Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate – Dáil Éireann (34th Dáil) – Thursday, 7 May 2026

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate

Education and Training Provision

Deputy Jen Cummins

I am delighted that the Minister of State is here. We often meet on Thursdays when we are chatting. I am disappointed that the Minister for education is not here because it falls within her remit. I thank the Minister of State for taking the time to come and discuss the issue of the Cork Life Centre. I am sure he is aware of it. It is in his neck of the woods, not quite in his constituency but closer to him than it is to me. I visited there in February when I was in Cork for the Social Democrats' conference. I had spent a long time hoping that I would some day get to visit the Cork Life Centre, because it is a place that many people hold in high esteem. When I went in, it was exactly how I thought it would be. It was a place of care and love and excellence in education. I was shown around by a young person who had written to me and invited me to the centre. He was a graduate of the Cork Life Centre and he could not have demonstrated better why it was a place that should be valued and held in the highest esteem in our education system.

Why the centre works so well is because our education system is built around systems. It is built around a curriculum and bigger things that move in large movements as opposed to the person whom it should focus on and move around, that is, the child or the learner. The Cork Life Centre has figured out exactly how to put the student at the core of the curriculum and everything it does. This means that when a young person arrives to the Cork Life Centre, they are greeted with open arms. There is an expectation that they will achieve the best that they can in the time that it takes and that the centre will be with them all the way along that journey. Students can be interested in whatever takes their fancy. I saw a beautiful woodwork room, and art room and rooms where they could read, learn or play. An exercise area was being built. The gardening area was fantastic. When they arrive, they are welcomed with a cup of tea and a biscuit, just like I was, and the warmth in that building is spectacular.

There is a slight problem, in that because it is not a recognised centre, it does not quite fit. It does not have a roll number like a primary school, a secondary school or a special school. It is not a community training centre and it is not Youthreach. It does not fit neatly into what we want it to fit into. The review of out-of-school provision was published in 2022 and a number of recommendations have come from that. I know that there is an implementation forum that is working through those but it was published four years ago now and that should move on.

The challenge for the centre of not being recognised as one of the settings I mentioned earlier is that it does not get appropriate funding. It does not get the allocation of teachers or the supports that other learning centres get. On that basis, the centre struggles with funding and with getting teachers. There are teachers and support personnel there who work on a voluntary basis. We are talking about a very vulnerable cohort of young people who have left mainstream education for whatever reason and they are being accepted into the Cork Life Centre to be given a second chance. However, the centre cannot exist on fresh air and hope only. What can be done to support the Cork Life Centre correctly?

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

I thank Deputy Cummins for raising this very important matter. At the forefront of our thoughts this afternoon is Don O'Leary and the great work he did. This is a very important Cork educational establishment. The Deputy is right that it is held in high esteem across Cork and beyond. The care and love it shows is a wonderful example of how education can be. As a former director of adult education and a teacher of the leaving certificate applied, I understand fully that the Cork Life Centre is committed to supporting children and young people who attend the centre so that they can realise their full potential and the benefits the centre will bring to their lives.

I apologise that I do not have the scripted reply for the Deputy, but I will get it forwarded to her. For some reason, it has not been made available. I also apologise for the Minister not being here. I am taking this matter on her behalf.

Since the 1970s, a small number of alternative education settings that operate outside of the traditional mainstream education system have evolved on an ad hoc basis across the State. What is clear is that these settings support the needs of children and young people who have disengaged from, as it were, or are not engaged in mainstream education. They have blossomed and flourished, in this case in the Cork Life Centre in Sunday's Well. The Acting Chair is familiar with it as well.

This educational setting, and I use to word “setting” not in a cold way but, as the Deputy quite rightly articulated, in a way that provides access to education for approximately 55 children and young adults between the ages of 13 and 18 who would not be in mainstream education and who would be lost to the education system were it not for the centre. As I said, it is junior cycle and leaving certificate applied exams. It is supported by an incredible group of staff, teachers, volunteers and people who are under the trusteeship of the Christian Brothers European Province.

The centre is one of a small number of alternative education providers that are supported by the Department of Education and Youth. The Department has provided funding and teacher co-operation hours to the centre for several years going back to 2018, which has been increased significantly since then. This year, the Department provided funding of €177,500 along with 6,200 co-operation hours in conjunction with the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science. As the Deputy knows, centre referrals come from the education and welfare service, school principals, social workers or child and adolescent mental health services, CAMHS. The centre is seeking sustainability for the future from the Department. Over the past number years, Department officials have visited the centre and met with management on a number of occasions in relation to the issues discussed by the Deputy. Department officials wrote to the centre two years ago with a proposal from the Department that will see the centre recognised under the Education Act 1998. It will then be designated as a special school for primary, with a school roll number. The communication from the Department sets out the requirements in relation to equipment provision, teaching of the curriculum and the length of the school day and school year in order to be recognised by the Department as a primary school under the Education Act. The letter also outlines the level of staffing resources and other supports that would be allocated by the Department to the centre to be recognised as a school. I believe that officials are continuing to engage with the centre in respect of this funding and arrangements.

I assure Deputy Cummins that the Department of education recognises the many benefits of the centre. All of us present in the Chamber recognise the impact it is having on young people, and we are totally in awe at the quality of education and the outcomes. I am constantly asking the Department about this as well. The Department is committed to working with all of us to ensure that the centre in the coming period is sustainable because Cork Life Centre has been of huge benefit in our city and county. I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. I will bring her points back to the Department and the Minister.

Deputy Jen Cummins

I thank the Minister of State. As he said, it really is a wonderful centre. The thing is, however, it is not a special school. When it is designated as a special school, that means a primary school, which it is not. These are young people. In fact, some of them are 16. They can decide their own medical issues. They can apply for a driving licence at 17. It is not a special school. I know the Department wants to designate it as a special school, but it is not one. Therefore, a category has to be made for this type of school.

The iScoil is designated as a primary school as well. There is a review of the blended learning centres for iScoil that has not been published yet. I imagine it will say that it is absolutely excellent. I say that as somebody who ran an iScoil in a blended learning centre. The challenge is that if we are trying to fit education provision centres into something they are not, that is where we will reach difficulties. A primary school does not do the leaving certificate and junior certificate, so how do we do that? These young people will be doing Quality and Qualifications Ireland, QQI, levels 3, 4 and 5. They will be doing the leaving certificate applied. Therefore, it is not a special school. A different category has to be created.

What is quite difficult for me to understand, though, is that if the Department has been engaging - I believe it has, I am not questioning that part - why it has taken three years to discuss this when it has been going since the 1970s. That special category to recognise centres like the Cork Life Centre has to be put into the Education Act. It is just taking too long for the Department to come up with the answer for that. In the meantime, we have staff who are so absolutely dedicated but kind of flabbergasted as to why it is taking so long and why they have to prove so much that the work they are doing is saving people's lives. It is bringing people back into education when the education system has failed them. The young people did not disengage from the education system. The mainstream education system neglected them and labelled them as "others" and they were let down by that system. The young people were failed. It is not that the young people disengaged or failed. It is that the system failed them. The Cork Life Centre is there, however. It will be able to bring them back to a way of learning that appreciates them for who they are and builds back their self-esteem and their love of learning, which, ultimately, is a thing that we want to see for every young person.

I am way over time so I better stop talking.

Deputy Jerry Buttimer

It is important to recognise that the Department has been engaging. There was a piece going back to 2024 relating to primary school designation. Ultimately, what we all want to see is that the life centre in Sunday's Well is supported and that we keep students who would not be in mainstream education in education. The inspectorate carried out a bespoke evaluation model last year. As the Deputy can imagine, the evaluation was positive. Some of the findings include that staff were observed as being considerably kind, supportive and caring towards all young people. Young people themselves reported that the education in Cork Life Centre was a positive experience for them, and parents reported that the centre and staff made a very positive contribution to children's lives and the lives of their families.

The key point for all of us here, and the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach is very familiar with this, is that the recent evaluation reported that the lessons in the life centre were meaningful and engaging and that a good questioning approach was used that enabled young people to be able to, if you like, use subject-specific terminology and express their understanding. As we know, that is very important in the education process. What is very important from the evaluation and for those of us who go in there and have met with the staff and students is that they are very effective and proactive in supporting young people to recognise the positive contribution education can make and have on their future development.

We will continue to engage with Cork Life Centre. I reassure the Deputy that the Minister of State, Deputy Naughton, recognises the many benefits Cork Life Centre is having on children and young people who attend it. The Department is keen to work with Cork Life Centre in the coming period to examine its future sustainability. For a variety of reasons, we must recognise that students do not stay in mainstream education. It is not leaving cert plus, as the Deputy knows; it is a combination of everything. The approach being taken here is one that has worked. I certainly hope we can collaboratively work together to ensure its continuing success.

An Cathaoirleach Gníomhach (Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan)

I thank the Minister of State. Cork Life Centre will be having its annual awards on Thursday, 21 May. We are all looking forward to that as well.

Social Welfare Payments

Deputy Louise O'Reilly

This matter relates to the telephone support allowance. It is one of those things that is an essential part of the income for a lot of people. The organisation ALONE has highlighted not just the value of this allowance but also the fact that it has not been keeping pace anywhere close to inflation. It was not increased in the most recent budget. I understand that the primary objective is to allow the most vulnerable people at risk of isolation, including the elderly and those with disabilities, access to personal alarms or phones for security and, absolutely, that is essential. However, there is more and more of an emphasis now on availability and access to data and mobile phones. It strikes me that the allowance is deficient in two ways. One is that it is not enough; it was not increased. We have just spent a couple of hours in here and nobody would dispute the fact that the cost of everything is going up, but also the fact that it is not modern or fit for purpose.

I am, therefore, echoing the calls that have been made by ALONE about the clear necessity to expand the payment. It said this in its pre-budget submissions. It looked for an increase of €7.50, which is a fairly modest and balanced ask, to be fair. This is mostly for vulnerable groups, specifically, but the largest cohort who use it are older people. The Minister of State will know that when people cannot pay their bills, they cannot do a side hustle, as the Americans call it. They are on a fixed income and that is it. Their pension from the State, small as it is, has to stretch to meet all their outgoings. More and more, we see that communication of all forms is shifting online. I was struggling when I was coming in to think of people I know who still have a landline. They are moving rapidly towards obsolescence. I do not lay the blame for that at the Minister of State's door.

People are voting with their feet. They are not getting landlines anymore. It is quite unusual outside of an office environment to even get a landline number.

In a reply to a parliamentary question, the Minister for Social Protection stated that he "will continue, as part of the budget planning process, to consider if improvements can be made to ensure that this benefit continues to target vulnerable cohorts. Any future decisions will, of course, have to take account of the availability of financial resources." Shortly after he gave that answer, it turned out that there were slightly more resources available than perhaps had been obvious. The cost of the increase to €7.50 is €67 million. It is a modest amount. It is a small and simple ask. Broadband is expensive. Mobile data plans are expensive and connectivity has never been more important. There was the report on loneliness, particularly in rural Ireland. Often it is a lack of connectivity that people will tell you they are experiencing.

I seek an update on whether improvements can be made. I think they can. I outlined improvements that could be made. I also ask the Minister of State to give an indication of what the Government's thinking is on this allowance because it is rapidly becoming obsolete. As he will be aware, it is only €2.50 per week.

Deputy Jerry Buttimer

I thank the Deputy for raising the matter. He is correct that it is an important matter because more and more people are depending on connectivity by mobile phone. I am taking it on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Calleary, who sends his apologies.

The telephone support allowance is €2.50 a week for people who are getting both the living alone increase and the fuel allowance, and one of a number of payments that I will not go through because the Deputy knows all the payments associated with it.

The primary objective of the telephone support allowance is to allow the most vulnerable people at risk of isolation, including the elderly and those with disabilities, access to personal alarms or phones for security. As the Deputy will be aware, we are moving with the personal alarms as well. I am due to meet ALONE in a couple of weeks in that regard. The allowance is a cash payment automatically paid with a person's main weekly social welfare payment and it can, of course, be used towards broadband or mobile data charges. Cumulatively, the allowance is paid to over 164,000 customers weekly, at a cost of €21.6 million.

The Deputy stated that it would cost €67 million-----

Deputy Louise O'Reilly

To increase it to €7.50.

Deputy Jerry Buttimer

-----to increase it to €7.50. I will certainly feed that back to the Minister as part of the Government's deliberations on next year's budget.

The Government is committed to supporting older persons and persons with disability. Given the many competing demands for the limited funding available in the Department of Social Protection, there was no increase in the telephone support allowance in budget 2026. Other supports provided by the Department, however, were increased in that budget, including the €10 increase in the weekly rate in social welfare payments and the €5 increase in the fuel allowance. It is important also to recognise that in that fuel allowance piece, we are providing an additional €140 during the annual fuel allowance season. This will provide support of €1,064 to a household during a 28-week fuel season. In response to the increase in energy prices due to the war in the Middle East, the fuel allowance season was extended by a further four weeks to the end of April, which provided an additional €152 to recipients.

To receive the telephone support allowance, a customer must be in receipt of a qualifying payment and also in receipt of both the living alone allowance and the fuel allowance. This means that those in receipt of the allowance already receive considerable support from the Department. However, there is, to be fair to the Deputy, merit in the consideration of this because I believe that more and more people are looking to us in terms of mobile phone connectivity.

The household benefits package is available to those in receipt of the telephone support allowance. This comprises of an electricity or gas allowance and a free television licence, which is worth approximately €580 a year. Furthermore, the Department of Social Protection provides for a means-tested additional needs payment as part of the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, which helps people meet essential expenses that they cannot pay from their weekly income. These payments are available through community welfare officers.

Increasing the rate of household-based schemes, such as the living alone increase and the fuel allowance, provides targeted support to households that are at a higher risk of poverty. Any proposal to increase the rate payable for the telephone support allowance could only be considered in the budgetary context. Telephone companies and operators have an obligation and duty as well to look at that, in terms of some of our older people, in their packages. They can tailor some of their packages to suit older people.

I will bring the Deputy's remarks back to the Minister. In fairness, we are hearing on a day-to-day basis of people needing their phones more and using them more, even to stay in touch. It is that element of fear. As I said, we are working with ALONE about changing the senior citizens alert scheme. We will have more information on that at a later date.

Deputy Louise O'Reilly

I thank the Minister of State for the reply. I do not mean this disrespectfully but when I have asked a question about the telephone allowance, it is probably not helpful for anyone listening in who might be conscious of the issue of the telephone allowance that the Minister of State listed other payments. We understand that there were modest increases in the budget. They did not keep pace with inflation. He will know, as I do, that inflation was running at 1.8% when the Government wrote its budget and it is now at 3.6%. That has doubled and that has pushed people who are dependent on social welfare even further into poverty.

The Minister of Stat referred to "over 164,000 customers" in his reply. It is only 164,000 customers and we are not talking about large numbers. Increasingly, private care companies are shifting online to a more visual check-in with clients. That is not something that I necessarily support. In fact, I campaigned against it when I was a trade union organiser representing home helps. Much as I do not think it is good for either workers or older people, that is the direction of travel. Increasingly, older people are finding themselves in a situation where access to mobile data is not optional; it is essential for them to live their lives. The existence of the telephone support allowance is to ensure that people remain connected, can participate and are not further isolated, but if it is not updated, it will leave a significant cohort of people out.

I welcome the fact that consideration will be given to it as part of the budgetary process and I thank the Minister of State for bringing my remarks back to the senior Minister.

Deputy Jerry Buttimer

A sum of €21.6 million or 164,000 customers are not small numbers.

I thank the Deputy again for raising the matter. I agree with her that in a world that is changing hugely, we cannot let older people be left behind and left out. They are feeling isolated and vulnerable in a digital world that is changing, and we cannot ignore that. The Government will not be found wanting in that regard.

The Department provides targeted payments to help people with their household costs. I listed the fuel allowance, the living alone increase, the household benefits package and additional needs payment because it is a comprehensive suite of measures and investment by Government.

While these supports can, of course, help older people with their cost-of-living services, providing access to these services is also a priority for Government. In this regard, it is providing very significant funding through the national broadband plan. That plan, which is the largest ever telecommunications project undertaken by the State, will radically transform our broadband landscape through the delivery of quality, affordable high-speed broadband to all parts of Ireland where such services will be delivered and available to people. There is a commitment in the programme for Government that 1.1 million people, including people living in rural and urban areas, farms and non-farms, and businesses will be connected by 2026.

I reassure the Deputy that the Department will continue to support recipients of the telephone support allowance, especially where they are vulnerable and at risk of isolation. The existing supports available in the Department along with the recent budget increases will continue to support this important group of people, but I will take the remarks the Deputy has made back to the Minister because, in a changing world, it is important that we do not leave older people behind. The world that they inhabit now is a digitally changed world and we have a duty of care to them as well.

European Union

Deputy Barry Ward

Baineann mo cheist le fostaíocht san Aontas Eorpach. Tá gá orainn níos mó a dhéanamh chun eolas a thabhairt do dhaoine, go háirithe anseo in Éirinn, faoi na poist atá ar fáil agus an bealach ar féidir iarratas a dhéanamh orthu le go n-éireoidh leo lena gcuid iarratas agus na poist sin a thógáil. Tá sé sin thar a bheith tábhachtach, go háirithe an tseachtain seo nuair atá Lá na hEorpa á cheiliúradh againn Dé hAoine. Caithfidh muid a bheith in ann a rá i rith Uachtaránacht an Aontais Eorpaigh go bhfuil muid ag déanamh iarracht Éireannaigh a chur sna poist sin ar fud na hEorpa.

The question I have this evening is about employment in European Union institutions. As this week we celebrate Europe Day commemorating the Schuman Declaration, it is an important week to think about this as we approach the Presidency coming up on 1 July as well. This week a delegation from the European affairs committee, which I chair, visited Luxembourg where there are a number of European institutions there and a number of Irish people working within those institutions. It was my pleasure to meet many of them and talk to them about the work they are doing. They range from people who are on stages there, people who are trainees within places like the Court of Auditors, to Tony Murphy who is currently the lead person, the president of the Court of Auditors. There are Irish people throughout those institutions contributing at the very highest level. Thank God they are there because the reality is that at the moment our influence within those institutions is waning and we need to do something about that.

One of the things I learned this week is that Ireland is not even in the top ten in terms of European countries applying for such jobs. I am talking about per capita rather than in sheer numbers. It contrasts sharply with countries like Italy, for example, which specifically targets jobs within European institutions by putting in place a whole college, a whole institution, whose job it is to prepare Italians to apply for jobs, to position them, to inform them, to help them make those applications and to help them be competitive when going through the process.

Although we have had some notable Irish people at the top of the European civil service like Catherine Day, who was, of course, the head civil servant within the European Commission, many of those people have retired. The people who occupy high positions will retire in the coming years. For example, six Irish people in the Court of Auditors will come to retirement in the coming years. If they retire and leave that service, we do not have the people coming behind them to fill the positions and to ensure we still have that presence within the institutions.

It can be said that these are institutions for the whole of the European Union and not for Ireland, and of course that is true, but we should be represented in them. One of the ways we can do that is by focusing our resources to educate people throughout the country on what is available. It is not just that, but we need to encourage them to apply for jobs, to inform them about what the pay and conditions are. It is not just about the pay, there are also favourable tax incentives for them, childcare facilities, healthcare facilities and relocation grants. Lots of things go with these jobs. More importantly, these are immensely fulfilling jobs. They do important work that influences the decisions that are made across our Continent. The opportunity for people in this jurisdiction to contribute at that level is huge.

In addition to giving them all that information, we also need to advise them how to apply and how to be successful in their applications so that when they put in applications, they are competitive in that. We are not even competitive yet in terms of the numbers of applications being made. If we do not have enough people applying, we will not have enough people who will be awarded those positions.

There are institutions not just in Luxembourg but across the EU, including Eurofound here in Ireland. This is the time we need to have a concerted effort to inform people in this country about the opportunities there, encourage them to apply and help them make successful applications.

Deputy Jerry Buttimer

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta as an ábhar seo a chur os ár gcomhair. I agree with him that it is an opportunity present, showcase, promulgate, inform and educate people as to what is available. We should be represented in the European institutions and I fully concur with him. I apologise that the Minister of State, Deputy Byrne, is not here to take this and I am taking it for him.

I welcome this opportunity to address what is genuinely a success story, one that reflects years of sustained, strategic effort by the Government to ensure that Irish citizens are well represented in the EU institutions. In May 2021, the Government launched the A Career for EU strategy to improve Irish representation in the EU. Implementation is led by the Minister of State, Deputy Byrne. The strategy has three key areas of focus: promotion of careers in the EU institutions in Ireland, in particular within the education system, to encourage more Irish applicants for EU posts; greater support and training for Irish people interested in careers in the EU; and promoting the reform of the EU’s recruitment process to ensure more Irish people get posts in the institutions.

Since its launch, outreach and awareness-raising have expanded significantly. This includes social media, with a particular focus on the careers networking platform LinkedIn, and informational webinars with professional bodies and universities. There is also attendance at second and third level careers events, reaching thousands of people in 2025. Additionally, in 2025, hundreds of Irish candidates received targeted training supports across multiple competitions, including EU-specific practice materials and interview preparation. The strategy and these efforts are starting to bear results. For example, Ireland had 43 permanent officials at the key entry grades in the European Commission in December 2025, an increase of seven on 2024 and up from 30 in 2022.

I also wish to highlight the large number of Irish applicants for the recent graduate AD5 competition, the first large-scale recruitment competition that the EU has held since 2019. Over 1,700 Irish citizens submitted applications, placing Ireland tenth out of 27 member states on a per capita basis. The result also shows that Ireland had the third largest increase in candidates compared with our figures in 2019. In addition, in January 2026, Dr. Lorraine Nolan took up office as executive director of the European Union Drugs Agency, the third Irish national currently heading an EU agency.

Traineeships are a proven pathway towards a rewarding career in the European Union, and recent promotional efforts have also focused on highlighting ones such as the Blue Book with the Commission. In 2025, 34 Irish people undertook the Schuman traineeship with the European Parliament, representing 3.76% of total trainees. This is almost double our expected percentage of 1.94%.

The Government has made notable progress on the placement of seconded national experts, SNEs, from the public or Civil Service in strategically important positions across the institutions. Funding for the centrally funded scheme for SNEs has risen from €2 million in 2021 to €4.2 million this year, supporting an increase from 24 SNEs to 53 over the course of 2025 and helping to give Ireland the highest number of SNEs per capita in the European Commission among all member states. With Ireland assuming the Presidency of the European Union from 1 July 2026, having experienced Irish officials in place across the institutions has never been more important.

In summary, the progress we have made under the A Career for EU strategy is real, measurable and the result of a consistent, whole-of-government commitment to ensuring that Irish voices, Irish values and Irish expertise are present at the heart of the European Union. I thank the Deputy for raising the matter.

Deputy Barry Ward

I agree with the Minister of State on the effort being made. I acknowledge the work done by the Department of foreign affairs and European Movement Ireland. I also acknowledge that Noelle O'Connell has left as the head of European Movement and has been replaced by David Geary. We wish him the best of luck there. They do a particularly good job in terms of advertising jobs and making people aware. While I acknowledge that there has been success there, many of our highly qualified capable graduates are not aware of the opportunities that arise. It is not just the Commission and the Parliament. There are many institutions across the European Union where there are good quality jobs that give people an opportunity to contribute at the highest level but also give us an opportunity as a country to put our values and our views at the top table. We need to be encouraging those people, and however good it might be now, we need to redouble our efforts.

There is an opportunity coming with the Presidency. I know from speaking to colleagues around Europe that there is a very high expectation for how Ireland will do during that Presidency. We all have faith that our officials will continue to deliver at the highest level, as they have done in the past and as they will do again in the second half of this year. However, there is an opportunity now for us to target graduates from university, people within the jobs market. I am not talking about it happening passively but we need to be doing it actively. There should be a dedicated unit within the Department of foreign affairs that has, as its remit, education, information and assistance to help people get into those positions, and doing so in a targeted way with measurables so they can show the increases in numbers of applications and the successes that might come from those applications. If we do not do this, we will allow our numbers to reduce in real terms and our influence within the Union to reduce.

It is to be hoped during our Presidency that we will pursue an enlargement agenda which will make the European Union larger. I know that Montenegro might be at the top of the list, but there are countries very close behind it as well. In the coming years, we will see enlargement. A lot of their citizens will have to fill positions. We cannot allow Ireland to fall behind into a position where our guys are not getting a seat at the table the way they should.

Deputy Jerry Buttimer

I again thank the Deputy. There is huge merit in what he is suggesting. The point he made on education, information and assistance is critical. He is right that we must continue to raise awareness.

We must continue to ensure that there are Irish people in good quality jobs in the European Union. The Deputy is 100% right that our influence in Europe has never been more needed in a global world where there is uncertainty. We are building new friendships and new alliances. I commend the Deputy on his role as chair of the European grouping in the Oireachtas. I wish David Geary every success in his new position and thank Noelle O’Connell for what she has done as European Movement Ireland is a critically important organisation.

The Deputy is correct that our officials are doing extraordinary work. That is why one of the three key pillars of the careers in Europe strategy is about promoting the reform of the European Union’s recruitment process to ensure we have more Irish graduates and others getting posts in the institutions. We firmly believe that the structural issues require permanent solutions. We continue to lobby, alongside like-minded member states, for the adoption of selection competitions based on nationality for underrepresented countries. The Deputy’s points are well made.

As a country, we have welcomed the decision by the European Parliament to hold nationally based competitions to address the chronic underrepresentation of three member states, namely, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and Austria, among the staff. As the Deputy knows, the legality of this decision is being challenged in the Parliament by Spain and Italy, and it is before the Court of Justice. Ireland has intervened in the case in support of the Parliament, and the case is ongoing. A positive outcome to this legal case would set a precedent for the use of nationality-based competitions by the Commission and other institutions.

The Deputy is right about the need to continue raising awareness so that we can have good quality jobs for Irish people in the EU institutions. I commend him on bringing the matter before the House.

Prison Service

Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan

I thank the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, for coming to the House. It is rare that we get a senior Minister taking a Topical Issue, so I appreciate him coming in.

I want to address the ongoing and worsening overcrowding in Cork Prison and the very real impact it is having on prison officers and staff, who are being asked to manage conditions that are no longer sustainable. Cork Prison has an operational capacity of 296 but the daily average number of people in custody in 2024 was 335, which rose further to an average of 354 in early 2025. That means Cork Prison has been operating at 120% to 130% capacity, with between 50 and 80 people sleeping on mattresses on the floor on any given night. This level of overcrowding is not just an inconvenience. It is a serious occupational health and safety issue for all the staff who work in the prison. Overcrowded landings, people sleeping on floors, limited sightlines and cramped shared spaces significantly increase the risk of violence, assault and disorder, while also making routine duties more dangerous and stressful for staff. Prison officers in Cork are being asked to maintain order, safety and discipline in conditions that fall well short of what would be regarded as acceptable in any other public service workplace. Staff cannot be expected to carry this burden indefinitely.

While I acknowledge national plans to add capacity around the country, Cork has for many years been under sustained pressure but without a permanent solution. Short-term measures and marginal increases in bed numbers do not address the fundamental problem, which is that the physical size and layout of the prison is no longer fit for purpose given current committal levels. That is why I call on the Minister to commit to a substantial extension of Cork Prison, delivering additional modern accommodation that reduces pressures, improves staff safety and allows the prison to operate within safe limits on a consistent basis.

I refer to it as an extension because many of our opponents in the Opposition would contend that we are trying to land a second prison on top of people. As usual, they are trying to play politics with this issue. An extension is warranted and that is what it is; an extension.

Any extension to the prison needs to bring a clear community dividend or community benefit. I ask the Minister to speak to whatever public consultation can be done, whether by the Minister, the Department of justice, the Prison Service or the OPW, to consult with the public as to what community dividend we can have for the local community. Whether that public consultation would yield an amenity space, a community building or otherwise, it would be important to factor it in.

This is not just about being hard on crime. It is about running a prison safely, professionally and efficiently while respecting the people who work there and protecting the wider public by ensuring the system is stable and controlled. Cork Prison cannot continue to operate over capacity year after year. That is why I am asking that Cork be prioritised for a major capital extension with a clear timeline, clear staffing protections and a commitment that any development delivers tangible benefits both for prison officers and the wider Cork community.

Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration (Deputy Jim O'Callaghan)

I thank Deputy O'Sullivan for putting down this very important issue I accept that overcrowding is having an impact on the provision of services within the prison estate, and is having an impact on both prisoners and staff.

A lot of outstanding work is ongoing within our prisons that probably does not get enough recognition. This morning, I spent two hours at Mountjoy and Dóchas. Three weeks ago, I visited Castlerea Prison for a full afternoon. In fact, I have visited every prison in the country with the exception of the Midlands Prison and Arbour Hill Prison, and I will be visiting them shortly. I take this opportunity to commend the Irish Prison Service and the staff on the outstanding work they do daily. This morning, I had an opportunity to look at the education services provided within Mountjoy and Dóchas. It really is an excellent service, notwithstanding the pressures that overcrowding creates.

I am pursuing a dual approach to address the issue of prison overcrowding by increasing prison capacity and pursuing further measures to support the increased use of non-custodial sanctions. I have secured a record capital investment of €528 million for the Irish Prison Service over the next five years, of which €495 million will be invested to deliver one of the most significant capital programmes in the justice sector, with an overall target of delivering over 1,500 spaces by 2031.

The building programme, which is committed to 2031, will, as the Deputy has requested, include a large extension to the existing Cork Prison on the site of the old, decommissioned prison. It is important to state that this is not a new prison; it will be an extension to the current Cork Prison. I had the opportunity, with Deputy O'Sullivan, to visit Cork Prison last year. I was very impressed with the commitment and professionalism of the Prison Service and the prison staff there. I am conscious that we need this extension.

There will also be a new block in Wheatfield and an additional block extension at Midlands Prison. This is in addition to spaces at Castlerea, Mountjoy and the Dóchas Centre, where an extension to Rowan House is expected to accommodate 50 women prisoners. I visited Dóchas today and saw another extension that had been put in by using office space. It is a fantastic extension and shows the work that has been done in the past year.

The proposed project for the extension to the existing Cork Prison is still at an early planning stage but preparation works will start early next year. The extension on the old, decommissioned Cork Prison site will be a large extension of the function of the existing prison and will provide prison spaces for approximately 100 women and 230 men. This will improve efficiency. As the Deputy will be aware, the former Cork Prison ceased to operate as an operational prison in February 2016 but the site provides an opportunity for the Prison Service to extend.

As the project progresses, there will, of course, be community engagement as part of the planning process. I hope that consideration will also be given to community benefit as part of the project as matters progress. With regard to Cork Prison, I should also mention the excellent educational work that is provided by the Dillon’s Cross Project, which celebrates its 30th anniversary. The project provides vital educational and social support to the partners and families of prisoners. That is an example of the excellent work that is done for community benefit arising from the prison.

Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan

We are all aware that this prison extension is going to happen but I welcome the confirmation from the Minister. It is unfortunate that the plan for it to be delivered extends to 2031, which is the best part of five years away. While I understand that these things take time, I hope that if everybody puts their shoulder to the wheel, that could be shortened.

I welcome the fact the proposal is to go forward for planning. When it comes to the design level, we will do what we can to work with the communities that live nearby in terms of designing a prison that can fit in well with the community that is already there.

My real motivation for raising this is to hammer home the community benefit side of things. It is imperative that fair consideration is given. I know the Minister is not an architect or an engineer, that he will not be designing the prison, and that it will be done by professionals in the Prison Service or hired by the Prison Service but I need to hammer home that the community needs to see a dividend out of that. I would hope the Minister's words here will be passed on to the people who will be designing the scheme when it is put forward. It is about something substantial for the community. On the northside of the city, there is a clear lack of community buildings, amenities and so on. I am hoping that due consideration will be given. I hope that will be passed on to the governor of the prison and the people who will be tasked with designing the prison.

Deputy Jim O'Callaghan

I am hoping, and it is intended, that we will start preparation works early next year in respect of the extension to Cork Prison. I am hoping and expecting that it will be completed in advance of 2031 and that it will be finished in the latter part of this decade. It is also important to point out that we have a good record in the Irish Prison Service in delivering extensions or new blocks on prison property very quickly. As I said to the Deputy, I was in Castlerea three weeks ago. Works started on a project there - the Grove - on 1 May 2025 and it is finished now. I turned the sod there three weeks ago for a further extension. The Prison Service is renowned within the sector as being very efficient at getting works completed very promptly. A further example of that is the works I saw this morning in the Dóchas Centre. I also have to point out, however, that I did manage to secure an exemption from the Minister for public expenditure for six projects totalling 960 prison spaces and to move them straight to approval gate 2 pre-tender approval of the infrastructure guidelines, a measure which is expected to speed up delivery of these projects by 12 to 18 months. It also frees up capacity within the Irish Prison Service to progress projects.

The proposed extension on Cork Prison is to deliver new prison spaces for men and women. We will try to get that expedited as quickly as possible. I hear what the Deputy has said in terms of a community gain. Obviously there are restrictions in terms of a prison. It is not as though it is a housing estate where you can just put a unit in there but I will think creatively, and I am sure the Irish Prison Service will too, in terms of what can be done for the community. The educational services provided by the Prison Service for families outside of prison is one example of that.

Animal Welfare

Deputy Jennifer Whitmore

I thank and acknowledge the Minister for being here today. I have often spoken in this House about animal welfare, particularly puppy farms and the regulation of dog breeding. One of the things that we can agree on in this House is that Ireland is a nation of dog lovers. If the Minister goes down any street, he will find someone out walking their much-loved dog. They form a huge part of our homes and our families. Unfortunately, there are far too many people in this country who are not dog lovers, and, in fact, see dogs and puppies as a commercial opportunity. They will breed as many puppies as they possibly can to try to make unbelievable amounts of money in some instances. I was just looking on one of the websites that showed the most gorgeous pups. Some of them are going for approximately €2,500. Unfortunately, there are some people who will take whatever opportunity they can to make as much money out of pups and puppy farming. Therefore, that is where the Government comes in to regulate these operations. Unfortunately, the current legislation is not sufficient to regulate them properly or to put enough safeguards in place. What we have are instances where hundreds of breeding females could be on site with no statutory limits on the number of staff required to look after them. The conditions they are in are often absolutely horrific. That is a side of puppies that people do not see when they buy them. They do not see where that puppy came from and started its life and the awful conditions that the puppy may have potentially been born into.

I also tend to spend a lot of time looking on rescue Facebook and Instagram pages. These organisations do incredible work in filling in those gaps and ensuring that, where they can, they absolutely assist any puppies or any families looking for dogs who cannot be homed through normal means, or, when they are homed cannot live in a family home and have to be rehomed because the family cannot look after them. One of the things that I found very interesting when I was researching my Bill on this previously was when I spoke to behaviouralists and vets. When a dog with behavioural issues comes in to them, they can identify exactly which puppy farm that animal has come from because it is either genetic issues or issues with the environment. The environment that they were born into actually causes behavioural issues that stay with that pup, sometimes for their lifetime.

I brought this Bill forward in December 2025. I agreed and was very happy to agree to work with the Minister of State, Deputy Grealish, on it. We have a timed amendment on it. A commitment was made that we would work closely on the Bill to see if we could actually come up with something through consultation and engagement, something that will help protect and regulate puppy farms in order that we have much greater confidence in them. I want to see a cap on the number of dogs that can be on site and the conditions in which they are held. Could the Minister give me an update on any progress on that? I have had one meeting with the Minister of State but unfortunately there was no progress at that point. Could he provide me with an update with the progress that has been made, perhaps in relation to the stakeholder group, the public consultation and where he sees this legislation going forward?

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Deputy Martin Heydon)

I thank Deputy Whitmore for raising this important matter. I thank her for facilitating it being moved to today so that I could take it myself, which I wanted to do. I also thank the Minister of State, Deputy Grealish, for having taken the Bill in my absence the last time it was discussed. Animal welfare in general comes under the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine but, as the Deputy will be aware, it was a key commitment in the programme for Government to have a joined-up approach to dog control issues, something I fought for and advocated for during the negotiations on the programme for Government. This was to ensure that we would have that joined-up approach to dog control issues, legislative and policy responsibility for the Control of Dogs Act and the Dog Breeding Establishments Act and have that transferred from the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht to my Department. That happened on 1 June 2025 and 1 August 2025, respectively.

Regarding dog welfare, the dog control stakeholder group was established in 2024 with a remit to consider policy and legislative matters, specifically the dog control Acts and the Dog Breeding Establishments Act and consider any need for legislative change. Three sub-groups of a stakeholder group were established to focus on specific areas relating to dog control and welfare. I expect a report to be submitted to me from that group very shortly. In the interim, I have been working on reviewing all of the legislative enforcement and engagement issues relating to the control of dogs. I intend to bring forward specific legislation in relation to dog breeding establishments very shortly, which will then go through the full rigours of the legislative process here, as committed to.

The Dog Breeding Establishments Act, as it exists, provides a robust regulatory framework for the licensing, monitoring and inspection of dog breeding establishments by local authorities, where a serious and immediate threat exists to public health or animal health and welfare for the closure of such establishments. Dog breeding establishments guidelines were establishment under section 15(4) of the Dog Breeding Establishments Act 2010 following a public consultation process in 2018. It came into effect on 1 January 2019. These guidelines aim to provide for welfare of dogs and pups, provide clarity on socialisation of pups, and accurate record-keeping. It stipulates staff to animal ratios and allows for unannounced inspections by local veterinary services and beyond. The guidelines are published and are available on my Department's website. It is important to note that dog breeding establishments must comply with the relevant health and safety legislation. Dog breeding establishments must also comply with relevant animal welfare legislation such as the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013.

Under the Dog Breeding Establishments Act 2010 local authorities are required to maintain and publish lists of dog breeding establishments and my Department collates this information to form a national dog breeding establishment register.

However, as the Deputy outlined today and previously, the practices that are happening at present in this space are unsatisfactory. I share the Deputy's determination to bring about a change here. It was why in the negotiations for the programme for Government I wanted whoever was Minister in this position now to have the ability to bring those together and I am delighted I have the opportunity to do that and to work with colleagues in the House, including Deputy Whitmore.

I was a member of the joint Oireachtas committee on agriculture from 2011 to 2016 when the then Minister, Simon Coveney, brought in a consolidated animal welfare Act. However, we always have to strive to do better and keep a very close eye on what the practices of the day are. Deputy Whitmore has outlined some really concerning practices that are of grave concern to me.

The stakeholder group has done a huge body of work. I hope we can get its report very soon because I do not want to act in advance of that but I am really keen to move here. I agreed to the timed amendment to Deputy Whitmore's Bill on the basis that there were a few elements of it I wanted to work through on my side but I believe we are both trying to achieve the same thing. There are some constraints I would be happy to discuss with the Deputy in the House and on Committee Stage as well as we work through what is possible legislatively and legally and what is not. I have a clear determination in this space. I hope to bring forward legislation very soon this year and to be able to work through that legislative process on reform.

Deputy Jennifer Whitmore

I thank the Minister. I appreciate his answer and clearly this is something he wants to drive strongly forward, so I look forward to working with him on it. It is a really important piece of work and I have always wondered why there was never any previous moves to strengthen it. It is good to hear the Minister is taking that seriously and I look forward to hopefully seeing the results and report from the stakeholder group because it is important it is taken into account in the legislation. We will wait for that process to follow.

I want to use my last minute to raise another animal welfare issue that I am finding quite disturbing at the moment. That is the number of instances of sulky racing and the impact on the horses involved in that activity. I have been sent and have seen some absolutely horrific videos of horses. One was on the N7 recently where there were five or six cars directly behind two horses that were being forced to race and the cars were flashing their lights and sounding their horns. Those horses must have been absolutely terrified to be chased in that manner on a motorway.

For the life of me, I cannot understand it. This is not the first instance; it quite frequent. There was the instance of that poor pregnant horse, Anne, that died recently following a sulky race. I just do not understand why there has not been a tightening up on these races. They have been prohibited since 1993 but we see them so often. There are certain animal welfare issues we have to stop completely. We cannot have instances where horses a being treated so inhumanely on our streets in broad daylight. There does not seem to be any stopping it. Can the Minister give me some update on what his Department is doing and what consultation he has had with An Garda Síochána on this issue?

Deputy Martin Heydon

In trying to prepare for this debate, I was not sure which element of horse welfare and dog welfare the Deputy would raise. I will amend what I will say on the basis of the targeted nature of her question. We have done a lot in the area of equine control and supporting equine charities and animal welfare charities in general in terms of the work I do in my Department as well as on supporting the different elements. We have a number of urban horse projects and so on and they are really positive. From 2015 to date, we have spent about €2.1 million on urban horse projects, and €170,000 was allocated for these projects in 2026. My Department would welcome submissions from local authorities on other projects.

The Deputy specifically mentioned sulky racing, which I have huge concern about. It is important to say that responsibility for animal welfare rests with the owner of the animal and the person whose care the animal is in. Sulky racing on roads comes under the Department of Transport and, as the Deputy said, the Garda Síochána as well. My Department does work in the area of enforcement. We have the legislation around harness racing on roads. We have to be able to identify the organiser and that is difficult to do in many instances. It is the organiser who is liable in that regard. I am having engagement with my colleague, the Minister for Transport, while also looking at it from the justice side as well because I am deeply uncomfortable with the images we have seen on our motorways, which are completely unacceptable. It is lawlessness. It is not appropriate behaviour. From an animal welfare perspective, it is absolutely terrible. It is also a road safety issue on many fronts. It is something that is not acceptable to me and something I hope, through working with colleagues in government, we can have further action on.

Cuireadh an Dáil ar athló ar 7.06 p.m. go dtí 2 p.m., Dé Máirt, an 12 Bealtaine 2026.

The Dáil adjourned at 7.06 p.m. until 2 p.m. on Tuesday, 12 May 2026.

Dáil Éireann díospóireacht - Thursday, 7 May 2026