I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, to the House. The first Commencement matter is from Senator Cosgrove. Tá ceithre nóiméad aici.
Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters
Healthcare Policy
Gabhaim buíochas leis an gCathaoirleach agus cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. I will raise this today because it is very personal to myself. I have osteoarthritis in both my knees. It has been gradually getting worse.
I will give some figures about it. More than 577,800 people are living in Ireland with chronic joint pain and restricted movement as a result of osteoarthritis. People living with osteoarthritis experience a much poorer quality of life than those without. I have unfortunately learned this. I was late even coming over here and I was struggling to run. Irish people living with osteoarthritis are four times more likely to have three or more chronic conditions along with their arthritis. Due to the ageing population, we expect to see this number growing by between 20% and 30% by 2050. In my case, it is hereditary. Both my parents had osteoarthritis and I can see, first hand, how it reduces your ability to move. That is the whole point I am making today.
Historically, the medical response to osteoarthritis has been to rely on surgical interventions such as knee and hip replacements. Apart from the trauma that any surgery inflicts on patients, it is an expensive practice, costing the health service around €112 million per year. Recently, it was great to attend a policy briefing in the audiovisual room that outlined an alternative response to osteoarthritis and the benefits of moving to supervised group education and exercise as a first-line treatment for people experiencing knee and hip osteoarthritis. For example, in my case, when I was diagnosed as having it, I had to get an MRI to say I have osteoarthritis and there was no treatment plan besides just waiting for it to get worse. I have a wonderful GP but there was no referral to physio. There was no emphasis on alternative methods. It was basically, "You know what? You are going to have to wait until it gets worse and then you will get a knee replacement", or else look at injections.
It was wonderful to go to this programme, which is called the Good Life with osteoArthritis Denmark, GLA:D, programme. It was brought to Ireland with the help of grant aid from the Health Research Board. It is through the University of Limerick that the programme is administered in the Irish health system. The GLA:D programme has been embraced by professionals, with over 265 GLA:D-certified physiotherapists delivering twice weekly, eight-week programmes across 45 healthcare settings. It is being delivered in 16 counties in Ireland and over 1,000 patients have benefited from the approach, which treats the condition in a similar way to other chronic conditions, using education and lifestyle choices, such as exercise, to alleviate the symptoms and the impact of the condition. As I said, surgery should be the last resort and it should be avoided at all costs. Research, particularly in Denmark, states that several countries have shown that the implementation of a group education and exercise programme has resulted in a delaying or even total avoidance of surgery among some sufferers.
Osteoarthritis is as much a chronic condition as type 2 diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, COPD, asthma and cardiovascular illnesses such as heart disease. Each of these conditions is recognised under the chronic disease management programme, CDMP, and are treated, where possible, in the first instance through education and lifestyle and then with medication. The CDMP - I know the Minister of State knows this - entails six-month medical reviews, including consultation with a practice nurse, blood tests and follow-up GP visits. It would be enormously beneficial to those living with osteoarthritis to benefit from being included as part of the CDMP and that we would have a national strategy where, as soon as you get diagnosed or identify that you have osteoarthritis, a full treatment plan is put in place concentrating on lifestyle, education and physiotherapy, which is done in primary care settings.
Will the Minister of State look at including osteoarthritis in the CDMP with an update on treatment, and look at alternatives for the treatment of osteoarthritis?
I thank Senator Cosgrove for raising this matter, which I am taking on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Health, Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill.
It is something I am very familiar with because my husband has the exact same diagnosis. It is amazing how lived and living experience can come into a lot of the stuff we deal with every day. To look at the Senator, we would never in a million years think she is dealing with a condition that can be very debilitating at times, when the knees start rubbing off each other.
As provided for under the 2019 GMS GP agreement, the GP-led chronic disease management, CDM, programme was rolled out to adult medical card and GP visit card holders on a phased basis from 2020. The specified chronic conditions included in the programme under the 2019 agreement were type 2 diabetes, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and cardiovascular disease. The 2023 GMS GP agreement then expanded the CDM programme to include adult GMS patients with hypertension and all women diagnosed with gestational diabetes or pre-eclampsia.
Under the CDM treatment programme, eligible patients are supported in managing their chronic conditions. Each patient receives two scheduled reviews a year with the GP, each preceded by a practice nurse visit. These reviews include patient education, preventative care, medication review, physical examinations, scheduled investigations and individual care planning. Furthermore, patients with an undiagnosed chronic disease or those who are at high risk of developing a chronic disease are identified on an opportunistic basis, for example, when a patient attends the GP for another issue. This is the issue raised by the Senator. Those who are not diagnosed but are at a high risk of cardiovascular disease or diabetes are entered into a preventive programme. The programme has shown very high uptake, with almost all eligible GPs having signed up to provide the CDM programme and provide improved patient care. An Irish College of General Practitioners audit of CDM patient records showed a notable reduction in emergency department attendance and inpatient admissions, as well as a reduction in use of GP out-of-hours services, while the third HSE report on the treatment programme showed patient improvements in biometric and lifestyle risk factors, including blood pressure, vaccine status, smoking and vaping habits, and weight and BMI.
It is understood that approximately 500,000 people in Ireland live with osteoarthritis. The causation of the condition is complex, and treatment can also be quite complex for patients. Self-management, including maintaining an optimum weight and being physically active, is now viewed as critical in managing the condition. I will take on board what the Senator has said about the GLA:D programme and alternative response group education, and also the national strategy with regard to treatment plans and lifestyle education. Some people are very good at doing that themselves, but others will need support. Self-management support and advice on exercise and muscle strengthening is available through the HSE.
Consideration can be given to future expansions of the CDM programme to include additional conditions. However, this would require rigorous clinical assessment to determine whether the condition concerned is suitable for inclusion in the treatment programme, including whether it would be of added benefit to eligible patients who already receive GP care under the GMS scheme. The inclusion of additional conditions would also require engagement with the relevant stakeholders, including the GPs delivering the service. Any service expansion must also be considered in the context of GP capacity to deliver the service. It should be noted that an expansion of the CDM programme is already planned for this year to include further conditions under the various CDM programmes, including chronic kidney disease at stages 4 and 5 under the treatment programme.
I thank the Minister of State. Given her husband's condition, she knows about this issue. It is a condition that gets worse as it goes on. Times have definitely changed with regard to treatment, and it is now done through education. Both my mother and father have had knees and hips replaced. However, my mother would have been told not to do any exercise, whereas we are at least told that much now. What is interesting with the GLA:D programme is that because it is a group exercise and it is done in primary care centres by physiotherapists, all it needs is additional funding for it to be rolled out in counties that are willing to have it. My GP is in a fabulous primary care service. It needs additional money so that physiotherapists are not only trained in this programme, but have the capacity to deliver it on a group basis. It is easier to do work like that in a group setting because it requires an holistic approach.
As I said, knee operations in both public and private care push up the cost of medicine. It has been proven in countries like Denmark that early intervention is preferable, and surgery should be a last resort. Unfortunately, in Ireland, we are still told that it is inevitable that people are going to have to get their knees replaced. I thank the Minister of State for listening.
I welcome Deputy Conor D. McGuinness and his guests from Waterford to the Visitors Gallery of the Seanad.
Senator Cosgrove makes a valid point. When we talk about expanding the chronic disease management programme, there are many issues that have to be addressed. We understand why including chronic diseases like kidney disease at stages 4 and 5 would take precedence over some other conditions. I give the Senator a commitment that I will talk to the Minister’s officials about the GLA:D programme. The Senator is right that we have learned a lot about how to deal with individual conditions. A lot of walks are now taken in the Portlaw Woods on the softer ground as opposed to the hard ground of the roads. We have learned a lot about that. I thank the Senator for raising this issue. There are 500,000 people in Ireland with a diagnosis of osteoarthritis, so it merits discussion. I will take that back.
I also welcome Deputy Conor D. McGuinness and his visitors to the Seanad.
Departmental Funding
I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Butler. I know this is not her brief, but I thank her for attending.
I welcome the opportunity to raise this important issue. I call on the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht to make a statement on the community support fund and similar issues. My message today is very simple. While capital funding for community projects is welcome and important, many community groups are struggling most with their day-to-day running costs, and they need support now more than ever. As someone who has been involved with numerous groups and is regularly engaging with community groups, committees and volunteers across towns, villages and parishes, I see first-hand the pressures they are facing.
These volunteers are not involved because they are looking for recognition or reward. They do what they do because they believe in their communities. They believe in supporting their neighbours, tackling isolation, creating opportunities for young people and keeping local organisations alive. However, the reality is that volunteer numbers are falling, the demands on community groups are increasing and the costs of operating are continuing to rise.
We have seen the positive impact that schemes such as the community activities fund and the community support fund have had in recent years. Those programmes recognise something very important: community organisations cannot continue to serve their communities if they cannot afford their insurance, electricity, heating and other essential costs. These schemes provide practical supports that help to keep groups with their doors open and continuing to provide valuable services. They show an understanding that operating costs are just as important as capital investment.
While recent funding programmes, including the local enhancement programme, are very welcome, the vast majority of funding available today is focused on capital projects, equipment and facility improvement. Of course, communities welcome these investments, but many groups tell me that accessing capital funding often brings additional challenges. Matched funding requirements can be difficult to achieve, applications can be complex, and projects require a significant voluntary commitment. There was a time when voluntary hours and community effort were recognised as an element of the matched funding contribution. Today, many groups are expected to raise substantial cash contributions or arrange loans while still providing hundreds of hours of unpaid work to deliver projects.
The groups that I meet tell me they need support to pay the bills that arrive every month. Groups such as the ICA guilds, LCDCs, town teams, active retirement associations, community centres, cultural groups and many other local community organisations continue to do outstanding work. They are supporting their members and strengthening community life. Yet every year, they face increased insurance premiums, rising utility costs and growing financial pressures. We cannot take these groups for granted any longer. Every community organisation that disappears takes with it experience, volunteer capacity and a valuable social outlet that is often impossible to replace.
That is why I am calling on the Minister to consider reintroducing a dedicated operational support fund similar to the community support fund.
It would be a fund specifically designed to assist with insurance costs, utility bills and other day-to-day expenses. It would provide immediate meaningful support to the organisations that form the backbone of community life. If we are serious about supporting volunteers, strengthening communities and promoting rural and social development then we must ensure these groups have the resources they need to grow and survive. Could the Minister of State outline whether consideration has been given to the reintroduction of such a scheme and what measures can be taken to ensure that grassroots community organisations receive the practical support they need to continue serving their communities? The reality is simple: these volunteers have kept the flag flying in our communities for years and now it is our turn to do our part.
I thank Senator Scahill for raising this issue, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer. He is not in a position to be here himself but he asked me to take it. We all recognise that volunteers are the backbone of every community. The majority of us who end up in politics have probably come through the community system. If you are on one committee you are on five. There is no doubt that we are involved in so many things locally. That is how I ended up becoming a politician after being involved in the community sector for the majority of my life. That is why community support funds are really important.
The fund was first announced in November 2022 and it provided funding of €10 million to support community groups impacted by rising energy costs. It supported groups, particularly in disadvantaged areas, with their running costs such as utility or insurance bills, as well as with improvements to their facilities. Groups were also able to use the funding to carry out necessary repairs and to purchase equipment such as tables and chairs, tools and signage, laptops and printers, lawn-mowers, canopies and training equipment. They were never more important than when we had Storm Éowyn not so long ago. Community organisations and groups were able to step up and support communities that had no electricity and were not able to heat a bottle for a baby or charge a phone. We recognise how important the groups are.
The community support fund is the latest iteration of the programme, which was formerly known as the community enhancement programme and has been delivered by the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht since 2018. The programme continues to be delivered today under the title of the local enhancement programme, LEP. Since 2018, the Department has provided funding of €72.9 million to support projects in more than 36,000 community groups and organisations the length and breadth of the country. The local enhancement programme is targeted towards supporting communities that are impacted by disadvantage, as identified in the local economic and community plan. It provides small capital grants to community and voluntary groups for the improvement or refurbishment of their facilities and for the purchase of equipment.
The local enhancement programme for 2026, which was announced on 5 December 2025, was welcomed by Senator Scahill. It provides €7 million in capital supports to many small community groups and organisations, particularly those which serve disadvantaged communities in rural and urban areas. The fund is administered locally on behalf of the Department by local community development committees, LCDCs, across the country, with support from the local authorities. Each LCDC received an allocation of funding under the programme, which it will distribute to eligible applicants and projects once the appraisal process has been completed. That is all very welcome. It should be noted that the LEP for 2026 provided only capital supports. That is the issue Senator Scahill raises. The Government is aware of the pressure on community groups regarding current expenditure items such as electricity bills and maintenance. This will be considered in the context of the 2027 budgetary Estimates process.
The funding allocation is calculated using a resource allocation model that takes population levels and deprivation indices into account. Using this methodology, a baseline amount of funding of €100,000 is provided to each local authority to ensure a minimum level of funding intervention in each area, sufficient to deliver tangible improvements. Senator Scahill has welcomed the funding that has been provided over many years. It is equitably distributed across all the local authorities. LCDCs do great work. The point he makes relates to the pressure on community groups due to expenditure on electricity bills and other running costs. As the Minister of State outlined in his response, this will be considered in the context of the 2027 budgetary Estimates process. I will speak to him about this.
I thank the Minister of State very much. She is right that so many people across this House have come through the voluntary sector. Last Thursday the Minister, Deputy Calleary, opened the Castlerea swimming pool. He welcomed the provision of €73,000 from the community recognition fund for the Castlerea Town Team, in conjunction with Roscommon County Council. It is an organisation of which I have been secretary for the past three years. I am a former chairperson of the organisation. I think of the Suck Valley Way. I am a former member of the LCDC in Roscommon so I am familiar with the fund for supporting those groups. I speak with the ICA groups and the community development companies, CDCs, which are keeping buildings going. They are providing support for their communities. In terms of overheads, I was talking to someone who told me the lottos are not paying now. The volunteers to sell the tickets are not there. The costs are continuing to spiral. We are in jeopardy of losing these voluntary organisations and supports within our community if we cannot come up with a fund to support them. The Minister of State spoke of €10 million in 2021 or 2022. That is the sort of money we are talking about. It would go an awfully long way with these community groups. We need to stand up and fight for them. I thank the Minister of State for her contribution today.
I thank Senator Scahill very much for raising this topic. I agree that there continues to be a need for LEP funding to support the excellent work our community groups deliver nationwide. It must be acknowledged that €72.9 million has been provided by the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht since 2018. The Minister, Deputy Calleary, was in Waterford last Monday week and he attended 16 events. A lot of money is being delivered but I take on board what the Senator says. The Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, is fully committed to delivering this funding. They are his words, not mine. Every day, as Minister of State in the Department, he has the pleasure of meeting the people and groups that benefit from grants under the LEP.
I understand exactly where Senator Scahill is coming from. During Covid things changed in relation to fundraising and volunteers. People are not as keen to get on boards now because there is a lot of governance involved and a lot of forms to be signed. I thank the Senator for raising this really important issue, which affects every single constituency in Ireland.
I thank the Minister of State very much. I really appreciate her coming into the House today to deal with the first two Commencement matters.
I thank the Acting Chair.
Driver Test
I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Feighan. The next Commencement matter is in the name of Senator Kennelly. It relates to the establishment of driving test centres, in particular in Listowel, County Kerry. As there is a list of every test centre in The Irish Times today, it is very topical that he should be raising this issue. The floor is his.
I was unaware of that to be honest. I must get a copy of The Irish Times. I welcome the Minister of State to the Seanad. I wish to raise with him the urgent need for the provision of an additional Road Safety Authority driving test centre in north Kerry to serve communities such as Listowel, Ballybunnion, Tarbert, Moyvane, Ballyduff and surrounding areas. It is a huge area.
At present, County Kerry is served by just two main test centres for standard driving tests in Tralee and Killarney. This is despite the fact that very significant demand exists across the region. Figures provided by the RSA show that in 2025 alone, 3,736 tests were conducted in Tralee and 3,933 in Killarney, with a further 1,346 tests in Tralee and 1,477 in Killarney in the first four months of 2026. These figures clearly demonstrate the volume of demand already being handled by these limited centres. However, even more concerning are the waiting lists. In Tralee, the number of applicants waiting for a driving test invitation has consistently remained too high altogether, fluctuating between 900 and more than 1,000 people through 2025, reaching 1,009 in April of this year.
Similarly, in Killarney, hundreds remain waiting at any given time, with 714 applicants still awaiting as of April 2026. This means that across Kerry alone, more than 1,500 people are typically waiting for a test invitation at any one time. That does not account for those who must reapply after unsuccessful attempts. The data on passes and failures further underline the pressure on the system. In 2025 there were 1,876 passes and 1,481 failures in Tralee. In Killarney there were 1,899 passes and 1,684 failures.
They are back in the system again, and maybe for the third time.
This shows that a substantial number of applicants do not pass on their first or second attempt, and must re-enter the system, often facing the same long waiting periods again for a second or even third test. The result is a compounding backlog, which is why my Commencement matter is of the highest importance.
For people in north Kerry, the impact is particularly severe. Residents of north Kerry must travel considerable distances - it is wide open territory - most often to Tralee, and in some cases Killarney, for both lessons and tests. This places an added financial and logistical burden on learner drivers and their families, especially in a rural area with limited public transport options.
The Listowel municipal district alone has a population of approximately 32,000 people, representing a substantial demand base that is not being directly served by a local test centre. Given the scale of demand, the consistently high waiting times and the additional pressures created by repeat tests, there is a strong and evidence-based case for the RSA to reassess north Kerry. Has a detailed demand and capacity assessment been undertaken specifically for north Kerry, including the Listowel municipal district area? If not, can we initiate one as soon as possible? Will consideration be given to establishing a driving test centre in Listowel or providing a part-time or outreach service in the area? Can immediate measures be introduced to reduce waiting times, especially acknowledging the cycle of repeat tests, which is further adding to backlogs?
The current situation in Kerry is not sustainable. It is placing an unfair burden on rural communities and delaying access to employment, education and independence for many people. It is time that north Kerry was properly recognised in the planning of driving test services. The biggest issue we have right now is road safety. People learning how to manoeuvre properly and safely on our roads should do so on their local roads. People travelling 50 or 60 minutes in a car to do a test on a side street in another jurisdiction is just not working, and that is why I am calling for a driving test centre to be located in north Kerry.
I thank Senator Kennelly for raising this matter. As he may be aware, under the Road Safety Authority Act 2006, the Road Safety Authority, or RSA, has statutory responsibility for the national driver testing service. This includes full responsibility for operational matters, including scheduling of tests and all decisions in relation to the opening of new driver testing centre locations. Neither the Minister of State with responsibility for transport or the Department have any function or powers in deciding on the location of new driver testing centres.
Reducing driver testing wait times has been a priority for my colleague, the Minister of State with responsibility for transport, Deputy Canney, since taking office. In May last year, he directed the RSA to produce and publish a service recovery plan to return the national average waiting time to ten weeks by the beginning of September 2025, and this was achieved. The current national average waiting time on 13 June 2026 was 11.6 weeks, which is above the service level agreement of ten weeks. I am informed that the RSA is continuing to focus on addressing centres with higher demand and wait times. However, it should be noted that the driver test service continues to experience high demand, and the number of applications has increased by 17% to the end of May when compared with the same period in 2025.
In respect of County Kerry, I am informed that as of 31 May 2026, the average waiting time for a driving test is 14 weeks in Tralee and 13 weeks in Killarney test centres. While the average wait time remains above the target ten-week period, this marks an improvement on the 16-week average wait times for both Tralee and Killarney test centres in May 2025. In addition, as the Senator will be aware, people seeking a driving test can apply to any test centre. In that regard, he may wish to note that driver testing wait times at the Newcastle West testing centre, which is relatively close to Listowel, stands at 11 weeks as of 31 May 2026.
In September 2024, the Department of Transport conveyed sanction for 70 additional driver testing posts on a permanent basis, bringing the permanent sanction to 200, which represents a doubling of permanent posts since June 2022. As of 13 June 2026, 194 testers were active, with an additional five in training. This marks a significant increase on the 151 available at the beginning of 2025. I am told that the RSA is working to reach its full complement of 200 testers subject to the next successful training and onboarding of new recruits. It is important to note, however, that while a driver tester may be assigned to one centre, testers routinely and regularly move between centres to meet demand. The RSA has also indicated that overtime testing is continuing in 2026.
The driver testing booking system now makes available cancelled test slots for candidates to take up at short notice. On behalf of the Minister of Transport, I encourage learner drivers awaiting a test to monitor this channel, which may provide an opportunity to book an earlier testing date.
The opening of a new centre in Listowel is a matter for the RSA. The authority has indicated that the processes for opening a new driving test centre are informed primarily by sustained demand within a geographic area, operational requirements, accessibility for customers, driver tester capacity and the availability of suitable accommodation and infrastructure. There are no plans to open a driver testing centre in Listowel, and I am told it has not been highlighted by the RSA as a proposed new location within current planning considerations.
I thank Minister of State for his response. As he can see from my data and his data, it is evidently clear that a driving test centre is needed in the north Kerry area. The Minister of State said that the 14-week wait time in Tralee, which is three and a half months, and the 13 weeks in Killarney are improvements on the 16-week average wait times for both centres. Most of the people who are waiting in those areas are from north Kerry, if the Department wants more data.
I urge the Minister of State to contact the RSA to make north Kerry a priority area when choosing a location for a driving test centre. The data is there and the evidence is clear that we need a driver safety testing centre in north Kerry. The RSA said that north Kerry has not been highlighted to it as a new location for a driver testing centre as of yet. I propose that the RSA be notified through the Department, so that we can come to a very easy solution to the problem in north Kerry for new drivers.
I can see that the Senator is disappointed with the response. It is not exactly the response he wanted. The RSA has made good progress over the past year, and it does continue to work hard to manage the backlog in the national driving testing service. It is a priority of my colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Canney, that the average wait times return to the ten-week target as set out in the service level agreement as soon as possible.
I recognise the challenges that excessive waiting times are imposing on people throughout the county and especially, as the Senator said, in the north of the county. I welcome the Road Safety Authority's commitment to restoring average wait times to the ten-week level, and test centres are still above the national average. However, the Senator has made it clear, and I have heard him loud and clear, that he requires a new test centre in Listowel. I will certainly bring that back to Minister, and again I thank him for raising this important issue.
I thank the Minister of the State for his time. We appreciate him coming to the Seanad.
Special Educational Needs
The Minister of State, Deputy Moynihan, is welcome to the House.
I thank the Minister of State for coming here. I appreciate that the line Minister is here.
I express my appreciation for the Minister of State coming to hear me out. I travelled to Loughrea and met the parents of children with Down's syndrome. They are listening in now as we speak and watching this. There is a formula of words in Circular 0024/2025 under "Criteria for Enrolment" in paragraphs (1)(b) and 2(a). As criteria for acceptance in these special classes, they must have a delayed language disorder or a speech sound disorder of "unknown origin". That de facto excludes children with disabilities that are known, for example, Down's syndrome. It is a rather perverse form of words because it excludes children who absolutely need this intensive speech therapy to become verbal. What really struck me in my meeting with the parents in Loughrea was their moral distress at the fact that they had brought this to the attention of the Minister, Deputy Naughton, met her, and the former Minister of State, Senator Rabbitte, and they had agreed a pilot scheme would be run in CDNT 8 in Loughrea. The gold standard internationally for children with Down's syndrome, for example, is that they receive four intensive speech therapy sessions per week over two years based on the principle of motor-based learning. If they get that intervention, they become verbal. There are 20 children affected in this way in CDNT 8. For want of the deployment of one speech therapist, these children are likely to become non-verbal. Human speech is the most powerful instrument we have, the human voice, to mobilise personal power, socialise and be included. To allow children to allow children to become non-verbal, 20 little citizens - the parents tell me in their engagement with other parents' groups, there is a similar number of children in every CDNT in this position. The Minister gave a response to them in August 2025 said that the boards of management of schools are permitted to enrol students who do not meet the prescribed criteria but have an SLD diagnosis to fill any remaining places in these classes, which includes children with Down's syndrome. I find that statement grotesque because it means ah sure look, if there are any places left over we will slot one of your children in, a child with Down's syndrome. That is not a rights-based response and that comes from the Minister. We are here to serve the people. I have a mandate to raise these issues. The Minister of State has a mandate; I know him personally as the former Chair of the Joint Committee on Disability Matters. I know exactly how he feels about these matters. This formula of words based on an SLD of "unknown origin" has to be taken out of the circular. The needs of these little citizens need to be met. To become non-verbal is a needless, preventable and catastrophic outcome for these children and their families.
I thank the Senator for raising the issue. There is a script that will be sent around. It goes through the various documentation going back to over 30 years ago. SLD, other issues and developmental language disorders are part of it. From the special education point of view, across government we passionately believe that if we invest properly in special education and education for people who need additional educational supports, we will empower children, families and the State into the future. The Senator may have seen over the past number of months the various debates we have had between our Department and across government on further funding. He knows my bona fides on this and the issues we need to meet head on. I look at the education system, CDNTs and the other support mechanisms in place. One of the first decisions we took a year ago was about having therapies in schools rather than with any other body. That is to try to ensure children have the best possible supports within education.
I have met a number of groups representing people with Down's syndrome. I met national groups and parents over the past number of months. They all pinpoint the specific challenges or specific references to the circular. The circular was issued early in 2025. It is being reviewed to make sure the aims when it was issued meet the needs of the children. I know the great enabler for children with speech difficulties or disorders is to provide the support to get them verbal. As the Senator rightly said, that opens up a new chapter for them. I understand that. My role is Minister of State with responsibility for special education and inclusion. If I am serious about it, it has to be inclusive of everybody. We have to have rules and regulations around how we operate but they have to be as inclusive as possible across the system to ensure everybody has access to education. Previous Ministers met them. They are taken by the points made. I am aware of the high level engagement the Senator has as well and condensing that down to the blockages. I can go through the circulars, different stages in the Department and the work that has been done. We constantly review whether, by trying to be inclusive, we are excluding. Reading classes or classes that allow and help speech are valued by families. I take the Senator's point. We constantly review to ensure we provide positive, inclusive education.
The parents have provided me with a great deal of extensive and lengthy briefings. They have set out every law from the Equal Status Act to the Equality Act and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which we are in breach of, contrary to the letter and spirit of the convention. At the moment there is no pathway of treatment for these children through the Health Service Executive CDNT model. To get the intensive speech therapy these children need, their only shot is to get it by means of these special classes. I ask the Minister of State explicitly in the 60 seconds he has, whether he he undertake to take out those three words, "of unknown origin". They are explicitly discriminatory. Will his office please respond to the parents in Loughrea? They really need an update on the pilot project and for it to be implemented and operationalised.
There is no point in me coming in here and making wild statements. I will take the Senator's point very seriously on board. I will reflect very carefully on it. I will give him that commitment. On the major point, I understand the challenges on the CDNTs and their operation. That is why a decision was made to put the education therapy service within the education system to provide occupational and speech and language therapies, for example.
We have a body of work to do to make sure we are training therapists. Work has been done last year and this year to expand the number of places.
The kernel of what the Senator is saying is about these parents and these children getting the help and support within the education system. We are putting that into the education therapy system. I will reflect carefully on the specific point he made and report back to him, and we will follow up on any of the issues outstanding.
I thank the Minister of State for his time and for coming to the House. It is greatly appreciated. I thank the Senator for raising this as a Commencement matter.
Cuireadh an Seanad ar fionraí ar 11.21 a.m. agus cuireadh tús leis arís ar 11.32 a.m.
Sitting suspended at 11.21 a.m. and resumed at 11.32 a.m.