I am responding on behalf of the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence, who, unfortunately, cannot be present. He asked me to pass on his apologies to the House. On his behalf, I welcome the opportunity to respond on this matter and thank Deputy Ward for his question. At the outset, I wish to acknowledge the long association between the Naval Service and Dún Laoghaire. There is a long-standing tradition of Naval Service ships using harbours and piers on the east coast for shelter and shore leave. The Report of the Commission on Defence Forces calls for the development of an east-coast base for the Naval Service. Reflecting this, the programme for Government has also recognised the need for an east-coast base. In that regard, the Naval Service has been asked to submit a fully worked-up business case setting out full infrastructure requirements for marine and support-related elements. As the Deputy will be aware, the issue of an east-coast base has been discussed in the context of the inshore patrol vessels, IPVs, LÉ Aoibhinn and LÉ Gobnait. These IPVs were acquired with a particular focus on east-coast operations, where they are well suited to key missions like the protection of critical infrastructure. With the LÉ Aoibhinn becoming operational in 2024, the then Tánaiste gave approval to lease berthage in Dún Laoghaire Harbour to support east-coast operations in the short term, likely for a period of five years. With that in mind, the Department has been in discussions with Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, the owner of Dún Laoghaire Harbour, regarding the possibility of leasing berthage for exclusive use by the Naval Service. I am advised that discussions are well advanced and agreement in principle has been reached. A Naval Service regeneration plan is due to be submitted for the Tánaiste's consideration. This plan has been devised on foot of a detailed workshop held between senior military officers, led by the Chief of Staff, and senior officials in the Department. The issue of additional naval bases, on the east coast or elsewhere, will be considered in the context of that awaited plan and recommendations arising from same.
Sentiment score: 0.18
As previously outlined, the report of the Commission on the Defence Forces called for the development of an east coast base for the Naval Service. While IPVs can currently operate from Haulbowline, it is a strategic goal of the Defence Forces to develop a forward-operating base on the east coast. I agree with Deputy Ward on the need for the Government to start implementing some of the recommendations outlined by the commission. In the short term, the Department has engaged with the county council to agree terms for the use of Carlisle Pier, with agreement in principle reached. The securing of berthage facilities in Dún Laoghaire will support the operational activity of the inshore patrol vessels, particularly in patrolling the east coast. The Naval Service regeneration plan is awaited to provide further insight. The potential location of any future east coast base will be considered in the context of that plan and recommendations arising from it. I will be sure to relay Deputy Ward's very positive contribution this evening to the Tánaiste. I am sure he has made the same points to him both publicly and privately in recent times.
Sentiment score: 0.34
I thank the Deputy for raising this important matter. I understand the Ministers, Deputies O'Callaghan and Browne, met with Mayor Moran today to discuss this matter. The fact that meeting took place indicates how serious the matter is being taken by all who attended it. I commend Mayor Moran on coming to meet directly with the two Ministers. I am hopeful a solution can be found in the short term to the funding issues that arise to keep the CCTV scheme running. In fairness to both Ministers, they are anxious to see a solution and identified to Mayor Moran what they believe is the short-term solution. I recognise Deputy Sheehan's interest in continuing to invest in CCTV to build safer, more secure communities. I thank him for his very positive contribution. Community safety is a top priority for the Government and the Department of justice. Everyone has a right to be safe and to feel safe in their communities. Community CCTV plays an important role in achieving that goal. It is important to note that there are a number of CCTV systems operating in Limerick. I understand the particular system referred to by the Deputy, and, as he alluded to, by Senator Dee Ryan, was established under the regeneration programme in Limerick approximately ten years ago as part of a much broader initiative to improve the quality of life of local communities in Limerick. I understand that, to date, the majority of funding for this CCTV scheme has come from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage as part of the regeneration projects in Limerick, with a significant contribution also being made by Limerick City and County Council. I also understand the CCTV system concerned consists of approximately 240 cameras, with an operating cost for 2024 of more than €800,000. As such, the infrastructure in place in Limerick is well outside the scope of the grant aid scheme administered by the Department of justice which supports community groups wishing to establish community-based CCTV systems in their local area. Grants up to a maximum of €40,000 are available for capital expenditure and up to €5,000 for maintenance under the scheme. CCTV is very much part of community safety and it is intended that as the new local community safety partnerships are established, they will take a view on the need for additional CCTV in their areas. In addition, under the Garda Síochána (Recording Devices) Act 2023, the Garda Commissioner will have a significant role to play in the approval of CCTV schemes into the future. It goes without saying that the Government is very much aware of the value of CCTV generally in keeping people safe and ensuring they feel safe. Insofar as this particular scheme is concerned, I hope it will be possible for it to continue to operate as it has done over the past decade.
Sentiment score: 0.49
I again thank the Deputy for raising this very important matter. As I said, the Government recognises the important role that CCTV plays in building stronger, safer communities across the country. The importance of this matter is demonstrated by the meeting held today between the Mayor and the two relevant Ministers. Since 2017, the Department of justice has administered a grant aid scheme supporting groups wishing to establish a community-based CCTV system in their area. To date, grants totalling over €950,000 have been approved for 36 community schemes across the country. This includes 14 schemes across County Limerick, which have received funding of over €330,000. Under this grant aid scheme, funding is only provided for the cost of equipment. Staffing costs are not covered and the maximum grant under the scheme is €45,000. As has been indicated, the operation of infrastructure that has been developed in Limerick and has to date been funded by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and Limerick City and County Council is unfortunately outside the scope of the grant aid scheme administered by the Department of justice. However, it is my understanding that there are local authority CCTV schemes operating in both Dublin and Cork, and possibly elsewhere, that are funded by local authorities. As such, it seems appropriate that the funding requirements for the continued operation of the CCTV system in Limerick need to be again considered by Limerick City and County Council and the Department of housing to ensure the funding arrangements for the CCTV system in Limerick city are placed on a sustainable footing. The Deputy has made some valid points here this evening and I assure him they will be relayed back to the two relevant Ministers who met Mayor Moran earlier today.
Sentiment score: 0.44
I thank Deputy McAuliffe for raising this important topic, which I am taking on behalf of our colleague the Minister, Deputy O'Brien. From the outset, I clarify that the Minister for Transport has responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport. However, 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. The NTA works with the public transport operators, which deliver the services and have responsibility for day-to-day operational matters. That said, I 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. To support this objective, in budget 2026 the Department of Transport secured €940 million of funding for public service obligation, PSO, and TFI Local Link services. That was a significant 43% uplift, an increase from €658.4 million in 2025. BusConnects is a transformative programme of investment in the bus system, providing better bus services across our cities. It is the largest investment in the bus system in the history of the state and is managed by the NTA. The aim of the network is to improve the existing Transport for Ireland system through enhanced services with high frequency spines and new local, orbital and radial routes. The recently launched F spine, providing routes F1, F2, and F3 as part of phase 7 of the BusConnects network redesign, introduces high-frequency 24-hour bus services - routes F1, F2 and 80 - on key corridors, enhancing connectivity between areas such as Tallaght, Finglas, Charlestown and the city centre. This redesign under phase 7 of BusConnects also introduced new radial services - routes 23, 24, 73 and 82 - and the new local route - route L89 - to streamline the network and make services more efficient. The NTA has advised that in advance of these new routes being implemented it distributed over 200,000 booklets to households across all the areas covered by the routes. It also advertised the new services in local media outlets and online, and it provided detailed briefings to local public representatives. Separately, the NTA reported a technical fault in the Dublin Bus priority system, which adjusts traffic light signals to ease bus movement. The system malfunctioned for three consecutive days, causing unforeseen delays and significant frustration for customers. The issue was resolved last Wednesday and performance is expected to steadily improve. This issue was separate from the BusConnects new service roll-out, but it impacted all affected Dublin bus routes. The performance of all public transport operators is monitored by the NTA as part of the contractual arrangements in place between it and the operators. Importantly, these contractual arrangements allow not only for the monitoring of performance by the NTA and the publication of its annual performance reports, but also for the imposition of financial penalties where performance does not meet the required standards. Improvements are also being introduced to the vehicle location system and real-time passenger information, all of which will improve the reliability of the system. The NTA informed the Minister that it is carefully monitoring capacity and reliability during these early days of the new services and will continue to monitor situations, adjusting where appropriate. I am conscious that is not the experience the Deputy had, though.
Sentiment score: 0.22
The Deputy is right. Transport connectivity and reliability are critical for the people who live, work and study in Ireland. They are essential to encourage people out of cars and onto public transport. In the latest progress report published in March this year, the BusConnects Dublin programme has shown significant improvements in key performance indicators. There has been an annualised increase of 9.35 million, or 75%, in scheduled service kilometres in the NRD phase 1 F1 to 5B compared to equivalent routes operating prior to the NRD project. Passenger boardings on routes in the NRD phase 1 to 5B increased by 40% when compared with Dublin metropolitan bus routes that have not yet been altered in the redesign network. Overall, the redesign routes saw a 48% increase in passenger boardings while other routes experienced an increase of 8%. Additionally, the interim analysis indicates that 12% more places of employment are now reachable within 30 minutes with the redesign network compared with the pre-BusConnects network. This is moving the network towards the 18% place of employment reachability target. It should be noted that the F spine, which is part of the BusConnects Dublin area NRD, was finalised following three rounds of public consultation that culminated in more than 72,000 submissions being received. The overall network represents a major investment in enhanced bus services, delivering a 35% increase in annual in-service kilometres, a significant increase in overall capacity and frequency for customers, as well as more evening and weekend services. The NTA will continue collaborating with operators and customers to enhance the punctuality and reliability of services throughout the NRD. Further, through initiatives such as the capacity improvement programme and implementation of ticketing techniques, the NTA is taking steps to enhance capacity and improve the overall travel experience for passengers. I want to assure the Deputy that the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, will relay the concerns raised on the floor of the Dáil tonight to the NTA to ensure a timely intervention and take on board the early teething problems, which we hope is all they are, to the new bus route.
Sentiment score: 0.30
I thank Deputy Ó Murchú for raising this issue and giving me an opportunity to speak to it. I am advised by the HSE that a clinical specialist radiographer vacancy has arisen in Louth County Hospital, Dundalk. A recruitment process to fill this vacancy has commenced, a number of applications have been received and interviews for this position are due to take place later this month. I am assured by the HSE that while this recruitment process is ongoing there will be no disruption to patient care or service delivery. All clinical services continue to operate as normal, ensuring that patients and service users experience no change in access, quality, or continuity of care. I also understand that enhanced governance arrangements are being implemented for this position. These are designed to strengthen oversight, improve co-ordination and ensure clearer lines of accountability across LCH and Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda. As the Deputy will be aware, LCH is part of the HSE Dublin and North East Health Region. In conjunction with Our Lady of Lourdes, Drogheda these hospitals operate with an integrated managerial and clinical governance system, care pathways and support functions. These hospitals are planning for the future to safeguard against increasing demand including anticipated population growth, particularly among those aged over 75. To meet this challenge, projects have been developed in LCH which include theatre access for ear, nose and throat procedures and a Uroflow clinic for urology services. Additionally, a new procedure room will open in 2026 to enhance day services. These developments complement the already significant investments in Drogheda. There has also been an introduction of additional consultant coverage during weekends, extended consultant presence on weekdays and public holidays and expanded specialist availability to support inpatient care and consultations. Likewise, enhanced access to key diagnostics, including imaging at weekends will accelerate treatment pathways. More broadly, I would like to outline the positive developments in LCH and Drogheda. This Government is committed to building on the significant investment and improvements made at both hospital sites. This significant investment is demonstrated by the 39% increase in the budget for LCH since 2020. In 2025, the budget was over €31 million, an increase from €23 million in 2020. In the same period, there was a 48% increase in the budget for Drogheda. In 2025, the budget was over €303 million, an increase from €204 million in 2020. The Acute Inpatient Bed Capacity Expansion Plan 2024 - 2031 aims to deliver an additional 4,367 acute inpatient beds nationally including an additional 141 beds for Drogheda. LCH has 93 inpatient beds, encompassing both adult and paediatric. Since 2020, eight beds were delivered for LCH. Drogheda has 500 beds an increase of 15.7% since 2020. We have also invested in staffing at both hospitals which has increased by 2% in LCH and by 13.5% in Drogheda since 2020. I hope all this positive news will be welcome for the Deputy, who so ably represents the constituency.
Sentiment score: 0.33
I thank Deputy Ó Murchú again for raising this issue so forcefully and giving me an opportunity to speak on this matter. It is important to recognise that significant investment has been allocated to LCH and Drogheda in recent years which has uplifted capacity, staffing and bed numbers at each of the hospital sites. Projects that have been delivered in LCH include theatre access for ear, nose and throat procedures and a Uroflow clinic for urology services. Additionally, a new procedure room will open in 2026 to enhance day services. These developments complement the already significant investments in Drogheda. These two hospitals operate co-jointly and provide a comprehensive suite of services for the people of Louth. I want to emphasise that the ongoing assessment of the needs of this region is a priority for this Government as evidenced by the major capital investments in both LCH and Drogheda. The Government is committed on building on the already significant improvements made in these hospitals. In relation to the post of clinical specialist radiographer at LCH, it is good to hear that there has been a number of applications received and interviews will take place later this month. We all know recruitment processes can take time, but I wish to assure the Deputy that progress is being made in this process. I reiterate that the HSE has confirmed that there will be no disruption to patient care or service delivery. All clinical services will continue to operate as normal ensuring that patients and services users experience no change in access, quality, or continuity of care.
Sentiment score: 0.34
I will most definitely, and will relay the Deputy's points to the Minister.
Sentiment score: 0.46