I thank Deputy Scanlon for the opportunity to address the issue of public transport along the N17 corridor. Deputy Scanlon and I are well aware of the specific issues and I agree with him that we need to find better solutions. I am responding on behalf of the Minister for Transport. While the Minister has responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport, 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, which works with 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. I am well aware, as a Government Deputy representing the same constituency as Deputy Scanlon, of the transport needs of people along the N17 corridor and it is the responsibility of the Government to address them. However, the Minister and his officials are not involved in the day-to-day operations; they provide the funding. In that context, in budget 2026, the Department of Transport secured €940 million of funding for public service obligation, PSO, and Transport for Ireland, TFI, Local Link services. That represents a significant increase of over €280 million in 2025. This funding will go towards funding and subsidising existing public transport services and €31 million has been secured for continued investment in our rural transport service provision in 2026, which is a 38% increase. Funding of rural transport services in the Donegal-Sligo-Leitrim region increased from €7 million to almost €11 million between 2023 and 2024. The Connecting Ireland rural mobility plan is a major five-year public transport initiative to increase connectivity outside our major cities and towns. I have a lot of detail, which I will pass on to the Deputy, about increases in services, which are significant. Without going into detail, I can say that these increases in services have led to exponential growth in passenger numbers, with almost 8 million passenger journeys recorded across those services in 2024. As for routes along the N17 corridor, the NTA has informed the Department that it currently has no plans to provide a Local Link service between Tubbercurry and Sligo. I understand how the Deputy will respond to this as I have received similar responses in the past. The Department points out that the connection between Tubbercurry and Sligo is currently served by Bus Éireann and Bus Feda, both on a commercial basis. If the NTA were to provide a publicly funded Local Link route on these routes, it could result in issues of unfair competition. It also states that if the NTA were to provide a new route between Tubbercurry and Sligo, it is extremely unlikely that it would receive road authority approval to stop at any locations outside of the settlements already served due to health and safety conditions. I will respond further to the Deputy's supplementary question.

Sentiment score: 0.26

I thank the Deputy for his comments. I agree with everything he said because I understand the local circumstances. I am responding on behalf of the Minister for Transport. The Deputy will recognise that this Government recognises that transport connectivity is hugely important for people who live and work in rural Ireland. As recently as yesterday, the enhanced 563 service between Sligo and Drumahair was launched as part of the Connecting Ireland programme. The route provides peak-time and evening services, enhancing connectivity to Sligo University Hospital, the Atlantic Technological University, including St. Angela’s campus, and regional bus services. In February, the National Transport Authority, in partnership with Bus Éireann, launched the new S3 route as part of the Sligo town bus service expansion as well as significant improvements to both the S1 and S2 routes. These are real improvements. I have here the response from the Department, but I fully recognise what the Deputy is saying about students arriving in time to attend lectures at ATU and St. Angela’s and people getting to work in the mornings. That is absolutely crucial. The Deputy mentioned student accommodation. I have said many times that having a bus that gets students to college or people to work on time would make such a difference for so many people who live in south Sligo. I have heard what the Deputy said. From personal experience, I agree about the need to service so many of the villages he named. I will not name them all because I will probably miss some of them, but I know them and I know the needs that exist. All I can say is that having heard the Deputy's strong case and given that I understand what he is talking about, I will make strong representations on his behalf to the Department.

Sentiment score: 0.20

I welcome the opportunity to address the House, on behalf of the Minister for Health, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, on the Deputy's request for information on the Wexford patient transport service and the difficulties his constituents have encountered in contacting Wexford General Hospital's patient transport office. By way of general background, the Minister is informed by the HSE that the patient transport service, which provides non-emergency patient transport for qualifying patients in the south-east region, was set up in 2013 on a discretionary basis by the HSE. The Minister is also informed that hospitals in the south-east region are allocated an annual budget to provide limited transport for qualifying patients to attend appointments and other acute services. I understand that Wexford General Hospital has a total budget under its control for all patient transport costs in 2025 of €1.56 million, which includes ambulance transportation for inpatients, taxis and non-emergency patient transport services. For patients who require the non-emergency patient transport services in order to attend outpatient appointments, there is an application process involved whereby patients are obliged to provide information pertaining to their medical card holder status and their mobility status, including details concerning any medical conditions that prevent them accessing public or private transport. Applications are then countersigned by patients' hospital consultants. Wexford General Hospital generally asks for two weeks' notice of appointments that will involve the arrangement of transport for patients, but it will always attempt to accommodate patient requests at short notice, where possible. On the Deputy's specific inquiry concerning difficulties in making contact with the Wexford patient transport service, the Minister for Health is informed that there exists within Wexford General Hospital a dedicated office for the administration and support of non-emergency patient transport serving three hospitals in the south east, namely Wexford General Hospital, St. Luke's Hospital in Kilkenny and South Tipperary General Hospital, Clonmel. The Minister understands from the HSE, that the National Ambulance Service, NAS, provided temporary support to Wexford General Hospital for a period to assist with co-ordinating the delivery of this service, but that this limited arrangement ceased in December 2023. The Minister is informed that Wexford General Hospital has continued to staff its patient transport office on a rotational basis with available staff. Despite significant efforts taken by Wexford General Hospital to ensure continued delivery of the non-emergency patient transport service, the Minister is informed by the HSE that this temporary rotational staffing arrangement has resulted in some short-term service disruptions. In response to these challenges, the Minister is assured that engagement is ongoing in the HSE involving the integrated healthcare area managers and the relevant hospitals in the region to develop a more sustainable staffing solution for the service.

Sentiment score: 0.12

I hear what the Deputy is saying and I can understand the concerns of many people. All I can do is update the Deputy on patient transport services in the south-east region. As I set out a few minutes ago, Wexford General Hospital continues to make significant efforts to ensure non-emergency services are provided for qualifying patients in the south east who require transport assistance to attend their appointments. This includes service improvement efforts to strengthen current staffing arrangements for the non-emergency patient transport office at Wexford General Hospital and to avoid further service disruptions. Reading that paragraph, that makes it clear that they are working on this to avoid further service disruptions. I hope that turns out to be the case for all of those who make the call. The Minister for Health is informed that ongoing engagement within the HSE in this matter involving the integrated healthcare area managers and relevant hospitals in the region will progress these efforts to improve delivery of non-emergency transport services in the south east of the country. I would also mention briefly additional supports that may be available to qualifying patients in the south east and nationally. The Department of Social Protection offers supports to patients through the additional needs payment which is designed to help individuals with essential expenses that they cannot cover from their weekly income or other resources. This payment can be used for various needs, including recurring travel expenses for medical appointments. Patients wishing to avail of this payment can submit an online application at mywelfare.ie or by post. Patients can also contact the Department of Social Protection directly if they require further information or assistance. That is just extra support. I hear what the Deputy is saying. I hope the response I have given the Deputy provides him and those who are making those contacts in the south east with some hope that their calls will be answered.

Sentiment score: 0.27

I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. I am pleased, on behalf of the Minister for agriculture, to have the opportunity to address the challenges currently being experienced by tillage farmers across the country. To be fair, coming on the back of two extremely difficult years weatherwise, thankfully, conditions for harvest 2025 were much more favourable. It allowed fieldwork to be undertaken and completed in a timely fashion. It was much needed, although many spring crops have not come in as well as winter ones. However, the sector has encountered additional pressures, not least the challenging market situation and downward prices internationally. This, along with high costs of production, has significantly impacted on the margin for growers, with crops on rented land being particularly challenged. The Government recognises the importance of the tillage sector as an integral part of the Irish agricultural industry. It produces high quality animal feed and bedding for the livestock sector and ingredients for the food and drink industry. The sector makes a significant contribution to the Irish economy, estimated at €1.9 billion per annum over the 2018 to 2022 period. It is hugely important in terms of employment and is estimated to support over 11,000 full-time jobs. Regardless of what the Deputy says, nobody is walking away from it. The Minister regularly engages with farmer representative bodies on tillage matters. He has met with the Irish Farmers Association and the Irish Grain Growers group on several occasions since his appointment, including through pre-budget engagements and, more recently, at the tillage crisis meeting organised by the Irish Farmers Association on 12 September 2025. The Minister fully understands the concerns expressed by these organisations and their shared ambition to support, grow and develop the sector. The Government shares that ambition and is committed to growing the sector in line with targets set out in the climate action plan. In 2026, the Department will be supporting the tillage sector with funding of at least €50 million through the protein aid scheme, the straw incorporation measure and the new tillage support scheme. Having secured this additional funding in budget 2026, the Minister intends to consult further with stakeholders, including the IFA and Irish grain growers, on the design and operation of the tillage support scheme in due course. In addition to these measures, tillage growers will continue to benefit from other schemes next year, including the tillage capital investment scheme, ACRES, and the organic farming scheme. This year, the budget for the protein aid scheme is €10 million, having increased from €7 million to €10 million annually from last year. Applications covering approximately 66,000 hectares of cereals and oilseed rape totalling €15 million were submitted under the straw incorporation measure, and the Minister made the decision to approve payments to all eligible applicants. In February this year, the Minister announced €32.4 million in payments under the tillage and horticulture support scheme. The Farming for Water EIP, with a total budget of €60 million, is supporting targeted on-farm measures to improve water quality. Over 1,400 tillage farmers have expressed interest in establishing cover crops under this initiative in 2025. I have more to say but I will wait until I am replying to Deputy Ó Súilleabháin's supplementary question.

Sentiment score: 0.25

I reiterate that the Government wants to grow and develop the tillage sector in the years ahead. It was for this reason that the Food Vision tillage group was established in 2023, to provide a clear roadmap for the sustainable growth and development of the sector, while improving its environmental footprint. I heard what Deputy Ó Súilleabháin said. I am well aware of the challenges that farmers face throughout the country. I agree that the recent period has been challenging for the tillage sector, with ongoing and exceptional market pressures placing significant strain on farm businesses throughout the country. The Minister has said he is acutely aware of the impact these difficulties are having on the tillage sector. As I mentioned in my opening statement, the Minister really wants to see the tillage sector not only recover from recent challenges but to grow and thrive in the years ahead. The Government has responded decisively to the recent challenges experienced by the sector through targeted supports, and has delivered significant additional funding in recent years to stabilise and encourage growth in the sector. In addition, budget 2026 provides a core package of at least €50 million to help farmers recover from this year's market challenges. The Minister wants to assure the House that he will continue to work closely with the tillage sector and continue to provide targeted supports wherever possible, recognising its vital contribution and strategic importance in the wider agricultural and agrifood industries.

Sentiment score: 0.34

I thank Deputy Hayes for raising this matter as it gives me an opportunity on behalf of the Minister for Education and Youth to provide an update on the support provided by the Department to schools in south Dublin. I acknowledge the strong support provided by the Government, including by way of supplementary capital funding, which has brought the total capital allocation for 2025 for the Department to €1.6 billion and the announcement of a capital allocation of €7.55 billion for the Department of Education and Youth for the period 2026 to 2030 under the national development plan. As part of this allocation, the Department will place a strong emphasis on provision for children with special educational needs, with a particular focus on meeting annual school place requirements. In relation to project roll-out for large-scale projects and additional school accommodation scheme projects, the approach will be to continue to maximise the capacity of the existing school estate as much as possible in the first instance and to provide necessary additional capacity through targeted and prioritised project roll-out over the course of the period from 2026 to 2030 to meet the most urgent and prioritised needs. The capital allocation will also facilitate the roll-out of projects under the Department’s multi-annual climate action summer works scheme, the completion of the roll-out of the solar PV programme and the EU's REPowerEU retrofit programmes, which will be important elements in supporting the climate agenda and, crucially, will help reduce heating and electricity costs for schools and improve energy efficiency. This is a record level of investment in our schools and highlights the Government’s very strong track record of delivery in providing additional capacity and modern facilities for our school communities. To move to what is happening in south Dublin, the Department has invested over €590 million since 2020. In the region of €575 million of this funding was invested in school building projects across schools in Dublin Bay South, Dublin South-Central, Dublin South-West, Dublin Rathdown and Dún Laoghaire. This investment has supported the completion of 129 school building projects. This includes seven new school buildings. There are also 39 school building projects currently in construction in south Dublin, of which seven are new school buildings. The Department is now preparing an NDP implementation plan, which is due for publication later in the autumn. This plan will optimise outputs from the NDP allocations with a strong focus on maximising existing school capacity, progressing priority projects where local capacity across schools in the area will not meet future requirements, and ensuring delivery that is affordable. It is important to say that the Department has increased funding for schools across the country, including those in south Dublin, to help meet rising day-to-day running costs. Recent budgets have delivered significant permanent increases in school funding to support principals and boards in managing their everyday expenses. This includes the increase in the capitation grant in the recent budget. These investments are ensuring schools can better cover essentials like heating, lighting, cleaning and ancillary staffing. I may add a little bit more in my supplementary response.

Sentiment score: 0.43

The Department of Education and Youth remains firmly committed to providing continued support and resourcing for south Dublin and across the school system nationwide. The Deputy mentioned a specific case in Ringsend. I do not know the details but, if he wants to send them to me, I will make sure they are passed on to the Minister and the Department. I agree that education is a silver bullet. Insofar as we can manage it, schools should be palaces. It is a strong statement but I understand what the Deputy is saying and where he is coming from. I hope budget 2026 and long-term funding under the NDP from 2026 to 2030 will allow the Department to continue to meet school place needs, with a particular focus on supporting children with special educational needs, while also ensuring that schools have the facilities, staff and resources they require. The Department will continue to prioritise the effective use of the existing school estate, special needs provision and the delivery of additional accommodation, where required. The Government is committed to increasing funding for schools of all types across the country - I assure the Deputy that this includes those in south Dublin - to help them meet rising day-to-day costs. Over recent budgets, we have made strong progress with more than €30 million secured in budget 2025 and another €39 million in budget 2026. This brings capitation rates up to €274 per primary pupil and €406 per post-primary student for the 2026-27 educational year.

Sentiment score: 0.44

I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. I am taking it on behalf of the Department of housing and the Minister, Deputy James Browne. On 10 June 2025, the Government approved policy measures, including modifications to rent controls, to come into effect on 1 March 2026, as the Deputy has outlined. The purpose is to boost investment in the supply of homes available for rent and, at the same time, keep existing landlords in the market. The changes agreed will also provide significantly stronger tenancy protections. They are finely balanced between the interests of tenants and the need for further private investment in the rental market across the country, which the Deputy has acknowledged. The modifications to rent controls have been informed by the findings of the Housing Agency review of rent pressure zones and potential policy options and its preferred recommendation to modify the operation of the existing rent pressure zone controls. Today, the Government approved the general scheme of the residential tenancies (amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2025 for priority legal drafting to commence as the basis for bringing in new rental changes from March. In general, after six months, a landlord may serve a notice of termination only in very clearly defined circumstances. Section 34 of the Residential Tenancies Act provides that the landlord must state in the notice of termination the reason the tenancy is being terminated, and the notice will not be valid unless that reason relates to one or more of the following: the tenant has failed to comply with the obligations of the tenancy other than the obligation to pay rent; the tenant has failed to comply with the obligation to pay rent under the tenancy; the dwelling is no longer suited to the needs of the occupying household; the landlord intends to sell the dwelling within the next nine months; the landlord requires the dwelling for their own or family member occupation; vacant possession is required for substantial refurbishment of the dwelling; and-or the landlord intends to change the use of the dwelling. In addition, all notices of termination must be copied to the Residential Tenancies Board, RTB, at the same time as being served to the tenant and will be invalid if not so copied. It is worth noting that during quarter 2 of 2025, according to the most recently published statistics by the RTB, there were 14,742 new tenancy registrations, while 4,728 notices of termination were received by the RTB. This does not represent a significant increase, just less than 1%. It is also important to appreciate that not every notice of termination results in a tenancy termination taking effect. The most recent statistics available through the RTB’s profile of the register show that, since quarter 2 of 2023, the number of registered private tenancies and landlords has continually increased year on year. The figures have remained relatively static this year, with 240,798 registered private tenancies at the end of quarter 2 of 2025, representing an increase of 3.2% annually and an increase of 0.08% from quarter 1 of 2025. The statistics reflect the constant movement in the rental sector but also that the overall number of tenancies remains steady. The Government and I appreciate that the ending of any tenancy impacts the lives of both the tenant and the landlord. Landlords can be reassured that the current tenancy termination rules will continue to apply to an existing tenancy. The March changes will not apply. A detailed communications campaign will be undertaken by the Department, in conjunction with the RTB, between the publication of the Bill and the introduction of the new legislative measures from 1 March next year.

Sentiment score: 0.19

On the basis of the response I have here, it seems that the Government is trying to ensure a fair balance. The Government is focused on growing the supply of much-needed rental accommodation by keeping existing landlords in the market but also by attracting new landlords. I hear what the Deputy is saying, however. By doing this, we must ensure strong and balanced tenancy protections for tenants and landlords. The residential tenancies (amendment) (No. 2) Bill will be published as soon as possible in order to allow the new measures to come into effect by 1 March 2026. The key message from the Government for landlords is that if they have existing tenancies, for example, those created on or before 28 February 2026, their right to terminate those tenancies will not change on foot of the impending Bill. In fact, if a tenancy ends on or after 1 March 2026 because the tenant leaves or breaches their obligations, the landlord may reset the rent to market rate for the new tenant. Rent controls are being modified to help landlords to keep their rental income in line with inflation and not fall behind market rent. There is also a key message for tenants. It is that if they create a new tenancy with a new landlord from 1 March 2026 and do not breach their obligations, they will have greater security to remain in situ for a minimum of six years. Some flexibility will be provided for smaller landlords to end tenancies if they face hardship or their family needs to occupy a property.

Sentiment score: 0.31