An Post is a commercial semi-State company with a mandate to act commercially. As such, day-to-day operational matters such as decisions in relation to the size, distribution and future of the network are matters for the board and the management of the company. They are not matters in respect of which either the Minister of State, Deputy McConalogue, or the Minister, Deputy O’Donovan, have a statutory function. The Ministers are well aware of the impact that decisions relating to changes in An Post operations have on communities and individuals in both rural and urban Ireland. As noted, this is a matter for the company. It would be inappropriate for the Government, as a shareholder, to comment on or prejudice decisions which are for the board and management of An Post to consider. That said, this is an operational matter. Officials have been engaging with the company. An Post has advised in the case of Harmonstown, which the Deputy referred to, that the move is very much in the future and that there is much to be considered in the interim, including the facilities in the local area to be utilised in respect of undelivered mail. An Post has advised that it is in consultation with its staff and their unions on the details of the move. An Post notes that it is consolidating its national network of local sorting offices, which are also known as delivery sorting units, DSU. The company advises that it needs larger and purpose-fitted premises to manage increased parcel volumes. It also advises that as part of a city-wide plan over this year and next, it is relocating a number of its delivery offices to the new city delivery hubs. Among these will be the An Post delivery offices in Harmonstown, Dublin 5, and Griffith Avenue, Whitehall, Dublin 9, moving to a new north Dublin delivery hub. An Post states that the proposed move is scheduled for the second quarter of next year and that there is much to be considered before then. An Post states that its delivery office in Finglas, Dublin 11, will also be sharing the new facility which is being completed and purpose fitted at the North City Business Park in Dublin 11. An Post remains in consultation with its staff and unions on the details of the above moves. An Post further advises that it will facilitate the collection of missed mail in local post offices and parcel collection pick up at the post point outlets. An Post states that the move will have little day-to-day impact on local customers because the same postal workers will be delivering on the same local routes as before. An Post advises that it needs much larger premises and-or repurposed facilities to manage increased parcel volumes and to meet the future needs of the city and the changing needs of customers. An Post notes these new buildings also represent an improvement in working conditions for staff and make huge inroads in terms of sustainability around heating, lighting and the day-to-day operations of buildings like the new delivery hub. An Post advises that it is also hiring 300 additional postmen and postwomen across the country, some of whom will be working in this area, to manage the massive growth in volume. The Government is committed to a sustainable An Post. The post office network as a key component of the economic and social infrastructure throughout Ireland. The programme for Government states that the Government will continue to provide a nationwide network of post offices with funding to ensure their sustainability and to enhance the value they bring to local communities. The Department of Culture, Communications and Sport is working to deliver on this and an enhanced amount of €15 million per annum has been allocated for supporting the network, subject to all legal requirements being satisfied.

Sentiment score: 0.15

The point the Deputy makes is one that is being made about urban and rural Ireland by people across the country. An Post has been a very trusted brand over many years. As with everything, life evolves. There is a big challenge for An Post in the context of how the traditional mail delivery service has moved on in terms of the amount of mail being posted, but there has also been a huge uptick in parcel deliveries. It is very important that An Post is properly structured, not just in urban areas but also right across the country, because it is a huge brand that we have trust in. In order to ensure its future, very difficult decisions will have to be made. The Deputy made a fundamental point about the collection of undelivered parcels and so forth. There is the An Post network and then there are the post points which are dotted across the cities and urban and rural Ireland. These have to be a hugely integral part of how An Post delivers it services into the future. I am deviating slightly from the note I have been given, but I believe that An Post will have to evolve into the Ireland of 2026 and beyond as we go forward. With the network, brand and trust that An Post has, we need to ensure that is reachable for all urban and rural communities. An Post is expanding its operations and is recruiting over 300 postal staff. That is great to see, and it is hugely important that our semi-State company makes the right decisions in order to ensure that we deliver for the citizens of Ireland over the next number of years.

Sentiment score: 0.26

I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. I am answering the issue on behalf of the Minister, James Browne, who sends his apologies as he cannot be here. As the Deputy knows, Uisce Éireann has statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services and planning. Neither I nor the Minister have operational functions in respect of the matter. However, we have made inquiries with Uisce Éireann and have been informed that it is committed to solving and replacing the necessary section of the Maynooth-Leixlip mains water network and has a project in place to do so. Design challenges have arisen in the context of reinforcing the existing pipe and routing a replacement, all while maintaining the required capacity to meet demand on the network. Solutions are being investigated. In the interim, immediate steps have been taken to respond to bursts in the area and to manage supply interruptions as quickly as possible, such as ramping up out-of-hours repair crews and gearing up local stores to ensure urgent availability of materials required. Uisce Éireann is also working with businesses in the area to encourage and ensure on-site storage is in place to limit supply interruptions. Uisce Éireann acknowledges that a long-term solution is required. It is in the process of designing one. In County Kildare, there is a proposed investment of over €170 million in capital projects including the Celbridge and Maynooth leakage reduction programmes and Crodaun wastewater network upgrade that will address some of the most urgent infrastructure deficits, meet environmental obligations and support capacity for housing. It is important to note that Uisce Éireann 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 of years and investment cycles to resolve. Uisce Éireann has delivered significant improvements in the provision of water services. Hundreds of water and wastewater treatment plants have been upgraded, thousands of kilometres of new or rehabilitated water mains have been installed, the national leakage rate has been reduced and the overall quality of drinking water remains very high. As part of its future investment plans, Uisce Éireann has brought together the water for growth programme, which is a comprehensive view of water supply and resilience projects in the eastern region, including parts of Kildare. This programme includes some 30 water projects at an estimated investment of €500 million in treatment plant upgrades, new trunk mains and strategic reservoirs to strengthen supply and support growth across the region. I know this is a matter in respect of which Deputy Neville has been advocating for some time, but Uisce Éireann is engaging in respect of some of the fundamental issues. I accept that more work needs to be done. Uisce Éireann assures us that it is meeting the many challenges that exist in the area to which the Deputy referred head-on as best it can. I will refer to that aspect in my closing remarks.

Sentiment score: 0.35

I hear loud and clear the frustration in the Deputy's voice in relation to this issue. The points he made are very relevant. Water is a basic requirement for everyday living. The Deputy referred to children, adults and the elderly. Water is a fundamental aspect of everyday living. The Deputy also spoke about businesses and the frustration people have when the water is cut off. The challenge we have is when there is a commitment given that it will be back by 9 a.m. but does not come back until 2 p.m. the following day for whatever reason. People's livelihoods are being put at risk. The Deputy spoke about cafes and other businesses. I hear the frustration, and I know the first port of call for people is their local TD or councillor to ask what they are going to do about it. What the Deputy said about Leixlip in testimony to the fact that, as he outlined, what is happening is simply not good enough. I will take back what I have heard to the Department and to Uisce Éireann and, in the strongest possible terms, ask them to respond. While the Dáil is the forum in which to raise important issues such as those outlined by the Deputy, we still have to get responses from the statutory bodies. I will communicate the Deputy's frustration to the Minister, in the first instance, and to Uisce Éireann, which I will ask for an update. I do not just mean seeking a response that will come back in a week or ten days; I mean real action on what needs to be done in Leixlip. I assure the Deputy that we will relay what he said to those to whom I refer.

Sentiment score: -0.06

I thank the Deputy. These are operational matters for Uisce Éireann but we have been making inquiries in relation to the issues the Deputy raised. I have been informed that works in Lusk have been undertaken between the junction to Hand's Lane and Minister's Road, along Minister's Road and Barrack Lane to the junction at Treen Hill and then Kelly Park. This is a targeted programme of works to strengthen the local water network at Kelly Park and Dun Emer in Lusk to replace old and fragile water mains. These works include laying new water service connections from the public water main in the road to customers' property boundaries and connecting it to the customers' water supply. The project began back in March and work is expected to be completed this summer. Uisce Éireann tells us that very effort has been made to minimise disruption to residents and businesses during these works. Planned supply interruptions have been short in duration. However, the discovery of an undocumented branch off the water main led to unexpected interruptions. Further investigations are now required to map older sections of the network so that redundant sections of pipes can be closed off completely. Customers have been notified about this unavoidable disruption, which is essential to help Uisce Éireann to complete this important work to provide a more reliable and resilient water supply in the area. A contractor liaison officer is now in regular contact with the early years services, including visiting the business on Monday in advance of a planned interruption today, Thursday. An Uisce Éireann area inspector has also been in contact with the business and understands that limited storage is available on site. Uisce Éireann is offering the crèche owner the services of its first fix free scheme to establish if there is any leakage on the premises which may be affecting its storage capacity. The Kelly Park and Dun Emer areas are residential areas and it would not be possible to schedule future outages in the evenings or overnight. There are three more outages required to close out the project and Uisce Éireann is working to put in place a detailed programme which can then be communicated to key stakeholders to give more advance notice than normal. In regard to the correspondence we had on getting this question, the most frustrating piece is that where there are works going on, the communities do not know in advance. It can lead to huge frustration. I will take that back as well. There is no way that I can come in here and defend the lack of communication, which is basic. I will ask Uisce Éireann to look at other areas that could be looked at in respect of minimising the disruption, particularly to young people and young families.

Sentiment score: -0.05

It is great to see Deputies welcoming their former teachers to the Gallery. They are very welcome and I hope they are enjoying their trip to Leinster House today. The investment is being put in to upgrade the pipe network. A lot of investigation has gone into the pipe network in this area, which is 50, 60 or possibly more years old. In a lot of the upgrading, particularly in urban Ireland, when Uisce Éireann digs down, it finds there are offshoots here and there. Then it finds that is where the leak is and why there was no water pressure. There has been unscheduled work here. As I understand it, Uisce Éireann had communicated what it was doing and the timeframe it was doing it in. Now with the extra unscheduled work, there are more difficulties but I will relay back to it what the Deputy has asked with regard to the crèche owners in particular. I will ensure there is full engagement with all the community. While Uisce Éireann is doing a major job in the area, it is important it would engage with all the businesses and householders in terms of leak reduction or anything else. Uisce Éireann is on site now and it should be using that time, fundamentally, to make sure the right things are done and we do not have to go back to it in the future. There was an added piece here and not just the original piece. However, families have had to make decisions on whether to take time off or take annual leave to take care of their children. That is hugely frustrating and it is not acceptable. As a matter of policy, Uisce Éireann, where disruptions are taking place, should always consider childcare facilities and schools to make sure they are communicated with in timely manner.

Sentiment score: 0.10

I thank the Deputy. Three out of five of the Topical Issues have been about Irish Water. I know the Deputy has been talking about Courtbrack and other communities in his constituency for quite some time. In the correspondence we had in the past half hour or so, it covered three constituencies in Kildare, Dublin and Cork, so we can see the frustration of Members about Irish Water, the challenges that are being faced and how we will overcome them. Fundamentally, the availability of water and wastewater treatment plants is one of the most important resources we have to be able to develop further into the future. Over many decades, we have seen as a country the challenges with economic prosperity, but this is one of the key things. I am deviating from the question I was asked but I see the frustration of Members here today and the frustration of Members from across the country. I could turn back and talk about a number of communities I represent and the frustrations I have with it. Irish Water is the statutory body. It has taken charge of this plant. As I understand it, the plant was taken over in January of this year and it was not fit for purpose. It was one of those developer-provided pieces of infrastructure going back a number of years. It is important that we understand the challenges that are there. They are on a boil water notice and the information I have is that, since taking over the operation, Uisce Éireann has been carrying out technical and detailed operational assessments of the plant to determine the works required to ensure a safe and secure water supply to enable the boil water notice to be lifted. Uisce Éireann has now completed the initial scoping work and the first phase of remedial works has now commenced on site. These works are focused on upgrading and improving the existing plant. Uisce Éireann expects to have greater clarity on timelines as these works progress. Once the outcome of this first phase of the remedial works is fully assessed, the impact will inform the need for any subsequent phases of work, if required, which will ultimately guide the approach to resolving the issues at the plant. Given the importance of protecting public health, this process must be thorough and evidence-based. In parallel to these shorter-term improvement works, Uisce Éireann is also progressing the assessment of a longer term rationalisation option. This would provide a more permanent solution but is subject to all necessary planning, environmental and regulatory consenting processes. If the short-term works successfully address the issues at the plant, the need for this longer term project will be reviewed. The boil water notice remains in place and will continue until such time as it is safe to lift, based on the outcomes of the ongoing works. The assessment that Uisce Éireann is doing should be completed in a timely fashion so that we can move forward with confidence that the boil water notice can be lifted. There is a bigger issue with it as well. Even if the short-term issues are resolved, Uisce Éireann should not forget about the long-term issues either. I will relay the Deputy's frustration to both the Department and Uisce Éireann again and ask them to complete the remedial work in as short a timeframe as possible.

Sentiment score: 0.16

I thank the Deputy. He has heard all the official answers in relation to what is being done. What he needs to do is to have clear sight of what that is, what that means in simple English, what screening and what work is going on, what levels they have to reach, and what stage they are at. I will endeavour to get sight of the remedial works Uisce Éireann is doing and also what they are considering in the long term. Whatever about the remedial works that are to be done here, the long-term issues have to be put out as well for Courtbrack and all those communities. Irish Water is engaging now with the Courtbrack community and it should not be allowed take its sight off it. It should complete the work it is doing on the remedial work in getting the water fit to lift the boiled-water notice and then on top of that to come back and say what the project will be over the next while. It should not just long-finger it but make sure what it is in the short-term. The least we want is to have the water systems fit for purpose. I will endeavour to ask both the Department and Uisce Éireann for concise, direct and informative information in relation to what they are doing in Courtbrack, what the timelines are on it and when they hope they can reach those targets and timelines. I will endeavour to get that information for the Deputy from the Department and Uisce Éireann and forward it to him.

Sentiment score: 0.29

To take the last point first before I go into it. Not to take it in isolation, that is a completely separate issue. Reducing child poverty is a key aspect of Government policy. The Government has been working on this and understands it. In September 2025, the Government agreed a new target to reduce the child consistent poverty rate to 3% or less by 2030. While an ambitious target, in setting this rate, the Government was clear that no level of child poverty is acceptable, and this is reflected in the programme for Government. The Department of the Taoiseach's child poverty and well-being programme office continues to lead and drive this important work and break down silos across Government. It has developed a dashboard of indicators to complement this target and to measure child poverty across health, housing, education, early learning and other indicators. As a developed economy, poverty in Ireland is measured on a relative rather than an absolute basis. A risk of poverty is assessed by comparing a person's income to the average income in society. As a relatively high-income country, this means that some households assessed as experiencing poverty in Ireland might not be considered so in other EU countries. Nevertheless, as we are committed to reducing poverty, it is important to retain this approach. Moreover, the consistent poverty measure that we use is unique to Ireland and captures those both at risk of relative poverty and who self-report deprivation. The Government was pleased to see a reduction in the CSO Survey on Income and Living Conditions, SILC, 2025 rate of child consistent poverty, from 8.5% in 2024 to 7.8% in 2025. This reduction reflects the impact of Government measures to date. The SILC data has a time lag and is based on income from 2024. It therefore does not yet reflect the 2025 budget and the very significant budget 2026 measures. Despite this, we fully recognise that much more needs to be done to reduce child poverty and to deliver on our target by the end of 2030. This requires sustained cross-government investment and commitment over many years. Budget 2026 reflected this commitment, with €320 million allocated to the Department to address child poverty. Significant measures included record increases in the child support payment, higher working family payment thresholds, broader access to the fuel allowance and the back-to-school clothing and footwear allowance, and an expansion of the hot school meals programme. These build on important programmes already under way that work to reduce child poverty, such as free schoolbooks, free GP visit cards and early childhood supports. While existing targeted income supports, including the child support payment and the working family payment, are effective at tackling child poverty, the Department of Social Protection is exploring reforms to both the working age and the child income supports. A public consultation on this concluded recently. Reflecting the need for a multidimensional approach, work continues right across Government in other key areas such as housing, employment, childcare, education and health to address child poverty. The Roadmap for Social Inclusion 2026-2030 outlines many of these actions, with the aim of achieving our target by the end of the decade.

Sentiment score: -0.12

The CSO surveys are hugely important as a basis on which to measure poverty. The investment the Government has made over the past number of budgets, not just those for 2024 and 2025 but also for 2026, and the social protection measures we have put in place, show that not just the Department of Social Protection but all Government Departments are very conscious of child poverty. We are very conscious of the long-term impacts on those children. We are trying to give them the best possible opportunity. You only get one childhood. My Department and Departments right across Government, particularly the Department of Social Protection, are making sure that we are investing as much as possible into capturing the reasons for child poverty. We are investing to make sure we are giving children the best possible opportunities. The CSO documentation and the data we get through the survey on income and living conditions are hugely important in framing Government policy. This is driven from the Department of the Taoiseach to ensure we are doing everything that can be done across Government to tackle child poverty. I assure all Deputies in the House that we understand. We know that, when you meet parents and families who are experiencing child poverty, you can have all the statistics in the world but you need to be able to point to something that can get them from where they are to where they would like to be or to at least give them a roadmap. Everyone wants the best for their families. This is something that every one of us experiences. The Government is working extremely hard to tackle child poverty. We have seen reductions in the indicators over the last number of years.

Sentiment score: 0.09