EU Funding
7. Deputy Cathy Bennett asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht if he will report on his engagements regarding the LEADER programme under the next EU budgetary cycle. [68487/25]
LEADER funding, as the Minister will be aware, plays a vital role in our communities and businesses, especially in my constituency of Cavan-Monaghan. A reduction in LEADER funding would be unacceptable for rural communities that are already struggling. Can the Minister assure us that LEADER funding will not be reduced?
For over 30 years, LEADER has delivered tangible benefits to rural communities in areas such as economic development and job creation, rural infrastructure, social inclusion, environmental sustainability and, as we discussed, rural activities. Therefore, the development of the EU regulations relating to the post-2027 Common Agricultural Policy, CAP, and the new national and regional partnership plans is a matter of significant importance to me and to my Department. Ireland will continue to advocate for a well-funded CAP that supports farm resilience, environmental ambition and, crucially, rural development measures such as LEADER.
Within the draft regulations, the inclusion of the LEADER programme as a CAP intervention is to be welcomed. As part of the ongoing negotiation process, my Department continues to emphasise the importance of a ring-fenced allocation for the LEADER Programme. Detailed discussions on the shape and operation of the new regulations are ongoing at both national and EU levels. To facilitate the current negotiation process for the post-2027 period, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has established a CAP consultative committee, which includes representation from my Department. I acknowledge the work of the Minister, Deputy Heydon, in involving my Department in this.
Separately, while in Strasbourg last week, I met with Irish MEPs, including Kathleen Funchion, to discuss a range of issues, including LEADER funding, in the context of the next EU budgetary cycle. I will continue to work with the Irish MEPs and my Government colleagues to ensure that the LEADER programme is supported and well funded into the future.
The LEADER programme has played a crucial role in rural development, especially in addressing and developing the rural community. It has, therefore, been a regressive move that LEADER has faced cuts in every programme for nearly 20 years. Prior to the financial crisis, the annualised budget for the LEADER programme between 2007 to 2013 was €57 million per year, reducing to €54 million post the crash. The annual allocation for the 2014 to 2020 programme was slashed by one third to €35 million. The Government signed off on a transition programme of €35 million to €36 million on average per year for 2023 to 2027. That is not only a cut in real terms. Taking account of inflation, LEADER funding must stand at half of what it once was. My question again is: does the Minister accept that the LEADER budget has been gutted and what can he do about it?
If the Minister will hold on, Deputy McGuinness has a supplementary question.
LEADER funding has been cut in 2024 and 2025 and now it has been cut in the budget for next year. I would like to know what the rationale is for that and I would like a breakdown of what will be affected by that cut. The cut in LEADER funding for next year is in the order of €10 million.
That has to be considered in the broader reconfiguration of CAP happening at European level and the Government's failure - this is bigger than the Department only as it is being led by the Department of agriculture - to come to terms with that and to exert influence at European level to ensure that rural development funding and, indeed, other measures are protected within that reconfiguration.
This is also part of a direction of travel here in Ireland where there has been a divestment in rural communities by successive Governments from 2014 on, with changes to the LEADER programme and, as my colleague Deputy Bennett said, year-on-year cuts to funding.
It can be dressed up as being about transitional periods and an envelope of funding that lasts but in real terms, we are seeing cuts year on year.
One cannot talk about LEADER cuts without also talking about the fact that a whole range of new programmes have been invested in, including RRDF, TVRS, RSS and CCIF. They are now in place but were not in place over many years of the LEADER programme. They fulfil many of the duties LEADER did. LEADER funding is not cut for next year. We will spend the full allocation during the programme. The remaining €180 million has been allocated for 2023 to 2027. That maintains the funding with the previous programme. I am confident we will spend that full €180 million. Approvals are currently slow, as has always been the method. We will ensure allocations are in place. I am working on a post-2027 scenario. That is why I have had meetings with MEPs. I encourage the Deputies to do the same in terms of looking at that cross-European support that we need to have a LEADER programme funded separately under the CAP measure. That is important. The MEPs left me under no illusion last week as to the challenges relating to the multiannual financial framework, MFF, and funding.
I am relaying the fears of my constituents. LEADER funding was cut in the immediate aftermath of the financial crash, was raided during the austerity years and it was cut further in real terms under the previous Government. The meagre increase is not enough to keep up with inflation. My fear now is the Government is seemingly not that put out about a European Commission proposal to cut CAP by nearly 25%, through which LEADER is funded, and that the European Commission, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael will see our local development companies and rural development take the short straw once again. Will the Minister not only rule out further cuts to LEADER but commit at European level to advocating for the full restoration of LEADER funds to pre-crash levels?
I do not have the Waterford figures but the Cavan LEADER programme for 2023 to 2027 has an allocation of €6.37 million. There is €5.985 million for Monaghan. To date, under the 2023 to 2027 programme, 45 projects have been approved, 25 in Cavan and 20 in Monaghan to the value of €1.62 million in Cavan and €1.29 million in Monaghan. That funding continues but it is also in partnership with the other projects I mentioned. We have seen some of those projects in RSS, CCIF and RRDF. I will continue to work the Deputy and the Chair on delivering projects in Cavan and Monaghan. The development companies are very important partners in developing those projects. I was in Cork last weekend with the Minister of State where we saw IRD Duhallow using other projects. The Deputy can be absolute assured that I am very focused on LEADER. That is why I was in Strasbourg last week and met MEPs. Equally, it is not the Government causing the difficulties. A debate is under way about the entire European budget. I assure the Deputy the studs are on and we will defend the interests of LEADER and I will defend the interests of rural communities.
Questions Nos. 8, 9 and 11 taken with Written Answers.
Irish Language
12. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht the indicators his Department will use to measure progress on the Clondalkin Irish Language Network and the Gaeilge 365 initiative from 2025 to 2028; the specific annual targets for the number of innovative projects to be developed each year; the number to be mainstreamed; the number to be scaled within the four Dublin local authorities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [68507/25]
Táim fíorbhuíoch as a bheith sa Chamber arís. Táim chun ceist a chur ar an Aire faoin Clondalkin Irish language network agus Gaeilge 365 idir 2025 agus 2028 agus faoi na targets, the number of innovative projects to be developed each year, the number to be mainstreamed agus an líonra atá ann idir na ceithre local authorities i mBaile Átha Cliath. When talking about giving constituencies stuff, I urge the Minister not to forget north Dublin.
As the Deputy will be aware, Muintir Chrónáin is the lead organisation, which prepared the Clondalkin language plan approved in 2020. Annual funding of €96,000 is provided to the Irish Language Network to implement its language plan and to employ a full time Irish-language officer. Foras na Gaeilge continually monitors the implementation of specified actions in the Clondalkin language plan in its role as the organisation tasked with supporting and funding Muintir Chrónáin. Separately, it is intended that a review of the Clondalkin language plan will be carried out in the sixth year of the implementation, a process I discussed with Deputy Conor McGuinness.
My Department intends to publish the first evaluation of language plans in the Gaeltacht language planning areas in the coming weeks. They will be used to further inform the methodology for monitoring plans under the Irish language process, including Clondalkin. Gaeilge 365 is the first innovation unit to operate through Irish in the public service. The fundamental aim of this project is to put an innovative approach in place to create more opportunities for the public to speak Irish through the services of the four Dublin local authorities including those servicing Dublin Bay North. Indicators used to measure progress include the following: for year one, to develop 16 innovative tested language projects; create 30,000 plus Irish-speaking opportunities through council services; root at least two innovative language projects in the councils; scale at least one innovative language projects through additional funding sources; at least three empowerment programmes in hand with over 45 participants annually; launch the policy book; and 100,000 plus social media views on related content. These targets will be built upon for years two, three and four of this initiative. Tá muinín agam go mbeidh seans ag muintir Dháilcheantar an Teachta úsáid a bhaint as Gaeilge 365 agus na deiseanna a ghabhann leis. Mar is eol don Teachta, tá gealltanas sa chlár Rialtais chun Gaeilge 365 a leathnú amach go dtí údaráis áitiúla eile sa Stát.
Táim fíorbhuíoch as sin. Tá na daoine atá ag obair le Gaeilge 365 ag déanamh obair na gcapall. Maidir leis an rud faoina raibh mé ag caint leis an Aire níos luaithe, níl sé greanta i gcloch. Tá a fhios agam nach bhfuil an tAire sa Roinn oideachais ach tá go leor eolais aige mar gheall ar an ábhar seo. Táim ag iarraidh an rud a dúirt mé a shoiléiriú. Nílim ag iarraidh dhá ábhar. Táim ag iarraidh an t-ábhar a athrú. Tá a fhios ag an Aire nach bhfuil an Ghaeilge i leabhair. Tá pop-up Gaeltacht sa teach tábhairne, tá Féile na Gealaí i Ráth Chairn agus tá go leor initiatives eile ann. Tá an fuinneamh atá sa Ghaeilge anois craiceáilte. Maidir leis an rud atáim ag iarraidh a dhéanamh, cén fáth go bhfuilimid ag foghlaim "An Spailpín Fánach"? Is cuma le gach duine faoi sin. B'fhéidir go bhfuil go leor daoine á iarraidh ach caithfidh daoine a bheith ag labhairt na Gaeilge. Tá sé beo. Níl sé sa leabhar. Ba chóir féachaint ar an rud a rinneadh sa Bhreatain Bheag.
Maidir le cúrsaí oideachais, ba chóir don Teachta ceisteanna a chur ar an Aire oideachais. Tá tuairimí suimiúla ag an Teachta ach ba cheart dó na tuairimí sin a phlé leis an Aire oideachais, an Teachta Hildegarde Naughton. Thug mé freagra maidir leis an méid atá ag tarlú le Gaeilge 365. Léiríonn sé sin an fuinneamh agus na cúrsaí nua atá ar bun chun an Ghaeilge a spreagadh. Táthar ag baint úsáid as na meáin shóisialta, as seirbhísí na gcomhairlí áitiúil i mBaile Átha Cliath, as seirbhísí daoine agus as leabhair. Maidir le ceist dheireanach an Teachta, tá €2 milliún bhreise tugtha d'Fhoras na Gaeilge le haghaidh clár na leabhar Gaeilge. Leis na leabhair Ghaeilge, beidh déagóirí agus páistí in ann an Ghaeilge a úsáid i gcomhthéacs difriúil agus suimiúil. Tá leabhair nua maidir le teicneolaíocht agus gach rud eile á bhfoilsiú de thoradh ar an airgead breise sin. Tuigim an frustrachas atá ar an Teachta ach, maidir le haon rud le haghaidh na Roinne oideachais, ba chóir dó an frustrachas sin a ligean amach ar an Aire oideachais.
Tuigim é sin. Tá brón orm ach tá go leor eolais ag an Aire faoin ábhar seo. Tá fearg orm faoi. Táim 27 mbliana d'aois. Tá glúin nua ag teacht anuas agus iad ag foghlaim an rud céanna a d'fhoghlaim mé féin. Ní bheadh Gaeilge agam gan mo dheirfiúr. Nílim ag cur aon shade ar fhilí. Is file í mo dheirfiúr ach caithfimid an rud a athrú. Tá sé sean. Níl sé don ghlúin seo. Bhí mé ag caint leis an Aire faoi seo. Má fhéachann tú ar an teanga nádúrtha sa Bhreatain Bheag, is léir go bhfuil siad ag déanamh an rud ceart. Tá siad ag athrú sa roinn agus is é sin an rud is tábhachtaí.
Caithfimid caimiléireacht a dhéanamh ar an rud seo agus an méid atá ag obair sa tír eile seo a dhéanamh leis an teanga dúchasach anseo. Tá a fhios agam nach hé an Teachta Calleary an tAire oideachais.
Níl mórán disagreement eadrainn. Tá mé ag súil go mbeidh deis agam staidéar a dhéanamh ar cad atá ag tarlú sa Bhreatain Bheag go háirithe maidir le cúrsaí teanga agus fuinnimh. Caithfidh an Teachta a admháil go bhfuil fuinneamh ann i gcúrsaí Gaeilge ag an bpointe.
Tá.
Mar a dúirt mé leis an Teachta McGuinness níos luaithe, tá sé ann de bharr obair na OPTs atá ar siúl agus an obair a bhí á plé againn atá ar siúl ag na daoine in Áras Chrónáin agus i ngach chuid den tír. Tá na daoine áitiúla atá ag plé le cúrsaí áitiúla ag cur rudaí ar siúl agus ag cur clár na Gaeilge ar siúl. Tá an fuinneamh sin ann mar gheall ar obair TG4, Raidió Rí-Rá, Conradh na Gaeilge, agus na heagraíochtaí Gaeilge a bhíomar ag plé níos luaithe faoi chúrsaí Fhoras na Gaeilge agus an t-airgead sin. Beidh an €2 milliún breise sin ag dul i dtreo an fhuinnimh sin. Tá scéal maith agus láidir againn ach tuigim frustrachas an Teachta. Déanfaidh mé staidéar ar cad atá ag tarlú sna tíortha eile.
Departmental Schemes
10. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht if he plans to increase the funding allocation for the local improvement scheme for County Cork in 2026 given the large number of unfunded applications, particularly in rural parts of Cork North-West; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [67265/25]
As the Deputy knows, the local improvement scheme, LIS, supports the improvement of rural roads and laneways that are not usually maintained by local authorities. Since its re-establishment in 2017, the Government has provided almost €184 million to local authorities under it. This funding has resulted in improvement work on nearly 5,000 roads, benefiting over 23,000 landowners and residents in rural areas. Once LIS allocations are made each year on a county basis, it is at the discretion of each the local authorities to select and prioritise roads for improvement under the scheme each year.
I announced additional funding for the LIS in August, bringing the total allocation for 2025 to €30 million. This is the highest annual allocation for the scheme to date, and it reflects the priority that the Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, and I attach to it.
Since 2017, Cork County Council has received a total of €14.15 million in LIS funding, the second-highest allocation to local authorities nationally. Cork's allocation under the 2025 scheme totalled €2.33 million.
The 2026 scheme is expected to be launched early next year. I am reviewing the provisions in advance to ensure they will be managed as reasonably and efficiently as possible. My officials will continue to engage with local authorities across the country as next year's scheme is rolled out. I encourage Deputies to engage with their local authorities to ensure all funding for 2025 is expended. Details of the 2026 scheme, including county allocations, will be circulated among local authorities and published on the Department's website as they become available.
I thank the Minister. It is great to see that so much progress has been made on the local improvement scheme since it was re-established in 2017. The 5,000 improved roads in many rural parts of the country are very important to many of our constituents. I welcome the fact that the Minister has doubled the funding this year to €30 million, representing one of the largest increases for the scheme in the history of the State. It is great to see that Cork County Council has expended over €14 million on the scheme since its re-establishment in 2017.
There are many roads in my constituency, Cork North-West. We had the privilege of having the Minister down in Rylane last weekend. Many roads around Rylane and other areas are in significant need of refurbishment. Many applications have been received by Cork County Council and there are many on hand. As a public representative for the area, I urge the Minister to continue to push for further funding between now and 2030 so we can continue to address the backlog of roads that need to be improved during that time.
I thank the Deputy. We had a super day in Rylane and Kishkeam. I thank everybody for their welcome, including Deputy John Paul O’Shea, Deputy Aindrias Moynihan and the Minister of State, Deputy Michael Moynihan. There was a lot of really good progress in respect of the subject matter of the discussions we had here earlier.
Cork County Council reported 175 LIS roads awaiting repair at the end of 2024. Fifty-one roads, including four island roads, have been repaired to date in 2025. Cork County Council is one of our best-performing local authorities. I am very conscious of the size of Cork county in the context of all our allocations. We will continue to work with local authorities on the LIS.
The cost per road repair differs from local authority to local authority. I am carrying out an analysis of what is influencing this. We need to address the backlog. The Deputy has spoken about the backlog in his area. I will do some work on this and am happy to take suggestions from all the rural Deputies on how we should address it.
I thank the Minister. It is good to see that Cork County Council is getting a lot of praise here this morning for its participation in the scheme and for ensuring many roads will be done this season. A total allocation of €2.33 million for 2025 is very welcome. I am sure many roads in my area, Cork North-West, and right across the county will be done. It is great that many roads on the islands off the mainland of Cork County have been done also.
It is important to get the allocations out early in the year so we can ask the local authorities about projects. The roads staff do all our public roads and are involved with the community involvement scheme and roads programme right across Cork county. It is important from a resource point of view to get the allocation as quickly as possible. I will work with the Minister, the Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, and others to try to address the long waiting list for Cork county. I can guarantee the Minister that we will spend whatever money we get.
I absolutely agree. We will try to get the allocations out early. Under the former Minister, Heather Humphreys, and under me and the current Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, where there were underspends in our capital area half way through the year, we put them in. That is why I was able to get the additional allocation. The initial allocation for 2026, which will be announced, is €17 million. I am confident we will be able to increase that. We will get it out early. I am confident, from engaging with my officials, that there are no major underspends in any local authority this year. It was astounding to me that any local authority would not spend its full LIS allocation. We have resolved that issue.
Department officials are engaging with the Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, and me on what a 2026 scheme would look like. I am very much open to suggestions, particularly on the backlog, on how to address it and how to achieve a balance in doing so. We will continue to engage with the Department of Transport on this in the context of the value my Department offers in this space.
Irish Language
13. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht if he will outline the projects developed by Gaois in DCU; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [68148/25]
An leagfaidh an tAire amach na tionscnaimh atá á gcur ar bun ag Gaois in DCU, and will he make a statement on the matter?
Go raibh maith ag an Teachta. Mar is eol dó, is grúpa eolais é Gaois i bhFiontar agus Scoil na Gaeilge in Ollscoil Chathair Bhaile Átha Cliath. It comprises lecturers, researchers and postgraduate students. Gaois has received funding from my Department since 2027. I visited DCU just last month to see the great work it is doing. I was delighted to announce just over €4 million for Gaois for the next four years to help to significantly develop its major projects.
The projects developed by Gaois are research and reference resources of an exceptionally high standard, which provide a comprehensive facility to the Irish-language community focused on the development of innovative resources to sustain the language and the learning of Irish. Students, teachers, journalists, translators and the wider public can, depending on their areas of research, easily access the contents through searching some of the following sites: dúchas.ie, which entails digitisation of the Irish folklore collection; logainm.ie, the Irish placenames database; corpas.ie, the national corpus of the Irish language, which includes both written and oral material; canúint.ie, a repository of Irish dialects; and ainm.ie, the national database of Irish-language biographies. The sites will be of interest not only to ourselves but also to daoine i ngach chuid den domhan a bhfuil suim acu sa Ghaeilge agus i stair agus cultúr an oileáin freisin.
I am very conscious that the funding my Department is providing will enable Gaois to develop greater integration between the sites, provide more powerful search facilities and ensure a structured supply of information in a measured way to artificial intelligence models.
Additionally, it will advance the Gaois working groups, develop the next generation of technicians and researchers, and sustain the resources' userbase. Previous projects undertaken by Gaois with the assistance of funding received from my Department include the LEX Project, which has provided terminology support for the EU institutions from 2008 onwards, and an líonra saineolaithe a bhí forbartha with the aim of providing high-quality technical advice to Irish-language translators and terminologists in the European institutions. I look forward to continuing work with Gaois sna blianta atá romhainn.
As the Minister mentioned, the €4 million investment is a very substantial commitment from the Department and I welcome it. Gaois's building in DCU is a big northside institution right on the edge of Dublin Bay North, my constituency, and it serves that entire area well. Tá sé iontach go bhfuil an infheistíocht seo ag tarlú ach go bhfuil sé lonnaithe sa tríú leibhéal. Tá an cumas acadúil ag na hinstitiúidí tríú leibhéal an taighde ar fad a tharraingt le chéile agus na huirlisí seo a chur ar fáil. Luaigh an tAire dúchas.ie, logainm.ie, corpas.ie agus canúint.ie. They are some of the big projects that are being expanded. They are great tools for students of all levels, for researchers and for the Irish-language community across the country and abroad. They are a great reference and can really bring people in. There is significant potential for these projects for the next generation of Irish-language speakers. A renewal is happening which is huge and is great to see. I ask the Minister to continue on the investment track, build these projects and invest in third level so we can build out those tools for generations to come.
Gabhaim buíochas as sin. Is infheistíocht an-mhór é €4 milliún. Táim fíorbhuíoch as sin. Tá an tAire ag cur go leor airgid i mBaile Átha Cliath thuaidh so tá sé iontach é sin a fheiscint. Is iarmhac léinn mé de chuid Ollscoil Chathair Bhaile Átha Cliath. Bhí mé ann dhá bhliain ó shin. Tá sé iontach. Bhí mé sa Chumann Gaelach ann. Tá mé fíorbhuíoch as sin. Mar a dúirt an tAire, tá mic léinn a thagann go Baile Átha Cliath ó gach tír in ann an Ghaeilge a fhoghlaim. Tá sé sin iontach a fheiceáil. Táim fíorbhuíoch as sin. Gabhaim míle buíochas le mo constituency colleague, Deputy Ó Muirí.
Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta.
Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta Ó Muirí agus an Teachta Heneghan as an deis a thabhairt dom caint faoi Gaois. Bhí an mhaidin sin coicís ó shin in Ollscoil Chathair Bhaile Átha Cliath iontach. Bhí fuinneamh agus suim sa seomra sin agus súil ar an ábhar freisin. Bhí siad ag úsáid na websites sin, dúchas.ie, logainm.ie, corpas.ie, canúint.ie agus ainm.ie. Tá siad ag cur súil ar an todhchaí agus tá tuiscint acu faoi chúrsaí intleacht shaorga, go háirithe na deiseanna atá ann le AI agus an teanga, agus na dúshláin atá ann freisin. Tá a lán oibre ar siúl i Gaois faoi na dúshláin ach faoi na deiseanna freisin. Tá muinín agam san obair atá ar siúl ansin. Tá muinín agam go mbeidh an Roinn in ann obair le Gaois chun cláir eile a chur ar siúl. I am confident that we will be co-operating further with Gaois. I am always happy to invest in the north side of Dublin.
Bím breá sásta i gcónaí ardán a thabhairt don Teachta Heneghan. Bíonn sé liom gach uile áit a dtéim. Nach bhfuil sé sin fíor? Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire. Tá an-fháilte roimh an infheistíocht i dtuaisceart Bhaile Átha Cliath. Tá an institiúid sin thar cionn. Déanann Dáire Keogh agus an grúpa ansin an-jab. Tá na fréamhacha leagtha acu ó thaobh an obair a dhéanamh. Ar aghaidh linn leis an tionscnamh.
Cuirfidh mé nóta go dtí an Teachta McGuinness. Tá sé láidir sa troid sin. Bhí an ócáid sin iontach. Mar a dúirt an Teachta, tá an togra seo tábhachtach ní hamháin do na mic léinn ollscoile ach freisin do mhuintir na teanga anseo agus go hidirnáisiúnta. Tá siad in ann staidéar a dhéanamh ar dúchas.ie, logainm.ie, corpas.ie, canúint.ie agus ainm.ie cibé cén áit ina bhfuil siad. Tá an LEX Project an-tábhachtach le haghaidh chúrsaí an EU ionas go mbeimid in ann na seirbhísí a chur ar fáil san EU, including translation services. I met Irish MEPs last week, including Cynthia Ní Mhurchú and Seán Kelly, who are very frustrated at the slow progress of full translation services at EU level. The work we are doing at DCU and under Gaois is very much central to our case. Gabhaim buíochas le gach duine i Gaois agus san ollscoil, ina measc uachtarán na hollscoile, Dáire Keogh, agus an foireann bainistíochta as a suim i gcúrsaí teanga.
Rural Schemes
15. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht to give a detailed report in regard to the CLÁR funding approval process (details supplied); if further funding will be provided; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [68477/25]
The CLÁR programme exists to support less well-off areas and remote areas. I thank the Minister for the funding he announced recently. He may have seen a recent report on RTÉ News, fronted by Marty Morrissey, outlining the effects of depopulation on local GAA clubs in remote rural areas, particularly in south Kerry where up to five clubs have to amalgamate at under age level in order to field a team. Will the Minister accommodate the immediate and timely set-up of a depopulation task force in south Kerry? I appreciate that.
Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta Cahill as an gceist agus as an deis caint faoi CLÁR. The CLÁR programme provides funding under a number of different measures for small-scale infrastructural projects in designated rural areas. Measure 1 provides funding for community facilities and amenities and accounts for the vast majority of funding. Measure 2 provides funding for vehicles to support the transport of people with reduced mobility, community first responders and Meals on Wheels. Measure 3 is targeted at our island communities. As the Deputy said, I was able to announce funding of almost €12 million for 198 projects under measure 1, which included funding of almost €700,000 for ten measure 1 projects in Kerry. Across all measures, this brought the total CLÁR funding in Kerry this year to over €911,000.
Under measure 1, local authorities seek applications from local community groups in designated CLÁR areas in their county. They then assess the applications received in order to prioritise those applications which they submit to my Department as a request for CLÁR funding. This year saw the highest level of funding allocated under CLÁR since it was relaunched. Notwithstanding that, I understand that some groups will be disappointed. I would advise such groups that we will be relaunching the scheme in the new year. As part of our consultation regarding Our Rural Future, which is the scaffolding documents for all these rural policies, the Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, and I met the demographics committee of the GAA in September. We asked it for input into Our Rural Future. I understand it is launching its report today and I look forward to engaging with it about that report. I have heard the reports from Marty Morrissey this week. They have been interesting and challenging. I will certainly engage with Deputy Cahill about the specific challenges in south Kerry, but given that Kerry has just won another all-Ireland, I think that is not a challenge facing it.
We want to continue to win all-Irelands. The problem with depopulation is that it will filter its way upwards in the coming years, through the more senior age groups, and wipe out many locally organised volunteer sports clubs and force parents and players to travel long journeys to take part, if indeed they continue. I sincerely thank the Minister. The Minister has already helped Dingle GAA, An Ghaeltacht GAA, Listry GAA, Rathmore GAA and many more. As stated by the Kerry GAA county board demographics officer, GAA clubs are a reflection of the communities they serve. It is vital that young people are encouraged and supported to live and work in rural areas, in our towns and villages and in our vibrant economic and social hubs. Population change is having an effect across our wider rural communities, with fewer people in the area to support local businesses, shops, post offices, restaurants, pubs and so on. When fewer children are attending local schools, teaching and SNA posts are in danger, if not entire schools.
I agree with the Deputy. We are concerned about rural depopulation and the inconsistency in population growth around the country. That will be a focus of the new version of Our Rural Future, which, as I said, is our scaffolding document for rural policies and programmes in Ireland.
We have a draft document that is available for consultation at the moment. The deadline for consultation is 12 December and I encourage each Deputy to give a formal submission ahead of 12 December, which is tomorrow week. We want to address the areas that are causing depopulation. We want to ensure that we continue the level of capital investment that we have made in counties such as Kerry in the CLÁR areas. Equally we have to engage and ensure that rural services are provided. This is not just a matter for Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht; it is an all-of-government approach. The document within Our Rural Future will seek to capture an all-of-government approach to address challenges Deputy Cahill has just outlined.
I urge the immediate initiation of a task force and I again call on the Government today to set that up with strong guidelines and short timelines to put the expertise of the hand-picked members to work as efficiently and quickly as possible to identify the many causes of depopulation and find solutions to it. In that news segment, south Kerry was highlighted not only by the Kerry county board demographics officer, Michael Murphy, but also by the south Kerry GAA board chairperson, Joe McCrohan, and of course one of the all-time great Kerry footballers from the region, Bryan Sheehan. South Kerry Iveragh is the perfect location for this task force on depopulation where the problem is most acute. Last November, I brought a delegation to Kerry County Council with the name "Three" to make a presentation. The causes are many and include housing and employment, but locally many more are at play. We need to have them identified, targeted and solved in as short a timespan as possible. I plead with the Government to set up this depopulation task force for south Kerry.
I accept there is a challenge and I want to deal with. We will deal with it through Our Rural Future. I will certainly consider the Deputy's proposal in the context of the scaffolding that Our Rural Future will provide. I encourage him to engage with Kerry County Council in relation to a specific focused task force. I would be happy to engage with its proposals. I ask all local authorities in rural areas to engage with the Our Rural Future process by providing detailed submissions. The Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, and I had a very useful meeting with the GAA demographics committee in September. It was a very stark meeting in relation to the challenges by its clubs and most importantly by the people living in rural areas. I want to address those challenges in a comprehensive and structured manner. The best way we can do that is through Our Rural Future and through the new document. I again remind people that Friday, 12 December is the last day for submissions.
Women's Sheds
14. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht when the facilitator’s work plan with women’s sheds representatives will be completed; the way in which his Department will support its implementation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [68388/25]
We have seen the excellent work being done by men's sheds throughout the country and now at women's sheds. I commend the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, and Department of Health on establishing a workforce to establish a national governing body for women's sheds. When will the facilitator's work plan with women's sheds will be completed? How does the Department plan on working with that governing body, particularly on funding for individual women's sheds?
I thank the Deputy for this very important question. He is right that the work of men's sheds has been tremendous. Every community has benefited and equally women's sheds are emerging. The emergence of women’s sheds has been a very positive development for communities across Ireland. They provide a safe, comfortable and inclusive environment where women of all ages can share skills, work on meaningful projects and connect with their communities.
The Minister, Deputy Calleary, and I are committed to providing any support we can for the development of a national governing body for women’s sheds to ensure that individual women’s sheds can benefit from having a strong national representative body to advocate on their behalf. I am pleased that our colleague in the Department of Health, the Minister of State, Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor, shares our view.
A number of meetings have taken place between representatives of women's sheds and officials from our Department and from the Department of Health. Both Departments have jointly funded the provision of a facilitator to assist the representatives of the women’s sheds in their discussions on the formation of a national body. The facilitator is also providing advice to the representatives from the women’s sheds in the context of appropriate governance structures. Several meetings have taken place, both online and in person, and further meetings will be scheduled in the coming weeks.
The women’s sheds representatives and the facilitator are working together to outline a work plan to determine what the next steps should be. Officials in our Department along with their counterparts in the Department of Health hold regular update meetings with the facilitator to discuss progress, the most recent of which took place last week.
Discussions on the work plan are ongoing and it is expected that these discussions will continue into the new year, given the Christmas break and the sensitivities of the matter being discussed. Once the work plan has been completed our Department will review its recommendations and we will continue to engage with the women's sheds representatives to determine the most appropriate support for its implementation.
As the Minister of State said, the work of men's sheds nationally has been rightly recognised. It is now time to recognise the work of women's sheds. It is a different space. While traditionally there would have been the ICA, women's sheds offer a different type of social space and give women different options for engaging in their community. This came about initially because representatives of Naas Women's Shed were in touch with me about funding in September. They said the same grant opportunities were not available to them as there were for the men's sheds. I hope the completion of this work plan and the establishment of a national governing body will afford more funding opportunities and more grant opportunities for women's sheds, such as the women's sheds in Naas and Celbridge. It would be wonderful to see men's sheds, not only in Kildare but throughout the country, looking to establish women's sheds as part of their men's sheds and share that space with women.
We all share the aspiration to fund and support because it is a programme for Government commitment to continue to form both men's sheds and women's sheds. The women's sheds do not have the current umbrella body like men's sheds do and there needs to be a mechanism to channel the funding that is needed. Our Department has a number of schemes through which women's sheds can avail of support, such as LEP, SICAP and LEADER. We are committed to working with women's sheds post the facilitation to ensure that we provide support and funding. As the Deputy said, this is an important new departure, doing different work from other women's organisations, the benefit of which can be seen in our communities. The Deputy mentioned Naas as an example and it is tremendous to see what is happening there. I thank him for raising the matter again. We stand ready. We will engage further post the publication of the recommendations by the facilitator and I hope that we will come to an agreement on the way forward in the new year.
I appreciate that the lack of an umbrella body has made it more difficult. I acknowledge the work that the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht and the Minister of State, Deputy Murnane O'Connor, are putting in, working with representatives from women's sheds throughout the country and ensuring good governance structures are put in place to ensure that there is longevity in what we do and that it is not just for one year or for two years. We need these groups to last and we need funding streams that can be guaranteed in the future. I acknowledge the work that is being done and if there is anything I can do at any stage, I would be more than happy to put my shoulder to the wheel.
I know the Minister of State is aware of the Déise Women's Shed in Dungarvan. I believe he has met some of its representatives, probably several times at this point. It was one of the first women's sheds in the State alongside the sheds in Naas and Midleton in east Cork. We all know and recognise the social, health and personal development benefits that come from these wonderful social spaces. While I do not want to pre-empt the results of the work plan and the facilitator's report, facilities and space will be key recommendations in it.
I know the Minister of State is aware of the situation in Dungarvan, which despite its size has no community centre and no family resource centre. There is a huge limitation on space available to all sorts of community organisations. It is really impacting the ability of the women's shed in particular to recruit and retain members to conduct all the activities that they would like to conduct. It is limiting them. Tá sé ag cur srian ar a gcuid oibre. I ask the Minister, Deputy Calleary, and the Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, to do all that they can to facilitate and speed up the process of developing a community centre for Dungarvan.
I thank both Deputies for raising the matter. There has been significant engagement. Progress has been made and the most important point is that if we did not have engagement both Deputies would be coming in with a different set of questions in terms of governance and in terms of structures and the appropriateness of that. We have seen record investment in community by Government over the past decade. There are deficits in some cases and we will work to fill those deficits. Both the Minister, Deputy Calleary, and I are very committed to the enhancement and support of local community organisations because our country is a better place by the strength of the voluntary and community endeavour we have. The Deputy will see in the coming weeks and months further investment by us as a Government in terms of the local enhancement projects and other community initiatives. We are, as a Department, very aware of the benefits of women's sheds to communities and aware of the importance of them. We will work together, le chéile, to ensure we have an appropriate and proper governance, administrative structure and funding to women's sheds in the future.
Offshore Islands
16. Deputy Keira Keogh asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht the current and planned supports for Mayo’s offshore islands, including Inishturk, Clare Island, and Achill Island; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [68006/25]
Can the Minister outline the current supports available to Mayo's offshore islands, including Inisturk, Clare Island and Achill Island in the areas of transport, housing, health, education, digital connectivity and community development, the efforts that are set out for the planned initiatives and funding streams for these islands over the coming years, including measures to sustain population levels, promote tourism and protect the cultural and linguistic heritage of these areas?
Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta as ucht an cheist seo a ardú inniu. As the Deputy knows, the programme for Government commits to ensuring that Our Living Islands, which the national islands policy, is fully implemented to support sustainable development for island residents. Our Living Islands is a ten-year policy for the whole of Government backed up by rolling three-year action plans so the Departments and agencies across Government will be held accountable. This is a policy supporting communities in all of our inhabited offshore islands, including those in Mayo.
My Department provides a range of dedicated supports specifically to our inhabited offshore islands with significant annual investment in subsidised transport services to ensure our island communities can avail of reliable, affordable, year-round transport services. In 2025, over €700,000 will be invested by my Department in support of the Mayo island transport services, including daily passenger ferry services for Clare Island, Inisturk, and Inishbiggle. My Department also provides dedicated annual funding of €152,000 each to the community development companies on both Clare Island and Inisturk, which represents a 26% increase in funding which I approved earlier this year. Separately, Údarás na Gaeltachta administers funding of over €113,000 to Comhlacht Forbartha Áitiúil Acla in addition to dedicated funding to implement the island's language plan. Last month, I attended the AGM of Comhdháil Oileáin na hÉireann on Clare Island where I also announced funding of €500,000 to complete an upgrade to the existing Clew Bay bike trail park on the island. Last Friday, I was pleased to announce core funding of over €60,000 for community power solutions on both Clare Island and on Inisturk, and as the Deputy knows, we are currently running a pilot scheme of TFI Anseo on Achill Island through Local Link.
These are just some examples of practical supports my Department is providing or supporting. The Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, is working on these programmes in terms of my Department and the Department of Transport.
I am lucky enough to have been with the Minister on Inisturk when it got its new helipad and at the launch of TFI anseo, so I can definitely see all the improvements we are making. Last week the people there were very happy and they welcomed the likes of the solar panel to help their generator keep going. We know that, like all communities around Ireland, the islanders are particularly struggling with housing, childcare and access to jobs, given they are so dependent on tourism. The Minister has recently announced funding for the business case at Roonagh Pier. We can both agree, especially with Storm Éowyn and even recent storms that were not so bad on the mainland but were terrifying for the residents, we are not yet there with reliable year-round transport. The islanders, as the Minister knows well from their stories, struggle when their cars are at Roonagh and they have to go to Achill Island if ferries are cancelled. Can we look for a dedicated engineer to be assigned to those three piers, Roonagh, Clare Island and Inisturk around the breakwaters?
I am absolutely focused on Roonagh at the moment and at how we can invest in it to make it more reliable and to make it climate proof in the context of the very changing weather. We have been working very closely with Mayo County Council to progress this. At the end of September I announced funding of over €157,000 for Mayo County Council to commence the development process and I want to acknowledge the Deputy's work in that space too. This funding has enabled Mayo County Council to appoint consultant engineers to prepare a preliminary business case, including a strategic assessment for marine infrastructure improvement options. In early November, subsequent to that, Mayo County Council advised us of immediate risks to part of the pier as a result of the storm damage the Deputy referenced. A detailed survey has now been completed. They are compiling a series of recommendations. I assure the Deputy we will provide all of the necessary support and funding to Mayo County Council for the emergency works and also for the development of the pier into the kind of pier we need it to be.
That will be welcome news to the islanders and I know when we have one announcement we are always looking to the next announcement. Regarding the piers at Clare Island and Inisturk, when we arrived there the islanders spoke about the difficulty getting the ferry right up to the shore with sandbanks and different things. Even though we are progressing Roonagh, there will still be lots more work to do. I am sure that after that, there will be even more. I was struck by my visit to Clare Island where people talked about the struggles accessing housing, the reliability on the fish farm and the lack of a hotel given that it was difficult to sustain a chef on the island. We have much work to do. There were fears about the school closing down and lack of childcare. We are doing great work but they are depending on us to do more. I would like to come back at a later date and talk about TFI Anseo. I am hearing fantastic things from constituents. It would be great to see that rolled out even further.
I join the Deputy in praising the work of the TFI Anseo pilot. I thank the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, and Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, for choosing Achill Island. I encourage people to use it because it is a pilot not just for Achill but for the entire rural community. It is Local Link on demand, effectively. We are very aware, and engage regularly, with Joanne Carroll and her committee on Clare Island and Sinead Cahalan and her committee on Inisturk. The two development organisations on Clare Island and Inisturk, along with Achill, do fantastic work. They definitely keep us aware of the challenges. It is important that we address those challenges within the framework of Our Living Islands but also through the process we now have. I welcome the process the island communities have with Mayo County Council where they meet regularly to discuss and action these things. I know from working with Deputy Keogh and our other colleagues in the county that we will continue to put pressure on Mayo County Council and as Mayo County Council submit business cases they will receive a very favourable hearing.
Cúrsaí Tithíochta
17. D'fhiafraigh Deputy John Connolly den Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht cé na féidearthachtaí atá ann d'Údarás na Gaeltachta obair le hUisce Éireann agus le húdaráis áitiúla chun tacú le tógáil tithíochta do phobail Ghaeilge mar atá curtha san áireamh sa phlean Tithe a Sheachadadh, Pobail a Thógáil 2025-2030; agus an ndéanfaidh sé ráiteas ina thaobh. [68405/25]
Táim ag tógáil na ceiste seo ar son an Teachta John Connolly. Mar is eol don Aire, tá géarchéim thithíochta ann sa Ghaeltacht. Cén féidearthachtaí atá ann d'Údarás na Gaeltachta obair le hUisce Éireann agus le húdaráis áitiúla chun tithíocht a thógáil do phobal na Gaeilge agus na Gaeltachta, go háirithe leis an bplean Tithe a Sheachadadh, Pobail a Thógáil 2025-2030?
Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta Ó Cearúil agus leis an Teachta Connolly. Aithníonn an Rialtas go bhfuil fáil ar mheascán oiriúnach de thithe cuí ríthábhachtach chun inmharthanacht pobail rathúla Gaeltachta a chinntiú. Dá réir, foilseofar ár ráiteas náisiúnta pleanála do thithíocht sa Ghaeltacht chun soiléireacht agus leanúnachas a chur ar fáil den chóras pleanála maidir le cosaint na Gaeilge. Gealltar sa chlár Rialtais go leanfar ag obair le hÚdarás na Gaeltachta agus le páirtithe leasmhara eile chun a chinntiú go bhfuil soláthar leordhóthanach tithíochta agus seirbhísí pobail ar fáil sna ceantair Ghaeltachta. De réir Acht na Gaeltachta, 2012, tá an t-údarás freagrach as forbairt eacnamaíoch, teanga, sóisialta agus cultúrtha laistigh de na 26 limistéar pleanála teanga. Tacaíonn Údarás na Gaeltachta le níos mó ná 9,000 fostaithe i gcliantchomhlachtaí dá chuid.
Beidh soláthar tithíochta do chainteoirí Gaeilge atá fostaithe sna comhlachtaí seo, sa tionscal, i ngnóthaí eile san earnáil phríobháideach agus i gcomhlachtaí san earnáil phoiblí ag feidhmiú laistigh den Ghaeltacht ríthábhachtach sa Ghaeltacht. Tá sé seo mar rún againn chun deis a thabhairt do chainteoirí Gaeilge fanacht ina gcónaí sa Ghaeltacht.
Ina theannta sin, tá Údarás na Gaeilge le roinnt blianta anuas tar éis saineolas a fhorbairt maidir le cúrsaí fuíolluisce tríd a bheith ag freastal ar a gcuid líonra páirceanna gnó agus le heastáit tionsclaíochta atá faoina chúram. Tá sé i gceist go ndéanfar measúnú ar an fhéidearthacht go bhforbródh Údarás na Gaeltachta, in éineacht le hUisce Éireann agus na húdaráis áitiúla, suíomhanna seirbhísithe ó phunann maoine an údaráis a bheadh feiliúnach do thithíocht do chainteoirí Gaeilge laistigh de na limistéir pleanála teanga. Tá sé ar intinn agam go mbeidh cruinniú agam le príomhfheidhmeannach an údaráis chun an teagmháil sin le hUisce Éireann agus an gá le comhoibriú idir an dá eagraíocht a phlé, ní hamháin do chúrsaí tionscail ach do chúrsaí tithíochta freisin.
Is dea-nuacht é sin. Mo bhuíochas leis an Aire go bhfuil sé ag buaileadh le príomhfheidhmeannach Údarás na Gaeltachta le breathnú air seo agus ar na féidearthachtaí atá ann. Mar is eol dó, tá grúpaí éagsúla ann ar nós BÁNÚ agus Tinteán atá ag déanamh iarracht an cás seo a chur os comhair an phobail. An cás ná nach bhfuil tithíocht nó cead pleanála á fháil ag muintir na Gaeltachta agus go bhfuil sé deacair dóibh fanacht sa Ghaeltacht agus go mbeadh daonra óg sa Ghaeltacht freisin. Tá sé sin fhíorthábhachtach go háirithe do thodhchaí na Gaeltachta agus go mbeadh sé tarraingteach do dhaoine óga agus do phobal labhartha na Gaeilge chomh maith b’fhéidir bogadh go dtí an Ghaeltacht. É sin ráite, fáiltím roimh an dea-nuacht ar maidin go mbuailfidh an tAire leis an bpríomhfheidhmeannach agus go mbreathnóidh sé ar na féidearthachtaí atá ann ó thaobh pleanála de.
Tá a fhios agam go bhfuil an tAire an-dáiríre agus tiomanta mar gheall ar an gceist áirithe seo. Tá an plean tithíochta a nochtaigh an tAire tithíochta cúpla seachtaine ó shin lag ina iomlán ach tá sé thar a bheith lag i dtaobh cúrsaí Gaeltachta ach go háirithe. Ba mhaith liom rud éigin a chur ar an taifead anseo. Tá dhá píosa talún sa Rinn, i nGaeltacht na nDéise, ceann amháin gur leis Údarás na Gaeltachta í agus ceann eile gur cheannaigh an chomhairle áitiúil le tamall anuas. Tá na seirbhísí uisce timpeall orthu. Chun a cead a thabhairt d’Uisce Éireann, tá infheistíocht an-mhór curtha isteach aici sa Rinn le cúpla bliain anuas. Tá córas iomlán séarachais nua timpeall air seo agus tá cosáin. An rud atá in easnamh ná toil pholaitiúil ón Rialtas seo chun dul i ngleic leis seo agus tithe a thógáil. Tá an t-údarás áitiúil tar éis iarratas a chur isteach sa Sean Phobal, an dara leathpharóiste i nGaeltacht na nDéise, i gcomhair tithíocht shóisialta. Tá sé sin fós leis an Roinn, cúig bliana i ndiaidh don iarratas dul isteach. Is í sin an fhadhb atá ann i dtaobh an ghéarchéim tithíochta.
Aontaím leis an Teachta agus táimid ag iarraidh é sin a phlé. Ar mhiste leis an Teachta McGuinness na sonraí sin a chur chugam go díreach agus déanfaidh mé iarracht breathnú orthu? Is é sin an saghas ruda go gcaithfimid obair air; áiteanna a bhfuil talaimh agus sites cosúil leis sin ann. Pléifidh mé an píosa le príomhfheidhmeannach an údaráis nuair a bhuailim leis. Tá sé tábhachtach go mbainfear úsáid as an talamh atá ag an údarás nach bhfuil sé ag úsáid do chúrsaí tionscal. Tá sé tábhachtach freisin go leanfaidh sé ar aghaidh leis na pleananna tionsclaíochta agus poist a chruthú sa Ghaeltacht. Tá talamh ar fáil le haghaidh tithíocht nach mbeidh an t-údarás in ann a úsáid le haghaidh cúrsaí gnó nó fostaíochta. Ba cheart go mbeadh muid in ann é sin a dhéanamh. Tá sé tábhachtach freisin go bhfuil tuiscint ní hamháin ag an údarás ach ag na húdaráis áitiúla nó na comhairlí contae áitiúla faoi chomh réidh is atá na talún sin agus na sites sin. Beidh suim agam na sonraí on Rinn a fheiceáil.
Nuair a bhreathnaímid ar ról an údaráis go dtí seo agus poist á gcruthú aige, is dócha go bhfuil sé deacair poist a chruthú nuair nach bhfuil éinne ann chun obair sna poist sin. Go dtí seo, bhí mise ag ceapadh an t-am ar fad go raibh na cumhachtaí sin ag na comhairlí áitiúla ó thaobh cead pleanála de agus ó thaobh pleanáil timpeall an chontae, go háirithe sna contaetha sin a bhfuil Gaeltacht iontu. Is léir, áfach, nach raibh na comhairlí contae go dtí seo ag déanamh idirdhealú idir an Ghaeltacht agus áiteanna eile nach bhfuil sa Ghaeltacht maidir le dul chun cinn na Gaeilge agus pobal na Gaeltachta agus cead pleanála a thabhairt dóibh sin i gcomparáid le daoine atá ag tógáil tithe samhraidh, mar shampla. Fáiltím go mór roimh an méid atá ráite ag an Aire inniu. Ba bhreá liom cloisteáil conas a éiríonn leis an gcruinniú sin leis an bpríomhfheidhmeannach, más féidir an t-eolas sin a roinnt linn ina dhiaidh, agus faoin obair a dhéanfaidh an t-údarás agus an Roinn lena chéile as seo amach.
Táimid ag obair leis an údarás ach tá sé tábhachtach go bhfuil na húdaráis áitiúla ag obair freisin agus go bhfuil siad ag cur béime ar chúrsaí pleanála sa Ghaeltacht agus ag obair leis an Roinn tithíochta. Beidh mé ag obair leis an Aire tithíochta ar an bhfadhb seo agus ar an dúshlán. Tá sé tábhachtach go bhfuil cinnteacht againn faoi stádas na talún sin agus faoi stádas na sites atá ag an údarás agus fios a bheith againn an bhfuil siad réidh don pleanáil. Luaim ní hamháin cúrsaí seirbhíse, cúrsaí uisce nó séarachais ach freisin dlí pleanála agus gach rud mar sin. Is é seo príomhthosaíocht na Roinne tithíochta agus beidh mé ag obair leis an Aire. Tuigeann sé. Bhí cruinniú ag an mbeirt againn le BÁNÚ agus le Tinteán i rith an tsamhraidh faoi seo. Beimid ag obair agus beimid ag cur béime air sin. Má tá sonraí ag aon Teachta faoi thalamh nó faoi site sa Ghaeltacht, iarraim orthu na sonraí sin a chur chugam agus déanfaidh mé obair orthu.
Community Development Projects
18. Deputy Eamon Scanlon asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht the projects under way in Counties Sligo and Leitrim that are receiving funding under different schemes with financial support from his Department; the other projects that his Department has committed funding to; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [68271/25]
I thank Deputy Scanlon. He is constantly putting pressure on. He will be pleased to know that since 2020, Sligo has been allocated in the region of €57 million and Leitrim nearly €66 million in funding from various schemes and programmes administered by my Department, which includes €7.5 million for Sligo and €8.5 million for Leitrim in 2025 alone.
Sligo and Leitrim have secured significant funding under my Department's rural regeneration and development fund, including €1.1 million for the National Surf Centre in Strandhill and €3.4 million for the Mohill public realm works, which I had the pleasure of visiting earlier this year. Just last week, I was pleased to announce CLÁR funding of just over €537,000 for County Leitrim and €502,000 for County Sligo. Successful projects included €100,000 for the Leitrim village playground and €54,000 for facilities in the Cliffoney men's shed.
In addition to these capital schemes, the social inclusion and community activation programme, SICAP, and committee services programme are providing current expenditure supports to organisations throughout both counties. I look forward to continuing to work with the Deputy on our strong record of investment in rural Ireland, including in Sligo and Leitrim.
Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions
Questions Nos. 78 and 79 taken with Written Answers.
An Garda Síochána
80. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of Garda recruits that have entered Templemore in 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [68340/25]
Last year more than 11,000 people applied to join An Garda Síochána. It was a very successful recruitment campaign. At this point, how many of those people have come through Garda training? What is the capacity of the centre to train and put gardaí on the street?
I thank the Deputy for his question. One of the great privileges of being Minister for justice is to attend passing out ceremonies in Templemore. I have been to four already this year. They are wonderful occasions for the new Garda recruits and their families. One thing that stands out for me is that the numbers are increasing each time I go to each passing out. At the recent one I was at with the Taoiseach, 194 new Garda recruits passed out.
On the Deputy's question, overall 794 trainees entered the Garda College this year. This is the highest number since 2018. Recruitment into the Garda is gathering momentum. I was delighted to see not only the 194 new recruits coming out but also 223 enter Templemore the following Monday. That is the largest single intake in over a decade. This was the second intake of 200 or more this year. If I can get 200 or more new recruits going into Templemore for each training period, that will have a huge impact on the numbers coming out. We can see the advantage when large numbers come out of Templemore.
The Commissioner decides where new recruits go but in Dublin we have been able to see increased Garda visibility in the city centre. In Cork we have been able to see increased Garda visibility in the city. The Commissioner shares my view we want to see that visibility and that Garda presence apparent throughout the whole country and not just in our cities, towns and villages, but we also need a mechanism to make gardaí more visible in rural areas. That is what the public want. They want to see more of An Garda Síochána. It is a great credit to the organisation so many members of the public want to see members in their community, but the only way we are going to be able to continue doing that is by encouraging people to join. I am pleased the recruitment campaigns this year have resulted in expressions of interest from over 11,000 people.
I thank the Minister. Over 11,000 is a huge number and a very strong statement of interest and of the appetitive for joining the Garda. It is a very positive sign. That recruitment has reached out to various communities. What particular efforts have been made to reach different groupings for recruitment? What is the capacity to bring people through the training centre? Some 794 entered last year. That is a very big number and possibly the largest in some time, but how many at a time are coming through there? How soon does the Minister expect to have to undertake further recruitment?
I am being told by the Garda it could put 1,000 people a year through Templemore, which is an extremely encouraging number. It can take up to 225, perhaps more, in each intake. When an intake is approaching, a huge amount of effort is put in by Garda HR to try to process applications faster. I am pleased there is a very efficient processing within An Garda Síochána now. Previously I had heard complaint about people having to wait a considerable time to get a response but now we are emphasising the urgency of this valuable human resource.
On looking to recruit people from various backgrounds, it is essential the police force reflects the society it serves. That means we need to go to the new Irish communities, people who may not have born here or whose parents may not have been, and encourage them to become part of the Irish police force. It is a fantastic attribute that we have attracted so many people from diverse backgrounds into An Garda Síochána. I hope to see that continue.
Leis an dá shruth gur tháinig isteach anuraidh, bhí 245 duine a tháinig tríd an sruth Gaeilge i mí Feabhra agus 128 tríd an sruth Gaeilge san fhómhar. Is léir go bhfuil laghdú ann i líon na ndaoine atá ag teacht tríd an sruth Gaeilge. Cad iad na hiarrachtaí faoi leith atá á ndéanamh chun Gaeilgeoirí a mhealladh isteach tríd an sruth Gaeilge agus chun neartú a dhéanamh ar an líon Gaeilgeoirí laistigh den chóras? Tá a fhios agam go bhfuil iarrachtaí faoi leith á ndéanamh le fógraíocht, ach an bhfuil aon rud breise á dhéanamh? An féidir céimeanna breise a thógáil do na chéad sruthanna nó ghrúpaí eile a bheidh á bhfógairt?
Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta as an gceist. Tá an ceart aige. Tá a lán Gaeilgeoirí sa Gharda Síochána. Beidh mé ag dul go dtí Dún na nGall inniu agus beidh mé ann amárach. Níl aon dabht ach go mbeidh mé ag labhairt Gaeilge leis na gardaí i dTír Chonaill. Tá scéim sa Gharda Síochána. Táimid ag lorg Gaeilgeoirí. Chuaigh mé go dtí Contae na Mí cúpla seachtain ó shin agus bhí mé ag labhairt Gaeilge le go leor gardaí. Tháinig siad isteach sa Gharda Síochána tríd an scéim Ghaeilge. Tá súil agam go mbeidh níos mó gardaí le Gaeilge ag teacht isteach sa Gharda Síochána. Tá sé ceart gardaí atá ábalta Gaeilge a labhairt a fháil mar tá a lán daoine inár dtír ag labhairt Gaeilge. Níl a fhios agam cén fáth nach mbeidís siad ábalta labhairt Gaeilge leis na póilíní freisin.
Question No. 81 taken with Written Answers.
Naturalisation Applications
82. Deputy Noel McCarthy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of naturalisation applications received, rejected, and approved from 2021 to 2024 inclusive, and to date in 2025, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [68265/25]
I thank the Minister, Ministers of State and their staff for their work so far and their responses.
I thank the Deputy for his question and his remarks. Earlier this week I was delighted to attend the citizenship ceremonies held in Killarney along with the Ministers of State, Deputies Collins and Buttimer. It is a wonderful ceremony to go to. We had 5,200 new Irish citizens there.
Last year the number of naturalisation applications received by the Department was 27,032. Separately, the number of people who received a letter of approval was 29,868 and 187 were refused. Despite the substantial increase in applications received in recent years, the fact processing times have significantly reduced is a huge credit to the work of the Department and the staff in that particular area. The median processing time for a decision on an application in 2024 was eight months. This is a significant improvement from the median processing time of 15 months in 2023, 19 in 2022 and 24 in 2021. The Department has taken a significant number of steps to speed up the process for applicants. These included introducing an online digital application, online payments and the introduction of evetting. This digitisation has facilitated a record number of citizenship decisions made last year. In just over two years, my Department has gone from processing around 12,000 applications a year to processing over 20,000 applications in 2023, more than 31,000 decisions in 2024 and over 32,500 to end October 2025.
I assure everyone who has an application for naturalisation submitted to the citizenship division that the Department is doing everything to progress it. However, it is important to note that no two naturalisation applications are the same and some take longer than others to process. It is important the citizenship process be robust and comprehensive. Checks are carried out on each application. Unfortunately some of the international checks can take considerable time and this is largely outside of the control of the Department. I am sure the Deputy receives, as I and many others in this House do, receive representations on that. For that reason, while I expect going forward more applicants will receive a decision within one year, it cannot be guaranteed.
I thank the Minister of State for his response. I again thank his departmental staff. He mentioned Killarney last week and I know people who were there. Friends of mine got their citizenship and were very proud to do so. Again, I ask him pass on my thanks to all the staff.
It is important the Department continues to plan ahead as application numbers change. In that context, does he foresee an increase in naturalisation applications next year? Has the Department put in place the necessary planning to avoid any risk of new backlogs?
The Department is always planning ahead and looking at that. We have put, as I said, additional resources in place. I do not believe additional backlogs will come in. Every effort is made. As I know people will listen to this, I reiterate that no two applications are the same. Some individual applications that come in take considerably longer, particularly in relation to checks that have to be done by An Garda Síochána, which are outside our direct control in terms of reply lines. That leads to a frustration where people ask why their application is taking X amount of time compared with those from others.
As a general rule, the Department is working towards a processing time of within 12 months for applications coming in.
I thank the Minister of State for his detailed response. With the ongoing modernisation of the immigration system, many applicants are keen to see how these changes are working. Will the Minister of State update the House on how the recent digitalisation measures have affected processing times so far, and whether further reforms or improvements are planned for 2026?
As I indicated in my initial response, we have seen very significant reductions in processing times. The objective is to try to provide that service within as tight a 12-month timeframe as we can. We will continue to do that. As I mentioned, there will always be individual cases where that is not the case. In the context of a significant increase in the number making applications in recent years, we have seen the processing time decrease in the handling of that increased volume. I would like to put on record that this is a result of the excellent work being done by the staff in that area in the Department. They are based in Tipperary and do an excellent job in processing these applications.
Questions Nos. 83 to 85, inclusive, taken with Written Answers.
An Garda Síochána
86. Deputy Eamon Scanlon asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the actions he is taking in response to increased incidents and thefts in the north west; the way in which his Department is supporting An Garda Síochána, who do excellent work locally, in providing increased visibility and resources to respond to these incidents; his views on whether the Sligo-Leitrim division is not receiving enough gardaí, given no new gardaí have been allocated to the division from the latest round of training in Templemore; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [68267/25]
I can assure the Deputy that An Garda Síochána is fully committed to tackling all forms of crime and theft everywhere in the country. The Government's first priority is to increase Garda numbers and Garda visibility so all of our communities, rural and urban, can feel safe and be safe. This is reflected in the record allocation of €2.59 billion in the Garda Vote for 2026, which will support investment in equipment and technology and, importantly, the continued recruitment of Garda personnel.
I must be clear, though, that it is the Garda Commissioner who decides where to deploy Garda personnel. Neither the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, nor I, nor, indeed, any official from the Department, can direct the Commissioner on where gardaí are to be stationed. I am pleased to confirm, however, that recruitment to An Garda Síochána is gathering real momentum, and we now have a steady pipeline of new recruits entering the Garda College. Some 194 new gardaí attested from Templemore in mid-November, taking the total this year to 619, the largest number of new gardaí in a single year since 2018. A total of 794 new recruits entered the college this year. We can look forward to seeing those probationer gardaí assigned throughout the country in 2026 as they pass out of Templemore.
It must also be noted that the allocation of newly attested gardaí allows for currently serving gardaí to move on transfer to other divisions across the country and into specialist units. In this regard, I understand that a number of gardaí have been transferred into the Sligo-Leitrim division during the course of 2025.
With regard to theft, the Government takes this issue extremely seriously. Thanks to the effective work of An Garda Síochána, almost all property crime types have seen decreases at a nationwide level. In the Sligo-Leitrim division, there has been a 50% reduction in reported burglaries in the year to date. In addition, thefts and related offences, thefts from shops and vehicle thefts are also down by 26%, 29% and 39%, respectively, in the first half of this year when compared to the same period last year.
Earlier this year, Sligo Garda station was identified as one of several stations that experienced crime rates above pre-pandemic levels in 2024, with theft accounting for nearly one third of all incidents. It is imperative that we shine a spotlight on rural crime and the emerging trends in the north-west. In Donegal and Sligo, there has been a marked rise in theft and arson, leaving communities anxious and unsettled. County Leitrim has witnessed an increase in burglaries. Only last Friday, a property was broken into in broad daylight at 1 p.m., which is a stark reminder of the growing boldness of criminal activity.
The Minister of State said 194 gardaí and 17 reserves were sworn in last month, but none of those were assigned to the Sligo-Leitrim Garda division. It is a continuing pattern. More gardaí should be assigned to that area, when we consider the crime statistics.
It was encouraging to see that the CSO crime statistics, released last week, show that detection rates for crime incidents reported in 2024 were equal to or above those in 2023 for nine of the 14 crime offence groups.
The Department is currently progressing work to develop a retail crime strategy to tackle the complex and evolving nature of retail crime, which the Deputy mentioned. We are all too conscious that this is not just about organised retail crime, and that there is a large amount of lower level, everyday shoplifting, which has just as serious an impact on smaller retailers and their staff. The retail crime strategy will build on existing initiatives to tackle this criminality, integrating the latest national and international evidence-informed approaches for enforcement and prevention strategies, in addition to supports for retail workers.
In September, at the National Ploughing Championships, the Department published the rural safety plan for the period from 2025 to 2027. The plan’s vision is to ensure people and communities in rural Ireland feel safe and are safe in their homes, places of work and local communities.
While I have the opportunity, I wish to extend an invitation to the Garda Commissioner, Justin Kelly, to visit Sligo Garda station to witness first-hand the current working conditions, and to address the ongoing staffing shortages.
The proposed Garda division headquarters at Caltragh has faced repeated delays, stemming from earlier plans to merge the Sligo-Leitrim division with Donegal. The existing station at Pearse Road is not fit for the future needs of An Garda Síochána in the region.
The OPW has confirmed refurbishment works for a vacant State-owned building adjacent to the current station in Tubbercurry. We urgently need clarification on when this building will be occupied. It is a matter of critical importance for both community safety and public confidence. The existing station, dating back to the 1960s, is wholly unfit for purpose. Tubbercurry Garda station is the third busiest station in the Sligo-Leitrim division. It requires facilities that meet the demands of a modern, functioning Garda station, yet the current building falls far short of that. There is a State-owned building. I know plans are afoot to move the Garda station into the newly refurbished building. When can that go to planning, if it needs planning? When will the new station be opened?
The Department has been informed by the Garda authorities that works are planned for Sligo Garda station in the immediate term. These works will support a scene of crime task force relocation. The project is at the tender evaluation stage. In accordance with the requirements of the infrastructure guidelines, a preliminary business case for a new Garda divisional headquarters in Sligo is also being undertaken by An Garda Síochána. Once complete, the preliminary business case will be issued by An Garda Síochána to the Department for review and approval. Following approval of that preliminary business case, An Garda Síochána will then advise the Office of Public Works regarding the prioritisation of the programme. We will convey the Deputy's invitation to visit the region to the Garda Commissioner, and the Deputy will be duly informed.
International Protection
87. Deputy Edward Timmins asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if there is a strategy to spread the location of IPAS accommodation and avoid having large clusters in one area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66709/25]
It is important that in all our discussions here, we choose our language carefully. We must not say anything that might inflame situations or give encouragement to any extreme positions. We must stick to the facts at all times. Let us remember that we are talking about fellow human beings.
I ask if there is a strategy to spread the location of IPAS accommodation and avoid having large clusters in one area.
I appreciate the comments in relation to the language and tone that must be used at all times in having conversations around this issue. It is very important, and important in this House.
During the period from 2022 to 2024, over 45,000 additional international protection applicants arrived in Ireland. Prior to this, a typical three-year period would have seen between 8,000 and 9,000 arrivals. IPAS was accommodating approximately 7,000 people in total at the end of 2021. By the end of 2024, that figure had risen to 32,000.
During that surge, the State was obliged to urgently source over 26,000 beds for international protection applicants, and in parallel, up to 60,000 beds for people fleeing the war in Ukraine. Centres were opened across the country, often at short notice, in order to ensure that people were provided with shelter. Given the emergency, the State was not in a position to implement any deliberate policies in relation to dispersal or distribution of accommodation centres during this period. However, I note that the 318 IPAS accommodation centres currently in operation are distributed and operational in every county across Ireland.
Due to the reduction in the numbers seeking international protection in 2025, my Department has been able to progress a range of very significant actions; to work to improve oversight, particularly of value for money; and to increase the proportion of State-owned beds across the system. The new rate card that has been implemented for contracts has delivered savings of over €59 million since May of this year. While commissioning emergency commercial accommodation will continue to be necessary in the short to medium term, it is being contracted on a short-term basis, which enables the State to decommission this capacity with agility as contracts expire or to meet fluctuating demand.
Ireland has adopted and is now working to implement the EU pact on migration. Reforming and speeding up the processing of applications should serve over time to reduce the scale of the demand for international protection accommodation, as we have seen starting in recent years.
I thank the Minister of State for that information. I understand the massive pressures that commenced three or four years ago. The most important thing is that we have open and frank discussions. By having open discussions, we lessen the possibility of false information and extreme positions taking hold. Two years ago, I stated publicly that we should have an open discussion on immigration. Only now is this beginning. We need to discuss this openly and not brush it under the carpet. We have nothing to hide. As a nation, we have been very generous. It is important that centres are not all located in one area or that small towns and villages do not have very high numbers. In my own county of Wicklow, the majority of IPAS centres, and of the numbers of applicants, are located in one municipal district. That district is west Wicklow. This district is also the most poorly served by public transport and services. This was not well planned. We need now to develop long-term strategies for IPAS locations.
I assure the Deputy, as I did in my initial reply, that this is what we are doing. We fully recognise that we went through a period where we had an effective emergency. We had a massive surge in numbers and we had to respond to those on a humanitarian basis and to provide emergency accommodation as necessary. The operation that the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, and I have been working on, literally day and night since we came into office, is to ensure we put in place an IPAS system that is fit for purpose, delivers value for money for the taxpayer, is based on moving towards State ownership of facilities rather than commercial contracting, and takes into account impacts on communities and local people. We also want to meet our key central requirement, which is to provide the accommodation that is needed, as we are obliged to do under our international obligations. In the context of doing all of that and in the context of renewing the contracts as they fall due, we are very much aware of the need to have an even spread, to look at how impacted communities are by location and to take that into account in all future decisions we make. Overall, the way of dealing with this is to bring down the numbers, which will bring down the need for the centres.
I fully appreciate the great work the Minister of State is doing. I commend him and the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, on the steps taken. They are very much facing up to the reality because to date in this country the political classes have been out of sync with the views of ordinary decent Irish people. We need to be transparent in how we are dealing with the housing of people who are exiting the IPAS system. Our councils need to inform the councillors of any relevant policies that impact housing allocations. Also, in regard to expenditure, and I understand the Minister of State is dealing with this, I urge the Minister to work to renegotiate all contracts with a view to lowering the cost. Regular counts should be done to establish the numbers in each centre so we are not paying for people who are not living there. One of the cornerstones of any system is that all citizens of the State who are working are treated equally. In the case of IPAS residents who are working and earning a wage, there must be a contribution to accommodation costs. Rent should be calculated along the lines of the letting priority scheme and local authority rents.
There is very little of that I would disagree with. To be absolutely clear, the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, and I have announced a contribution model which we will implement. We believe absolutely in a system based on fairness, which means that people who are working and bring provided with accommodation through the IPAS system should make a contribution to the cost of that provision. On the actual cost of providing the IPAS system, as I mentioned we have implemented a new rate card as part of contract renegotiations. As each contract comes forward for renegotiation, the new rate card kicks in. That is delivering savings to the State on providing IPAS accommodation of million and millions of euro. The real long-term saving to the State is the switch, which we have also implemented, to State-owned facilities. As the cost of a State-owned facility is a fraction of that of a commercial facility, that is the way we want to move. We are also cognisant that once people have moved through IPAS and have been granted permission to remain in this country, they should move out of IPAS centres and move into their own accommodation.
Question No. 88 taken with Written Answers.
An Garda Síochána
89. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the measures in place to ensure timely Garda statements and preservation of evidence where a victim is incapacitated; the measures in place in Garda stations to ensure suspected spiking incidents are treated as crimes, investigated promptly, and supported by appropriate policing protocols; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [68475/25]
I ask the Minister to outline the measures in place to ensure timely Garda statements and preservation of evidence in suspected spiking incidents where a victim is incapacitated. What measures are in place in Garda stations to ensure suspected spiking incidents are treated as crimes and investigated promptly? Are these measures supported by appropriate policing protocols? Will the Minister make a statement on the matter?
I thank Deputy Cahill for his very important question. As he will be aware, spiking is a crime that preys on vulnerability, undermines consent and can have devastating consequences for victims. I want him to know that as Minister, I am committed to the Government's zero-tolerance approach when it comes to all forms of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence. Regrettably, it is the case that spiking incidents are generally accompanied by sexual offences as well.
The programme for Government includes a commitment to introduce stronger laws to combat the spiking of drinks. Spiking a person’s drink or spiking someone by injection, which can happen as well, are, in effect, poisoning and are criminal offences under the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act 1997 that can result in a term of imprisonment. Depending on the nature of the substance that is administered, it may be possible to charge a perpetrator with endangerment under section 13 of the Non-Fatal Offences against the Person Act 1997, which provides that it is an offence to intentionally or recklessly engage in conduct which creates a substantial risk of death or serious harm to another. The offence of endangerment carries a maximum penalty of seven years' imprisonment.
I know that An Garda Síochána takes all reports of spiking seriously and thoroughly investigates such reports to determine the exact nature of each incident, including results of toxicology reports in each case. I know Deputy Cahill will join me in advising all victims of these incidents or any form of spiking to come forward and report them to the local Garda. On the measures in place to ensure timely Garda statements and preservation of evidence where a victim is incapacitated, I am informed that on receipt of a report of any crime, gardaí are duty bound to gather and seize evidence at a crime scene. It is also extremely important that we procure the evidence promptly. If somebody believes they have been spiked, it is important for them to report it to the Garda in order that a toxicology report can be obtained to ensure the crime can be prosecuted.
I thank the Minister for his detailed response and I welcome everything he said. I believe the numbers involved are increasing. I am basing that on reports coming to my constituency office, and telephone calls and meetings I am having with young women and, on occasion, young ladies with their mums.
Sadly, the Minister is correct in saying that many of these suspected spiking incidents involved rape. I believe we need to protect our women. We need to do everything humanly possible. Of course, it is difficult to prove, in that the person may have one or two drinks as well. Can the Minister outline in more detail the protocols that are in place for a patient who presents at the accident and emergency department and reports suspected drink spiking and the reason hospitals do not carry out intoxication testing in these cases, especially when requested by patients and families?
I agree with the Deputy. This is an extremely serious offence. It is an offence that is targeted predominately against women so that other serious sexual offences can be perpetrated against them. Gardaí inform me that incidents of spiking are more commonly reported alongside other primary offences.
I also regret to say that it appears that the number of incidents of spiking is significant. I am informed by the Garda that of the 60 reported incidents in 2024, 28 were drink spiking, a needle was used in ten and the method was unknown in 22. There were fewer than ten prosecutions initiated relating to fewer than five of those incidents reported during the 2022 to 2024 period.
If you believe you are a victim, obviously report it to the Garda. Gardaí will refer you to the appropriate hospital if they do not have the facilities to take the toxicology test, which is the case in many instances. It is important there is co-operation from hospitals and I believe that co-operation is present.
I believe toxicology reporting and testing in these cases is critical and it should be carried out in all suspected cases. Will the Minister commit to establishing a clear national pathway across all hospitals and Garda stations to ensure suspected spiking incidents are treated and investigated promptly and supported, as I said, by appropriate clinical and policing protocols? I cannot emphasise strongly enough how serious this matter is. I genuinely fear that the number of such instances will increase. It is a sly way of people getting what they want. I would ask the Minister - he will be strong on this - to ensure that every measure is taken to ensure that the people who carry out these offences are prosecuted and treated extremely harshly by the courts.
I will raise with my colleague, the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, the protocols that are or could be put in place if someone presents at an emergency department who believes their drink may have been spiked or they may have been spiked. It is obviously important, if that occurred, for the purpose of the investigation that samples are taken so that proof can be provided that the spiking did, in fact, occur. It can be difficult for an individual, if it is left for a lengthy period of time, to prove that the spiking occurred when it did, and obviously the corresponding offence occurred when it did immediately after the spiking.
I was encouraged by the fact that my predecessor, the Minister, Deputy McEntee, launched an information campaign in December 2021 with the Union of Students in Ireland to raise awareness of the signs of drink spiking and to give guidance on how to help a potential victim. I think the Deputy will agree that this is a particular concern for young people, particularly students, when they are out socialising and having a good time. The Deputy is correct that it is a particularly egregious and nasty form of criminal act that seeks to make a person even more vulnerable than they may be on a particular occasion.
Domestic Violence
90. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if he will seek greater supports for counties where there are difficulties in acquiring domestic violence refuges; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [67257/25]
I raised with the Minister previously the situation in County Roscommon where they are having major difficulties in sourcing a building that meets the requirements to become a refuge. Will the Minister look at areas such as County Roscommon that, despite best efforts, are struggling to find such a building?
It is an essential part of the Government strategy in respect of responding to domestic violence that we have in place appropriate refuges and safe houses throughout the country.
Under the third national domestic, sexual and gender-based violence strategy, this Government has committed to doubling domestic violence safe accommodation capacity to 282 units by the end of next year. Cuan, the statutory body that has responsibility under my guidance for this, has been working to accelerate the delivery of safe accommodation across the country.
Following a request from me, Cuan worked with services and partners to assess and review progress and identify a series of actions to accelerate delivery and to bring safe accommodation on stream as quickly as possible to meet the needs of those fleeing violence.
On foot of this review, completed in spring 2025, the following will be delivered: 52 new family refuge units by the end of 2026; 45 new safe homes by the end of 2026; and 50 new units will be under construction by the end of 2026. Cuan has a total budget of nearly €67 million to respond to that.
In the Deputy's area, plans are under way to develop an eight-unit purpose-built refuge in County Roscommon. Cuan has established a local stakeholder group to lead and support the development of domestic violence accommodation. This group includes representation from Roscommon Safe Link, Roscommon County Council, Cuan and other important agencies. Site feasibility is being completed on a potential site. Safe home accommodation was developed in the county with two safe homes being operational in July 2025 and Roscommon Safe Link received additional funding from Cuan for the development and delivery of these safe homes.
I acknowledge Cuan, the agency, and the work it is doing and the efforts that are being made to increase capacity when it comes to refuge spaces and safe houses for those who are fleeing domestic violence or violence typically in their own home.
A number of sites had been identified by Roscommon Safe Link but, because of the criteria being so rigid, none of those sites was found to meet the criteria in place. We all hope that the site identified now will be the site. I would ask that in certain areas, such as County Roscommon which is rural, where the need is established and where genuine efforts have been made to find a site, that the criteria could be looked at with a little flexibility in engagement with both the safe link and the local authority because it has been a challenge in County Roscommon.
I thank Deputy Kerrane for her question. No doubt there will be an element of flexibility in respect of considering locations for refuges.
It is essential that we have refuges spread geographically throughout the country. What I want to see is not necessarily a refuge in every county, because in some counties you may need two because of the size of them, but locations that are close to where people are and are equidistant from each other so that where there are higher population levels people will know that there is a refuge available.
I have visited many refuges since I have become Minister. I visited a refuge last week and I was impressed with what was going on and the level of commitment there.
It is also important to point out, however, that we cannot have it as the automatic response that when there is domestic violence, the women has to leave the home. We need to look at barring orders as well. There will be an immediate requirement for emergency accommodation but the solution should be that the abuser leaves the home and the victim gets back into her home.
I hope we will see that development of a refuge in County Roscommon because, as I said, the need is there. I hope the site that has been identified will be successful.
The Minister is correct that in most of these cases, it is the woman who flees the home. That should not be the case. We should be looking at turning that around, where the abuser is the one who has to lose his home, typically, as the case may be. That is the way we should look at it. For the refuges we need, particularly in the west in counties like Roscommon and the county part of Galway, there is a need to ensure there is an adequate number of refuges, particularly in parts like the west, where there are many very rural areas. I thank the Minister. I hope we will be successful in the refuge for County Roscommon.
I should have pointed out that the refuge I visited on Monday was in Clonmel. I was extremely impressed by the service provided and the commitment of the staff. I was also at another event this week which is relevant to the discussion we are having about domestic violence. That was the launch of a report by an organised called Men Overcoming Violence, MOVE. We are never going to be really able to resolve or properly confront the scourge of domestic violence unless we engage with and try to give counselling and an avenue out of it for men involved in committing violence. MOVE produced a useful report and gave an insight into the motivating factors that led men to perpetrate violence against their intimate partners. In many instances, it was insecurities, fear of losing the partner and substance abuse. It can be difficult for State bodies or State-funded bodies to engage with perpetrators. It is extremely important that we continue to do that because we will not be able to confront this issue without doing so.
Housing Schemes
91. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration when he will introduce changes to the accommodation recognition scheme in the light of its impact on the private rental market and the fact that landlords are using this scheme to avoid tenancy obligations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [68324/25]
The Minister and Department seem to have at last recognised that the accommodation recognition scheme paid in respect of Ukrainian accommodation has had and is having an impact on the private rental market and what I consider the undisputed fact that landlords are using the scheme to avoid tenancy obligations. Will the Minister outline when he intends to bring forward proposed changes to the accommodation recognition scheme?
As the Deputy will be aware, this year we changed the payment under the accommodation recognition payment, ARP, from €800 per month to €600 per month. I know there were concerns about that change as to what impact it would have on those individuals being accommodated. I am pleased to say it has not had, in our opinion, a significantly detrimental impact and has not led to very many people who were being accommodated pursuant to that payment losing their accommodation. The accommodation recognition payment was a useful measure. It was a goodwill payment to recognise the contribution of hosts who opened up their homes to temporary protection beneficiaries from Ukraine. Some 41,500 people are being accommodated in over 23,000 hosted accommodations supported by this scheme. The ARP is not intended to be a substitute for rent. Indeed, it is not payable where there is a rental agreement in place between the host and the guest. According to research from the Irish Red Cross, the vast majority of hosts who avail of the ARP were never and have no future plans to be landlords. I am aware of concerns about the impact of the scheme on the private rental market. Analysis carried out by the RTB for my colleague, the Minister for housing, suggests that some landlords could be diverting accommodation from the private rental sector to benefit from the ARP. It is difficult to reach definitive conclusions on the matter given wider issues impacting housing supply. I can, however, confirm that the Government agreed to a proposal brought jointly by the Minister for housing and me for the governing legislation to be amended to limit eligibility for the ARP to properties that are not rental properties. I think that will meet the Deputy's concerns. I am pleased to inform the Deputy that drafting of the necessary legislative amendments to give effect to the decision is well advanced. The proposal follows the measure implemented earlier this year where we reduced the ARP from €800 to €600.
I will agree with the Minister on one point - the accommodation recognition payment was a goodwill gesture for people who opened up their homes to Ukrainians fleeing war. It is very laudable and supported by everybody, I think, in this House. It was then extended and since then the impact of the ARP scheme on the rental market is seen in communities across the State. The Minister and the Government have refused to accept amendments Sinn Féin has brought forward that would limit the scheme to avoid the damage being done in the private rental sector. I welcome that there has been a belated acknowledgement by the Government that the scheme has impacted the private rental sector. We know landlords are availing of the scheme because they are incentivised to do so. Under the ARP, landlords get a tax-free payment. Crucially, and this is the reason we have not seen any distinction in the number since the reduced payment, they are able to avail of a top-up payment from their tenants without any regulation whatsoever. They are completely freed of any tenancy obligations that they would have for any other tenant.
Thank you, Deputy.
It was blatantly obvious this was going to have an impact on the private rental market, and it is blatantly obvious that it is having an impact on the private rental market.
Thank you, Deputy. Please conclude.
When will changes actually be brought forward, rather than just these cloudy timelines the Minister has been providing?
I disagree that it was blatantly obvious at the time it was introduced that it was going to have an impact on the private rental sector. We are not even sure at present that it is having an impact. There may be issues in respect of it. It is hard to definitively establish that. We are ensuring it will not be able to affect the private rental sector because we are going to limit eligibility for the ARP to properties that are not rental properties. That will ensure it will not have any distorting impact on the private rental sector. We also reduced the fee from €800 to €600 per month in respect of individuals giving goodwill accommodation. We also need to recognise, when you look at the number of people accommodated under the ARP - at present, it is about 41,500 - if it fell apart, if it was taken away and if there was no ARP, where would those people be accommodated? The Minister of State, Deputy Brophy, and I are trying to insist that if people with temporary protection are working, they have to pay for their own accommodation. There are people who will still need to be provided with State accommodation. This is probably the cheapest mechanism available at present.
Here we go again. The Minister finally announced that there would be a recognition of the potential impact on the rental market months ago and he is still talking about himself and the Minister for housing bringing something forward at some unspecified time. What is really infuriating for so many people is the Government has yet to recognise that this scheme is deeply unfair. It provides a non-means-tested housing support to one group of people in need of housing that is not available to others. There is a situation where one person might be in employment, on good wages and is able to access housing support through the ARP and somebody else who might be on a lower income is not able to avail of it. Landlords tell me this is the absolute best in terms of their conditions because they have no obligations to the tenant and they can get a tax-free payment and top-up payments. For most of the period this scheme has been in place, the Government has refused to accept Sinn Féin's concerns or take on board any of our amendments. Now, the Minister is saying he recognises there are problems and he will bring forward some changes but will not specify exactly what they are or tell us when they will actually be brought in. It is time for real clarity and honesty.
I do not recall Sinn Féin objecting to the ARP when the previous Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, introduced it at the time temporary protection was granted.
It was for hosts in their own homes at that stage.
It was a necessary measure for the purpose of providing accommodation to the large number of people from Ukraine who came here. The Deputy said the Minister of State, Deputy Brophy, and I have not done anything but we have. We reduced it from €800 to €600. I would have thought it is clearly the case we are gradually trying to introduce further measures in respect of it. We are bringing forward legislation to ensure it cannot be used in respect of rental properties so that the issues about which the Deputy and I are concerned will not apply. It is wrong to suggest it is having a completely distorting impact on the rental sector. It is predominantly used to accommodate people who have been granted temporary protection and individuals whom, if they are not accommodated pursuant to the ARP, the State will probably have to look at some other mechanism of accommodation.
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