I thank Deputy Cahill for raising this matter. The new programme for Government acknowledges "that good connectivity within the country ... is essential to foster continued economic growth, for communities, and our tourism industry". We have committed to investing in all road projects in the current national development plan, NDP, and to work on improving infrastructure to key tourism spots, making travel more convenient for visitors. The Minister for Transport has responsibility for overall policy and Exchequer funding in relation to the national roads programme. Once funding arrangements have been put in place with TII, under the Roads Acts 1993-2015, and in line with the national development plan, the operation and management of individual national roads is a matter for TII in conjunction with the local authorities concerned. TII ultimately delivers the national roads programme in line with Project Ireland 2040, the national planning framework and the NDP. The Government has earmarked €5.1 billion for capital spending on new national roads projects from 2021 to 2030 as part of the NDP. This funding will enable improved regional accessibility across the country as well as compact growth, which are key national strategic outcomes. The funding will provide for the development of numerous national road projects, including the completion of projects already at construction stage and those close to it, as well as the development of several others. As the greater portion of this funding becomes available in the second half of the decade, this means there was a constraint on the funding available for new projects in 2025. However, approximately €502 million of Exchequer capital funds were provided for national roads through TII to local authorities in 2025. This includes approximately €1 million in funding for the development of the N22 Killarney to Farranfore project. This project is currently at the route options selection stage. Kerry County Council presented the preferred transport solution for the N22 Farranfore to Killarney scheme to the general public as part of public consultation No. 2 held on 11 and 12 November 2024. The consultation period ran for four weeks and concluded on 6 December 2024. The options selection phase is complete, design works are ongoing and ground investigation works are expected to commence shortly. The N22 Killarney to Farranfore project would deliver improvements to approximately 27 km of the N22, as well as a bypass of the village of Farranfore and an outer bypass of Killarney. It is important to point out the project remains part of the national development plan, and sufficient funding has enabled the route options phase of the project to be concluded with a preferred route selected. As with all national roads projects in the NDP, the delivery programme for the N22 Killarney to Farranfore project will be kept under review for 2025 and in future years and it will be considered in terms of the overall funding envelope available to TII.

Sentiment score: 0.19

I have been to Killarney as well, like most people in Ireland, on a number of occasions and had good memories coming away from it. The N22 project is included in the national development plan, NDP, and has received a significant funding allocation for 2025. As I said, approximately €502 million of Exchequer capital funds was provided to TII for national roads this year. In line with the NDP and Government policy, TII sought to allocate national road funding to local authorities in a manner which seeks to achieve the following key outcomes: protection and renewal of the existing national road network; progressing major projects in or near construction; and progressing major projects which are pre-construction but well advanced in the development pipeline. A number of new roads projects which are included in the current national development plan have already been delivered. The national development plan is the vehicle by which projects are delivered. This includes the N22 Ballyvourney-to-Macroom project, the Dunkettle interchange upgrade, the N5 Westport-to-Turlough road project, and bypasses of Moycullen and Listowel. The programme for Government commits to increased funding for new roads as part of the national development plan review and to the maintenance of existing roads. I met with TII today to discuss funding and projects into the future. This project has commenced and I do not believe we would be spending money on a project if we were not going to deliver it. I hope that it will get through all of the processes it needs to get through in order for it to be delivered. I will be talking again to the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, about it. He is fully aware of the importance of this project for Killarney.

Sentiment score: 0.21

First of all, I am shocked to hear that girls and boys have to change their clothes out in the open. It is fairly archaic and dangerous. The Government recognises the important role that community centres play in community life in Ireland, particularly in bringing people together and engaging with those who may be marginalised or disadvantaged. Over the past four years, the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht has prioritised the development and enhancement of community centres across the country through a new dedicated funding stream for community centres. The community centre investment fund, CCIF, was introduced to respond to the funding needs of community centres, in both rural and urban areas, so that we can support the provision of high-quality, accessible, community spaces. The CCIF has provided more than €109 million since 2022 for the enhancement and refurbishment of existing community centres and the construction of new centres. Under the first fund launched in 2022, over €45 million was committed for improvement and refurbishment works on over 860 existing community centres across Ireland. This includes 78 projects in County Dublin with funding of over €4.6 million. I have been informed by the Minister, Deputy Calleary, that the majority of these projects are now complete and benefiting communities all over Ireland. The latest iteration of the CCIF, in 2024, also supported the enhancement and refurbishment of community centres. Through that round of funding, over €33 million has been approved for more than 770 projects nationwide. This includes funding of up to €100,000 each for category 2 projects that my colleague, the Minister, Deputy Calleary, announced for 369 community centres last March. Again, there were over 60 successful projects in County Dublin, with funding of €2.6 million approved. The scheme has also supported community groups that are striving to build their own community centres. The 2023 CCIF was opened specifically for applications for new community centres. The 2023 new-build scheme supported communities with shovel-ready projects on greenfield or brownfield sites for the construction of new community centres. A capital grant of between €1 million and €6 million was available to build multi-functional centres in areas that lacked community facilities. Through that iteration of the fund, the Department of the Minister, Deputy Calleary, approved funding of €30 million for the construction of 12 new community centres in nine counties. Regarding community facilities in Kilmore, I understand that local authority officials are exploring potential arrangements in existing facilities to support the community there. This approach would allow support for community activity in the short term while preserving resources for a more sustainable and integrated solution in the future. While the Government’s immediate priority is to facilitate the delivery of the 770 projects that have recently been announced, we are also committed to delivering further iterations of the scheme in the coming years. This is in line with the commitment in the programme for Government for this to become a permanent rolling fund. Over the coming months, further consideration will be given to what the next round of the CCIF will involve and the types of facilities that will be targeted. I am confident that the fund will continue to play a central role in supporting strong and resilient communities.

Sentiment score: 0.28

I know Deputy Mitchell said I had two or three lines in relation to Kilmore. Deputy Ellis has hit the nail on the head. If an application comes in to a Department, it will be dealt with. Deputy Heneghan, who is present, has spoken to me about this before. The Department cannot provide funding until an application comes in. Two application processes have been gone through and there will be further application processes. My advice, and I come from a community background myself, is to get back to the local authority and tell it to get ready for the next call. That advice is not in the reply. I am giving it to the Deputies myself. That is the way I would do it. I was telling the Deputies all the money that has been given out by the Department for the two iterations of the scheme. There was also a scheme for new community centres. Dublin community centres benefited from that, as did hundreds of community centres right across the country. This is not the forum in which this should be tackled. The Department has provided funding. My experience from making applications with my own community is that if you make the application, it will be dealt with fairly. I would go back to the Deputy’s initial point about girls and boys togging out to play football or whatever else out in the open. I used to do it when I was a young lad, which is not today nor yesterday, in the turlough in Belclare but nobody could see us doing it. I would tell the Deputies to go back and see where the local authority is at with it. That is where it needs to be interrogated first. I appreciate that the Deputies have raised it and that Deputy Heneghan has also raised it with me and others in the group too. Working together, hopefully we will get it over the line.

Sentiment score: 0.07

The Deputy has spoken to me before about this issue. I really appreciate his bringing it to light. 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. 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. The NTA also has statutory responsibility for the regulation of fares charged to passengers in respect of public transport services provided under public service obligation, PSO, contracts. In this context, the NTA published the national fares strategy in 2023. This aims to create a more equitable, consistent and easy-to-understand fare system based on distance travelled. In line with this strategy, the NTA published fare determinations in January 2024 covering the Dublin city zone, 25 km from the city centre, and the Dublin commuter zone, 50 km from the city centre. This determination is being implemented in two phases. The second phase of this determination was introduced on 28 April 2025 with new multimodal fare caps and revised commuter rail fares. Phase 2b, pertaining to adjustments to commuter bus fares, commenced on 16 June 2025. I understand these are the fares to which the Deputy referred. This builds on the previous rail fare changes introduced in April. The new zones and fare structures, which have been widely publicised, aim to deliver more consistent and equitable fares and reduce disparities, particularly in the outer commuter towns surrounding Dublin. These are distance-based fares. The existing fare structures were not always equitable, consistent or easy for passengers to understand, and the new distance-based approach aims to address this by providing a fairer and clearer fare system. In Cavan, fares have seen an increase in the single adult category from €9.45 to €11.40. It is important to note that these fare changes will see increases for some passengers and decreases for others in order to allow for a more equitable fares structure, and it is the NTA’s intention to roll out further changes in future determinations during 2025.

Sentiment score: 0.21

I assure the Deputy 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 2025 the Department of Transport secured €658 million in funding, an increase from €613 million for 2024. This funding supports the continuation of the 20% fare reduction in PSO services, the young adult card for PSO and commercial bus services and the 90-minute rail fare until the end of 2025. The Deputy referenced a return fare increase from €18.50 to €27.30. I will check that. It seems like a large increase. I will examine peak-time morning and evening schedules. People travel from Dublin and board at different stops, and services have to let people off. It is about the experience we want to give passengers if we hope to get more and more people to use public transport. I will, however, bring these matters back to the Minister. The Department's investment of €658 million in the PSO and Local Link services in 2025 demonstrates our commitment to a sustainable, equitable and accessible public transport network for all. It is also a sign of the times that we are now very exercised about public transport quality because more and more people are demanding it. That is a success in itself. We need to make sure people get a good experience every time. I again thank the Deputy. I will speak to the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, about the issues he has raised.

Sentiment score: 0.30

I thank Deputies Ó Muirí and Heneghan for raising this important issue regarding the staffing of primary schools, particularly the teacher allocation to Belgrove infant girls' school and Scoil Mhuire in Howth. The key factor for determining the level of staffing resources provided at individual school level is the staffing schedule for the relevant school year and pupil enrolments on the previous 30 September. The primary staffing arrangements for the 2025-26 school year are set out in Circular 11/25. The staffing schedule operates in a clear and transparent manner and treats all similar types of schools equally, irrespective of location. It is an important feature of the staffing schedule that all schools are treated equally and fairly. Under the programme for Government, there is a commitment to aim to reduce the general pupil-teacher ratio at primary level to 19:1 over the term of the Government and introduce targeted measures in schools with very large classes. This will build on the progress made by previous Governments. The general average of pupils to teachers in the primary staffing schedule improved from 26:1 five years ago to 23:1 for the current school year, the lowest ever ratio at primary level. Teacher allocations for DEIS urban band 1 schools have also been improved and now stand at averages of 17:1, 21:1 and 19:1 for junior, senior and vertical schools, respectively. In addition, there has been a three-point reduction in the retention schedule, which has helped schools that would otherwise be at risk of losing teaching posts. Average class sizes in primary schools have improved from 24.1 to 22.5 in that time, while the ratio of pupils to teachers has improved from 15:1 to 12.8:1 with the investment we are making in schools. The two schools referred to by the Deputies, Belgrove and the school in Howth, are to have a reduction in teaching posts for the 2025-26 school year due to a fall in enrolments. The staffing arrangements include an appeals mechanism for schools to submit a staffing appeal under certain published criteria. The staffing appeals criteria, which are set out in Circular 11/25, include specific appeals for small schools, enrolments in the previous October, projected enrolments, accommodation difficulties, infant class sizes and language support. Belgrove infants girls' school submitted a staffing appeal to the March meeting of the primary staffing appeals board under the projected enrolments criteria. Having considered the staffing appeal from the girls’ school, the primary staffing appeals board determined that the grounds of the appeal did not meet the requirements set out in the circular. The primary staffing appeals board operates independently of the Department and its decision is final. Class sizes in schools are affected by a variety of factors, including enrolment fluctuations and the accommodation available. Schools are best placed to determine the appropriate numbers in any class. The configuration of classes and the deployment of classroom teachers are therefore done at local school level. The Department's guidance to schools is that the number of pupils in any class should be kept as low as possible, taking all relevant contextual factors into account. School authorities should also, where possible, use their autonomy under the staffing schedule to implement smaller class sizes for junior cycles.

Sentiment score: 0.18

The Minister for Education and Youth is considering how best to make further progress as part of the annual budgetary process in reducing the primary pupil-teacher ratio in the context of the programme for Government. With regard to the appeal for Belgrove, the primary staffing appeals board operates independently of the Department and its decision is final. I do not know if there is an appeals process to that independent board, because it meets some of the criteria, such as projected school numbers for next year. I do not know if there is a mechanism to go back there. I will ask the Department to correspond with both Deputies in that regard to see if there is a mechanism within the independent process to appeal the appeal. It is hard on the parents, the children and the board of management to try to work through this. It deflates the buzz that should be in schools when they lose a teacher and staff member. I thank both Deputies for bringing up this important issue and will see whether an appeal of the appeal can be made.

Sentiment score: 0.10