I thank the Deputy for speaking on this issue with such passion. He has a lot of knowledge in this area. He has seen the benefits that DEIS has provided with those extra supports in terms of schools where there are a variety of challenges. There are disadvantages areas and students from all different backgrounds. I have also seen first-hand in my own constituency the benefits those extra DEIS supports can bring. This is why, in the previous Government, we committed to the roll-out of DEIS plus to increase those supports and increase the number of students who would benefit from them. Fair play to the Deputy; he has quite accurately highlighted the benefits of it and also the incredible work that teachers, SNAs, principals and staff do right across the board. The Department spends over €180 million annually, providing additional supports to almost 1,200 schools in the DEIS programme and reaching approximately 250,000 children. The Minister, Deputy McEntee, is committed to narrowing the performance gap between DEIS and non-DEIS schools and introducing innovative solutions to address disadvantage. Recent research, including the OECD Review of Resourcing Schools to Address Educational Disadvantage in Ireland have highlighted the role of the DEIS programme in providing an education system that consistently outperforms many other OECD countries but also exhibits relative socioeconomic fairness, making it one of the stronger performers globally. This research has also highlighted, however, important differences in outcomes persist for students who experience very high levels of deprivation. That is why the Government is committed to providing a DEIS plus scheme to support schools with the highest levels of disadvantage. To meet this commitment, the DEIS plus scheme will provide additional support to schools with the highest levels of educational disadvantage and seek to improve education outcomes for children and young people in these schools. The scheme will provide very targeted supports to those who most need it, to tackle the impact of intergenerational disadvantage and to empower them to achieve their potential through education. Work to develop the scheme is well advanced and the Minister is engaging with Cabinet colleagues to secure the necessary funding for the scheme through the budgetary process. A DEIS plus design advisory group worked with the Department officials to develop the proposal for the scheme. The needs of the children and young people drove the development work. The group includes school principals, home school community liaison officers, and school completion programme co-ordinators. These are professionals who work directly with children experiencing high intergenerational disadvantage. The Department has also engaged directly with children and young people to inform this work. The focus is on shaping a DEIS plus scheme that will support schools with the highest concentrations of children and young people at risk of educational disadvantage to meet the needs of the children. The Department is also actively engaging with other Departments and agencies, education partners, and stakeholders across the education sector to develop the DEIS plus scheme and aims to integrate and build on existing whole-of-government supports. The culmination of all this work will see the achievement of the programme for Government commitment to deliver a new DEIS plus scheme, to provide targeted support for schools with the highest levels of educational disadvantage, and improve outcomes for children and young people. As Deputy Kenny can see from this response, a whole lot of work and effort has already gone into designing DEIS plus. It is well advanced and there has been significant stakeholder engagement. The Deputy asked specifically when it can be rolled out. We do not have an answer to that right now but, in fairness, by the Deputy highlighting it and highlighting the importance of it this does accelerate and put the spotlight on the need to roll out DEIS plus as quickly as possible.

Sentiment score: 0.31

I reiterate that the Government is committed to tackling child poverty and it sees education as a key enabler to achieve that. The development of the DEIS plus scheme will be a further positive step in this commitment to lifting more children out of poverty to give them the futures they deserve. Since its introduction the DEIS programme has tackled the impact of poverty through supporting the improved attendance and progression of children and young people experiencing poverty. It has also improved education attainment levels, which create greater opportunities for employment and enhanced career pathways. The development of the new DEIS plus scheme will be a key part of a new DEIS plan, which will be published this year. The new DEIS plan will set the long-term direction on supporting children and young people at risk of educational disadvantage and on empowering them to achieve their potential. The plan will focus on improving the opportunities and achievement levels of children and young people at risk of educational disadvantage in all schools. It will also look to develop more innovative approaches to tackling educational disadvantage and to work towards a more flexible system of supports to ensure that a school can receive the right support at the right time. The DEIS plan will be published this year. I completely appreciate the efforts of the Labour Party in publishing a costed budget with a focus on education, on trying to remove those gaps within education, and on the supports for disadvantage areas while also continuing a lot of the supports that were introduced by the previous Government, including the hot meals scheme. I appreciate that. It is really important we are having this discussion. We are all behind the establishment of DEIS plus and the expansion of those DEIS services. As the Deputy and the Minister have said, education is the key tool in addressing any of those socioeconomic issues that we have.

Sentiment score: 0.22

I thank the Deputy for addressing this. She has certainly outlined a hardship case. It is hard to disagree with her description of it as a gap in the system that needs to be addressed. I will just outline the current situation and then perhaps from there we can bring this back to the Minister for Social Protection to ensure he is aware of anomalies. I will first provide an overview of the supports available to widows, widowers, surviving civil partners and qualified cohabitants, and the Illness benefit scheme. The widow’s, widower’s, and surviving civil partner’s pension was renamed as the bereaved partner’s pension on 21 July 2025, the date of enactment of the Social Welfare (Bereaved Partner’s Pension and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2025. This Act extends eligibility to a qualified cohabitant of the deceased person. The bereaved partner’s pension is a weekly payment to those who have lost their spouse, civil partner or qualified cohabitant and are covered by social insurance. To qualify for this pension, either the person claiming or their late spouse, civil partner or qualified cohabitant must have a certain number of PRSI contributions and they must not be in a cohabiting relationship. As of August 2025, there were approximately 127,400 people on the scheme. The estimated expenditure for 2025 is approximately €1.9 billion. The bereaved partner’s non-contributory pension is a means-tested payment payable to a person who does not qualify for the contributory version of the scheme. As of August 2025, there were approximately 1,000 people on the scheme. The estimated expenditure for 2025 is approximately €12 million. The bereaved parent grant is a once-off payment designed to assist with the income support needs of a bereaved partner with dependent children immediately following the death of his or her spouse or partner. The current rate of payment is €8,000. Illness benefit is the primary short-term income support provided by the Department of Social Protection to those who are unable to work due to illness of any type and who are covered by social insurance. Eligibility for illness benefit depends on the person’s PRSI record and class. As of August 2025, approximately 52,600 people were in receipt of illness benefit. The estimated expenditure for 2025 is approximately €700 million. With regard to persons in receipt of the bereaved partner's pension being also able to access iIIness benefit, there is a general principle of one person, one payment, which applies across the social welfare system. Given the contingency-based nature of this system, it can happen that a person may experience more than one contingency at the same time but, generally, they can receive only one payment. This principle is common to social security systems across the world. Therefore, in general, illness benefit is not payable concurrently with these pensions. However, if a person is getting a reduced rate of the bereaved partner's pension, they may also get a reduced rate of illness benefit so that the combined amount of both payments reaches the maximum rate of illness benefit to which they would otherwise be entitled. The supplementary welfare allowance is a means-tested payment for persons struggling financially and can be accessed by customers through their local Intreo office. An exceptional needs payment may also be available to help meet essential, once-off expenditure a person could not reasonably be expected to meet from their weekly income. There is also statutory sick leave for persons in employment. Workers have an entitlement to five statutory sick pay days in a year. Under the scheme, sick pay may be paid by an employer at 70% of a person’s normal pay, up to a maximum of €110 a day. The Department of Social Protection will continue to keep its range of supports under review to ensure that they meet their overall objectives. I guess that is the chink of light Deputy Butterly might take from that. The Department will keep its schemes under review. As the Deputy can see, there is a principle of one payment per person, a principle that has long existed. In fairness, the Deputy has highlighted a situation very few would find themselves in. I would imagine it would not be a significant or massive cost to the Exchequer to expand it for those types of situations, especially considering the hardship someone like the Deputy's constituent has been through. I will certainly bring that feedback to the Minister for Social Protection.

Sentiment score: -0.02

As I referred to in my opening statement, the social system operates on the general principle of one person, one payment. This approach is a standard feature of social security systems throughout the world. It means that, generally, the bereaved partner's pension cannot be received at the same time as illness benefit. I know it is probably no comfort, but my earlier contribution also referred to the option of the supplementary welfare allowance. If an individual is struggling to make mortgage repayments or if the cost of rent or other household goods exceeds income, there is that option, but I get the point. That is very much a last resort, which we should be trying to avoid in all cases, and there should be some safety net in place. I emphasise that I fully recognise the challenges that widows, widowers, surviving civil partners and qualified cohabitants, especially those with children, face. As I have said, and this is the important point we need to take away from this discussion, the Department of Social Protection will continue to keep its range of supports under review. Any changes to the current system would need to be considered in an overall policy and budgetary context, taking account of the social insurance contribution rates and the overall sustainability of the Social Insurance Fund. That being said, I outlined in the earlier statement the overall costs of a lot of these schemes, with the bigger scheme costing about €1.9 billion. I am not the Minister but I will certainly bring this feedback to the Minister, Deputy Calleary. However, on amendments like this, where we are trying to cater for someone who is very vulnerable or has experienced extreme loss, I do not believe the cost and significance would be detrimental to the overall State coffers. That, again, is a message I will bring back to the Minister and, as the Deputy said, a lot of these schemes are always under review.

Sentiment score: 0.10

I thank Deputy Wall for raising this issue. I have taken a couple of Topical Issue matters from him and Athy seems to feature fairly prominently. Fair play. He is representing the place well. It is interesting that he is providing a bit of a taxi service for anybody who misses a train. That is the right thing to do. Fair play to him. Funding and policymaking for public transport is down to the Minister of State, Deputy Seán Canney, but as the Deputy knows, the day-to-day operation is for the NTA, in conjunction with Irish Rail and so on. I reassure the Deputy that, as outlined in the programme for Government, Securing Ireland's Future, the Government is strongly committed to enhancing transportation networks and infrastructure development, and public transport plays a key role in the delivery of this goal. To support this objective, under budget 2025, the Department of Transport secured over €658 million of funding for public service obligation and TFI Local Link services, an increase from over €613 million in 2024. This package included funding for the continuation of the various fare initiatives, such as the young adult card and the 90-minute fare until the end of 2025. Funding has also been provided to extend free child fares on public service obligation, PSO, services to include those aged five to eight years old and to support the roll-out of new and enhanced bus and rail services under programmes such as BusConnects and Connecting Ireland. As is the case with all such measures, all funding matters are being considered as part of the ongoing budget 2026 discussions. In relation to the Dublin to Waterford line, Iarnród Éireann has informed the Department of Transport that all services on this line stop at Athy Station. I understand that there are ten weekday services daily serving Athy, Waterford and Heuston, with additional services on Fridays and Saturdays. Athy has a typically reduced Sunday offering of five services on the Waterford-Heuston line. In 2024, 154,449 passengers boarded the train at Athy station and 117,067 alighted, for a total of 271,516 trips to or from Athy last year. larnród Éireann is working towards a strategy for enhancement of services on InterCity routes in the short to medium term. However, it must be noted that these enhancements will be subject to agreement and funding by the NTA, as well as the completion of other projects in order to release rolling stock to realise these service enhancements. To meet growing demand, larnród Éireann is deploying all available fleet during peak times. In 2024, 41 additional InterCity railcar carriages were introduced, boosting capacity on key routes, including Sligo, Galway, Westport and Belfast. As part of DART+, two fleet orders have been placed, for 185 carriages, largely battery electric with some electric units. The first order for the purchase of 95 additional DART carriages, comprising 65 battery electric carriages and 30 electric carriages, has started arriving and is undergoing certification and safety tasting. It is intended that the new battery electric sets will be initially deployed on the northern commuter line, serving Dublin from Drogheda, which does not necessarily help Deputy Wall's situation. The point is that efforts are being made to expand services. The Minister of State, Deputy Canney, is making every effort to increase available funding. Every time that a Deputy comes in here and looks for extra public transport services, that has to be taken seriously and delivering that should be encouraged as much as possible. It is incredible to see the demand for train services. I am noticing lately that there is more and more demand for even the big intercounty train services. We need to accommodate that. It should be a given that public transport is available. There should be situations where people have to get into their own car to pick people up. I know that Deputy Canney will take this request seriously. He is not involved in the day-to-day running but I know that he can certainly relay messages to the NTA.

Sentiment score: 0.18

That is a point well made. Athy is obviously a growing town. It is an important commuter town, not just for people to work and commute but also for people to study and commute, so it is important that we facilitate that, take cars off the road and provide as much public transport as possible. The investment in the extra carriages, as outlined, on the Drogheda line will free up carriages. Deputy Wall has made the case well that much of that should be put on the Waterford to Heuston line, thereby enabling greater capacity for Athy. He is right that the numbers speak for themselves. An impressive number of journeys are taken on that line, in that area. We have to support that. If we are serious about reducing emissions and about climate action, wherever possible and where we have demand we need to facilitate this type of journey. I appreciate the Deputy bringing it up. If there is positivity to be taken from the response, it is that Iarnród Éireann is working towards a strategy of enhancement of services on InterCity routes in the short to medium term, but this will all be dependent on funding. I know that Deputy Canney is fighting hard for extra funding for public transport.

Sentiment score: 0.24

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. I know the LauraLynn foundation is something he has always advocated for and fought for. I agree with him 100%. The merit and support provided by organisations and foundations like the LauraLynn children's hospice represent unbelievable value for money. The service they provide is incredible. I liken it to Cancer Connect or ARC house, which are organisations we should really be supporting financially. Children’s palliative care is provided through a shared care approach involving GPs, paediatricians, community specialist palliative care teams, clinical nurse co-ordinators and the Children’s Health Ireland specialist palliative care team. All these teams work collaboratively in caring for the child and their family. A key enabler of this model of care is the remote support provided by the consultants in paediatric palliative medicine at Children’s Health Ireland at Crumlin and Temple Street. The voluntary sector, including organisations such as LauraLynn children’s hospice and the Jack and Jill Foundation, provides essential support to the statutory services with additional in-home nursing and respite supports for families. LauraLynn also provides inpatient hospice care at its eight-bed facility in Leopardstown, south County Dublin, along with a bereavement service. In 2024, 340 children were supported at home by clinical nurse co-ordinators for children with life-limiting conditions each month. Some 78 children received specialist palliative care in Children’s Health Ireland at Crumlin and Temple Street each month and 49 children were admitted each month to LauraLynn children’s hospice. LauraLynn receives core funding from the Health Service Executive under a section 39 service agreement. Recurring core statutory funding for LauraLynn children’s hospice was allocated for the first time in budget 2021. In 2022, an additional €800,000 was provided in once-off funding. In 2023, €800,000 was provided in additional recurrent funding to LauraLynn, increasing its base funding to €2.3 million per year. In 2025, State funding increased further to €3.3 million, representing over 30% of LauraLynn’s total operating costs. This funding has been used to provide a sustainable financial base to the organisation. It has increased LauraLynn's hospice in the home service across Leinster, Munster and Connacht. LauraLynn’s pre-budget submission request is to be funded to the tune of €5.3 million, or 50% of its total operational costs, in 2026. This request will be considered as part of the overall budgetary and Estimates process. LauraLynn plays a significant role in the overall delivery of children’s palliative care services nationally. The Department of Health, HSE, and LauraLynn children’s hospice have all worked together to develop children’s palliative care services in accordance with the national children’s palliative care policy. The Department of Health and the HSE are both project sponsors of work currently under way in Trinity College Dublin on enhancing children’s palliative care in Ireland. The Department of Health is also commissioning an evaluation of the 2009 national policy on children’s palliative care. The evaluation will review and assess the implementation of the 2019 children’s palliative care policy and identify the areas of progress along with any gaps which may need to be considered in future policy development. Findings from both these studies will inform evidence-based policy decisions in the development of the national children’s palliative care policy and assist with national service planning. The Deputy has highlighted what the LauraLynn hospice does. It is an incredible foundation and organisation. It provides a service that can never be replaced, certainly on behalf of the State, to families and children right across Ireland. If there is positivity to be taken from that response, it is that the Deputy has seen how the spending profile has gone year on year. It has increased significantly year on year as per that response. The submission LauraLynn has made this year is being taken seriously and is being considered. I would be pushing with the Minister for Health that it would get all it is asking for, with the hope it would get a significant increase in funding again.

Sentiment score: 0.31

We will get clarity on whether it will be a review or a brand-new policy. The Deputy mentioned some good examples. He has been an advocate for all of the organisations he mentioned. We know he has been championing the highlighting of rare diseases, especially among children, over this term and the previous term. I refer again to Cancer Connect. A number of years ago it received no funding from the State, and now it does. He mentioned Marymount, which is now completely funded by the State. All of these are going in the right direction. The current funding for LauraLynn is €3.3 million. The ask is €5.3 million. It is a significant increase, but the amazing comfort, care and attention it gives to families and children who find themselves in these situations is extraordinary. Therefore, any ask should be taken seriously, and the Deputy has put the case well today.

Sentiment score: 0.12