I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donnell.
Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters
Local Authorities
I am here to talk about increasing funding and resources for local authorities to take housing estates in charge. I want to highlight a case in my town, Millstreet, namely, Tanyard Wood. It is the largest housing estate in County Cork that has not been taken in charge. In 2007, the council lodged an appeal to take charge of the estate because the developer went bust. It has been almost ten years and nobody has taken charge of the estate. Tanyard Wood sits in no man's land at the moment. If a child or elderly person falls on the estate-----
The Senator referred to 2007 onwards. Perhaps she could go through that again slowly.
By 2007, the developer had gone bust and therefore, Cork County Council submitted an appeal to take charge of the estate. It has been almost ten years and it still has not taken charge of the estate. It sits in no man's land. The estate has not been maintained. No proper maintenance at all is happening. It is up to a residents' association to do that work, which is ad hoc because it is not solidified. I have been in the estate. The footpaths are broken, overgrowth is everywhere, there are potholes and there is no adequate signage to state that children are playing. It is a large estate with families. People bought houses and there are also some social houses in the area.
This is not the fault of Cork County Council because I have worked with it and it has been forthcoming about the situation. The problem is that it does not have funding. This is not just happening in my area; it is also happening in other places where estates are not being taken in charge and, therefore, residents do not know who to call if something happens. They are left alone. Tanyard Wood is unique because nobody has taken charge of the estate for ten years. As I said, local authorities are doing their best, but the reality is they do not have the funding, staffing or resources to progress these estates. We are asking councils to do snag lists and surveys. Uisce Éireann will take charge of part of the works, but in the interim between now and when the council takes charge, who will take care of the maintenance? What happens if somebody falls? Who will take care of that?
The residents are not asking for much. People bought their houses and expect to live in a place where the bare minimum has been done. We need clear timelines. Interim measures are required to ensure residents are not left feeling unsafe or conditions are allowed to deteriorate while progress drags on. People bought homes in the area in good faith. They did not sign up to live in an estate with broken infrastructure, unclear lines of responsibility and ongoing safety risks. The ask today is simple. I ask the Minister of State to outline the additional funding and supports that will be provided to local authorities like Cork County Council to accelerate the taking in charge process. What measures can be put in place to ensure that estates like Tanyard Wood are not left waiting years for a resolution?
At the heart of this are families, communities and people who want to live well and have nice homes and a nice area. That is not too much to ask. They have waited almost ten years at this point. It is reaching a point where the estate is becoming dangerous. Something has to be done about it.
I thank Senator Ryan for giving me the opportunity to update the House on the taking in charge of housing estates. I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy James Browne.
It is important at the outset that I point out that under section 30 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, the Minister with responsibility for planning is precluded from exercising any power or control in regard to any particular case with which a planning authority or the board is or may be concerned. The legislative process for the taking in charge of housing estates by local authorities is set out in section 180 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, which applies to residential developments consisting of two or more dwellings that have been granted planning permission under section 34 of the Act.
There is no automatic requirement for local authorities to take over unfinished housing estates after a certain period. Under section 180(1) of the Act, the planning authority is obliged to initiate the taking in charge process where requested by either the developer or the majority of owners of the dwellings in the estate in question. However, this is subject to the development being completed to the satisfaction of the authority and in accordance with the permission and any conditions attached thereto.
Where developments have not been completed to the satisfaction of the planning authority, and where enforcement proceedings in this connection have not been commenced by the planning authority within four years of the expiry of the planning permission relating to a development, section 180 (2)(a) of the Act provides that the planning authority shall, where requested by the majority of owners of the houses involved, initiate the taking in charge procedures under section 11 of the Roads Act 1993, as amended. Where this particular approach is being progressed, the authority may apply the security or development bond provided as part of the planning application for the purposes of ensuring the satisfactory completion of the development. Where the calling in of the development bond is not possible or sufficient, section 180(2A) of the Act provides that the initiation of the taking in charge procedures under section 11 of the Roads Act shall not preclude the planning authority concerned from pursuing a developer for any costs incurred by the authority in respect of necessary works undertaken on a development to enable it to be taken in charge by that authority.
I am not familiar with the particular estate the Senator referenced and I am not certain how many of these measures apply to it. To conclude the taking in charge process where the development has been deemed to have been satisfactorily completed, a local authority is required to make a declaration under section 11 of the Roads Act following a proposal by the executive. The making of such a declaration, which effectively confirms that the authority is prepared to take over responsibility for the ongoing maintenance of the public works elements of the estate, is a reserved function of the elected members of a local authority. While there is no dedicated scheme in place for the taking in charge of housing estates, local authorities may make provision for taking in charge as part of their annual budgetary process.
The Senator might outline the process for the taking in charge in her follow-up question. Is the council looking to take the estate in charge? Was that based on a plebiscite of the majority of house owners in the estate? Was it based on the council taking enforcement proceedings against the developer? Was there a development bond in place at the time and, if so, was it pursued?
I thank the Minister of State. I understand he is taking the Commencement matter on behalf of the Minister for housing and it is not his remit, but none of that response answers any part of the question I asked. The developer went into liquidation so the council had to step in. That was it. It is cut and dried. Clearly, the officials are currently in no man's land. Reaming off these Acts and so on does not make a difference to the people in Tanyard Wood. In reality, it does not. Neither the Minister of State nor I would want to live on an estate where no one is responsible for anything. It is just not feasible. What happened is that the developer went into liquidation so someone had to step in and Cork County Council did, but it is taking a long time and the funding is one of the core issues officials have. The Minister of State said: "While there is no dedicated scheme in place for the taking in charge of housing estates, local authorities may make provision for taking in charge as part of their annual budgetary process." Maybe there should be a scheme and perhaps the housing Minister could look at that because clearly Tanyard Wood is not an isolated case. There are other estates with the same issue.
I thank the Senator again for raising this matter, which, as I said earlier, I am taking on behalf of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage. The decision to take any estate or estates in charge is ultimately one for the elected members of the local authority who, by way of a declaration made under the Roads Act, will make such a decision. In addition, financial decision-making and the accountability of local authorities is a matter for the elected members of a local authority who have direct responsibility in law for all reserved functions of the authority, which include the adoption of the annual budget of the local authority. In this regard, section 103 of the Local Government Act 2001, as amended, provides for the local authority budgetary process. It is a matter for each local authority to determine its spending priorities in the context of an annual budgetary process having regard to locally identified needs and the funding resources available to it. This includes the taking in charge of housing estates. I note the points the Senator raised.
Inland Fisheries
I welcome the Minister of State to the House and thank him for being here for this Commencement matter, which calls on the Minister with responsibility for nature, heritage and biodiversity to carry out a breeding cormorant survey on the Moy catchment area, including Lough Conn and Lough Cullin, to assess their impact on the decline of salmon in the River Moy. This comes with the backdrop of a decrease in the number of salmon being caught on the River Moy, which is the jewel in the crown and is recognised internationally for the abundance of salmon in it, its special ecological status and the biodiversity along it. Unfortunately, in recent years, for a multitude of different reasons, there has been a marked decline in the number of salmon being caught. The area relies heavily on tourism and benefits a lot from it. There is a real tradition and generational enjoyment of fishing on the river in a sensitive way.
There has been a decline. I have raised in the House and at the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy the need and potential for a LIFE project along the River Moy, which could help to identify positive, ecologically sensitive interventions that could be made to protect the spawning salmon and the sea trout that are further out in the estuary. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to improve the stock.
I am raising this Commencement matter on behalf of the Moy Action Group who I met recently. One of the approaches is to use more accurate fish counters so we have better data to understand how many fish are moving through the river at each moment in time. This Commencement matter, however, deals specifically with carrying out a survey of the breeding cormorant. One was carried out in Galway, where smolt shepherding allows for better protection of smolts as they move through the river. It helped to increase the number of salmon by one third. There was a marked improvement because of smolt shepherding on that river. It was a much easier area in which to do it than the River Moy. I would welcome the commencement of a breeding cormorant survey on the River Moy to understand what can be done to improve outcomes for salmon on the river. This is one small element of a much broader picture of challenges that salmon fishing on the River Moy, which is in decline, faces. I would welcome the Minister of State's contribution on the matter.
I thank the Senator for raising this matter on carrying out a breeding cormorant survey of the Moy catchment in County Mayo, to inform an assessment of their impact on the reported decline of salmon in the river. I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage.
The National Parks and Wildlife Service, NPWS, is an executive agency of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, which provides the legislative and policy framework for the conservation of nature and biodiversity in Ireland. It also oversees its implementation, based on good science, with particular emphasis on the protection of habitats and species through, among other means, the designation and conservation of sites under EU nature directives and national legislation. While the NPWS of the Department has a policy and regulatory role in relation to bird species, including cormorants, policy and regulation in the management of inland fisheries is the responsibility of Inland Fisheries Ireland, IFI, an agency of the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment. This function includes the protection, management, conservation and improvement of inland fisheries, and the provision of scientific research and management advice to the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment, including in respect of threats to and pressures on species under its remit, including Atlantic salmon.
The surveying and monitoring of species and habitats form an important component of the work of the NPWS. Staff in the NPWS co-ordinate a national seabird monitoring programme that produces population estimates and other demographic statistics at various geographic scales in order to meet reporting obligations. It also provides relevant data to inform the conservation management of seabirds breeding and wintering throughout Ireland. The latest assessment of Ireland's breeding cormorant population across the period 2015 to 2021 indicates a broadly stable picture since the mid-1980s. A closer examination of the recent records for counties Mayo and Sligo shows that all of the known important cormorant colonies of these counties are sites along the marine coastline away from the River Moy catchment. Further surveys and monitoring initiatives for Ireland’s breeding seabirds are planned for the coming years with a view to producing an updated national assessment for cormorants and all other breeding seabirds by 2031.
It is worth noting the NPWS funds and manages the Irish Wetland Bird Survey, I-WeBS, which is Ireland's programme for monitoring population trends of wintering waterbirds and the habitats they use. Sections of the River Moy catchment, including Lough Conn and Lough Cullin, are regularly surveyed for cormorants and other wintering waterbirds. The aforementioned survey programmes collect valuable data to inform the conservation management of bird species. This data has other utilities for other stakeholders whose focus is on the conservation of fish species including salmonids. All data collated by the NPWS is available to be shared with Inland Fisheries Ireland, IFI, upon request, and can inform policy and regulatory approaches by IFI and the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment in relation to salmonids.
I thank the Minister of State. He is here on behalf of the Department and the Minister and I thank him for taking the Commencement matter. However, I am none the wiser in terms of the issue I raised. The latest assessment of Ireland's breeding cormorant population indicates a broadly stable picture since the mid-1980s. However, the context in which I am raising this is the rapid and significant decline of the salmon population on the River Moy. That is clearly outlined in the Commencement matter. It has been outlined here that further surveys and monitoring will be done in the coming years. That is quite vague in terms of when, what, where and how. I would welcome the Minister of State's support in getting us a more considered reply from the Department. We cannot farm off all responsibility when these are State bodies. There is a clear ask here as a public representative on the floor of the Seanad this morning for this survey. This is on behalf of people in my community who are working constructively and proactively to better understand and better react and respond to the decline of the salmon population. They deserve a better and more considered answer on this. I would welcome the Minister of State's support in achieving that because, as I said, a lot more can be addressed and answered in respect of the important Commencement matter I have raised this morning.
I note Senator Duffy's point. I will make a couple of points. While the NPWS of the Department has a role in the protection and conservation of bird species, including the cormorant, policy related to the management of inland fisheries is the responsibility of Inland Fisheries Ireland. I have a note from the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment which reads:
While salmon stocks have been in long decline both in Ireland and internationally, the technical expect group on salmon reports that the number of wild salmon returning to Ireland has progressively declined from well over one million for much of the 1970s to less than 200,000 in recent years. In light of declining numbers the Minister of State for the Marine, Deputy Timmy Dooley, has written to IFI asking it to review the existing approach to salmon management to consider what options are available for protecting and recovering stock. This work, backed by scientific advice, will inform future policies in this area.
Cormorants can impact salmon, particularly during the salmon smolt migration period in spring. This can have an impact on some rivers. Cormorants are not considered the primary driver of the overall decline in salmon stocks. IFI undertook a national stressor analysis in 2025 of key pressures affecting wild Atlantic salmon stocks. The analysis was published on the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organization, NASCO, website and includes a range of factors including predators. Poor water quality, habitat degradation and salmon aquaculture were identified as three priority stressors that should be mitigated to improve conservation of the Irish Atlantic salmon.
I will bring the points made by the Senator back to the Minister, Deputy Browne. I suggest that he could follow up with the Minister of State, Deputy Dooley, on the specific aspect he raised on the work of Inland Fisheries Ireland and whether that can feed into that review.
It may be of use for the Senators to note that the Joint Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy will be dealing with the issue of the salmon on the River Moy and salmon conservation more widely at a session in April. I thank the Minister of State.
Mother and Baby Homes
Some 19,000 women and children passed through Bessborough in Cork when it operated as a mother and baby home. It only closed in 1998. This is part of our very recent history in Ireland. It is part of our past, it is part of our present and it is certainly part of our future as a country. About 10% of the women who were sent there were from County Kerry, where the Minister responsible for children, Deputy Foley, resides. This affected women all across Munster, including Cork and all throughout Ireland.
I commend those who protested yesterday at the gates of Leinster House. The protest was organised by Councillor Noelle Brown who is a survivor. It was just incredible to hear the courageous women speaking about their experiences and how they are affected by the trauma of what they experienced as a result of these institutions. Women were sent there through no choice of their own. The State, religious institutions and society as a whole colluded against these women and pretended that shame was justice. 923 babies died at Bessborough, of whom 859 are unaccounted for. There are just 64 with records. Marasmus was frequently cited as a cause of death. Marasmus was severe malnutrition.
Ireland now risks taking part in a further wrong to cover over our national shame by bulldozing over the memories of those women and entombing this resting place of babies with concrete, covering the area with apartments. The planning permission to grant 140 private apartments on this site by Cork City Council is wrong. The commission of investigation found it highly likely that juvenile remains would be on this site. No radar penetration survey was done on this site. The full archive was not published. The State has current responsibility for providing justice for survivors. The State cannot discharge its responsibility for what happened in Bessborough and other sites like this throughout this country. That is why a Labour Party councillor, Peter Horgan, my colleague in Cork, has lodged an appeal this week in relation to this planning, along with Carmel Cantwell who is a campaigner with survivors.
There are 70 conditions attached to the current planning permission. Some of them state that the building and the diggers will have to stop if they find juvenile remains and that an archaeologist should be on site. However, I believe that this is an admission that it is highly likely that there are remains there. Why is the State not conducting this survey and excavation itself? Why is it allowing private developers to do this? It is a kick in the teeth and shows the utmost disrespect to the survivors and those who suffered at Bessborough.
I believe it should be a memorial and education centre where schools can go and children can learn about our history. It should not be sold off. Only 60 acres of the site are left. Much of the land is already gone. Do those babies who died there matter? Are some children more valuable than others? I have to ask these questions. What is being done to protect sites such as Bessborough? What has been done to date by the State in regard to this matter?
I am responding on behalf of the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality. I thank the Senator for raising this very sensitive and important issue. It offers the Minister, Deputy Foley, a chance to respond.
I am very conscious of the hurt felt by survivors and family members of people who died in institutions. The commission of investigation into mother and baby homes was established in 2015, as the Senator knows, to investigate issues associated with mother and baby institutions, including deaths and burial arrangements. Its findings in relation to each institution are set out in its reports. The commission confirmed the presence of juvenile remains, buried in a manifestly inappropriate manner, at the site of the former mother and baby institution in Tuam.
In 2022, the Government directed the establishment of the Office of the Director of Authorised Intervention, Tuam to manage and oversee the excavation, recovery, analysis, identification, if possible, and reburial of the children’s remains at the site. The intervention is being carried out under the provisions of the Institutional Burials Act 2022, which provides for the appointment of a director where the Government is satisfied that burials have taken place and where there is evidence that those burials are manifestly inappropriate. The Tuam director was appointed in 2023. Preliminary groundworks were completed at the site at the end of 2024 and the excavation commenced in July 2025. Since starting the excavation, the director has published five technical updates. These are all available on his office’s website at www.odait.ie.
Turning to Bessborough, one of the tragic aspects of the commission’s findings in relation to the former institution is that there is uncertainty regarding the burial place of many children who were resident there. The commission carried out cartographic and landscape assessments of possible unrecorded burial arrangements in Bessborough. It also carried out a site survey and followed up with people in response to its appeal seeking information about burials, but it was unable to find any evidence of burials of the children who died at Bessborough in the grounds. As no evidence of burial locations was found, the commission did not consider it feasible to excavate the full available site, which amounts to 60 acres, or indeed the former 200-acre estate, parts of which have now been built on. While I understand that there have been calls for further investigations, it is important to note that there are differing views among survivor groups about how the site should now be treated.
The Government’s response to the legacy of mother and baby institutions is set out in the action plan for survivors and former residents of mother and baby and county home institutions. On foot of the action plan, the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage wrote to local authorities, including Cork City Council, requesting that development plan processes give adequate consideration to incorporating appropriate measures to ensure the protection of unrecorded burial sites associated with an institution.
Before I ask the Senator to respond, I welcome our colleague Senator Alison Comyn and her guest, Ms Kirsty King from Downpatrick, a journalist, to the Public Gallery. Ms King is very welcome and I hope she enjoys her day. She is in good hands there. I call Senator Harmon.
I thank the Minister of State for her response. In 2021, the then, and current, Taoiseach, Micheál Martin, when he was giving a State apology, said, “It is the duty of a republic to be willing to hold itself to account". He also said that we need to confront the truth and uncomfortable parts of our history. I wonder if those words were empty, because I believe much more action is needed to provide justice for survivors.
Survivors need to be absolutely central to any decisions made regarding that site and what will happen with it. Their views need to be taken on board. While surveys were conducted, no radar penetration surveys were conducted on that site. It is very remiss that we would allow private developers onto that site with the potential of juvenile human remains on it. It is the utmost disrespect. If there was a headline in the paper this morning saying 859 babies were missing, there would be a national campaign to find them. I believe the State has not done enough and has abdicated its responsibility by not stepping in. Can the State step in regarding this matter and is it willing to do so?
I thank the Senator for raising not just an important issue but a sensitive one, as I said. The investigation of burial arrangements in mother and baby institutions, including at Bessborough, was an important part of the work of the commission of investigation into mother and baby homes. The response outlined its findings in relation to former institutions at Tuam and Bessborough.
Time will not allow me to outline the investigations of burial arrangements at other institutions, but to come back to what the Senator spoke about, I am aware that planning permission has recently been granted to a development at the Bessborough site. Obviously, planning decisions are a matter for the relevant planning authorities. However, I note that in this instance Cork City Council has attached a number of conditions. I think they are important conditions. These include requirements to have a forensic archaeological monitoring strategy and a forensic archaeologist in place to monitor excavation at the site. It is also specified that if human remains are located, all work on the site should cease and the relevant authorities should be informed.
The Government’s action plan contains clear commitments in relation to dignified local memorialisation of known or agreed burial sites. I have more to say here, but I recognise that my time has run out. I am not sure how to word this because it is such a sensitive and difficult issue, but I will personally ensure that the Senator’s concerns are brought to the Minister in question. I thank the Senator.
Childcare Services
I welcome the Minister of State to the Chamber and thank her for being here. I acknowledge the good work and intervention by the Minister, Deputy Foley, last week in relation to an issue in Tipperary with St. Bernard's therapeutic fostering support service, which provides foster care support across counties Tipperary, Kilkenny and Carlow. Tusla, because of the Minister's intervention, has agreed to continue that service for 2026.
This is a service that is critical and extremely important in the area. While the decision to retain St. Bernard's therapeutic fostering support service for 2026 is very welcome, the underlying issues have not gone away.
I met Róisín Stewart and Andrew Kennedy in St. Bernard's this week and Tusla has informed them it is its intention to move towards a standardised model from 2027. Tusla staff will engage with St. Bernard's to learn its approach and attempt to replicate it elsewhere but a therapeutic service built on relationships, trust and independence cannot simply be replicated through observation. The model used by St. Bernard’s is unique in that it prioritises continuity of care. Children and foster carers are supported by professionals who know them well, understand their history and have built trust over many years. In some cases, these relationships has been in place for over a decade.
Tusla’s own standards emphasise stability and relationship-based care. The concern is that moving to a more standardised model risks replacing that continuity with a more transactional service where families engage with whoever is available rather than someone they trust. For children who have already experienced instability, losing that consistent therapeutic relationship is not a small change but a significant disruption. The high staff retention within St. Bernard’s is not incidental; it is what allows those relationships to develop over time. That level of continuity is extremely difficult to replicate in large centralised systems with higher staff turnover.
Tusla’s own foster care standards emphasise the need to support carers and maintain stability for children. The question here is whether an internal, standardised model can genuinely provide the same level of support and trust because for many of these children St. Bernard’s is not just a service but their person, their safe place, their constant. Removing that is not a neutral change. If a service is contributing to placement stability removing it without clear evidence of an equal replacement risks undermining one of Tusla’s core objectives. In addition, moving the service to north Cork raises access issues. For someone in my hometown of Clonmel who perhaps gets a bus to St. Bernard’s in Fethard, access will become a significant challenge. The service is working and is trusted. It is retaining placements. Removing it is incredibly risky and not a decision Tusla should take without offering a very clearly superior service in its place.
There are so many who have gone through the service. One child, who I will not name, wrote to me asking me to read out his experience of the service. It will only take 20 seconds or so. He said he came into foster care when he was six days old and was finally adopted in September 2021. The adoption process took four years and nine months. At the start of his adoption his parents did the therapeutic fostering service course and he said he is so lucky he got Samantha O’Doherty as his therapeutic support worker from St. Bernard’s. She was amazing. At the time he had a social worker who did not listen to him or have his best interests at heart. Samantha was the only person at the time who was working with him who cared about what he had to say and what he wanted. She was one of the only professionals he had over the years who cared for him and fully trusted him. Every Monday after school she would come to his house to make stuff with him and to talk with him. He says she helped him so much through a space and time in his life when he was old enough to know what he wanted but not old enough to go and speak to a judge about it. Samantha also came to the Adoption Authority of Ireland with him. He thinks this service from St. Bernard’s helped him a lot and he would not want it to close because just that one worker helped him so much throughout his time in care, so imagine what 15 per county would do.
That is a young guy who is 16 and has been going through the St. Bernard’s service, as his carers have been, for a decade. It is one example of many I am aware of that show this service is so vital for the area.
I thank the Senator. Once again I am taking this on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Foley. I acknowledge the interest of Members in matters concerning foster carers. In particular, the Minister would like to thank Senator Ahearn for raising the important issue of supports for foster carers in the south Tipperary area. As he will know, the Minister is a strong supporter of foster carers and the valuable work they do in our society. She would like to take this opportunity to recognise and acknowledge this work and to convey her appreciation to all foster carers. At the end of December 2025, some 5,058 children were being cared for by foster parents in Ireland. This figure equated to approximately 86% of all children in care. This figure compares favourably with our European neighbours and we should be justly proud of that. It is foster carers who have made this achievement possible. The Government, for its part, has supported foster carers through strong investment, including the provision of a foster care allowance, to ensure foster carers are not financially burdened in caring for the vulnerable children they welcome into their homes.
The Minister is acutely aware of the invaluable role services such a St. Bernard’s play in the lives of foster parents and the children they care for. I fully understand that is the issue the Senator is raising as well as the unique and valuable service St. Bernard's is. I listened carefully to what he had to say. As such, it is a priority of the Minister that the suite of supports available to foster carers is expanded to ensure foster carers throughout the country are well supported.
In respect of St. Bernard’s Children’s Services in Tipperary, the Minister is aware that at a recent meeting with foster carers affected by this situation, Tusla listened carefully to their opinions and concerns. Tusla has advised that through this engagement, foster carers made clear how strongly they felt about the service and its importance in supporting both them and the children in their care. The Minister can advise that Tusla subsequently took the decision to roll back on its original decision, thereby recognising that there had not been an appropriate level of consultation and engagement with foster carers prior to the initial decision to cease the service. I do not know about the Senator, but to me that is a strong enough statement. I understand that the agency has written to the affected foster carers on the matter and apologised for the concern and worry this has caused them. Furthermore, the Minister is glad to inform the House that Tusla has taken the decision to maintain service provision with St. Bernard’s for 2026 with no disruption to current supports, which I am sure the Senator will agree is a most welcome decision. I further understand that Tusla will engage with foster carers throughout 2026 in the co-design, which is an important word, of supports to be provided going forward into 2027. Tusla staff have communicated this to the affected foster carers and will meet them in person in the coming weeks.
Both Tusla and the Department are committed to supporting foster carers and to providing them with the supports they need to look after the children and young people in their care.
I thank the Minister of State very much for her response. As she said, it needs to be acknowledged, through the Minister's intervention. The work the Irish Foster Care Association has done and the support it has given me over the past week on this issue played its part in Tusla rolling back on that decision of ending the service with St. Bernard's. It is hugely welcome that has been done, as was the acknowledgement from Tusla that not enough consultation had happened. However, we do not want to be in this situation this time next year when Tusla decides again that it is going to end the services. It has talked about having a co-designed model and the Minister of State said that is an important word but that is not an easy thing for Tusla to do because the strength of this service is it supports both the child and the foster family together and that holistic approach is not easily replicated in a standardised model. The concern is whether replacing a specialised, relationship-based service with a standardised model can genuinely meet those principles in practice. One of Tusla's core emphases is that if services are removed services of equal or better standard are provided somewhere else. From my knowledge of the foster service provided, no service in the country provides the type of personal support that St. Bernard's does to foster carers and the children in the area.
If Tusla is setting up a standardised model across the country, it is very difficult to provide exactly that co-designed service that is provided at St. Bernard's. I acknowledge and appreciate that the proposal is being rolled back and the service will continue, but I am not convinced that the specialised service provided at St. Bernard's can be provided by Tusla in a standardised model. That is a discussion that needs to be had throughout the year with Tusla.
I thank the Senator. It is not in my notes but I agree with the final statement made by the Senator, which is an important one. Aside from that, I thank the Senator for raising this important issue. I hope I have clearly addressed the issue at hand and the Minister has provided sufficient assurances regarding the ongoing support of Tusla to St. Bernard's children's services. Once again, the Minister wants to put on record that Tusla has confirmed that services at St. Bernard's will continue in 2026 and 2027.
I reiterate the Minister's support for foster carers and acknowledge their value to society as a whole. As Senators will know, over a number of recent budgets there has been ongoing significant investment in foster care such as the increase in the foster care allowance, the introduction of the additional placement payment, the funding of the peer support model and the extension of the back-to-school clothing and footwear allowance to foster carers.
I repeat that I will personally make it my business to bring the specific issue raised by the Senator to the attention of the Minister, Deputy Foley.
Road Projects
I welcome the Minister of State. My Commencement matter calls on the Minister for Transport to make a statement on the provision of additional funding for proposed road improvement works on the national N69 route from Bolton's Cross to the Tim Kennelly roundabout in Listowel, County Kerry. I am demand again that urgent attention be given to the N69 into Listowel. This is not a minor issue. It is a key artery into Listowel and north Kerry. Thousands of people rely on this road every day for work, school, business, tourism and essential travel. Despite years of repeated calls, the road remains in an appalling and deteriorating state. It is an embarrassment to Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, and Kerry County Council.
We have called for funding for this road for over seven years. There have been seven years of letters, questions, representations and deputations to Kerry County Council, but nothing has been done. The people I represent are being let down by a system that continues to ignore a road that is critical to the safety, connectivity and economic life of the county. In the most recent TII funding round, Kerry County Council received no allocation for the N69 even though it had confirmed that the road was ranked third on its priority list. Let me make it very clear that the funding we are asking for, which we were told ten days ago is €300,000, is just 1% of the €33 million allocated to Kerry County Council for national routes. Despite the modesty of this request, the road was still overlooked. The people deserve a clear and honest answer to the following question: why has a critical road, which is near the top of the priority list, been ignored in the funding process?
Last Thursday, TII and Kerry County Council had a meeting to discuss the matter. Perhaps they called it an emergency meeting. The communication barrier between the Department of Transport, TII and Kerry County Council is a total embarrassment to the people I represent. The condition of the N69 is deteriorating. If TII is not going to fund this road then should responsibility for it be removed from TII? I am unapologetically angry because I have raised this issue four times in this House yet the problem persists. The frustration felt in Listowel and across County Kerry is high. People await answers, actions and investment and they have waited far too long.
When the national funding of €33 million was announced, the five Deputies who represent Kerry jumped up and down in celebration for what they had brought to the county. Not one of them came to north Kerry to say that no money had been allocated to the N69. They totally misrepresented the area. I have shouted for this allocation. I ask the Minister of State to ask the Minister and his Department to make a full statement to explain why the N69 was not included in the funding round, to clarify the assessment process conducted by TII, and to outline the immediate action that will be taken to address this neglected and dangerous road. A request for €300,000 from a €33 million budget is not unreasonable. The current situation cannot continue. I call on the Minister for Transport to act decisively, to make a statement today and to ensure the N69 receives the immediate attention, investment and priority it needs for the benefit of the people of north Kerry and everyone who uses this route. The current situation is embarrassing. I want this to be the last day that I raise this matter in the Seanad.
I will deliver this response on behalf of the Minister for Transport. First, I thank the Senator for his question. I recognise that infrastructure investment to support road safety on the N69, as well as the quality of life of the people who rely on it, is important. The Minister for Transport has responsibility for overall policy and Exchequer funding in relation to the national roads programme. Once funding arrangements have been put in place with TII under the Roads Acts 1993 to 2015 and in line with the national development plan, NDP, the planning, design, improvement and upgrading of individual national roads is a matter for TIl, in conjunction with the local authorities concerned. TII ultimately delivers the national roads programme in line with Project Ireland 2040, the national planning framework and the NDP.
It is important to note that a number of major roads projects have been delivered under the current NDP, including the N5 Westport to Turlough and the N22 Baile Bhuirne to Macroom projects. In addition, a major priority in the NDP, in line with the Department's investment hierarchy, is to maintain the quality and safety of the existing national road network. This includes funding for minor improvement works, safety schemes such as junction upgrades, road realignment and pavement renewal, as well as measures to ensure the network can withstand the increased number of severe weather events. Approximately €659 million of Exchequer funds have been provided for national roads through TII to local authorities in 2026. This money will be used for the progression of new national roads projects, as listed in the NDP and the sectoral investment plan for transport. Furthermore, in recognition of the need to improve safety and ensure the major investment in our national road network that has taken place over recent decades is safeguarded, there has been an increased level of funding for protection and renewal works on the existing network in 2026. Of this, over €32 million was allocated to Kerry County Council. This represents an increase of almost €20 million when compared to 2025. To me, that allocation seems quite significant.
This year’s allocations include funding for a wide range of projects. This includes an allocation for road safety measures on the N69 at Tarbert, along with road improvements on the N70 Ring of Kerry road and the N86 between Dingle and Tralee. Funding has also been provided for pavement renewal works in the county. The roads network is surveyed annually for surface quality and structural strength to inform the allocations provided, and this is also the case for County Kerry. In addition, funding has been allocated for the construction of the N22 Killarney to Farranfore project. This project will improve connectivity between Cork and Kerry, thereby ensuring enhanced regional accessibility; will facilitate efficient access to international markets via Farranfore Airport; and will strengthen tourism in the area. There has been significant investment in the N69 in recent years.
Over €67 million in allocations has been invested in pavement, safety and the bypass of Listowel on the N69 since 2021. TII will continue to work closely with the Department of Transport and Kerry County Council to identify critical areas for intervention on the N69 as well as other national routes in Kerry.
I thank the Minister of State for taking the Commencement matter on behalf of the Minister for Transport. The reply refers to "TIl, in conjunction with the local authorities concerned" and states, "TII ultimately delivers the national roads programme" - absolutely. The Minister of State said the N69 was included in the funding that came down. One of the projects that was done was a school pedestrian crossing in Tarbert that had been mooted about six years ago. It was completed in 2025, and it was in this year's TII allocation. Therefore, to say that the N69 has future funding models is wrong. That is misleading. The N69 got no funding, from west Limerick into north Kerry. To say that the funding has been allocated is misleading; it is for maintenance. It is a €300,000 project on a 1.1 km stretch of road, and it has not been highlighted. Either the Department, TII or Kerry County Council has not got their sums right or no one is talking to each other. It has been prioritised at No. 3. TII is saying it has got the money off the Department and that that is its job done. TII went to Kerry County Council and, lo and behold, No. 3 on the priority list has not been included. I do not know if there has been a breakdown here. I ask that the Minister of State take it back to the Minister to investigate why this stretch of road has for some reason not been included in the maintenance budget for the funding that was drawn down. It is totally out of order, and it is totally disrespectful to the people. I was fighting for this stretch of road for seven years as a county councillor. Either someone does not want it or there is another issue. The Minister of State mentioned the €67 million. We got a bypass in Listowel. That has been going on for 20 years. The drums have been beaten on that as well. However, this section has been totally disrespected.
I thank the Senator. I hear his frustration, and I certainly will bring it to the Minister's attention. I would not like to mislead the Senator so, in that context, I will say what I said earlier. There has been significant investment in the N69 in recent years. Over €67 million in allocations has been invested in pavement, safety and, as the Senator said, the bypass of Listowel on the N69 since 2021. That is the statement I have here. I will bring to the attention of the Minister that the Senator has specific concerns here. It is important to say, however, that in 2026, approximately €32 million in capital Exchequer funding was allocated for the national road network in Kerry. This funds the protection and renewal of the existing roads network and includes new national road projects. Nevertheless, I will bring the Senator's concerns to the Minister.
Public Transport
I thank the Minister of State for being here to take this Commencement matter, which relates to the need for a dedicated town bus for Newbridge and its environs. I want to outline first why Newbridge, one of the fastest growing towns not just in County Kildare but, indeed, in the country, urgently requires a dedicated local bus service to serve those who live within the town and, of course, those who visit it for work, leisure or to shop. Newbridge is now a major regional centre. It is home to a large population of almost 30,000 people. There are significant employment zones in Newbridge. Again, it is a major retail destination. We have a very busy commuter rail station. Despite all of that, it remains one of the few towns of its size without an internal bus network linking neighbourhoods to people who really would avail of that every single day. The result is a really strong car dependency that genuinely is no longer sustainable for residents, businesses or the town's future development. Residents in areas such as Roseberry, Athgarvan Road, Greatconnell, Clongorey and the expanding northern and eastern estates have no reliable way to reach the train stations, schools, industrial estates or shopping centre without a car. I regularly speak to people who are living in Newbridge, but they are living 3 km to 4 km from the railway station. They have no choice but to have second car to be able to get there. There are barriers, therefore, when we do not have a bus for that really important connectivity we need for young people, older people, people with disabilities and anyone who simply cannot afford to have a car. It also places a lot of pressure on families who have to organise multiple daily car trips just to access essential services.
The absence of a bus also has wider consequences. Congestion in the town centre has become a daily challenge. With the news over the last few weeks that we are hoping to commence construction of the second bridge in 2027, that might ease slightly. However, the parking demand at the train station regularly exceeds capacity. Short car trips dominate the local traffic pattern and many of these journeys could be shifted to public transport if a dependable service existed. It is not just an inconvenience. It undermines the town's ability to grow sustainably and to meet national climate and transport targets.
A local bus service would not simply be a transport upgrade; it would be an investment in social inclusion, economic opportunity and sustainable growth for one of Ireland's most important regional towns. Two weeks ago, I attended the event with the National Transport Authority, NTA, in Buswells Hotel, taking the opportunity, obviously, to discuss progress and potential expansions we can make to improve the status of transport within Newbridge and connecting Newbridge to neighbouring villages and towns. I was told that, finally, the town bus for Newbridge is in planning stages and other important information. I want again to highlight this. I have been an active advocate for a dedicated town bus. I have no doubt the service would be used and used well. I really hope the Minister of State can today bring me some positive news on this.
Again, I am taking this on behalf of the Minister, Deputy O'Brien. I thank Senator O’Loughlin for the opportunity to give an update on the dedicated town bus service for Newbridge. As she said, this is an issue she has raised many times.
The Minister for Transport has responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport, but neither the Minister nor his officials are involved in the day-to-day operation of public transport services. The statutory responsibility for securing the provision of public passenger transport services nationally rests with the National Transport Authority. The NTA works with the public transport operators, which deliver the services and have responsibility for day-to-day operational matters.
That said, I assure the Senator the Government is strongly committed to providing all citizens with reliable and realistic sustainable mobility options, and public transport plays a key role in the delivery of this goal. To support this objective, in budget 2026, the Department of Transport secured €940 million in funding for public service obligation, PSO, and Transport for Ireland, TFI, Local Link services, which is an increase from €658 million in 2025. A quick scan of the figures tells me it is an increase of about 40%, so that is substantial.
This will further support subsidised bus and rail services across Ireland, while maintaining targeted fares, including initiatives such as the recently introduced free travel for all children up to the age of nine years, and the young adult card for those aged between 19 and 25 years, as part of the NTA's national fares strategy. The Department continues to engage with the NTA to ensure existing levels of service, resilience and driver shortages are considered and that planning and strategic decisions are informed by both operational and resource considerations.
A total of €31 million has been earmarked for continued investment in our rural transport service provision in 2026. This is a 38% increase on last year's funding. The funding ensures the continued delivery of vital transport services across rural Ireland, building on the significant increase in funding in recent years. In County Kildare and south County Dublin, funding for rural transport increased by 31% between 2024 and 2025, boosting passenger numbers by 42%. A great example of this continued investment can be seen in the enhancement of route 892 between Dunlavin and Newbridge, providing peak time and evening services as well as offering improved connectivity to regional bus and rail services in Kilcullen and Newbridge.
The NTA's town bus programme is a major initiative aimed at enhancing urban bus services, improving connectivity, reducing car dependency and promoting sustainability. Town bus services are frequent, reliable bus routes operating entirely within large towns and linking key destinations such as town centres, retail areas, schools, workplaces, and medical facilities. They also connect to longer distance bus, rail, and Local Link services, making towns more accessible and integrated with the national transport network. The NTA is in the early stages of planning for a further phase of new or improved town bus services under this programme. It is looking at potential new services in Naas, Newbridge, Tralee, Wexford and Tullamore. The timeline for these new services is dependent on planning, infrastructure development and operator procurement.
I welcome to the Public Gallery Darndale community training group. They are all very welcome and I hope they enjoy their visit to Leinster House. They are guests of Deputy McDonald.
I also welcome our guests and I hope they have an enjoyable and interesting day in Leinster House.
I thank the Minister of State for her response and I am absolutely clear that the Minister has responsibility for policy and funding, which I would argue are the most important parts, and that the NTA has to provide the service. To be fair, I thank the NTA for its regular updates and the opportunity to engage with it always. In any year it has a number of events in Buswells Hotel and Richard Kelly is the Oireachtas liaison person.
I absolutely welcome both free travel for all children up to the age of nine and the young adult card. The companion pass for anybody who has free transport must also be welcomed. The Minister of State mentioned the funding that has been allocated and the increase in Kildare and south County Dublin. The advances we have in terms of the increased capacity on the 126 route, the new 888 service, the 892 route and the plans to extend to Suncroft are incredibly welcome.
The Minister of State made the case very eloquently for a town bus and why any of us would need to have one. I am delighted for the 11 towns that have them, as they are needed, and I am delighted for the two towns that will have them. Those towns whose populations have increased in a large way, such as Newbridge, absolutely should be at the top of the list in terms of the new planning. The Minister of State mentioned the TFI Anseo app, which is being piloted. It is great but it heralds another problem. I mentioned the 888 route and there is a problem because there can be 3 km or 4 km between stops and it is very difficult for those who are not driving to be able to access it. We need proper bus stops, safe places to pull in and, may I add, smaller buses. Part of the problem is that too many Rural Link buses are too large and it is difficult for them to pull over safely. I thank the Minister of State for her response. I want her to bring the message back to the Minister that Newbridge needs to be prioritised at this time in the upcoming plans. I am sure he will then bring it to the NTA.
I reassure Senator O'Loughlin that the Minister is fully committed to delivering a more sustainable, inclusive and accessible transport system for the benefit of current and future generations. I heard her message, which was loud and clear, and I will make sure it is delivered to the Minister.
The Government recognises that transport connectivity is very important for people who live and work in Ireland, and it is key to bringing back life into our villages, towns and urban centres, such as Newbridge, which Senator O'Loughlin mentioned. In the programme for Government, Securing Ireland's Future, the Government has committed to continued investment in new town bus services. These services are designed to support how people live, work and travel locally, with frequent services, long operating hours and stronger links to the TFI network. There have been a number of roll-outs, including in my constituency, but I will not name them here today. In parallel with these roll-outs, and this is what Senator O'Loughlin wants to hear, the NTA is also planning for future phases of the town bus programme, which include Newbridge. As Senator O'Loughlin has asked me to do so, I will bring this to the attention of the Minister.
I welcome guests of Deputy Malcolm Byrne. They are very welcome to Seanad Éireann and I hope they enjoy their visit to Leinster House today.
Cuireadh an Seanad ar fionraí ar 10.47 a.m. agus cuireadh tús leis arís ar 11 a.m.
Sitting suspended at 10.47 a.m. and resumed at 11 a.m.