Written Answers Nos. 299-319
299. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to explain the discrepancy in the numbers given by his Department regarding the number of greyhounds homed by an organisation (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27528/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra308. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the current status of the 23,760 non-coursing greyhounds subject to traceability on the Rásaíocht Con Éireann Traceability System in 2021 (details supplied) with a breakdown into active, inactive, exported, reported dead; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27609/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 299 and 308 together.
Rásaíocht Con Éireann (RCÉ) is a commercial state body established under the Greyhound Industry Act 1958 chiefly to control greyhound racing and to improve and develop the greyhound industry. RCÉ is a body corporate and a separate legal entity to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
The questions raised by the Deputy are operational matters for RCÉ and, therefore, the questions have been referred to that body for direct reply.
300. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine whether the Government intends to introduce a national temporary farm fuels support scheme to provide monthly payments to farmers and agricultural contractors in respect of increased fuel costs compared to 2025 levels, and if such a scheme will be backdated to 1 March 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27537/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra302. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the measures being considered to address the indirect impact of rising fuel and fertiliser costs on farm operations, including contractor services and transport; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27539/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 300 and 302 together.
The Government recognises the exceptional pressure that rising fuel costs are placing on our farmers, contractors, fishers and food & drink processing sectors.
On 24 March the Government introduced €250 million of targeted measures to provide for temporary reductions in the rates of Mineral Oil Tax applying to petrol, auto diesel and Marked Gas Oil (green/agricultural diesel). To further ease the financial impact, the Government reduced the NORA levy from 2 cents per litre to a nominal amount for a period of two months.
Following these measures, I continued to engage with agriculture stakeholders. In early April, the Tánaiste and I met with farm and farm contractor representatives. I held a further meeting with a wide range of agri-food stakeholders on 10 April, followed by a series of bilateral meetings over the weekend.
On 12 April, Government announced a new package of measures on fuel costs to support the transport, farming and fisheries sectors, reducing excise on a VAT inclusive basis as follows:
• Diesel, by a further 10 cents bringing the total reduction on diesel to 32 cents.
• Petrol by a further 10 cents bringing the total reduction on petrol to 27 cents.
• Marked Gas Oil by a further 2.4 cents bringing the total reduction to 7.4 cents.
These overall reductions include the NORA levy reduction.
Marked Gas Oil is subject to a reduced rate of excise duty compared to petrol and auto diesel, and the combined reductions mean the non-carbon excise duty on green diesel is now zero.
Government is also deferring the planned increase in carbon tax, scheduled for 1 May, until the Budget. This will impact green diesel and non-propellant fuels such as kerosene heating oil, natural gas and solid fuels.
The reductions in the excise on fuel for consumers take effect from 14 April and run until 31 July. The NORA levy reduction will also run until 31 July.
In addition, I announced a comprehensive €100 million Fuel Subsidy Support Scheme to assist farmers, agricultural contractors and fishers. It will cover the months of March up to the end of July, which coincides with peak fuel usage on farms. The Scheme will provide €20 million per month in supports, with funding directly linked to fuel usage last year to ensure those most impacted by the fuel price increase receive the greatest assistance.
Farmers and agricultural contractors will benefit from a support rate equivalent to approximately 20 cents per litre of marked gas oil based on verified fuel consumption in 2025. Approximately 120,000 farmers and 1,500 full-time agricultural contractors will be eligible to apply for support. Up to €5 million per month of the fund will be used to support fishers and other sectors affected such as forestry and specialist horticulture.
This targeted and practical support package ensures that those most exposed to these increases will receive meaningful assistance at the most critical time of year. We have worked intensively with representative stakeholder groups in recent times, and I believe that this represents a fair and effective scheme based on actual fuel usage, taking account of the vital work played by farm contractors in our farming systems. This approach ensures that funding is directed where it is needed most, helping to sustain essential food production and rural economic activity.
301. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if consideration has been given to expanding the existing farm diesel carbon tax relief to include agricultural contractors and to simplify the scheme to improve uptake; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27538/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraTaxation policy is a matter for my colleague, the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance, who will provide the substantive reply in this regard. However we do liaise on taxation issues relating to the agri-food sector.
The Deputy may be aware that my Department is facilitating a Contractor Working Group, in line with the Programme for Government commitment, which will shortly meet for the first time .
303. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine whether a national tillage sustainability support scheme is under consideration in light of increased input costs, particularly fuel and fertiliser; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27540/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThis Government recognises the exceptional pressure that rising input costs are placing on our farmers and contractors.
I recently announced a comprehensive €100 million Fuel Subsidy Support Scheme to assist farmers, agricultural contractors and fishers. The payments will cover the months of March up to the end of July which coincides with peak fuel usage on farms.
The scheme will provide €20 million per month in supports, with funding directly linked to fuel usage last year to ensure those most impacted by the fuel price increase receive the greatest assistance.
This targeted and practical support package ensures that those most exposed to these increases, including tillage farmers and contractors working with tillage farmers will receive meaningful assistance at the most critical time of year.
In addition to the fuel subsidy supports, I am providing significant support to growers in 2026 totalling some €50m through the new National Tillage Sustainability Support Scheme, the Straw Incorporation Measure and Protein Aid schemes. Funding of €30m for the new National Tillage Sustainability Support Scheme is new funding I secured in Budget 2026, with payments under the Scheme being made last month. These supports are delivered alongside the farming for Water EIP, the Tillage Capital Investment Scheme, ACRES and the Organic Farming Scheme. These schemes will play an important role in underpinning tillage farm incomes and will provide a strong foundation for protecting the future of tillage farming in Ireland.
In addition, a range of additional initiatives are being implemented arising from the recommendations in the Food Vision Tillage Report. These are aimed at achieving greater recognition of the sustainability of Irish grain and developing new value-added opportunities across the supply chain which are important to ensure the long-term viability of the sector.
I will continue to work with the tillage sector given the strategic importance of the sector within the wider agri-food sector.
304. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the total number of hectares of agricultural land currently classified as set-aside or otherwise unused; whether an assessment has been undertaken of the potential to utilise such lands for the cultivation of alternative sustainable crops, including hemp; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27541/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra305. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine whether his Department has examined historical and current practices of crop diversification, including the cultivation of hemp in Ireland; whether engagement has taken place with farms or enterprises currently producing hemp for industrial or construction purposes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27542/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 304 and 305 together.
Hemp can be successfully grown in Ireland and offers opportunities for diversification and crop rotation while delivering environmental benefits. Conditionality sets the current baseline requirements for farmers in receipt of CAP payments and consists of Statutory Management Requirements (SMRs) and Good Agricultural and Environmental Condition (GAEC) requirements.
Crop Rotation and/or Crop Diversification requirements under GAEC 7, commonly referred to as the 3-Crop Rule, is one of the baseline requirements in line with conditionality for the receipt of CAP payments. GAEC 7 is concerned with improving soil quality and health and reducing the dependency of chemical pesticides through control of weed, pest and disease spread.
Changes to GAEC 7 in 2025 made compliance with the standard more straightforward for many farmers with Crop Diversification being the only standard that many arable farmers have to comply with. Many farmers for economic, environmental and disease control purposes see the benefits of having multiple crops. It allows the workload and the financial risk to be spread and assists with pest and weed control.
My Department carried out a consultative process in 2021 to examine the commercial viability of growing fibre crops including Hemp. The report on this consultation was published in December 2022.
The main finding of the report was that the growing of fibre crops such as hemp for the purposes of fibre production only is not currently viable in Ireland. However, hemp can be successfully grown in Ireland and offers opportunities for diversification and crop rotation while delivering environmental benefits. Potential markets also exist for hemp fibre with its use in the construction industry offering the most significant opportunity.
The scaling up of a crop fibre industry would be dependent on numerous factors including the development of stable markets, significant capital investment to increase processing capacity and collaboration with all stakeholders along the supply chain, all of which must be industry led. The report noted that while the outcome of the consultation did not support the viability of fibre crops such as hemp in Ireland, it is a matter for the industry to address and bring forward a proposal containing viable options for consideration. DAFM would welcome any such proposal.
Hemp is included as an eligible crop under the Basic Income Support for Sustainability Scheme. Current legislation in Ireland does not allow for the growing of hemp unless a specific license has been granted by the Health Products Regulatory Authority which operates under the auspices of the Department of Health.
306. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the supports, advisory services or pricing models are currently available to farmers who may wish to diversify. [27543/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraIreland’s approach to delivering sustainable agriculture and food is set out in Food Vision 2030, Ireland’s stakeholder-led strategy. One of the main missions of Food Vision is for “Viable and Resilient Primary Producers with Enhanced Well-Being”. Among its goals is to “Increase Primary Producer Diversification & Resilience”.
Food Vision states that while Ireland has a comparative advantage in grass-based livestock production, and that this will remain at the core of Ireland’s agri-food output, there are advantages in working towards a more diversified sector. Diversification has the potential to make individual farms more sustainable and resilient from all three perspectives of sustainability - economic, environmental and social. The Goal goes on to examine the following areas in more detail:
• Organic Farming
• Forestry
• The Bioeconomy
• Expansion of the existing commercial crop (horticultural and arable) production and the growing of new commercial crops, including food protein crops
• The role that Irish agriculture could play in decarbonising other sectors of the economy through the production of bioenergy and biogas.
Other options mentioned include regenerative farming, contract rearing, dairy-beef systems, rural tourism, eco-tourism, contracting, artisan food production, consultancy and renewable energy.
My Department provides a range of supports in this regard, such as the Organic Farming Scheme, a number of forestry schemes under the Forestry Programme 2023-2027, two dairy-beef schemes, and a Protein Aid Scheme.
In terms of advisory services, the Teagasc Options Programme is active in advising and mentoring farmers.
307. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to comment on alleged animal abuse (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27566/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraRásaíocht Con Éireann (RCÉ) is a commercial state body, established under the Greyhound Industry Act, 1958 chiefly to control greyhound racing and to improve and develop the greyhound industry. RCÉ is a body corporate and a separate legal entity to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
My Department takes the matter of animal welfare most seriously and is committed to the enforcement of the Animal Health and Welfare Act, 2013. All reports of alleged animal neglect or cruelty received by the Department are investigated and appropriate action is taken.
In relation to the welfare issue referred to, RCÉ has advised my Department that this case is on-going. RCÉ welfare officers having conducted a number of inspections, of both an announced and an unannounced nature, and found that the greyhounds there were in good health. The facilities, however, were not up to the required standard. After further engagement the inspectors made the decision, under the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013, to have these greyhounds removed and they have been transferred into the ownership of the Irish Retired Greyhound Trust.
My Department adopts a zero tolerance approach when it comes to greyhound welfare and will continue to monitor this particular case.
309. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update on funding for an MS community support worker in Sligo, Leitrim (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27463/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI wish to thank the Deputy for raising this question. As this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly.
310. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of additional respite beds will be provided for children in County Kerry in 2026; the number of children on the waiting list; the length of time they are waiting; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27353/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly.
311. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of additional respite beds will be provided for adults in County Kerry in 2026; the number of adults on the waiting list; the length of time they are waiting; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27354/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly.
312. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the progress that has been made in the rollout of the €20 million allocated in Budget 2026 for the assessment of needs, targeted at a waiting list initiative; the specific programmes or services funded to date; the regional distribution of the funding; the expected outcomes and timelines for completion; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27402/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Assessment of Need Targeted Waitlist Initiative provides funding for the procurement of private clinical assessments from approved private providers, for those families waiting the longest for an Assessment of Need. These clinical assessments support the delivery of assessment of need reports by HSE Assessment Officers.
The Initiative began in June 2024 and, by the end of 2025, 7,700 multidisciplinary clinical assessments were commissioned from private providers at a cost of €27.8 million.
In 2026, the focus of the AON Targeted Waitlist Initiative will be on the provision of multidisciplinary autism diagnostic assessments with €20m allocated for this purpose. The HSE has put in place a new panel of service providers to deliver these assessments for children and adolescents, at a fixed price cost of €2,900 per assessment. This will enable the delivery of approximately 6,000 clinical assessments in 2026. The Panel will be in place for one year, with the option to extend for a further year.
The Department has requested an update from the HSE on the regional distribution of the funding and progress made to date this year and will respond directly to the Deputy when this is received.
While Government remains committed to utilising private capacity to address the delays with the AON process in 2026, we cannot rely on the private sector indefinitely so we must ensure that the public system can meet the clearly growing demand. The Department is working with the HSE to ensure the delivery of actions to support the efficient delivery of Assessments of Need within the public system. These include legislative reform, as well as operational improvements such as improved training for staff involved in the delivery of AONs, and plans to increase the numbers of Assessment Officers, Liaison Officers and administrative supports. The aim of these improvements is to make the AON process more effective and efficient for children and families. Over time, this should lead to a reduction in the waiting times to receive an AON report.
The proposed legislative changes will not remove any rights for parents to apply for an Assessment of Need for their child. They also will not alter the statutory six-month timeline set out in the Disability Act. Details of the proposed legislative reforms are [available on the Department website] at: www.gov.ie/en/department-of-children-disability-and-equality/publications/from-subject-received-size-categories-aoife-carragher-dcde-fw-dcde-website-aon-1532-1-mb/ along with an FAQ for children, families and other stakeholders.
The provision of an effective and efficient Assessment of Need system continues to be a priority for the Government.
313. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality when she intends to provide all county childcare committees with the Shaping the Future - Early Years Action Plan; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27432/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraShaping the Future: The Early Years Action Plan, Phase 1 report was published on the Department's website on 17th December 2025 and is available to download at www.gov.ie/en/department-of-children-disability-and-equality/publications/shaping-the-future/[]. It sets out measures to achieve key Programme for Government commitments on the affordability, quality, and accessibility of early learning and care and school-age childcare. The Phase 1 report focuses on short-term actions to be undertaken in 2026 within the budgetary resources available for the year.
In line with the Programme for Government commitment, a broad public consultation process is currently underway. An online survey has been completed, with more than 11,000 responses. Local consultation events will take place between the 20 - 30 April 2026 and are being organised with the City and County Childcare Committees.
Results of this consultation process, as well as additional analysis, will inform Phase 2 of the Action Plan. The Action Plan adopts a phased approach that enables action to be taken in 2026 while allowing adequate time for the broad public consultation and analysis on longer-term actions, which will be set out in a second report, to be published by the end of 2026.
314. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether any independent or externally commissioned value-for-money review has been conducted on the use of private providers for residential childcare placements funded by Tusla since 2020; if so, to provide the dates, authors, scope and key findings of each review; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27504/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThank you Deputy for your question relating to the Child and Family Agency, Tusla . As this question relates to operational information held by Tusla, the question has been referred to the Agency to reply directly to the Deputy.
315. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the average annual cost per child associated with private residential placements, private foster care placements, and special emergency arrangements, for each year from 2022 to 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27505/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this question relates to operational information held by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, the question has been referred to the Agency to reply directly to the Deputy.
316. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the outcome measures used at Departmental level to assess the effectiveness of privately delivered residential childcare placements funded by Tusla; whether such outcome measures are formally linked to funding allocations or contract renewals; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27506/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraBoth Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, and the Department are committed to promoting safe and high-quality practice in all areas of Alternative Care. This is achieved through the thorough application of regulations and standards that govern care placements on behalf of the State.
Tusla is the statutory regulator of both Private and Voluntary Children’s Residential Centres, and is therefore responsible for the registration and inspection of these centres in accordance with Regulations, standards, and the relevant provisions of the Child Care Act 1991.
This Act is the statutory framework for child welfare and protection in Ireland. The legislation places a statutory duty on Tusla to promote the welfare of children who are not receiving adequate care and protection. It sets the legislative provisions in relation to taking children into care, and the responsibilities of the State in that regard, which aim to improve outcomes for looked after children.
Tusla, in discharging its statutory responsibilities under the Child Care Acts, must have the best interests of the child as its paramount consideration. It actively monitors every placement of every child in care to ensure its appropriateness to the needs of that child, and any concerns or breaches of standards or Regulations are addressed in this context.
The placement of children in Residential Care is governed by the National Standards for Children’s Residential Centres 2018, and underpinned by the Child Care (Placement in Residential Care) Regulation 1995, and the Child Care (Standards in Children’s Residential Centres) 1996.
Regarding the provision of placements by external or private providers, Tusla procures these services in compliance with relevant legislation, procurement rules, and government Circulars in relation to grant funding. I can advise the Deputy that this Department does not directly measure outcomes or make funding allocations based on same, having regard to the fact that Tusla is independent in the performance of its functions. However, the DCDE does have regular engagement with Tusla at all levels to address issues related to the provision of services.
Tusla has procedures in place for the monitoring of service provision. Tusla’s Practice Assurance and Service Monitoring (PASM) team undertakes reviews of Tusla funded services. It conducts practice audits focusing on governance, risk management, and internal control systems. Where issues or concerns arise Tusla takes action to minimise risk.
I can advise that officials within this Department regularly engage with their counterparts in Tusla seeking to ensure the regulatory oversight of Tusla commissioned residential providers is of the required standard.
317. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether her Department requires Tusla to assess the underlying cost structures, including profit margins, of private providers of residential childcare placements as part of value-for-money considerations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27507/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra321. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the total additional Exchequer funding approved to support increases in rates paid to private providers of residential childcare and foster care placements in each of the years 2023 to 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27511/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra322. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether her Department has considered publishing summary value-for-money assessments or aggregated cost data relating to private childcare placements funded by Tusla, in the interest of transparency; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27512/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 317, 321 and 322 together.
Thank you, Deputy, for your question.
As you are aware, Tusla was established as an independent agency under the aegis of this department, to promote the development, welfare, education and protection of children and young people, and to provide supports to vulnerable children and families.
As an independent agency under the provisions of the Child and Family Agency Act 2013, Tusla is independent in the performance of its functions. In keeping with the provisions of the Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies, the Department’s governance of Tusla is captured within an Oversight Agreement. Tusla procures services from external suppliers in compliance with relevant legislation and procurement rules to ensure value for money.
Tusla is committed to achieving value for money in procuring all goods and services. Tusla procures services from external suppliers in compliance with relevant EU legislation and government procurement rules prescribed by the Office of Government Procurement.
The Department has regular monitoring engagement with Tusla at all levels to address issues related to the provision of alternative care services.
Tusla is committed to being a transparent and accountable organisation, with performance monitoring and management arrangements in place to focus on driving operational performance improvements.
Tusla’s total budget allocation for 2023 – 2026 (including supplementary estimate funding) is outlined in the table below:
|
Child and Family Agency |
€bn |
Increase from prior year €bn |
Percentage % |
|
2023 |
1.020 |
|
|
|
2024 |
1.212 |
0.192 |
19% |
|
2025 |
1.344 |
0.132 |
11% |
|
2026 |
1.473 |
0.129 |
10% |
Tusla’s total budget allocation above includes indicative allocations for non-pay expenditure on residential care and foster care as follows:
|
|
2025 €m |
2026 €m |
% Year on Year increase |
|
Mainstream Residential Care |
258,416 |
286,116 |
11% |
|
Foster Care |
148,234 |
153,148 |
3% |
Tusla, as an independent body, requires the autonomy and flexibility to make decisions within the budget allocated in discharging its statutory responsibilities. Under the Child Care Act, Tusla must have the best interests of the child as its paramount consideration. It actively monitors every placement of every child in care to ensure its appropriateness to the needs of that child, and any concerns or breaches of standards or regulations are addressed in this context.
Tusla’s annual report and financial statements are published annually. The financial statements are independently audited by the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG).
The disclosure notes to the financial statements detail the aggregate annual spend on private residential care and private foster care placements. The 2024 Annual Report includes an appendix detailing the total amount paid to each private provider under section 58 of the CFA Act.
In line with government legislation, Tusla also publishes details of all purchase orders exceeding €20,000 online on a quarterly basis, to ensure transparency and accountability in public spending.
The Department works proactively and constructively with Tusla in ensuring that there are appropriate, effective and proportionate governance and oversight arrangements in place that match the obligations of the Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies, safeguard the needs of vulnerable children and families and secure value for money.
318. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether any internal audit, external audit, or examination by the Comptroller and Auditor General has been carried out on the cost-effectiveness or value-for-money of private childcare placements funded by Tusla since 2020; if so, to provide details and findings; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27508/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this question relates to operational matters management by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, this question has been referred to the Agency to reply directly to the Deputy.
I should add that decisions relating to the external audit of Tusla are for the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General.
319. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of private providers contracted to deliver residential childcare placements funded by Tusla; the proportion of total placements accounted for by the five largest providers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27509/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this question relates to operational information held by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, the question has been referred to the Agency to reply directly to the Deputy.
