing educational disadvantage and ensuring that every child and young person can reach their full potential is a key priority for the Minister for Education and Youth, Deputy Naughton, and the Government.

The DEIS plus scheme, as the Deputy is aware, will commence this year as part of the DEIS strategy to 2035. It represents the most significant expansion of targeted educational supports since the establishment of the DEIS programme. It is designed to provide enhanced, evidence-based support to a cohort of 121 schools with the very highest concentrations of children and young people experiencing persistent and intergenerational disadvantage, which the Deputy outlined. This forms part of a wider full-year investment of €48 million, with approximately 30,000 children and young people nationally benefiting from inclusion in the scheme.

The Deputy raised the question about St Patrick’s Junior National School and St Patrick’s Senior National School in Corduff not being included in the targeted DEIS plus scheme. I acknowledge, as the Deputy did, the exceptional commitment of the school leadership and staff, who work day in and day out to support children and families facing significant and huge challenges. Their work is critical. It is important to stress that a school not identified through the DEIS plus model does not in any way imply that the Department of Education and Youth is saying that disadvantage does not exist within that school community.

DEIS plus schools were identified using a refined, rules-based model built on nationally available student-level administrative data. The model draws on a range of indicators associated with persistent and intergenerational disadvantage, including small-area deprivation, lone parenthood and unemployment, Traveller and Roma identity and children living in State-funded emergency accommodation or international protection accommodation. The Deputy said that she felt trauma should be included as an indicator as well. These indicators are applied consistently across all schools using enrolment data from the past three years.

Schools can and do show significant levels of disadvantage while still not falling below the statistical threshold required for inclusion in the scheme. A school-led application or self-reporting model would inevitably introduce inconsistency, inequality and inequity, which is why a transparent, data-driven and nationally comparable approach is essential. An independent OECD review of the DEIS identification model in 2024 highlighted the strengths of this approach, noting that it is multidimensional, respects GDPR principles and places no administrative burden on schools.

The Department also recognises that some schools are operating in the context of particularly complex local pressures within their wider communities. While these challenges are often well understood locally, they are not always captured in data sets that can be fairly and consistently applied across the entire school system. A rules-based national model must rank all schools on the same basis. It cannot substitute locally held knowledge for data that are not available or comparable nationwide.

St Patrick’s junior and senior national schools are recognised as serving very disadvantaged school communities. While they fall outside the threshold for inclusion in the DEIS plus scheme, they continue to benefit from enhanced supports through the DEIS programme. Under the new DEIS strategy, both schools will receive increased DEIS grant funding and enhanced home school community liaison provision, HSCL, with each school now having access to their own full-time HSCL co-ordinator from the start of the 2026-27 school year. Schools will have the opportunity to appeal the decision not to include them in the DEIS plus scheme. An appeals window will open in the coming weeks.

Deputy Ruth Coppinger

Obviously, the schools should appeal the decision. Hopefully, they will be brought up to the level of supports needed. There has been a huge problem in this regard. There has been a 500% increase in the number of schools contacting the financial support services unit of the Department because of the rising cost of living. It affects every school. In areas of severe disadvantage, parents do not have the same resources that more middle-class areas have. Are the schools supposed to drop the nurturing and well-being support they are providing because they cannot afford it any longer? I understand the Minister of State is saying they will still get supports from the DEIS scheme.

There is one other matter I wish to follow up. The Minister of State mentioned that there is new enhanced data and a way of analysing same. I am all for a scientific approach but the Minister of State said:

While these challenges are often well understood locally, they are not always captured in data sets that can be fairly and consistently applied across the entire school system. A rules-based national model must rank all schools on the same basis. It cannot substitute locally held knowledge for data that are not available ...

Where do locally held factors that are specific to an area come into it?

We hear about the Westies and about gangland crime over the years in Corduff. It has those historical local problems, and that should be considered. On the same day that the schools got the news they would not be included in DEIS plus, five members of a local organised crime group were sentenced to jail over an attack which the judge involved said bypassed any notion of humanity and which involved beating, burning, stabbing and branding their victim with the word "rat".

Children in these schools are being groomed into crime. They are not able to learn because they come into school having suffered trauma. Those factors have to be taken into account somewhere in the system.

Deputy Frankie Feighan

The DEIS plus scheme has a clear specific purpose, which is to target a relatively small number of schools with the very highest concentrations of children and young people who are experiencing persistent and intergenerational disadvantage. As the Deputy knows, it uses an evidence-based identification model. Applying this model fairly means that not every school serving a disadvantaged community can be included at this time. We have all been in this situation over the years. I would have questioned why some schools were not included even in the DEIS programme. I found that difficult to understand, but the new system seems to be very transparent and open. As the Deputy rightly stated, this does not diminish the very real challenges faced by St. Patrick's junior and senior national schools. Both schools serve disadvantaged school communities and continue to benefit from the enhanced support from the DEIS programme. This reflects the need of the supports needed in those communities.

Through the DEIS strategy to 2035, the Department of Education and Youth remains committed to continue reviewing how educational disadvantage is identified and addressed in order to ensure that supports are targeted in a fair, consistent and evidence-based way, which is what we all want. The appeals window will open in the coming weeks and schools will be given the opportunity to update their school enrolment data and whatever other data is there.

I encourage the schools to do that as quickly as possible. I want to show the Deputy that supporting children and young people in Corduff to enable them to reach their full potential through education remains an ongoing commitment, not just on the part of the Government but also on that of their parents, teachers and community. I thank her again for raising this very important issue.

Land Issues

Deputy Conor D. McGuinness

Sixteen hill farmers on the Knockmealdown Mountains in west Waterford are facing the imposition of rent increases of 900% by a British absentee landlord. This increase will put them off the land. These are generational farmers; families who have farmed the mountains for generations and centuries. I have met them several times. Only last week, Deputy Cullinane and I were up on the mountains with them.

What is happening is a stark injustice. It has echoes of darker times when absentee landlords, British aristocrats, pushed Irish farmers off the land. That is a comparison that should concern all of us, and it certainly should concern the Government. It is 2026 not 1846, yet farmers in Waterford are being forced off land that their families have farmed for generations. The Government is making matters worse. At the very moment that these farmers are under the most pressure in this land dispute, their farm payments are being withheld. The Government is holding them over a barrel and is strengthening the landlord's hand. The Government and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine are taking a side in this and are pushing these farmers towards the edge. I raised this issue previously with the Minister of State's colleague the Minister, Deputy Heydon. There have been protests. There has been strong public support. This has been raised by Congressmen and MPs in the United States and Britain, but there has been no action on the part of the Government. That is not acceptable. This cannot continue.

These farmers are doing everything they can to remain on the land. Will the Minister of State ensure that these payments are released to them? Will he meet the farmers to hear their concerns and stories? Will he clearly support their right to remain farming on the land in question and make a statement in the Dáil in the interests of supporting them and other hill farmers and sheep farmers in maintaining their way of life and agricultural activity?

Deputy David Cullinane

I do not know of any farmer, business or individual who could take a 900% increase in rent. This really is an injustice. I met with the hill farmers in question, as did Deputy McGuinness. In fact, we were there a number of weeks ago when "Prime Time" was interviewing some of them. The sense of injustice that they have relates to the fact that their ancestors, their parents, grandparents and great-grandparents, farmed that land for generations and that a British absentee landlord - a multibillionaire who owns thousands of acres of land in Waterford, Cork and elsewhere - is coming in and imposing a 900% increase. The farmers are outraged. They simply want to farm. That is all they want to do. They have no interest in getting involved in any disputes. The difficulty is that because of this stand-off with the so-called Duke of Devonshire, their farm payments are being withheld. That is really problematic.

The Department has to be creative. I echo the call from Deputy McGuinness that the Minister, or the Minister of State, if he is in a position to do it, should meet with these hill farmers to try to find a way to get around this and support these farmers. There obviously has to be some arrangement made on the rents and the absentee landlord has to be made to see sense, but the Government also has to come to the table and make sure that these people get their farm payments.

There is real anger out there. We saw what happened in the streets over the past number of weeks. When people see an injustice, they will respond to it. We are seeing it already. Deputy McGuinness and I are getting it in Waterford, where people are saying that this is wrong. People can see what is wrong. It is black and white. This is wrong. It should not be happening. These farmers should be just farming and doing what they want to do rather than having to talk to politicians, talk to the media, engage in protests simply to be able to secure their livelihoods. The injustice here is even bigger when we consider that it is a legacy of our colonial past. I ask the Minister of State to meet the hill farmers and for the Department to intervene.

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

I thank Deputies McGuinness and Cullinane for raising this issue. The farmers to whom they refer have been farming on the area in question for generations, indeed some of the families involved have had hundreds of years of continuous farming in the same area. However, I am informed by the Department that the land in question is, as the Deputies identified, owned by a third party. Regardless of how that came about or the historical dimension to it, it has to be accepted that it is a third party who owns the land. That third party has requested substantially increased rents for use of the land. Therein lies the problem for everyone. Unfortunately, the Department has no role in how farmers and landholders agree rental prices. This is clearly something that must be arranged between the landowner and the farmer renting the land. I do not see that situation changing in the future either; it is a private commercial transaction between two parties.

The Department routinely corresponds with farmers to establish that they have land at their disposal and that they are actively farming the lands declared on their applications. I understand that the farmers involved here are also concerned about payments that the Department administers which are dependent on the right to farm this rented land. Deputy McGuinness raised this issue during oral parliamentary questions a few weeks ago and requested that the Department waive the requirement for the farmers to have this land at their disposal.

It is a core principle of Common Agricultural Policy funding that farmers have the right to farm the land they declare; in other words, that the land is at their disposal. Unfortunately, in this case it is clear that these farmers will not have the land involved at their disposal as a result of all of the issues the Deputies raised as long as the disagreement over the rental price continues. The Department is constrained by the terms and conditions of the Common Agricultural Policy. It is not, therefore, within the gift of the Department to make payments to farmers who are not able to assert a legal right to be on land. I fully get the situation here, but, unfortunately, it is no different to circumstances where the Deputies might be renting land from me or where I might be renting land from them.

The historical context to this of course makes it challenging and emotive for all of us. I am aware that this has happened in other parts of the country as well. There is the infamous case of the Shirley Estate in Carrickmacross, which was the subject of protracted battles in the courts.

Through the Deputies' colleague, Deputy Matt Carthy, they may be able to ascertain some information as to how those challenging issues were addressed. I see this as somewhat similar, from my own observation rather than from a departmental perspective.

It is challenging for all of us to grapple with it but I accept and recognise that it is most challenging for the 16 farmers whose lives and livelihoods depend on this.

Deputy Conor D. McGuinness

The Minister of State and this Government need to make a clear intervention here. I am more than happy to say that what is happening here is wrong, that the demand of a 900% rent increase by a British absentee aristocratic landlord on Irish farmers is wrong. I would urge the Minister of State to make that statement and for his colleague, the Minister, Deputy Heydon, to make a similar statement. That would carry an awful lot of weight.

To return to the farm payments issue, it is important to put on the record here again that all farm payments are being withheld from farmers who are unable to produce this commonage letter from the aristocratic absentee landlord. Effectively, the proof that Government requires to show that these farmers are actively farming, on these lands that are in dispute and on all other lands they are farming, is a commonage letter from the landlord with whom they are in dispute, and that is an unfair burden. It is an unfair intervention into this dispute and it is not necessary. There are creative means by which the Department can establish that these farmers are actively farming land and ensure that they have some kind of income rather than holding them over a barrel while this dispute continues.

Deputy David Cullinane

There are sometimes cases where there is a grey area but I think this one is black and white. The people whom I have spoken to, including the hill farmers but also people in the wider west Waterford area and in Waterford city, are outraged that a British absentee landlord who goes by the name of the Duke of Devonshire, who owns tens of thousands of acres of land and is a billionaire as far as I can see, is imposing a rent increase of 900% on 16 hill farmers in the Knockmealdown Mountains who just want to farm. They say they are being driven off the land.

What they have asked the Minister of State, through us, is for him to meet them to try to see if there is some resolution. That is a reasonable request. That would be a big step forward if the Minister of State were to agree to that. That, in turn, could put pressure on the landlord, because the landlord needs to move. I accept that. This is an issue that the landlord has to step up to the plate on as well. It is greed that is at the heart of this.

I appeal to the Minister of State to meet these hill farmers.

Deputy Timmy Dooley

I am aware of this issue, obviously, but I am also conscious of the constitutional rights of property owners. Deputy Cullinane says that there is often a grey area and this is black and white. Emotionally, it is black and white. For any of us and for any member of society, the picture that the Deputies paint is black and white in terms of what should transpire, but from a departmental perspective and from a Government perspective, we have to be conscious of the Constitution and the laws and be seen to uphold those and also uphold the terms and conditions of the Common Agricultural Policy, and that puts very significant constraints on what the Minister, Deputy Heydon, and I can do. However, I am more than happy to meet the 16 hill farmers as soon as possible and I will go through it with them, and if the Deputies or others can come up with a greyness or find a route through it or a solution, I am happy to look at that. As I said, I am more than happy to meet the 16 hill farmers.

Dáil Éireann díospóireacht - Wednesday, 15 Apr 2026