Bus Services
A lady contacted me today. She finished work in Cork University Hospital last Friday evening and was waiting in town for the 203 bus. She stood there for an hour before the bus turned up. Two buses were on the app. They never turned up. By the time the bus turned up, over 100 people were waiting to get on at the bus stop. She said trying to get on the bus was like a stampede. Imagine what it is like after working a long day in a hospital and having to struggle to get a bus home. She also said that she walks 5 km every morning to work because she cannot depend on the bus because the service is so bad in Cork. Why does she walk 5 km? It is because she knows that if she walks, she will get there on time.
Another person contacted me who uses the bus to commute. They have put in seven complaints in the past ten days and got two generic responses. To let the Minister of State how bad things are, I put a post on Facebook a couple of hours ago and asked people to let me know their stories. I cannot keep up with the number of stories that have come in. A total of 161 people responded to me in a couple of hours outlining their problems. They cannot get to work, school, college or hospital appointments. They are telling that it affects the 202, 203, 205, 206, 207, 208, 212, 214, 215 and 220 routes. That is just from people texting me or sending me messages. I have messages on Facebook and WhatsApp and emails about it. We are not talking about a couple of minutes. We are talking about people waiting for an hour or longer in the rain and the cold this winter. How is that acceptable? We are talking about providing public transport and at the same time, Bus Éireann is letting the people of Cork down once again.
It was the exact same last year. People were waiting hours for buses. Some people might have a family member who can collect them while others might have the price of a taxi but many people do not. We were promised that more drivers would be hired and that there would be an end to delays and ghost buses.
One person who contacted me told of how they were standing at a bus stop and an empty bus passed them. The bus was empty. It was because that bus driver was told to get back to base or ahead because the NTA fines Bus Éireann every time it is late so instead of picking up passengers who are waiting in the cold and the rain, Bus Éireann management told drivers to drive on and pass them. The drivers are telling us they do not want to do that. They want to pick people up. They are also being told to roll up "out of service" and drive past people. Another person contacted me today. They saw a bus coming down the road after waiting for an hour that diverted down another road to get it back early. That is what is happening. Bus Éireann is completely ignoring the people of Cork. Fining Bus Éireann for being late or skipping a stop means that people are being left behind.
What action will be taken to ensure that the people of Cork are not left stranded by the side of the road? I was talking to my daughter. Her friend was waiting on a bus last weekend. The bus was to be there in seven minutes. The bus did not arrive for over 40 minutes. If I get off the bus at Heuston Station and look up at the bus panel and it says the bus will be there in five minutes, it will be there in five minutes. How can it be done in Dublin when it cannot be done in Cork? Why are the people of Cork looking at the app and the buses never turn up?
I thank Deputy Gould for raising this important topic, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister for Transport, Deputy O'Brien. From the outset, I would like to clarify that the Minister for Transport has responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport but neither the Minister nor his officials are involved in the day-to-day operation of public transport services.
The statutory responsibility for securing the provision of public passenger transport services nationally rests with the National Transport Authority, NTA. The NTA works with the public transport operators, which deliver the services and have responsibility for day-to-day operational matters.
That said, I would like to reassure the Deputy that the Government is strongly committed to providing all citizens with reliable and realistic sustainable mobility options and public transport plays a key role in the delivery of this goal. As the Deputy will be well aware, bus services in Cork city have, unfortunately, been experiencing significant reliability issues for a combination of reasons, including both driver availability issues and traffic congestion. The NTA and Bus Éireann are working together on the matter and are holding weekly meetings to review plans to rectify these issues.
There has been an increase in recruitment efforts, which have included open days and a number of online campaigns. There are currently a number of candidates in the process of completing their driver school training and following this, Bus Éireann expects to be in a position to fully operate their existing timetabled services in late November.
However, I understand that additional drivers are required in order for Bus Éireann to introduce the required timetable changes that would help in alleviating some of the issues regarding congestion and reliability issues seen on some routes. It is intended that there will be changes to the timetable along a number of routes on a phased basis as and when these drivers become available. A number of timetable fixes have been implemented on certain routes already.
Bus Éireann has advised that it has the necessary number of applicants within its recruitment pipeline to address the additional driver requirements outlined above. Its assessments factor in applicant attrition rates and mixtures of candidates with and without the D-category licence, as well as other relevant factors such as retirements, resignations and short-term absenteeism.
I can also confirm that as part of the Connecting Ireland rural mobility plan, the TFI Local Link route 255 from Kinsale to Cork west was recently launched in August 2025. This new route 255 operates four daily return services between Charles Fort and the west of Cork city from Monday to Sunday. The new route provides peak-time services connectivity to Forthill, Kinsale College, Kinsale Community Hospital, Halfway, Ballinhassig, Wilton Shopping Centre, Cork University Hospital, Munster TU Campus and regional bus services.
BusConnects is a transformative programme of investment in the bus system providing better bus services across our cities, including in Cork. It is the largest investment in the bus system in the history of the State and is managed by the NTA. Planning for the implementation of the new bus network has commenced and it is expected that the new network will be implemented on a phased basis over the coming years subject to funding and resource availability.
I would advise the Minister of State to go back to the Department now and find out whoever wrote that speech for him because that speech was not worth the paper it was written on. I got all the same excuses and the same promises last year. Here we are now and the Minister of State is being rolled in here to read out the same old claptrap again while the people of Cork cannot get a bus.
The Minister of State is talking about a bus to Kinsale. There are 150,000 people living in Cork and he is talking about a bus to Kinsale. There are 25,000 students in UCC and another 15,000 in MTU and he is talking about people from Kinsale going to college, but what about the people of Cork going to college? Some 150,000 people cannot get a bus and the Minister of State is coming in here talking about four buses a day. This is fecking crazy stuff. The Government has a responsibility to deliver a public bus service that delivers for the people. The Minister of State outlined there that the timetables were realistic. I met the company two years ago and told them over in Bus Éireann. I met with them. I sat down in the office and said your timetables are not realistic; they do not add up. I also told them buses should not be going from the north side to the south side because they are getting caught in traffic. They should be turned in the city centre and sent back out the way they came. I was told that could not be done either. We are trying the big solutions here. The Minister of State comes in here and tells me about a recruitment problem. There was a recruitment problem three years ago. What did the company do? Who is responsible? The first line of the Minister of State's speech was that this is a matter for the NTA. He said this is not the Minister's job and not the Government's job-----
That is not what I said.
It is your job. It is your job to make sure people can get to work in the morning. I was contacted by a woman. I am asking you now, as Minister of State-----
Through the Chair.
-----to go to my Facebook page with the Department of Transport and look at the messages that were left there. A girl was waiting an hour and a half to get a bus home from college on her own.
Thank you, Deputy.
Is it right that in the pitch black of night girls and women are being left on their own?
Thank you, Deputy.
It is not good enough and that response was shocking.
Thank you, Deputy. The Minister of State to reply.
I thank the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach. First, I accept and I said here that the service is not right. I have also said I and the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, are not responsible for the day-to-day running of the service - we are responsible for providing the funding. If there are issues with the service we will get to the bottom of it. I know there have been issues with getting drivers and I appreciate the Deputy's frustration and that of the people in Cork. There is no point in having a public bus service if we are not able to deliver it. We will work to get it right, we will work to get the additional people in place, but there are also new routes that have to be put in to try to avoid the congestion and to put in BusConnects. The timetable and the scheduling is being looked at and as I said to the Deputy, Bus Éireann and the NTA are meeting weekly to try to resolve some of these issues. I would say to the Deputy as well-----
Will you meet with Bus Éireann?
Sorry-----
Will you meet with them?
Deputy, please.
A Chathaoirligh.
You said they are meeting every week. I am saying will you meet with Bus Éireann?
Deputy, please. Through the Chair.
With due respect, Deputy, you had your time and-----
But you are telling me they are meeting. Will you meet with them?
Let the Minister of State respond.
If you could have the manners to let me talk, please. It is just common courtesy. I gave that to you. What I would say to you is I meet Bus Éireann on a regular basis where issues arise and I can meet it on this, but I will not be goaded into it or bullied into it by you.
No, but it is all right for people to stand in the cold and the rain-----
Deputy, let the Minister of State respond.
What do you want?
-----because you will not take a lesson from me. Is that it?
Deputy, please let the Minister of State respond.
No, I would say he can have the time. Sure he knows it all.
I know the people of Cork have no bus service. That is what I know.
Please, Deputy.
The people of Cork cannot get a bus.
Deputy-----
That is what I know.
Please, Deputy. Is the Minister of State finished?
There is no point in talking when he shouts over me.
Okay, I am moving on to the second Topical Issue matter from Deputy Sherlock.
Vehicle Testing
Go raibh maith agat a Chathaoirligh. I thank the Minister of State for taking this question. We had to postpone to tonight so he could be in the Chamber to take this. My question relates to commercial vehicle roadworthiness testing centre operators and tester regulations. I very much support improvement and adherence to the highest standards regarding commercial vehicle testing. I also very much support the concept of a 15-minute city and keeping services as close as possible to where they are needed. I support initiatives to reduce congestion and we have obviously had a lot of debate about the M7 over the past week and the carpark it has become, and the M50 has of course been incredibly congested for a number of years. The programme for Government states, "This Government will: Support the [logistics and road haulage] sector to ensure the efficiency of the supply chain and to maintain competitiveness" and the Minister of State has special responsibility for this area. There is also a commitment in the programme for Government to try to reduce the emissions from the logistics and road haulage sector. That applies to a lot of the vehicles, especially the commercial light goods vehicles that are in question here with respect to their annual testing and where they are tested.
My frustration is with SI No. 475/2022 which effectively mandates a series of improvements to light goods commercial vehicle testing centres. I support most of these improvements but one relates to the specific need for a drive-through. I did not get a specific answer to the key question I asked of the Department two years ago on the technical and engineering justification for a drive-through in these commercial vehicle roadworthiness testing centres. While we do not know that explanation, we know the regulations that will come into force on 18 March 2027 will result in the closure of at least four testing centres across the country and the loss of associated jobs. Those centres will be lost in Dublin’s north inner city, in Coolock, Greenhills, Ballymun and in many other parts of the country where it is not possible to introduce a drive-through.
I will give the Minister of State an example because this has come to my attention through William O’Brien Motors in the north inner city, in my constituency. It was set up in 1993. In 2012 it was asked by Dublin City Council to move to a premises – the only premises that could be found in the north inner city to facilitate such testing - because the council wanted to keep it in the city centre. Bear in mind the council asked William O’Brien to move in 2012 notwithstanding that there was guidance in place since 2004 and there was no intervention or interference then by the Road Safety Authority or the Department of Transport in the move to the current centre. It is 8,500 sq. ft. of which 4,250 sq. ft. is currently allocated to testing. If the Minister of State was to walk into that centre he would see it is capable of a 360 degree turn. It does not have the capacity for a drive-through but it is entirely safe in terms of how it is laid out. William O’Brien Motors has been fighting and debating with the Department over a number of years now about the need for this drive-through. A person from the Road Safety Authority came out a number of weeks ago and tried to provide helpful suggestions as to how William O’Brien Motors could comply with the regulations. The key issue is it would wipe out William O’Brien’s business. If he was to comply with the regulations it would effectively do away with all the other things he would need like a waiting room, toilets and office space. My question to the Minister of State is whether he wants places like this to close down out of the communities in which they are serving.
I thank the Deputy for the question. Commercial vehicle roadworthiness testing, CVRT, in Ireland is largely based on the EU roadworthiness directive, which is Directive 2014/45/EU. Although the directive has not set specific standards, it requires the provision of modern, up-to-date testing facilities to ensure all tests are carried out in accordance with the directive. While as Minister of State I have responsibility for the legislation governing commercial vehicle testing, the Road Safety Authority has statutory responsibility for the operation and oversight of the system, including the authorisation of CVRT facilities and operators. The standards required for CVRT premises were set out by the Department of Transport in 2004 but implemented differently by the local authorities. The need for existing CVRT premises to meet these standards has been discussed since 2013. In 2019, the operators were made aware their premises would need to meet the new standards, including drive-through lanes, to renew their authorisations in 2024.
In 2022, new regulations, SI No. 475/2022 - Authorisation of Commercial Vehicle Roadworthiness Test Operators and Testers (Amendment) Regulations 2022, amended SI No. 107 of 2013 to set out new standards for the authorisation of CVRT operators, including the requirement for drive-through lanes.
The regulations supported revised requirements in the RSA's premises and equipment guidelines, with which CVRT operators must comply to obtain or renew an authorisation in accordance with the Road Safety Authority (Commercial Vehicle Roadworthiness) Act 2012.
Among other things, the new regulations set out the minimum standards required for currently authorised testing facilities to renew their authorisation for the next ten-year period. They also delayed, for three years, those requirements for CVRT operators whose premises did not meet the new standards on expiry of their previous authorisation in March 2024 until March 2027. This three-year grace period, introduced because of Covid-19, gave authorised operators the opportunity to review the new standards and make informed decisions on whether to make the necessary investment to comply with them as well as sufficient time to carry out any upgrades.
The RSA has informed the Department of Transport that the majority of CVRT operator authorisations issued under section 11 of the 2012 Act will expire in March 2027. The RSA has also advised that the majority of operators whose authorisations expired in 2024 already meet the required standards and will be able to renew their authorisations for ten years to 2034. Others will have to decide whether to upgrade their premises in order to continue as authorised operators after March 2027.
Overall, the changes will mean consistent standards in roadworthiness testing facilities for the Irish commercial fleet.
I hear a very clear admission by the Department that the directive does not set out specific criteria regarding a drive-through lane. The business I am talking about serves Dublin's docklands. Businesses from Tipperary and other parts of the country bring their vans to be tested there because they are up in the docklands early in the morning and can get those vans tested during the day. It does not just affect companies in Dublin; it affects companies right across the country. I did not hear the Minister of State say that he has taken responsibility for this issue. This Government is talking about trying to reduce congestion and improve competitiveness for the logistics and haulage sector but it is going to force commercial vehicles to go out past the M50 to get tested. It makes no sense. The Government is playing into the hands of the big business of commercial vehicle testing centres and will put the small fellas out of business. That is wrong. It is also going to mean a loss of jobs, which is wrong.
Will the Minister of State find out which companies are going to lose out? He has spoken about the majority but not all companies can comply with the new regulations. I have yet to hear why exactly the RSA wants a drive-through lane. No engineering rationale as to why that is necessary has been put forward. The RSA seems to have arbitrarily decided that this should happen. I want the Minister of State to find out which companies are going to have to close because of this. In all good conscience, does he believe that is good enough for companies in Dublin or companies across the country that use Dublin's docklands every day and bring their cars to Dublin for testing? It is a nonsense to say that Dublin's docklands need to be developed and that it is the jewel in the crown with regard to trade in this country if those operating at the docks cannot get their cars tested close to their place of work.
There are currently 147 authorised commercial vehicle roadworthiness test operators. I will list the expiry dates for their authorisations. Sixty will expire on or after 18 March 2034 and seven will expire between 18 March 2027 and 18 March 2034. Their premises will also comply. Sixty-nine expire on 18 March 2027 and 11 operators have informed the RSA that they will not continue to operate after that date. Of the 69 companies whose authorisations are expiring, 51 are at different stages of completing their upgrades. Seven have works completed, 19 are in the process of carrying out the works, 13 are seeking quotations and a further six have planning approvals. One more planning approval is with the Department. Plans have been approved in two cases but it is not yet confirmed when works will commence. Plans have been submitted to the RSA and responses have issued to the operators in three further cases.
I take on board the point that some people might face a financial impediment in continuing. I will talk to the officials and see if I can get a reason that those operators must have a drive-through lane. These regulations were introduced in 2022. We are a long way down the road of implementing them. If we were to change them now, it would do a disservice to those who have already undertaken these investments. It is a double-edged sword. I will check that out. From reading these figures, it seems that many of the operators are in compliance with the standards or are in the process of complying with them. Of course, some have said they will not continue. I do not know if all of those decisions were made for financial reasons. Some may be retiring or so on. I will have a look at that.
Hospital Waiting Lists
Is mór an scannal é i ndáiríre go bhfuil naoi leaba folamh in Áras Mhic Dara cé go bhfuil 12 duine ar an liosta feithimh mar go bhfuil cúram ón áras sin ag teastáil go géar uathu. Bhí geallúintí ón Rialtas air seo cheana. Teastaíonn gníomh anois ón Rialtas agus ón HSE. Agus muid i mbun plé anocht, tá na naoi leaba sin folamh agus, ag an am céanna, tá 73 duine ar thralaithe san ospidéal i nGaillimh. Ní dhéanann sé sin ciall ar bith. Tá tuilleadh brú á chur ar an ospidéal agus brú á chur ar dhaoine atá ag iarraidh a gcúram sláinte a fháil níos gaire don bhaile. Ní scéal nua é seo. Tá feachtas ar siúl ar An gCeathrú Rua ar feadh na mblianta. Anois, tá Feidhmeannacht na Seirbhíse Sláinte ag rá linn gur fadhb foirne é agus nach mbeidh na leapacha sin oscailte go dtí an t-earrach ar a thúisce. Teastaíonn gníomh láithreach.
It is an absolute scandal that we have nine beds empty in Áras Mhic Dara in Carraroe tonight while 12 people are on a waiting list waiting to get the healthcare they need from the áras. There had been promises on this from the Government previously. We now need the HSE and the Government to work together to try to resolve this immediately. While we are having this debate here tonight, there are 73 people on trolleys in University Hospital Galway. That is 73 people who are unwell and need care. They are getting that care but they do not have beds. All the while, these nine beds lie empty. It does not make sense at all. I am sure the Minister of State would agree that situation does not make sense. It is also just wrong. There has been a long-standing campaign in Carraroe to see this facility used to provide the capacity that is needed for the community but now we hear from the HSE that these beds will open in spring at the earliest. That is just unacceptable. We need urgent action now. I hope the Minister of State can give us some news today.
Ar nós mo chomhghleacaí, cuirim fáilte roimh an deis an t-ábhar seo a ardú agus ceist na leapacha in Áras Mhic Dara a phlé anseo anocht. Má fhaigheann sé deis, molaim don Aire Stáit an tuairisc is déanaí ó HIQA ar Áras Mhic Dara a léamh. Taispeánann sé cé chomh hard is atá an caighdeán cúraim san ionad. Is aoibhinn an rud é sin d'éinne a bhfuil duine dá chlann san ionad seo. Táimid ag brath ar an bhfoireann ansin agus ar na daoine ar fad atá ag obair ann.
If the Minister of State gets the opportunity, he should read the most recent HIQA report on Áras Mhic Dara. It highlights the good management and the care the residents are getting there. Anybody who has a loved one in the centre can rest assured that he or she is getting a very high quality of care. However, we have to ponder why there are nine beds empty in the facility on an ongoing basis. Last month, I asked the Department of Health if it could outline the increased number of community nursing beds planned for County Galway. The answer I got was that a business plan was being submitted from older person's services to address the provision of additional beds in a number of community nursing units. This response referred to an additional nine beds for Merlin Park, an additional 12 beds for Clifden District Hospital, an additional five beds for the community nursing unit in Tuam, eight beds for St. Brendan's Community Nursing Unit in Loughrea, six beds for Ballinasloe Community Nursing Unit and an additional nine beds for Áras Mhic Dara.
However, there is no point in telling us 49 additional beds are coming on stream if we cannot be guaranteed we can recruit the staff to make sure they can be open for the patients who need them. In a general sense, we have to review and look at the recruitment and retention of nursing staff in the country. I understand there is a process in train to staff these beds but it has been difficult to complete.
I thank Deputies Farrell and Connolly for raising this important matter. Áras Mhic Dara community nursing unit provides important and valued services for the people in Carraroe and surrounding areas. I understand the significant role the community nursing unit plays in the community and the depth of feeling associated with the facility. Áras Mhic Dara community nursing unit is registered with HIQA to accommodate a maximum of 38 residents for long-term residential care, which both Deputies have mentioned. The HSE has advised that currently 29 beds are open and nine beds are vacant due to staffing challenges. Both Deputies have referenced this.
Áras Mhic Dara community nursing unit cannot admit any more residents at present as the opening of additional beds is dependent on safe staffing levels. As the Deputies are aware, there are challenges in recruiting staff in community nursing units and community hospitals in more rural locations. Unfortunately, staff shortages can have an impact on bed capacity at times. The number of beds open at any time is dependent on safe staffing levels, and this is monitored on an ongoing basis in line with the recruitment of staff. To ensure the safety of residents and staff, bed capacity is configured around adequate staffing levels, and an appropriate staff skill mix must be in place.
I assure the Deputies that HSE west and north west is committed to filling all vacant posts in Áras Mhic Dara, and in all community hospitals and CNUs in the region, and will continue to explore all available options to fill these posts. It is currently planned that an additional 14 whole-time equivalents will be required to open the additional beds in Áras Mhic Dara community nursing unit in Carraroe. To enable recruitment of approved and funded positions, the HSE has progressed recruitment campaigns for staff nurses and multitask attendants. Both of these campaigns have now closed and shortlisting for these positions has commenced. Interviews will soon be scheduled by the HSE and recruitment will commence in due course. The HSE envisages reopening beds in Áras Mhic Dara community nursing unit once staff are recruited at the start of the new year. I assure the Deputies that I am committed to working alongside the HSE to address all concerns in respect of the residential care of older persons in Áras Mhic Dara now and over the coming years.
I have followed up with the Department and the HSE today and previously. I am arranging to meet the HSE myself directly with officials. I want to see precisely what is happening. We know recruitment is under way for nine very important and beneficial beds for older people in the area. The commitment I give tonight is that in a practical and proactive way, I and officials will meet the HSE to see exactly what is happening, and to see how we can expedite getting the staff in place for the nine beds to have the full complement open as quickly as possible. This is the proactive measure I am putting forward tonight.
Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit. Is maith an rud é sin agus cuirim fáilte roimhe. Sin an cineál gnímh atá ag teastáil ón Rialtas le feiceáil cén bealach gur féidir linn an fhadhb seo a réiteach. Is dócha go bhfuil fadhb níos leithne ann freisin. Aon uair a dhúntar leapacha i gceantar tuaithe, an chéad rud a deirtear ná nach féidir foireann a earcú. Léiríonn sé sin go bhfuil fadhb ann. Caithfimid breathnú ar céard iad na fadhbanna atá ann le foireann a earcú faoin tuath agus cén bealach gur féidir linn réiteach a fháil ar an gceist sin. I really welcome the fact the Minister of State has said he will meet the HSE on this. It is a very proactive step. It is a step we could have only hoped for in raising this. The issue here is obviously broader. Any time there is an issue with step-down facilities and hospitals in rural areas, we are continuously told it is an issue with recruitment. If it is an issue with recruitment, we need to look at what we can do to assist recruitment in these rural areas. It has happened in Clifden and it is now happening in Carraroe.
Aontaím le mo chomhghleacaí. Cuirim fáilte roimh an gealltanas go bhfuil an tAire Stáit chun casadh leis na hoifigigh áitiúla ansin. Tá sé geallta aige go bhfuil sé ag iarraidh an fhadhb a réiteach chomh luath agus is féidir chun na leapacha sin a oscailt. Is dócha go bhfuil ábhar níos leithne anseo. There is a wider issue certainly. One of the things I noted is that in 2024, of the 17,168 critical skills employment permits given out in the country, more than 5,000 of them were for nursing staff. We have to examine something here. We have to examine whether we are training a sufficient number of nurses in our third level sector. Are we giving them the conditions and the work settings that make it possible for them to pursue their careers at home? Anecdotally we might hear that many of our nursing graduates go abroad because conditions are better. We need to examine this carefully, particularly if we have situations where in our own communities, in facilities that are State run and State led, we cannot have the complete suite of beds open. There is a bigger issue here but I thank the Minister of State and I welcome the fact he will meet local officials. I hope that we can see resolution of the issue soon.
I again thank Deputies Farrell and Connolly for raising this important matter in respect of Aras Mhic Dara community nursing unit in Carraroe. As I said previously, I will meet the HSE on the particular issue of the nine beds, which is the principal issue raised this evening in the House. I take account of the wider issues in the region in terms of rural and community nursing homes and it is something else I will discuss. The particular issue of the nine beds in Áras Mhic Dara is critical. As I said, there are 38 beds registered in Áras Mhic Dara and 29 of these are open. They cannot have any more residents at present as the opening of these beds is dependent on safe staffing levels. As I said earlier, HSE west and north west is committed to filling all vacant posts in Áras Mhic Dara community nursing unit and is exploring all available options to fill these posts. These include the current recruitment campaign for staff nurses and multitask attendants.
I assure Deputies Farrell and Connolly that all efforts are being made on a continuous basis to ensure staffing is in place to maximise the residential capacity in the facility. Once the full complement of staff has been recruited to Áras Mhic Dara community nursing unit, the HSE will in a position to open the remaining nine beds. As I said, the HSE and I are committed to maximising all available services for older people and the Connemara region. The HSE continuously reviews its services in line with population health planning and Sláintecare principles to ensure adequate and appropriate residential care services are available for our older population. In a very practical way, as I stated, I have already put the wheels in motion in terms of meeting the HSE, and I hope to do this relatively quickly to see what is the specific situation in terms of recruiting staff to open the nine beds and have the full complement of 38 beds in Áras Mhic Dara community nursing home in Carraroe.
Parking Provision
I want to raise a very important issue for people in the greater Blanchardstown area, and Dublin West in general, which is the application and granting of planning permission for parking charges and barriers in Blanchardstown town centre. This is a proposal to fleece the community in a cost-of-living crisis and to fleece people who work in the centre. It will drive online shopping, job losses and shop closures, and we have already had plenty of them. It will put a barrier, literally, to community facilities in the town centre. These include Fingal County Council's own offices, a library, Draíocht theatre, medical facilities, a post office and a credit union. Obviously, it is a social hub for people in the area.
The owner of this centre is a vulture fund. It just swooped in and bought the centre off another vulture fund. It is no longer in the hands of retail management. This is a regressive charge. Everyone will pay the same no matter what their income level is. It is also Orwellian, because the owners are saying it is about mobility enhancement and improving access to the town centre.
There is no problem accessing the town centre. We access it every day of the week. Putting in barriers will slow traffic, cause traffic congestion, gridlock, more pollution and result in overflow parking in the neighbouring estates, which happens at peak times, at Christmas and so on. The most despicable aspect of this is that Fingal County Council has given planning permission and worked hand-in-glove with the vulture fund, Strategic Value Partners. The previous one was Goldman Sachs. It is trying to use national, Government transport guidelines to get this through. It bought a site and now it wants to milk it for profit. It has no connection to the community that fought for this centre. I marched to get that town centre built, as did many other people in the area, and to make sure it had community facilities in it.
What has this got to do with the national Government? It has a lot to do with it. It is being cited that this fits in with the national strategy of getting people out of cars and getting them using public transport. We do not have public transport in Dublin West. We do not have a Luas or a metro. We are completely reliant on cars and buses. This is one of the biggest and fastest-growing areas in the country, with 100,000 people. There are no new bus routes. A reply to a parliamentary question posed by a Government Deputy in June, and not to me, stated that since 2020, €1.6 million has been invested in Dublin West in bus enhancements. In 2020, it was €1.25 million. In 2022, it was €97. In 2023, it was nothing. In 2024, €407,000 was the rest. BusConnects, therefore, is a pipe dream. It has not even started. Is the Government seriously going to suggest that people should be able to get out of their cars and onto the creaking bus system? It is forcing people out of cars and onto a public transport system that does not exist. One area, Tyrrelstown, has one of these Go-Ahead ghost buses that frequently does not show. We all know that is what they are. This is the only access for people to the town centre. Are people seriously meant to go in, do their shopping and carry bag loads of shopping onto a bus? The Government should be clamping down on this. There should be no parking charges to access community facilities and vital shopping facilities.
I thank the Deputy very much for raising this matter. I will give her the reply that I have been given, but, basically, my understanding is that in the context of the role of the Minister, this is a planning issue. I believe there is planning going on at the moment. I do not know the exact detail. While there is a planning application in the system, the role of the Minister is primarily to provide a policy and legislative framework under which the planning authorities, An Coimisiún Pleanála and the Office of the Planning Regulator, OPR, perform their statutory planning functions.
I understand there is a live planning case and therefore, as provided under section 30 of the Act of 2000, the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage shall not exercise any power or control in relation to any particular case with which a planning authority or An Coimisiún Pleanála is or may be concerned. This means that the Minister is explicitly prevented from interfering in such cases, which is of utmost importance to maintain the independence of the planning authority or the commission. Therefore, it would be inappropriate to comment on any individual case that may be subject to appeal or judicial review. All development proposals require planning permission unless they are specifically exempted under the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, or the supplementary Planning and Development Regulations 2001, as amended.
Where any person is unsure if planning permission is required, under section 5 of the 2000 Act they may seek a declaration from the relevant planning authority as to whether any particular case is or is not a development, or is or is not exempted development, within the meaning of the 2000 Act. When a person submits a planning application, irrespective of whether the proposed development is located in an urban or rural area, the relevant planning authority in making its decision shall have regard to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area. It is a matter for the relevant planning authority to consider each application on a case-by-case basis and to decide whether to grant the permission, subject to or without conditions, or to refuse permission. Where an individual who has participated in the planning process, or is directly affected by a planning decision of a planning authority, they may lodge an appeal to the commission in accordance with section 37 of the 2000 Act. Furthermore, any person who has participated in the appeals process, or shows they have sufficient interest, may seek a judicial review.
Public participation is a long established and key element in the substantive decision-making process under the planning Acts. It is open to any person to make a submission or observation. In addition, a person who made a submission or observation on a planning application that a planning authority has decided to grant or refuse may subsequently appeal this decision to An Coimisiún Pleanála or may make a further submission in relation to an appeal of that decision.
I do not know the exact detail of this case, but I understand there is a planning process going on. While that planning process is going on, the Minister cannot interfere in it. It has to go through its course. If that is the correct position, I will accept the Deputy's response.
I am just wondering why I stayed until 12.15 a.m. to hear that explanation of what a planning application is. I do understand that the Minister of State has to be careful. I do get that. I thought we might be able to have a general discussion about whether people should pay car parking charges to access community and shopping facilities. What does the Minister of State think? Does he think this is right? Does he think it is good to use the guise that it is all being done for the environment? Does he seriously think that a vulture fund that bought this centre cares about the environment? It is there to make a profit, to get the rents and now, it seems, to generate car parking charges.
With regard to Liffey Valley centre, there is kind of an element here of, "Sure, all the other areas have them". There was a battle in Liffey Valley and a campaign. The workers there, though, are paying €2.50 daily. If they park their car there five days a week, that is €600 a year. They have to earn €800 or €1,000 to have €600 cash in their hands. That is well over a week’s wages for people.
I also want to raise a point about social isolation. Many older people and disabled people use Blanchardstown centre to meet their friends. We are cutting across that. People will now be wary about doing that and we are adding to the epidemic of mental health issues and loneliness that exists. Does the Minister of State know we have these drones? I am sure he does know about it because we have raised this issue here. We will all be sitting at home ordering our coffee by drone rather than actually going out and meeting friends.
We will appeal this decision to An Coimisiún Pleanála but we know it is a David-and-Goliath battle. We are up against a vulture fund with massive resources. There was a traffic survey with 115 pages. How are ordinary residents to compete with this? I am absolutely disgusted with Fingal County Council. It is just ignoring the community and facilitating big corporations. On 6 December, we will march into that town centre. We will disrupt its custom that day to send a message to the company that it will not get away with this lying down and that people have a stake in this town centre. We have nitrates derogations and data centres using our water, so please do not pretend this is about the environment.
I cannot comment on the particular situation. Now that I understand what has happened, planning permission has been given for this and it is still in the planning process. I cannot comment on that-----
Yes, but on a general discussion.
I have it in my own constituency with wind farms. These wind farms are being imposed on communities in their own backyards. They are very imposing. Again, we do not know who owns them. Investors own them. Communities are preparing submissions to go into the local authority to make their cases. They are meeting in community halls to see how they will do this when they should be at home enjoying themselves with their families. That is the context of the overall issue.
More public transport is definitely needed. The questions I have been answering, including from the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach, in the past couple of weeks highlight that the public transport systems we have are not fulfilling the function they are supposed to be doing.
We had it from another Deputy in Cork here tonight. We have deficiencies in the system. That is a different conversation from getting public transport up and running, but I cannot comment on a live planning application. As the Deputy said, it will be appealed it or whatever, but I do not know. I cannot comment on that particular thing and the question is about parking charges. I wondered what the background was to it but now I understand it. I sympathise with the community and I presume that justice will prevail.
Wastewater Treatment
We move to the final Topical Issue tonight and it gives me great pleasure to be in the Chair as an issue relating to my home village is being discussed.
I was going to reference that at the start. I know it is an issue close to the Chair's heart and her father's heart. It is an issue I have raised here on five or six occasions, primarily through Topical Issues. I thank the Minister of State for being here. Unfortunately, to my mind, nothing has changed after those attempts to raise this issue here in the past. For people at home who are not familiar with Carrignavar, it is a village to the north of Cork city. It is probably a ten-minute drive to the city centre. It has an awful lot going for it. A brand new special school is currently under construction. A new school replaced the old Scoil an Athar Tadhg recently and it is a phenomenal building. The secondary school is also going out for an extension and the community is also getting together to build a brand new purpose-built multisport facility under what it is hoped will be a future round of large-scale sport infrastructure fund, LSSIF, funding. It is a village that has an awful lot going for it. Its potential to grow is phenomenal. It is hoped that BusConnects will, for the first time, connect the village with a two-hour service, so it really is an up-and-coming place.
Unfortunately, because of the lack of a wastewater treatment plant - a functioning one, anyway - this village has really been stifled over the last decade or so, to the point that land zoned for housing has been dezoned in the not-so-distant past. That aspiration for the village to grow and to populate those schools and facilities is now being restricted because of Irish Water's inability to fund a much needed wastewater treatment plant. To give the Minister of State an idea, as he has served in multiple roles in this House over the years and will be well familiar with the issues in relation to Irish Water, if you take a stroll down the river at any stage to Glashaboy, you will see evidence that the wastewater treatment plant that is there is not just at capacity but is three times overloaded from its original capacity. Yet, Irish Water and the county council before, to be fair, have done nothing to upgrade the system there.
I know the plant was previously considered for funding under the small towns and villages scheme. I think it is No. 11 on a list devised by Irish Water in agreement with Cork County Council. The council previously received funding for the first five or six projects on that list. Unfortunately, Carrignavar, as I said, is No. 11. My issue is funding was received for those first five projects about two years ago at this stage. To my knowledge, none of those projects has actually turned a sod, had a new building opened, a new pump house installed or whatever the issues pertaining to those wastewater treatment plants are. At this stage, I am pleading with the State and Irish Water. I know there is going to be a capital plan review early in quarter 1 of next year. I am pleading because the State has finally stepped up. We have provided additional buildings to Irish Water and I need to see this wastewater infrastructure upgraded.
The difficulty I have, if I can be frank, is that I am not sure that I have faith in Irish Water to deliver that infrastructure. I am glad that, in recent times, the Minister has now opened the door to developer-led infrastructure once more and that is probably where the solution to this problem lies. I know the county council is currently in the middle of its development plan review and I hope development land is identified, that a suitable developer will be found and that development might be what is required to instigate growth in the village once more and provide that much-needed infrastructure. The capacity of Irish Water to deliver it has been proven. I do not think it is capable of it, so I hope the Minister of State might have an update. As I said, it is my fifth or sixth time raising it so he might surprise me with an update.
I thank the Deputy for the question. In County Galway, we have 30 villages without any treatment plant, so I empathise with him.
Uisce Éireann has statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation. Neither I, nor the Minister, Deputy Browne, who offers his apologies as he cannot be here this evening for this question, have an operational function in the matter to which the Deputy refers. However, we have asked Uisce Éireann for an update on the Deputy's behalf.
Uisce Éireann has made significant investments in upgrading wastewater treatment infrastructure across Cork since 2014. However, it is important to note that it is dealing with a legacy of underinvestment in water services and infrastructure across Ireland. The scale of the remedial work necessary in our water and wastewater systems will take a number years and investment cycles to fully resolve.
The upgrade of the Carrignavar wastewater treatment plant will come under Uisce Éireann’s small towns and villages growth programme, which is a national programme to cater for growth in smaller towns and villages within existing Uisce Éireann infrastructure. This programme is delivered in partnership with local authorities and is aligned with the county development plans. Each local authority is responsible for prioritising candidate settlements for investment under the programme. Carrignavar was not included in Cork County Council’s list of prioritised sites for upgrade under the scheme for the 2020 to 2024 capital investment plan. Local authorities were asked to review the ranking of candidate settlements in their area in 2023. Cork County Council has Carrignavar currently ranked at no.13 in the list of candidate settlements. Schemes ranked 1 to 7 in Cork are currently progressing under the programme.
Due to the scale of projects already confirmed in Cork and nationally and Carrignavar’s relative position on the priority list, a project to expand capacity at the local treatment plant has not been included in the 2025 to 2029 plan. However, €2 billion has been set aside under the national development plan to support housing delivery, which includes €300 million for the enhancement of that small towns and villages growth programme. Uisce Éireann will continue to engage with Cork County Council under the scheme and there may be opportunities for the council to reprioritise the scheme relative to other sites on this list under the capital investment plan for 2025 to 2029. Additional money of €2 billion has been ring-fenced for new infrastructure and it is important that Cork County Council re-engages with Uisce Éireann at this stage to see how it can bring this project forward, following on from what the Deputy has described to me.
Unfortunately, not much has changed in the response. As I said in my own piece, I firmly believe the solution to this is probably, unfortunately, going to be the private route through developer-led infrastructure. It is not ideal. Irish Water itself has resisted that process for a long time now. I hope that the Minister will make a fair fist of that and bring this to a head and not just for Carrignavar. I could probably list six or seven other villages in my own constituency. The Minister of State himself referenced in the order of 20-odd villages in his own area. This is, across the country, one of the major issues we are facing.
We are going to be the ones who will pay for it, let us be straight about it - us sitting on these benches - because the issue of the day is housing. The Minister of State does not need me to say it here. Unfortunately, we have been hamstrung for the past five years sitting over here in government. We have been complicit in this ineptitude, if I can be frank. It is very frustrating for us people on the ground who attend the community meetings and make the excuses - let us be honest about it - for Cork County Council and Irish Water, and have done for quite a while now. The solution has always been there, and after five years of lobbying, we finally have a solution. As I said, I hope the Minister actually sees it through and allows developer-led infrastructure to be delivered again in tandem with Irish Water and under its supervision. It is the only solution I can see working, such is my lack of faith in Irish Water to deliver.
In his supplementary, the Minister of State might have this information but that additional money he referenced is going to lead to a capital plan review, I understand, in the first quarter of next year. Has he any idea when that review will be completed? If he does, I would appreciate it.
On Carrignavar, as I have said, the treatment plant itself is three times overloaded.
Just north of Carrignavar, we recently had one of the largest fish kills in the country. Again, the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach will be familiar with that. How the EPA has not come down heavy on Irish Water and previously Cork County Council about the problems in Carrignavar I do not know. It is blatantly obvious to anybody. The pollution can be seen visibly seeping into the river there on a daily basis. Something has to be done urgently. This nonsense of waiting for capital plans needs to stop.
I can feel the Deputy's frustration with this particular issue. As I said, for the first time ever we have put money into Uisce Éireann, which is ring-fenced money, for it to develop new infrastructure. Since its inception, Uisce Éireann has spent a lot of its time trying to firefight existing infrastructure which was not functioning properly. In fairness, it did not get the proper money to do the job it was set up to do. That is an inherent problem and a legacy we have.
With the agreement of Uisce Éireann, we also have allowed developer-led infrastructure to be used. The developer can build a treatment plant to the specifications of Uisce Éireann, which will take it over and manage it thereafter. That is another option that is coming up.
I do not have timelines for when the reviews will happen from the Minister. I will bring the Deputy's situation and this question back to him to see what can be done. I agree that a small sum of money for towns and villages creates opportunities to build houses for people who can live in their own areas, enhance their villages and parishes and keep the community alive. It allows developers to make houses available for young people who want to live in their own areas. It is a question of getting money to develop the treatment plants that are needed. There is no mystery about them; we just need to get them done. I concur with the Deputy's feelings and will bring them back to the Minister.
Cuireadh an Dáil ar athló ar 12.32 a.m. go dtí 9 a.m., Dé Céadaoin, an 26 Samhain 2025.
The Dáil adjourned at 12.32 a.m. until 9 a.m. on Wednesday, 26 November 2025.