Pleanáil Teanga
1. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Conor D. McGuinness den Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht cén stádas atá ag na pleananna teanga i ngach Limistéar Pleanála Gaeltachta agus Baile Seirbhíse Gaeltachta; agus cén obair atá ar siúl chun an chéad ghlúin eile pleananna a fhorbairt; agus an ndéanfaidh sé ráiteas ina thaobh. [68522/25]
Is maith an áit í tosú ag uimhir a haon. Tá ceist atá agam don Aire Forbartha Tuaithe agus Pobail, agus Gaeltachta, an Teachta Calleary, mar gheall ar an stádas atá ag na pleananna teanga in gach limistéar pleanála Gaeltachta agus bailte seirbhíse Gaeltachta. Cén obair atá ar siúl chun an chéad ghlúin eile do phleananna a fhorbairt? An ndéanfaidh sé ráiteas ina thaobh sin agus i dtaobh na moille atá i gceist le cuid de na pleananna sin?
Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta as an gceist. Is é an sprioc atá leis an bpróiseas pleanála teanga ná an Ghaeilge a láidriú mar theanga phobail. Déantar é seo trí phleananna teanga a fheidhmiú i limistéir aitheanta a chuirfidh le húsáid na Gaeilge i réimsí áirithe sa phobal, mar shampla, sa teaghlach, i measc na hóige, sa chóras oideachais, san earnáil ghnó agus san earnáil phoiblí. Cuirtear tacaíocht ar fáil do na pobail leis na pleananna sin a chur i bhfeidhm agus fostaítear oifigigh phleanála teanga, OPT, le tabhairt faoin obair sin.
Ceadaítear maoiniú ar bhonn bliantúil do 29 ceanneagraíochta pleanála teanga leis na pleananna teanga atá faofa do 26 limistéar pleanála teanga, LPT, agus dhá bhaile seirbhíse Gaeltachta, BSG, a fheidhmiú faoi scáth Údarás na Gaeltachta. Mar chuid den mhaoiniú sin, ceadaítear do na ceanneagraíochtaí OPT amháin, nó beirt i gcásanna áirithe, a fhostú. Faoi láthair, tá ceadanna in áit le 35 OPT a fhostú sna 26 LPT agus dhá BSG.
Faoi scáth Fhoras na Gaeilge, tá seacht mbaile seirbhíse Gaeltachta taobh amuigh den Ghaeltacht agus trí líonra Gaeilge ag feidhmiú. Anuas air sin, tá feidhmiú dhá líonra Gaeilge neamhreachtúil á mhaoiniú ag Foras na Gaeilge ar an taobh ó thuaidh den Teorainn, is iad sin, Carn Tóchair agus iarthar Bhéal Feirste.
Tá ról lárnach ag na hoifigigh phleanála teanga sa phróiseas pleanála teanga. Tá na hoifigigh phleanála teanga fostaithe ag na ceanneagraíochtaí éagsúla, ní hamháin sa limistéir phleanála teanga Ghaeltachta ach i mbailte seirbhíse Gaeltachta agus líonraí Gaeilge araon. Is iad na hoifigigh phleanála teanga atá freagrach as cur i bhfeidhm bhearta an phlean teanga faoina gcúram. Cuireann siad an Ghaeilge chun cinn, eagraíonn siad imeachtaí cultúrtha, cuireann siad acmhainní agus tacaíochtaí ar fáil d'fhoghlaimeoirí, agus bíonn siad rannpháirteach leis an bpobal agus na heagraíochtaí Gaeilge a bhíonn ag obair sna ceantair phleanála teanga.
Tá sé i gceist go mbeidh na pleananna atá in éag cheana féin nó a bheidh ag dul in éag idir seo agus deireadh 2025 bailí go deireadh na bliana 2027 nó go dtí go n-aontófar pleananna nua, cibé acu is luaithe. Beidh aon phlean a théann in éag tar éis an 31 Nollaig 2025 bailí go ceann bhliain tar éis dó dul in éag nó go dtí go n-aontófar plean nua, cibé acu is luaithe.
Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as an gcuid sin dá fhreagra. Tá dea-obair ar bun ag na hoifigigh phleanála teanga agus na ceanneagraíochtaí. Bhí mé féin mar oifigeach pleanála teanga i nGaeltacht na nDéise tráth dá raibh. Feictear go bhfuil fás ag teacht ar líon na gcainteoirí Gaeilge laethúla i go leor limistéar pleanála teanga. Tá líon na nGaeltachtaí a bhfuil fás ag teacht orthu ag dul in airde de réir an daonáirimh is déanaí, ach tá moill i Roinn an Aire agus sa chóras. Tá ocht bplean tagtha chun deiridh. Tá plean amháin críochnaithe le trí bliana agus tá síneadh ama curtha leis. Ní fheictear go bhfuil aon dul chun cinn i dtaobh na bpleananna nua a fhorbairt. Tá seacht gcinn sa bhreis ag teacht chun deiridh i mbliana, rud a chiallaíonn go mbeidh 15 plean teanga as feidhm ag deireadh na bliana seo. Caithfidh muid an ghlúin nua de phleananna nua a chur i gcrích gan a thuilleadh moille. Bhí a fhios againn go maireann na pleananna seo seacht mbliana agus go raibh deireadh ag teacht leo. Ba cheart go ndéanfaí an obair seo cheana féin. Tá mé ag impí ar an Aire dul i ngleic leis an bhfadhb seo agus an mhoill a sheachaint.
Tá brón orm nach raibh seans agam mo bhuíochas a ghabháil leis an Teachta as a chuid oibre mar oifigeach pleanála teanga. Mar a dúirt mé, tá sé i gceist go mbeidh na pleananna atá in éag cheana féin, nó iad siúd a bheidh ag dul in éag idir seo agus deireadh na bliana seo, bailí go deireadh na bliana 2027 nó go dtí go n-aontófar pleananna nua, cibé acu is luaithe. Beidh aon phlean a théann in éag tar éis dheireadh mhí na Nollag 2025 bailí go ceann dhá bhliain tar éis dó dul in éag nó go dtí go n-aontófar plean nua, cibé acu is luaithe. Tuigim go bhfuil moill ann agus tá muid ag dul i ngleic leis an moill sin. Beidh €3 milliún bhreise sa bhuiséad le haghaidh an phróisis pleanála in 2026. Tá mé ag obair le hoifigigh na Roinne ar an moill agus bhí cruinniú ag oifigigh mo Roinne ar thaobh Oireachtas na Samhna i mBéal Feirste leis na hoifigigh phleanála teanga chun cúrsaí a phlé, idir cúrsaí buiséid agus eile.
Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as é sin a admháil agus an obair atá ag dul ar aghaidh. Creidim go bhfuil obair ag dul ar aghaidh sa Roinn le dul i ngleic leis seo. I ndáiríre, ní rud maith é go bhfuil muid sa riocht seo. Ba cheart go seachnófaí é seo tamall ó shín. Caithfimid a admháil chomh maith go bhfuil fadhbanna le héiginnteacht. Tá sé go maith go bhfuil na pleananna chun a bheith sínte go dtí deireadh 2027 agus go mbeidh siad fós bailí agus a leithéid, ach caithfimid tuiscint go bhfuil difríocht idir an stádas agus an riocht ina bhfuil na ceantair Ghaeltachta ar an talamh anois i gcomparáid le seacht mbliana ó shín. Tá rudaí tar éis athrú. Tá an ghéarchéim tithíochta, mar is eol don Aire, tar éis dul in olcas ó shin, mar shampla. Tá éiginnteacht ann i gcomhar na noifigeach phleanála teanga. Tá sé deacair do na ceanneagraíochtaí iad a chóiméad ina gcuid post nó iad a earcú chun na poist a líonadh. Anuas air sin, i dtaobh chúrsaí tithíochta de, tá Conradh na Gaeilge agus grúpaí eile nach é ag iarraidh go mbeadh straitéis daonra agus tithíochta i ngach limistéir phleanála teanga. Ba cheart go mbeadh sé sin fite fuaite leis na pleananna teanga. Ba cheart go mbeadh an dá rud ag dul ar aghaidh ag an am céanna le chéile leis an taithí agus eolas céanna ag dul isteach sa straitéis agus phlean.
Mar a dúirt mé sa fhreagra, tá an t-uafás oibre ar siúl ag na hoifigigh phleanála teanga. Baineann cuid den scéal agus fuinnimh atá sa teanga lena gcuid oibre. Tá siad an-láidir sa scéal sin. Tuigim go mór an brú atá orthu agus ar na ceanneagraíochtaí, ach tá muid ag foghlaim agus muid ag cur an clár seo ar siúl sa tír. As an bhfoghlaim agus an cleachtadh sin, beimid in ann rudaí a dhéanamh níos fearr. Tuigim an brú atá ar na hoifigigh phleanála teanga agus na ceanneagraíochtaí, go háirithe ó thaobh oifigigh pleanála teanga a chóiméad. Tuigim freisin na fadhbanna atá ann ó thaobh tithíochta de. Tá siad go léir ceangailte agus tá sé tábhachtach go bhfuil tuiscint ar an gceangal sin, ní hamháin ag mo Roinn – cé go bhfuil sé sin tábhachtach – ach ag Ranna eile, lena n-áirítear na Ranna oideachais agus tithíochta. Beimid ag plé na gcleachtaí ón athbhreithniú le hAirí eile, ní hamháin i mo Roinn féin. Tá suim mhór agam sa phróiseas seo. Tá suim mhór agam cleachtaí a fhoghlaim as an obair atá déanta go dtí seo agus leanúint ar aghaidh leis na hoifigigh phleanála teanga, na ceanneagraíochtaí agus ceanneagraíochtaí breise freisin.
Departmental Schemes
2. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht if budget 2026 allocated any additional funding to the senior alerts scheme; if so, if this includes an expanded list of equipment such as assistive technology; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [68382/25]
Given the importance of the seniors alert scheme to so many people, will the Minister of State confirm whether budget 2026 has allocated any additional funding to it, and if so, whether that includes an expanded list of equipment, such as assistive technology?
I thank the Deputy for his very important question and ongoing commitment to this particular area. When we were in the Seanad together, he raised this on many occasions. As he knows, our Department is responsible for the seniors alert scheme, which encourages community support for older people through the provision of personal monitored alarms to enable them to live securely in their homes with confidence, independence and peace of mind. Funding is available under the scheme for the purchase, by a registered community-based organisation, of a personal alarm or pendant. Since the scheme was launched in 2015, 156,488 participants have been approved for the alarms, including over 15,000 this year, and since 2015, 4,819 people from Kildare have availed of the scheme.
My Department is reviewing all aspects of the seniors alert scheme, including the technology and services available, and I hope to launch a new iteration of the scheme in 2026. Any new iteration of the scheme will take into account the learnings from recent weather events - we heard this morning about Storm Éowyn being the most googled term this year - and will also have regard to modern technological advancements to ensure the most reliable, robust devices available are procured.
The budget for 2025 is €3.2 million and this allocation has been maintained for next year, with additional funding allocated as necessary from the Dormant Accounts Fund. As the Deputy knows, the seniors alert scheme is a demand-led scheme and to date everybody who has applied to the scheme and meets the eligibility criteria has been approved. We and our officials in the Department will continue to monitor funding to ensure all eligible applicants can avail of the scheme.
I thank the Minister of State very much for his reply.
We are all aware of the importance of the seniors alert scheme. It has been a life-saving scheme for many people, not just in rural communities but also in urban areas. I am glad to hear that so many people have taken it up since it was launched in 2015, and that the Department is launching a new scheme in 2026.
In launching the new scheme in 2026, has the Department looked at those technologies we were asking about? The Minister of State mentioned weather alerts and so on. Unfortunately, much of that is dependent on electricity, and there have been outages. For older people in particular, when there is an outage and the electricity is gone, they have no contact with the outside world. That is where modern technologies need to play their part.
An important aspect of the scheme is the house alarm, which would give people security. The pendant is great, but it is about deterring those who might want to enter a house for illegal activity. A house alarm would benefit many people, particularly in rural areas.
The Deputy raises a pertinent point. The Department and its officials, in the review, are very conscious of new technological advances. However, the review will provide an opportunity to consider not just technological advancements but how to broaden the reach of the scheme to more vulnerable and older people. I will give the Deputy a flavour of it. The review has seen engagement with Pobal, telecoms operators, technology consultants and representative bodies for older people. In addition, on the Deputy’s point concerning the storm’s effect on electricity and broadband, the Minister, Deputy O'Donovan, has been in consultation with Eir and ComReg on the replacement of the copper networks with fibre, which is another important part.
The one thing we want to do is keep the scheme broad and open. We must be conscious that we cannot do anything that, as the Deputy said, would regress the scheme or create uncertainty. There is an impact due to the broadening of technology. We have to work to make sure we do not negate the scheme for the people who require it more than anybody else.
I totally agree. This has been a great scheme. I thank the Government for the allocations to date. When I was a councillor in Kildare, we looked at other schemes. One of those was a public light or a light outside the door for people in rural areas, and we gave some funding from the LPT towards that. It was very beneficial. That is the type of scheme I would like to see included under the seniors alert scheme to ensure that older people, particularly in rural but also in urban areas, have that bit of security, whether it is a light, an alarm or assistive technology. We should keep our minds open, as the Minister of State said. Many schemes are being administered by local authorities, including in Kildare. They have benefited so many people, whether it is the house alarm or the additional light outside the door so they can see who is out there. The scheme really has been beneficial. Indeed, it has been life-saving for many people. Given the open mind that the Government has, I hope it can look at other schemes and other areas to ensure that older people have the quality of life they deserve, and that they all should have in their golden years.
I will take the Deputy’s point back, including the example he raised. What we envisage is that the scheme will take into account the use of modern technology to ensure that people who are vulnerable or older and require the alarm are not left isolated on regular days, or on extreme weather days where power and communications are down. An extensive consultative process is ongoing with the representative groups.
There is a potential impact given the replacement of the copper infrastructure, which is going to happen because it has to. We will have to phase that out, along with the use of remaining legacy devices. What we want to do, and are committed to doing as part of the review, is ensure that we include new technologies and broaden the target demographic, while ensuring there will be no negative impact due to what we do. The next iteration of the scheme will take into account the new advancements in technology and ensure that people who require the seniors alert alarm will have it. In particular, as the Minister, Deputy Calleary, and I have discussed, it is important that during extreme weather events, people will not be isolated in their own homes.
Cúrsaí Tithíochta
3. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh den Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht an bhfuil sé i gceist aige aon deontais a chur ar fáil arís de réir Acht na dTithe (Gaeltacht) (Leasú), 2001 chun dul i ngleic leis an ngéarchéim tithíochta; agus an bhfuil sé tar éis an chumhacht seo a phlé leis an Aire Tithíochta, Rialtais Áitiúil agus Oidhreachta. [68523/25]
Faoi Acht na dTithe (Gaeltacht) (Leasú), 2001, tá cumhachtaí ar leith ag an Aire. An bhfuil sé sásta na cumhachtaí sin a úsáid? An bhfuil sé tar éis a bheith i dteagmháil leis an Aire tithíochta chun go mbeidh sé ar an eolas faoi na cumhachtaí seo agus gur féidir leis an Aire deontais ar leith a thabhairt do dhaoine atá ag iarraidh a bheith ina gcónaí sa Ghaeltacht?
Tuigim go maith na dúshláin atá ann i gceantair Ghaeltachta tithíocht a chur ar fáil ar phraghas réasúnta do dhaoine áitiúla. Is dúshlán é seo a ghabhann níos leithne ná an Ghaeltacht féin ach tuigim go mór an brú atá ar cheantair Ghaeltachta. Agus é sin ráite, níl sé i gceist ag mo Roinn ag an bpointe seo na scéimeanna tithíochta faoi Achtanna na dTithe (Gaeltachta), a cuireadh ar athló roinnt blianta ó shin, a thabhairt ar ais. Ó cuireadh na scéimeanna sin ar athló, tá scéimeanna eile bunaithe ag an Rialtas le tacú leo siúd atá ag iarraidh tithe a cheannach nó a thógáil. Mar go bhfuil na tacaíochtaí atá ar fáil faoi na scéimeanna nua seo níos flaithiúla ó thaobh airgid de ná na scéimeanna tithíochta faoi Achtanna na dTithe (Gaeltachta), is é tuairim mheáite mo Roinne nach bhfuil gá iad a athsheoladh ag an bpointe seo.
Tá an méid atá geallta i bplean tithíochta an Rialtais don Ghaeltacht soiléir. Anuas ar na scéimeanna tacaíochta náisiúnta a bheidh ar fáil don phobal i gcoitinne, tá sé geallta go bhfoilseofar ráiteas náisiúnta pleanála don Ghaeltacht sa chéad leath de 2027 agus go n-oibreoidh Údarás na Gaeltachta i gcomhar le hUisce Éireann agus na húdaráis áitiúla chun na féidearthachtaí a bhaineann le suíomhanna seirbhísithe a bheadh feiliúnach do thithíocht a fhiosrú. Anuas air sin, tabharfaidh an Bille um Údarás na Gaeltachta (Leasú), 2024 cumhachtaí nua d'Údarás na Gaeltachta talamh a chur ar fáil ó phunann maoine na heagraíochta le haghaidh tithíochta do chainteoirí Gaeilge i gceantair Ghaeltachta.
Ó thaobh lóistín turasóireachta gearrthéarmach de, cuirfidh an Bille um ligean gearrthéarmach agus turasóireacht bonn reachtúil ar chóras nua clárúcháin le haghaidh ligean gearrthéarmach in Éirinn. Ní dhéanfaidh an Bille seo aon athrú ar na riachtanais phleanála atá ann cheana féin le haghaidh ligean gearrthéarmach in Éirinn, ach cabhróidh sé leis na húdaráis áitiúla na riachtanais phleanála atá ann cheana a chur i bhfeidhm ar bhonn níos éifeachtaí. Cabhróidh an Bille seo chomh maith le soiléireacht a thabhairt faoin gcuid seo de thionscal na turasóireachta agus chun a chinntiú go bhfuil sé ag feidhmiú ar bhonn inbhuanaithe.
Is é an fáth gur luaigh mé Acht na dTithe (Gaeltachta) ná go n-aithníonn an chuid is mó de dhaoine gur cás ar leith í an Ghaeltacht, cé go bhfuil an chuid eile den tír i ngéarchéim thithíochta freisin. Muna bhfuil tithe ar fáil do lánúineacha agus daoine áitiúla chun cónaí iontu, ní bheidh an Ghaeltacht ann amach anseo agus ní féidir rud mar sin a atógáil in aon bhealach ceart. In 2009, tugadh €2 milliún i ndeontais faoin Acht seo. Tá sé ann agus is féidir é a dhéanamh. Dá réir, is féidir ceist eisceachtúil a dhéanamh den Ghaeilge agus cuidiú le lánúineacha atá ag triail le tithe a fháil. Ní féidir leo tithe a fháil mar níl siad ar díol. B'fhéidir go bhfuil siad á ligean ar Airbnb. Tá cás ar leith anseo. Is é seo an bealach chun infheistíocht a dhéanamh go tapa. Aithním an méid atá ag tarlú ach tá sé ag tarlú go an-mhall.
Ar an gcéad dul síos, is é seo an fáth go bhfuil an Bille nua faoi ligean tithíochta gearrthéarmach chomh tábhachtach is atá sé. Beidh treoirlínte ag na húdaráis áitiúla. Aontaím leis an Teachta go bhfuil brú ní hamháin ar chúrsaí tithíochta sa Ghaeltacht, ach ar an teanga. Táimid ag obair ar a lán rudaí ach níl sé simplí. Caithfimid a admháil nach bhfuil sé simplí. Táim ag bualadh leis an údarás chun obair leis maidir leis an talamh atá aige ag an bpointe seo agus chun a fháil amach an bhfuil an talamh sin ullamh le haghaidh tithíocht, ní hamháin ó thaobh seirbhísí ach ó thaobh pleanála freisin. Beidh muid ag déanamh na hoibre sin leis an údarás. Tá ról mór ag na húdaráis áitiúla, na comhairlí contae, maidir leis seo freisin. Tá mé tar éis cúpla cruinniú a bheith agam le príomhfheidhmeannaigh na gcomhairlí contae sin. Beidh cruinniú eile agam i mí Eanáir chun brú a chur orthu, mar údaráis áitiúla pleanála, chun obair a dhéanamh ar an bpíosa seo. Tá na Gaeltachtaí atá i limistéir na n-údarás áitiúil sin thar a bheith tábhachtach. Caithfidh na húdaráis áitiúla, na comhairlí contae, an tábhacht sin a thuiscint. Ag an bpointe seo, tá deis leis an athbhreithniú maidir le rezoning atá ar siúl ag an bpointe seo.
Tá súil agam go dtapóidh siad an deis sin.
Cloisim cad atá á rá ag an Aire ach tá frustrachas ar mhuintir na Gaeltachta toisc go raibh siad ag siúl le treoirlínte pleanála Gaeltachta. Tá na treoirlínte sin tar éis bás a fháil. Tá an tAire ag caint faoi ráiteas anois a thiocfaidh agus a bheidh ag dul amach go comhairliúchán. Tá sé ag caint faoi bhlianta eile. Is an rud céanna é faoi Bhille Údarás na Gaeltachta. Níl sé rite so níl na cumhachtaí sin ag an údarás faoi láthair. Táimid fós ag fanacht air teacht ar ais le go gcríochnóimid iad. Nílimid ag iarraidh go mbeadh aon mhoill air. Tá gá go mbeadh na rudaí seo ag tarlú anois mar is é seo an áit atá an fhadhb. An fáth go bhfuil mé ag cur na ceiste faoin Acht ar leith seo ná gur bealach tapa é seo fad is atáimid ag fanacht ar na céimeanna eile. Mura dtarlaíonn sé sin, beidh sáinn ann. Beidh BÁNÚ, an eagraíocht atá ag tabhairt tacaíochta do cheantair Ghaeltachta maidir le tithíocht, ag éirí níos mó. Tá an ceart ag an Aire go bhfuil ról ag na comhairlí contae. Ach anois láithreach, cá bhfuil Bille Údarás na Gaeltachta? Cá bhfuil na cumhachtaí? Cá bhfuil an gníomh chun déileáil leis an gceist éigeandála seo ó thaobh na Gaeltachta anois láithreach?
Beimid ar ais ag an mBille go luath san earrach. Roimh an mBille sin, tá mé ag obair leis an údarás. Níl mé i mo shuí ansin. Tá mé ag obair chun go mbeidh tuiscint idir mé féin agus an t-údarás faoi stádas pleanála na talún atá aige i ngach chuid den Ghaeltacht. Níl aon fhadhb agam cumhachtaí a thabhairt don údarás don talamh atá aige ag an bpointe seo ach tá sé tábhachtach go dtuigfimid céard é stádas na talún sin ag an bpointe seo agus cén athruithe atá déanta. Níl aon phointe cumhacht a thabhairt don údarás murar féidir leis an chumhacht sin a úsáid mar gheall ar chúrsaí pleanála nó aon rialachán a bheidh ar an talamh sin. Táim sásta é sin a phlé leis an Teachta Ó Snodaigh nó leis an Teachta McGuinness i rith mí Eanáir chun go mbeidh tuiscint ar an sórt treo ina bhfuilimid ag dul.
Rural Schemes
4. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht if he will consider granting funding to homecoming festivals in various locations in the country in the interest of promoting tourism and increasing investment in rural areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [67914/25]
Will the Minister consider granting funding to homecoming festivals in various locations in the country to promote tourism and increase investment, particularly in rural areas? What is his opinion on this? What supports can be provided?
I thank the Deputy for his question. My Department implements a wide range of schemes and supports that are available to community organisations and groups across the country. While my Department does not have a scheme specifically for community or homecoming festivals, there may be an avenue of support under the LEADER programme or potentially the local enhancement programme.
In respect of the LEADER programme, in line with the programme for Government, LEADER has a strong focus on rural tourism and funding has been made available under the programme for festivals and local tourism initiatives. For example, I am sure the Deputy will be well aware of the Old Fort Quarter festival, which has been run very successfully in Portlaoise in recent years. That has received funding from LEADER.
In order for a project to be eligible for LEADER funding, the proposed activity must be compatible with the actions outlined in the approved LEADER local development strategy and comply with the EU regulations and operating rules. The programme is administered by the local action groups, LAGs, across the country. Prospective applicants organising festivals should contact their relevant LAG.
Moving to the local enhancement programme, which is run by the Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, and me, this programme provides small capital grants to community and voluntary groups to improve facilities or purchase equipment. This may support groups that help run local festivals. We are finalising local enhancement programme for 2026 and will announce details of the new programme imminently.
What the Minister said in the last couple of sentences, in relation to finalising plans for 2026, is timely. This is a great way of improving tourism and visitor numbers. As we all know, tourism figures are down this year and there are various reasons for that. Some of it is due to high prices being charged by some hotels and over-pricing, and the industry has to take that on board. The first homecoming festival was organised in Laois this year and it was a huge success. It took place on 4, 5 and 6 September. A lot of voluntary work and commitment go into these festivals and it is an area we need to target in terms of economic and tourism benefits. It also has community and family benefits, because people who had not seen each other for 50 years, in some cases, met again for the first time. The route to securing funding needs to be simplified. I take on board the point about the LEADER programme but it tends to be set. There are a lot of calls on it. A separate stream of funding needs to be made available for this.
I absolutely appreciate the role of any festival or gathering in any rural community. That is why we support the rural shows to the extent of €1 million right across the country, with over 130 of them. Fáilte Ireland, which is the predominant domestic tourism development agency, has a range of schemes in place for supporting local festivals and local community events, as do the local authorities. As I said, the LEADER programme supports festivals. There is one in Portlaoise and others in Ballinakill, Cullahill and Spink, across the Deputy's county. The LEADER programme has a very good track record of supporting festivals across County Laois. I know there are a number of local authorities around the country that provide current funding for festivals in local areas as well.
We are more than happy to assist with capital funding through the LEADER programme, but given the existing level of support through Fáilte Ireland and other organisations, I have no plans to look at this proposal further at this point.
I thank the Minister for his reply. I acknowledge the support given to the Old Fort Quarter festival and other projects in County Laois through the LEADER fund and I accept that. The key thing is that sometimes the information on what is available and where it can be accessed is unclear. I know some bureaucracy is necessary and it is important that money be accounted for properly and that things be done the right way. However, we need to try to streamline this. There can be a multitude of places to go to for funding but sometimes there is a fog in that regard. It needs to be kept very simple and straightforward. Maybe there could be something from the Department to state what is available. The Minister mentioned a number of avenues. Information is key for local communities to find out where to go for this.
Absolutely. We did try to provide that information, but that feedback is coming back to me quite often, so we will consider a one-stop shop for that information. I acknowledge that it is predominantly volunteers who organise these festivals. These are people who are very busy elsewhere in their lives and are probably involved in multiple other organisations in their communities at the same time. We will try to ensure we have a one-stop shop to provide the information.
I wish to bring the attention of every Deputy here this morning to the fact we are finalising the current consultation on Our Rural Future, which is our scaffolding document for rural policy. The final date for submissions is 12 December, which is tomorrow week, and I encourage all Deputies to look at the current draft and to input into that review. If there are suggestions or proposals similar to those the Deputy has, every Deputy should try to make those and we will incorporate the views of Oireachtas Members into the document. It is the scaffolding document on which we will build projects and funding programmes over the next five years.
Question No. 5 taken with Written Answers.
Foras na Gaeilge
6. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Barry Heneghan den Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht , cé go bhfuil sé le moladh as an ardú suntasach a baineadh amach i mBuiséad 2026 don Ghaeilge agus don Ghaeltacht, an bhfuil socrú déanta i dtaobh an €2 mhilliúin a gealladh a thabhairt d’Fhoras na Gaeilge ón 1 Eanáir 2026; agus mura bhfuil, i bhfianaise na bhfadhbanna struchtúrtha a bhaineann le maoiniú an Fhorais, an bhfuil réiteach eile socraithe aige maidir leis an airgead sin a dháileadh ar ghrúpaí pobail ón 1 Eanáir 2026; agus an ndéanfaidh sé ráiteas ina thaobh. [68856/25]
Cuirim ceist faoi fhorbairt an phobal Gaeltachta. Cé go bhfuil an tAire le moladh as an ardú suntasach a baineadh amach i mbuiséad 2026 don Ghaeilge agus don Ghaeltacht, an bhfuil socrú déanta i dtaobh an €2 mhilliún a gealladh d’Fhoras na Gaeilge?
Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta. Tabharfaidh mé seans dó a breath a fháil. Is í an Chomhairle Aireachta Thuaidh-Theas a cheadaíonn buiséid bhliantúla na gComhlachtaí Forfheidhmithe Thuaidh Theas, an Foras Teanga san áireamh. Cuireann Rialtas na hÉireann 75% de bhuiséad Fhoras na Gaeilge ar fáil agus tagann an 25% eile ó Fheidhmeannas Thuaisceart Éireann, de réir an chóimheas maoinithe a aontaíodh nuair a bunaíodh an Foras Teanga.
D'fhreastail mé ar chruinniú de chuid an Chomhairle Aireachta Thuaidh-Theas i gCampas Síochána Mhuineacháin inné, an 3 Nollaig, inar aontaíodh pleananna gnó agus buiséid 2026 d'Fhoras na Gaeilge agus do Ghníomhaireacht na hUltaise. Mar thoradh air seo, cuirfear maoiniú comhaontaithe de €20 milliún ar fáil d'Fhoras na Gaeilge agus do Ghníomhaireacht na hUltaise in 2026. Anuas air seo, cuimsítear sna pleananna gnó go mbeidh maoiniú imfhálaithe á chur ar fáil ag mo Roinn don fhoras agus don ghníomhaireacht le cláir agus gníomhaíochtaí ar leith a reachtáil in 2026. Cuimsíonn sé seo an maoiniú breise a fuair mé mar chuid de bhuiséad 2026.
Tá áthas orm a fhógairt go n-ardófar maoiniú chlár na leabhar Gaeilge go €2 milliún in 2026, an leibhéal is airde riamh. Chomh maith leis sin, cuirfear maoiniú breise os cionn €2 milliún ar fáil do chláir agus do ghníomhaíochtaí eile Fhoras na Gaeilge in 2026. Cuirfear €200,000 ar fáil do Ghníomhaireacht na hUltaise do thograí bainteach le gníomhaíochtaí ar leith i gContaetha Dhún na nGall, Mhuineacháin agus an Chabháin, agus níos faide ó dheas de réir a chéile. Tabharfaidh sé seo ar fad cinnteacht don bhForas Teanga agus do na heagraíochta agus grúpaí pobail ar fud an oileáin a bhaineann tairbhe as na scéimeanna tacaíochta agus maoinithe a chuirtear ar fáil.
Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire. Tá sé go deas é sin a cloisteáil. Maidir leis an maoiniú le haghaidh Foras na Gaeilge, ba mhaith liom míle buíochas a ghabháil ar son mo Dháilcheantar agus ar son muintir na Gaeltachta. Bhí mé ag caint le hionadaithe agus tá siad an-bhuíoch. An féidir leis an Aire an €2 milliún atá beartaithe d’Fhoras na Gaeilge ó mhí Eanáir ar aghaidh a mhíniú? Can this funding be channelled directly through Foras na Gaeilge from that date? What interim or alternative solution has been designed so that community groups do not lose time or opportunities?
Tá muinín agam anois mar gheall ar an airgead breise. Níl aon chúis ann go gcaillfeadh aon ghrúpa am nó airgead. Bhí mé soiléir le m’oifigigh agus leis an bhforas nach raibh mé ag iarraidh go mbeimid san áit céanna a raibh siad sa tréimhse dheireanach. Mar a dúirt mé sa fhreagra, tá cinnteacht ag Foras na Gaeilge faoin airgead breise atá acu le caitheamh ar ghrúpaí agus eagraíochtaí Gaeilge. Leis an gcinnteacht sin, beidh bord an fhorais in ann plean gníomhaíochta agus plean gnó a aontú leis na heagraíochtaí. Mar gheall ar an airgead breise, ní bheidh aon ghá leis na fadhbanna a bhí againn i rith na bliana. Tuigim, i ndiaidh na comhráite a bhí agam le príomhfheidhmeannach an fhorais agus le cathaoirleach bhord an fhorais inné go bhfuil siad ag ullmhú agus ag caint leis na heagraíochtaí Gaeilge. Tá oifigigh mo Roinne ag caint leo freisin. Tá muinín agam go mbeidh bliain fhada agus láidir ag an bhforas agus, go háirithe, ag na heagraíochtaí faoi stiúradh an fhorais.
Ní raibh mé ag an gcruinniú sin; bhí mé ag cruinniú eile. Táim fíorbhuíoch as an €2 milliún sin d’Fhoras na Gaeilge. Bhí mé ag caint le hionadaithe aréir nuair a chuir an tAire an fógra amach. Gabhaim buíochas leis as sin. Agus muid ag caint mar gheall ar an nGaeilge agus Foras na Gaeilge, ba mhaith liom ceist eile atá ag goilliúint ar phobal mo dháilcheantar a ardú. B'fhéidir nach bhfuil an tAire in ann caint faoi. Tá mé ag caint faoi deighilt a dhéanamh idir an bhéalscrúdú agus ceist na gramadaí. Tá go leor daoine i mBaile Átha Cliath atá líofa sa Ghaeilge nach bhfuil in ann aon rud a chur ar pháipéar. An bhfuil éinne sa Roinn oideachais ag smaoineamh mar gheall ar an nGaeilge mar ábhar scoile a roinnt idir an bhéalscrúdú agus an ghramadach?
Ní hé sin mo chúram. Baineann sé leis an Aire oideachais agus an Roinn oideachais.
Tuigim é sin.
Fad is atáimid ag caint faoi, tá sé tábhachtach a rá go bhfuil Gaeilge ag gach duine sa tír seo. Ba cheart go mbeimid in ann í a úsáid gan ghearán. Tá sé tábhachtach go mbeadh muinín ag daoine a gcuid Gaeilge a úsáid gan daoine a bheith ag magadh fúthu. Tá sí againn. Ba cheart go dtabharfadh daoine a bhfuil Gaeilge líofa acu seans do dhaoine nach bhfuil chomh líofa céanna a gcuid Gaeilge a úsáid agus a labhairt. Tá sé tábhachtach go gcuirfimid béim ar an nGaeilge ó bhéal. Is é sin ceann de na cúiseanna go bhfuil cúrsaí ag éirí chomh láidir i dtaca leis an nGaeilge anois. Anseo i mBaile Átha Cliath tá Gaeilge 365 againn, ar bhunaigh Comhairle Cathrach Bhaile Átha Cliath. Tá sé mar sprioc ag an gclár iontach seo cabhrú leis na húdaráis áitiúla seirbhísí a chur ar fáil trí Ghaeilge. Guím gach rath ar Gaeilge 365.
International Protection
73. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the progress that has been made to secure a bilateral agreement with Britain to ensure those international protection applicants who should be processed in Britain can be returned there in a timely manner; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [68314/25]
The Minister has stated publicly on a number of occasions that a significant proportion - in fact, the vast majority - of those seeking international protection in this State are coming from Britain via the common travel area. It seems logical to most people that we need a bilateral agreement with Britain to ensure those international protection applicants who should be processed in Britain are returned there in a timely manner. What progress is being achieved in securing such an agreement?
I thank Deputy Carthy for his question. He is correct in identifying that there clearly is a lot of fluidity between asylum applications in the United Kingdom and Ireland because individuals can travel freely from Britain to Northern Ireland and, because of the common travel area, there is no barrier to individuals travelling south from Northern Ireland into this jurisdiction. Similarly, it operates in the other way. Many people can fly into Dublin Airport, freely travel up to Northern Ireland and then readily transfer over to Britain. It is an issue in the context of assessing applications for international protection.
It is important to set out the situation that pertained previously. Prior to Britain leaving the European Union, Britain was part of the Dublin III regulation and, therefore, returns could operate in respect of people who had come from Britain and applied for asylum here. After Brexit that changed. Promptly after Brexit, we designated the United Kingdom as a safe third country but that was fairly rapidly challenged and the court ruled it could not be categorised thus for a period. Then, earlier this year, on 11 March, I designated the UK as a safe third country. However, because the UK is outside of the EU, we do not have an operationalised system of returns between the UK and Ireland at present. My officials are in discussion with officials from the Home Office and I will be talking to the Home Secretary again in the week after next. I had very good engagement with the previous Home Secretary and I assume I will have the same good engagement with the current one. That said, I have to point out that the political reality is such that the UK is not going to enter into an agreement with Ireland whereby it simply takes back individuals who have applied for asylum in Ireland because they emanated from the UK. We can see what is happening in France. I agree with Deputy Carthy that there has to be greater engagement with the UK and I am in the process of doing that.
The Minister will be aware that this week, the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration in its pre-legislative scrutiny report on the international protection Bill asked that consideration be again given to opting out of the EU migration and asylum pact because that pact does not take cognisance of the fact we operate within a common travel area. Ireland is in the unique position of being an EU member state that also has a common travel area with a state outside of the EU. It is becoming increasingly clear that the pact fails to take account of Ireland's unique challenges. I am concerned at the lack of priority that the Minister is giving to what is a programme for Government commitment to prioritise working with the British Government to introduce further measures in respect of the common travel area. No progress has been made.
Is the Minister going to take account of the pre-legislative scrutiny report from the committee and prioritise this issue? It needs to be prioritised.
Progress has been made with the British Government. There is very good engagement between my Department and the Home Office. The only way we will be able to resolve the issues of concern to the Deputy and me is through collaboration and co-operation with the British Government. He keeps mentioning that we should not have opted in to the pact, but he must then present to the public the consequence of that. The consequence of not opting in is that the 2015 International Protection Act would still apply, as would the 2004 directives giving effect to that. It is not as simple as saying that we should not have opted in to the pact. If we had not opted in to the pact, we would still have the same issue under the 2015 legislation and that does not resolve the issue we are facing. There needs to be an awareness that opting in to the pact has not precluded us from doing what we want to do. The reason we have had a significant change is that the British have left the European Union. It is as a result of the British leaving the EU that we have this issue in our common travel area. I would appreciate if Deputy Carthy and Sinn Féin would say that the common travel area is for the benefit of citizens of Ireland and the UK and not for anyone else. That would be a considerable contribution.
I will say that if it makes the Minister happier.
Well done. That is one in a row and the first time he has said it.
The Minister should also say, as all of us in this House should say, that managing migration would be much easier if we were doing it on an all-Ireland basis within a unitary state framework and that, therefore, we should try to advance the reunification of our country for that and many other reasons.
In 2020, Ireland and Britain agreed informal, non-legally binding operational arrangements to return asylum seekers to each other. How many have been returned to Britain from Ireland? I ask the Minister to provide real figures. Different percentages have been cited in terms of the numbers that are coming through the common travel area. We do not know the numbers for sure because we are not compiling data on people who might, for example, have come for tourism or on student or work visas and subsequently applied for international protection, or on those who applied in any other way. If the figures are anywhere close to those that have been cited, then it is negligence that ensuring we have an arrangement in place is not at the top of the Minister's list to . As he rightly says, the British Government has a potential benefit from this as well if what it is stating is the case.
In response to the Deputy's specific questions, in 2019, of 35 people transferred, 33 were sent to the United Kingdom. In 2020, of eight people transferred, seven were sent to the UK. This is at the top of my list. In fact, I am criticised for trying to deal with issues in respect of international protection and for giving too much priority to it but it is an absolutely essential issue. In terms of what the Deputy said about the figures, what we have is an assessment that the figures are very high because huge percentages of people are applying for international protection at the International Protection Office, IPO. They are not applying at the airport and while it is not conclusive, we believe it is strongly persuasive evidence that those individuals who apply for asylum at the IPO are coming south over the Border. That is supported anecdotally as well. The percentage of people applying for asylum at the IPO is 87%.
As I have said previously, there are many people going in the other direction. When I speak to the Home Secretary, she will be saying to me that she has great concern about people flying into Dublin Airport and coming into Britain through Northern Ireland.
Then let us have a bilateral agreement.
They have a bilateral agreement with the French and it is one in, one out. They are realistic politicians.
We have a common travel area.
That agreement is one in, one out.
An Garda Síochána
74. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the full details of the remuneration packages and any other financial costs to the State related to the appointments and terms served of the current Garda Commissioner and the previous Garda Commissioner. [68764/25]
As the Minister is aware, I asked a number of parliamentary questions regarding the remuneration of the former Garda Commissioner but the information provided to me was not accurate. It was misleading. There was a deal with the former Commissioner in relation to his accommodation and that rent was not indexed, so there was a loss to the taxpayer. Essentially, his rent was subsidised and paid for. Is the Minister going to provide the full details? Will he apologise and correct the record? In future, will he ensure his answers are not misleading to this House?
I want to start by apologising to Deputy Kelly. He asked a question on 23 September and asked the same question on 9 October. In both questions, he asked about the total remuneration package paid to the current Garda Commissioner and the former Garda Commissioner. The answer he got was incomplete. It was very restricted in that it outlined only the salary of the current Garda Commissioners and stated that the previous Commissioner had had the same salary. It did not include, as Deputy Kelly has said, details about the fact that the previous Garda Commissioner had been provided with accommodation in Phoenix Park by the Office of Public Works and that the rent on that had been paid by An Garda Síochána. The rent was €1,800 per month. While I am conscious that the personal tax details of individuals are confidential, I can confirm that the former Commissioner paid benefit-in-kind in respect of that arrangement.
The question Deputy Kelly is asking goes further than those he asked in September and October. It also seeks information on other financial costs to the State related to the appointments. In respect of that and on foot of a security assessment by An Garda Síochána, expenditure of €212,000 was incurred by the Garda Vote for security at the house. An annual monitoring charge of €2,500 was incurred for those security arrangements. Neither I nor my predecessors have commented on those security arrangements for serving Garda Commissioners.
In respect of the pension arrangements, the former Commissioner had the option to join the single public service pension scheme or receive a pension contribution, equivalent to 18.4% of the salary, into a pension scheme nominated by him. He waived that and, in fairness to him, that resulted in a considerable financial gain that he did not seek to accrue.
I thank the Minister for correcting the record. Only for my party colleague Deputy Eoghan Kenny, asking questions in the Committee of Public Accounts, we would not have found this out. I asked numerous questions about this. I spoke to the Garda Representative Association today and was told about so many gardaí who are resigning because they cannot afford to pay rent. The Minister is probably aware of this. Accommodation was provided to a Commissioner and the rent was not indexed. There was a considerable loss to the State where, basically, the rent was not being paid. This is the Accounting Officer for An Garda Síochána and it is low rent. Why was this arrangement not advertised as part of the package when we were looking for a Commissioner? Why was it not part of the job evaluation afterwards once it was awarded? Why did An Garda Síochána look for a house in 2017 prior to a Commissioner even being appointed? The head of the OPW at a meeting of the public accounts committee two weeks ago said it had actually been leased in 2017. Is that accurate? Will the Minister also confirm whether there were any other costs during those seven years in relation to this accommodation that were, in any way, met by the taxpayer?
Obviously, there were unusual aspects to the appointment of the previous Commissioner because he was from outside An Garda Síochána. He came externally and, obviously, issues arise in respect of that. However, I went back and looked at some of the coverage of the new Commissioner’s appointment. On 13 December 2017, The Irish Times reported, “The Government may pay the accommodation costs and education fees for dependent children if an international candidate is selected for the role of Garda Commissioner.” It was obviously envisaged at the time that if someone were going to be appointed to the job of Garda Commissioner from outside of Ireland, accommodation costs would have to be paid in respect of that individual. That situation arose. As I said, the information should have been provided to the Deputy in respect of the rent that was paid on the former Commissioner's behalf by An Garda Síochána. That should have been provided to the Deputy previously.
As for any other costs, aside from the payments the former Commissioner received which I have already provided to the Deputy, namely, the rent and property and the other financial costs associated with expenditure on doing up the house for security reasons, I am not aware of any other expenditure or extra package that was available to that Commissioner.
Why was this hidden for seven years? That is a real question. Second, other candidates were not aware of this accommodation scenario. Was it, therefore, a fair competition? This is not the first time that I have submitted questions to the Minister’s Department that have not been answered. When the Minister commenced in his role, I asked questions regarding holsters. The Minister wrote to me in that regard, but his response was inaccurate. On that occasion, I went to him and he wrote to me again but, again, the response was inaccurate and I had to tell him that. The Minister had to write to me three times on the one question. I am also the Member who had to tell the Minister about the arms in the boot of the car in the Evan Fitzgerald case. The Minister was not aware of it. He said a narrow interpretation of my parliamentary question was taken, but am I meant to basically second-guess all answers now as being narrow interpretations? How is it possible the Minister was not aware of this issue?
I have a deep concern about how policing is administered from the Minister’s Department, as opposed to other sections. I have said to him that any of three things could be happening regarding these questions because I cannot, as an Opposition spokesperson, continue to ask questions and receive narrow interpretations. It is either incompetence or a deliberate act or the people answering the questions genuinely do not know at this stage what is accurate or inaccurate. Any or all of them are deeply worrying for this House. Will the Minister guarantee that the answers he gives to questions from Opposition spokespersons will be accurate and he will not mislead the House in the future?
I am checking something that is of significance to the answer. I take answering questions in this House extremely seriously. Obviously, parliamentary questions come in. I was searching for a figure. Since I have been appointed as Minister, somewhere in the region of 3,500 to 4,000 parliamentary questions have come in and each one of them deserves a full and complete answer. I have instructed officials in my Department that when it comes to answering parliamentary questions, in cases where there can be either a broad or narrow interpretation, they are to adopt the broad interpretation in giving an answer.
When did the Minister tell them that?
I have been telling them that consistently. Part of the reason the Deputy received a previous answer by way of a letter from me a number of months ago is that I am insistent that information is given, not just to the Deputy but to all TDs, as thoroughly as possible.
I told the Minister it was inaccurate.
With regard to the Deputy’s point that this was hidden, having referred to what was in The Irish Times, I do not think it can be said it was hidden. Anyone applying-----
It was not public.
Anyone applying from outside of Ireland in 2017 would have been aware that one of the options or packages applied would be accommodation fees and education fees, if they arose.
The candidates were not aware of it.
Refugee Resettlement Programme
75. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration to provide an update on pathways to resettlement for Palestinians in Gaza who wish to come to Ireland. [68957/25]
It is a simple question. We have all seen the horror and genocide in Gaza over the past two years. Despite the so-called ceasefire, it continues. There was an attack on an apartment block last night, with children murdered again by Israel. We have all been contacted by people who have connections to Ireland in various ways and who are looking to get out of Gaza and become refugees to resettle in Ireland. It has been difficult to help those people. We have had sympathetic responses from the Minister and the various people we write to, but little practical help.
What is happening in Gaza is horrific. My Department continues to work closely with the Department of foreign affairs to ensure a co-ordinated national response to the situation. This includes working with Irish citizens and their families who may require visa assistance. Many visas have been granted to individuals coming from Gaza to Ireland.
In common with the position for all non-EU nationals, entry of Palestinian nationals is undertaken through the existing legal immigration pathways available. Palestinian nationals are visa required and must have a valid Irish visa before they seek to enter Ireland. Palestinian nationals can apply for a visa and permission to remain in Ireland for a variety of reasons, including employment, education or to join a family member in the State. That information is available on my Department’s website.
Visa applications are part of a screening process, designed to establish that a person has a legitimate reason to come to Ireland prior to travel. All such applications undergo this process. Separately, there is also the process of applying for visas since October 2023. I understand that the total number is 1,790, of which 1,068 have been granted. Visas are being granted in respect of Palestinians who seek to come to Ireland. Obviously, individuals who come to Ireland and claim international protection having emanated from Palestine will have their applications considered.
This is an international crisis in terms of trying to provide humanitarian assistance to people in Gaza. It is particularly difficult to get out of there, but Ireland plays its part in assisting people who want to leave, whether that is through immigration visas or someone making an application for international protection. Of course, that will be considered as well.
When Putin invaded Ukraine, the Irish Government was clear in its welcome to Ukrainians who were fleeing a brutal invasion and war. The Palestinian people for two years - longer in reality - have been facing absolute horror and they continue to face it. It is fine to say the information is all on the website, but the Minister and I know that many of these cases are quite complex. We write to the Minister and then we are told that, for example, guidance cannot be provided on visas applications that have not yet been submitted. In many cases, however, what these people need is assistance in making the best application they can. We need practical guidance on how to advise people of their visas options. We do not really have that knowledge.
Ideally we would have a dedicated contact point to assist with some of the more challenging cases that come to us so that people can make whatever application they need to make.
There is a significant difference between Gaza and Ukraine. People cannot leave Gaza but they can leave Ukraine. The European Union decided that the temporary protection directive would be commenced in respect of individuals emanating from Ukraine. We also want to be careful in that we do not want to facilitate an Israeli policy of seeking to compulsorily move people out of Palestinian territory.
The statistics confirm that a lot has been done. Looking at the total number of visa applications received from Palestinian nationals since October 2023, which is the past two years, 1,700 have applied and we have granted over 1,000. A lot of visas are being granted to individuals who apply for visas from Palestine. It probably does require a broader international humanitarian response. There was a broader European response with Syria and Afghanistan but there are very particular issues arising given the Israeli policy of precluding people from leaving Gaza that have an impact on policy developed by European countries.
I accept entirely the point about Israel's role, and the Jordanian authorities have also presented an obstacle to this. I have met with many Palestinians who are here who have family members, be it brothers and sisters or whatever, stuck in Gaza in this absolute horror. I agree that we do not want to facilitate the ethnic cleansing of Gaza but we also do not want to say "No" to people who want to come and join their families here. These people come to us, and I am sure the Minister has also heard many awful stories. These people have lost many members of their families, they are trying to get out and they are trying to join their families that are here. What should we tell them? At the moment we write to the Minister through parliamentary questions and we write to the immigration service, but we just get boilerplate answers that do not facilitate them. Can more practical assistance be provided to them with a point of contact in the Department in order to be able to give more assistance to people in those sort of circumstances?
The officials in my Department give a very sympathetic response and an efficient response. The numbers of applications for visas to come here are very significant and it takes a long time to process them. I do not know whether it is the case that priority is given to applicants from certain countries but the best way of dealing with it is to ensure that we improve and increase efficiency, which is something that can always be done.
In terms of what else is happening, the Irish Red Cross has offered to assist families in Ireland to apply for entry visas for their family members still in Gaza. Applications from eligible family members will be processed as swiftly as possible. This is what my officials say to me. I understand that the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and Irish embassies and consulates are limited to providing assistance to non-Irish citizens but they are actively exploring options for the provision of assistance to individuals in Gaza who wish to travel to Ireland. The Deputy will also be aware that we did a lot in terms of the medivac scheme. In September 2024, the Government approved Ireland's participation in the initiative to evacuate up to 36 children from Gaza. So far, 19 paediatric patients and members of their families have arrived.
Coroners Service
76. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if he will provide an update on the urgent discussions referenced in his written reply of 22 October 2025 regarding the planned discontinuation of coronial post mortems at University Hospital Waterford from 1 January 2026; the interim arrangements that have now been agreed for counties Waterford, Wexford, Kilkenny, Tipperary and Carlow; and the way in which his Department intends to ensure that bereaved families in the south east are not subjected to further delays or distress as a result of these changes. [68836/25]
Following a recent meeting in University Hospital Waterford, UHW, attended by representatives and officials in my Department, I am advised that the pathologists employed at that location have indicated they are not available to carry out post mortems. On foot of this, my Department has been engaging with locum pathologists with a view to agreeing a solution to the situation in UHW from 1 January next. This approach is an unfortunate necessity to minimise any impact on bereaved family members who are engaging with the Coroner Service. A long-term sustainable solution is, nevertheless, required whereby locum pathologists are not relied upon to provide for the autopsy service and instead this service to the community is provided from within the pathology profession in Ireland generally.
I am afraid that I am also advised there are issues arising with respect to the performance of post mortems within the pathology profession generally. These include issues relating to training and recruitment as well as competing demands on pathologists in areas of diagnostic and research work. These are concerns that I am particularly worried about. There is an overlap here between my Department, which has responsibility for the Coroner Service and inquests, and the Minister for Health, Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill.
In April 2022, my Department established a standing committee on the provision of coroner-directed post mortem examination services, membership of which consists of representatives from the Department of Health, HSE, Office of the State Pathologist, Garda, Coroners Society, and other officials from the faculty of pathology in the Royal College of Physicians. While this committee is an important forum with appropriate membership to discuss issues in relation to the autopsy service, I am conscious that the situation in University Hospital Waterford has reached a critical juncture and an urgent solution is required. I will consider and continue to seek to engage on this issue but it is an issue over which I do not have full control in light of what pathologists are doing at present.
We are little more than 40 days from a cliff edge that the Minister has just described as a "critical juncture". From 1 January post mortems will no longer be carried out at UHW, a service that carries out 700 cases every year, which are often the most tragic and traumatic of deaths. Behind every one of these cases is a family in shock waiting for answers and waiting simply to lay a loved one to rest yet today, with the deadline fast approaching, there is no clarity on who will perform these examinations, where they will take place,or how families in counties Waterford, Wexford, Kilkenny, Carlow and Tipperary will be protected from delays that could last days or weeks. How will the Minister ensure that bereaved families in the south east are not plunged into a crisis of delays, distress and indignity from 1 January? Families deserve certainty, they deserve compassion and a plan, and they deserve it now.
I agree with the Deputy that it is a very traumatic experience for a family after there has been a death if they are told that there has to be a post mortem and then there can be a considerable wait prior to the funeral. I would not like to see Ireland develop in the same way as other countries where there is a significant delay between death and the funeral. One of the things we do very well in this country is death and it is not something that we want to change by having a big gap between death and a funeral.
Where a coroner deems a post mortem examination to be required, the coroner concerned will arrange the post mortem examination to be conducted as expeditiously as possible to ensure timely release of the remains to the next of kin. Depending on the circumstance of the death, a post mortem examination is carried out by a pathologist or, in State forensic cases, by the Office of the State Pathologist. I am in the process of seeking to review the law in respect of coroners. We need to examine the circumstances of when we order a post mortem. A post mortem is not needed in all the situations that we have them at present, particularly for elderly people, but that level of reform will not be in place by 1 January. I am concerned about what the Deputy has narrated as to the circumstances in University Hospital Waterford.
This is not an abstract policy issue; this is a human one. There are 700 cases every year. Every day that a family waits for a post mortem is a day they cannot hold a funeral, cannot begin the grieving process and cannot find closure. That is the reality that awaits hundreds of families across the south east if this service collapses on 1 January. Coroners, funeral directors and front-line responders still have no guidance. Families deserve reassurance that they will not be left waiting in deep distress for a service that is their right. I again ask the Minister, respectfully but firmly, to commit to guaranteeing that no family across the south east will face avoidable delays or uncertainty on the most difficult days of their lives. The people we represent in the south east deserve nothing less.
I thank the Deputy. I will give the statistics in respect of University Hospital Waterford. There are nine sanctioned consultant pathology posts of which eight are currently filled with one vacancy to be filled next year. Two posts were filled earlier this year and these appointments have not been made on the basis of the autopsy element being excluded. The remaining six pathologists have provided the autopsy service with three taking on the bulk of the workload. All six have confirmed that they will withdraw the service from 1 January. This is happening because consultants are withdrawing from a service. We need to look again at the contracts of individuals we are hiring as pathologists, so that there is a requirement that they perform post mortems and autopsies.
As the Deputy said, approximately 700 autopsies are conducted in University Hospital Waterford every year. The local pathologist services with which the Department is engaging will be contracted to provide a service from pathologists not already providing services in Ireland. In practice, this will be from the UK.
Legal Aid
77. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if he has initiated an immediate review of the Legal Aid Board’s capacity to administer the current civil legal aid scheme, as recommended by the review of civil legal aid; when he expects this review to be completed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [68322/25]
It is now several months since the Minister received the report on the civil legal aid review, which in itself took three years to complete. Recommendation 22 of that report called for an immediate review of the Legal Aid Board's capacity to administer the current civil legal aid scheme. Will the Minister advise whether that has been commenced and when it is expected to be complete?
As the Deputy knows, the Legal Aid Board is the statutory body responsible for the provision of civil legal aid and advice to qualifying individuals. There are two parts to it, one is legal advice while the other is legal representation. Eligibility for the scheme is determined by reference to a financial assessment. The Legal Aid Board provides enormous assistance, particularly in the area of family law and, indeed, going back to what we were talking about earlier, international protection.
The Deputy is correct in that the former Chief Justice, Mr. Justice Frank Clarke, was asked in June 2022 to conduct a review. Two reports actually were published in July 2025 which contained recommendations relating to the income threshold allowances and other financial aspects of the scheme. Since the overall available income eligibility threshold is influenced by the level of deductible allowances any changes must be considered in the round and the potential implications that such changes might have on the operation of the scheme. While the review highlights the need for comprehensive legal aid reform it also recognises that the current legal aid system must function effectively in the meantime. A critical aspect of any implementation will, therefore, be careful sequencing of reforms. However, I want the Deputy to know that in my Department, officials are considering the reports and are putting together proposals that will come to me for the purpose of implementing the recommendations.
The Deputy is correct in noting that the review group recognised that immediate action is required on the financial eligibility thresholds. It favoured an increase in the available income threshold from €18,000 to €23,500 as soon as possible. I want to see that achieved. I have instructed officials in my Department that I want to see it achieved. However, I have to inform the Deputy that I cannot just do that by the stroke of a pen. Once I do that, the demand for services is going to increase quite significantly. I need to ensure that I have the lawyers available to provide the increase in services. It is an important question and progress is being made on it.
Having heard the number of announcements the Minister has made over the past year without any changes happening, it concerns me when he has not even made an announcement in respect of this. That says to me that there is not an appreciation yet of the urgency here. There is a real crisis right now in accessing civil legal aid. That means there is a crisis in access to justice. The income limits, incredibly, have not changed since 2006. We are told by everybody involved that the fee structure means we do not have enough private lawyers carrying out legal aid work. That is creating problems in some parts of the country where there are basically no supports available, particularly for vulnerable people, including victims of domestic violence, who just cannot get the representation they need.
I am told by those who work in the area that the civil legal aid services are virtually on the brink of collapse, unless something is done urgently. I hear what the Minister is saying in terms of asking his officials to do this and wanting to do that. Will he give us a timeframe and clarity as to when we will see action in this area?
It is important that I got the report, read it and published it and that we tried to consider how we could implement it. I regret to say that it cannot happen overnight. The Deputy might think that can happen in government, that a Minister can say, "I am going to do this" and that it happens. It is important to announce what one's policy objective is, however. It is important for me to say that I want to see the recommendations in respect of the financial eligibility set out in the majority report implemented.
It is also important to emphasise that funding for legal aid and legal advice has increased significantly in recent years. In budget 2021, my Department's allocation to the free legal advice centres, FLAC, trebled from €98,000 to €294,000. It is important that I made an announcement this year which was followed up with actual money. The budget allocation for FLAC for 2026 increased significantly from €500,000 to €750,000. The increased funding will allow them to prioritise callers and assist people who are seeking legal aid and legal assistance. Work is, therefore, being done. I am not going to just give a timeline but I have instructed officials in my Department that I want to see the recommendations set out in Frank Clarke's report implemented in respect of financial eligibility.
For all the recommendations and the fact we need a whole overview of the civil legal aid scheme, two things need to be addressed, namely, income thresholds and fees. I do not believe that even the income thresholds suggested in the majority report are going to be sufficient to provide for access to the justice that I think the Minister will agree is integral. We need to get those two things sorted very quickly. While there has been no movement on that side, there is potentially a lot of additional pressure coming. I do not know whether the Minister followed the pre-legislative scrutiny discussions but people who work in this area have highlighted the burden that will be placed on them by the international protection Bill. Additional work is going to be put on the civil legal aid process. The Minister is adding to the pressures but not providing the solutions. What does the Minister intend to do to address the concerns around the international protection Bill? Crucially, when are we going to see the income thresholds and fees addressed?
In terms of international protection, Deputy Carthy is right about that. A significant number of people are seeking legal aid from the Legal Aid Board in respect of international protection. In fact, 11,689 applicants sought legal aid services in relation to international protection last year, which was an increase from nearly 10,000 the year before. That is hugely demanding for the Legal Aid Board. I am increasing the funding to the Legal Aid Board. The current budget allocation for the board for 2026 is €72 million, which is made up of €36.5 million for the pay budget and €35.6 million for the non-pay budget. When it comes to international protection and the enactment of the new international protection Bill, obviously there is a requirement within that, that we are going to provide legal counsel to individuals who are seeking assistance in respect of the international protection process. I will have to fund that. That funding will have to be made available. That will happen immediately, as of 12 June next year.
I am committed to changing the financial eligibility rules. However, I am not going to give a date here when I do not have certainty that it will be complied with by that date.