I thank the Deputy for giving me the opportunity to outline to the House the position relating to financial funding for schools. The Department is committed to offering all available and appropriate supports to the schools that have contacted the Department or have been referred to the FSSU. The Department is committed to providing funding to recognised primary and post-primary schools in the free education scheme by way of per capita grants, as the Deputy mentioned. The two main grants are the capitation grant to cater for day-to-day running costs such as heating, lighting, cleaning, insurance and general upkeep, and the ancillary grant to cater for the cost of employing ancillary services staff. Schools have a flexibility to use capitation funding, provided for general running costs, and ancillary funding, provided for caretaking and secretarial services, as a common grant from which the board of management can allocate according to its own priorities, except for the employment of relevant secretaries, as per the circular of 2022. The current standard rate of capitation grant is €200 per pupil in primary schools and €345 per student in post-primary schools. Primary schools with fewer than 60 pupils are paid the capitation and the ancillary grants on the basis of having 60 pupils. As part of the capitation package in budget 2025, the Department is pleased to have secured more than €30 million as a permanent increase in capitation funding to assist schools now and in the longer term with increased day-to-day running costs. This represents an increase of 12% on current standard rates and enhanced rates. This increase is on top of a 9.2% increase from last year’s budget. This will bring the standard rate of capitation grant to €224 per pupil in primary and €386 per student in post-primary from September 2025. Enhanced rates will also be paid in respect of pupils with special educational needs and Traveller pupils. Schools should also ensure they are availing of the available Office of Government Procurement frameworks and getting best value for money for all school expenditure. I acknowledge the Deputy mentioned that is being done by a number of schools. In addition to these grants, €45 million in cost-of-living supports was issued in November 2024 to support all recognised primary and post-primary schools in the free education system. This additional funding announced in budget 2025 is designed to assist schools with increased day-to-day running costs such as heating and electricity. This funding was paid at a rate of €36 per pupil in primary schools. Enhanced rates were also paid in respect of pupils with special educational needs and Traveller pupils. The Department of Education is aware that costs and funding can pose a very real problem for schools and is constantly working to address this matter and to enhance the financial and other supports available to schools. While not wishing to pre-empt the outcomes of any future budget negotiations or fiscal parameters agreed by Government, the Department of Education will continue to seek to prioritise the funding required to meet the ongoing costs of running schools. The financial support services unit, FSSU, funded by the Department, is an important source of advice and support to schools on financial matters, including budgeting and cash flow management.
Sentiment score: 0.49
I fully hear what the Deputy is saying. He is making an important point on that funding issue. I am more than happy to take that back to the Minister. The Deputy mentioned our constituency, which has a similar situation with regard to school funding. It is important. Obviously, the FSSU plays an important role. It is an issue I will highlight to the Minister and I have no doubt the Deputy will continue to do so as well.
Sentiment score: 0.21
I am well aware of the incredible work the Deputy does with local communities on this issue and how she has championed it. On behalf of the Minister, Deputy O’Callaghan, I thank the Deputy for raising this matter today. The Government is committed to building stronger, safer communities and community safety as a whole-of-government responsibility. Community safety is about much more than policing. It is about how we look after and support each other and the most vulnerable in our society. It is about the provision of services that focus on prevention and early interventions, such as addiction support and early childhood interventions. It is about supporting businesses and how our communities in which we live look and feel. It is also about State services working with each other and the community to take a shared approach in solving issues relating to community safety. High-visibility policing is, of course, an important factor in communities feeling safe but our gardaí are not solely responsible for safety in our communities. This is what the new whole-of-government community safety structure is central to and what LCSPs will aim to address. It will bring the relevant service providers and An Garda Síochána together to work with each community in a collaborative manner to focus on tackling the concerns identified and prioritised by the local community itself. That is really important, as someone who has come through this from a council background right the way through to being a TD. The Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill 2024, which the Minister, Deputy O’Callaghan, enacted yesterday, provides for the establishment of these local community safety partnerships, which will operate at each local authority level. The partnerships will replace and build upon the good work of the joint policing committees, supplementing this by bringing together a broader range of relevant stakeholders including local councillors, An Garda Síochána, local residents, community representatives, business and education representatives and a range of statutory agencies, including the HSE, Tusla and each local authority. As someone who was on a joint policing committee for many years, I acknowledge and thank all the people who worked on those committees over the years. Those people did an incredible job. Three innovative pilot LCSPs were set up in Waterford, Longford and Dublin’s north-inner city in 2021. The pilot process was accompanied by an independent evaluation to help inform best practice for the national roll-out. We see how the model can succeed in different contexts and settings. Each newly established local community safety partnership will be required to develop and implement its own tailored community safety plan and will take a strategic approach to its work so that issues arising can be dealt with in a co-ordinated manner, addressed collectively by relevant service providers in partnership with the community. A total of 36 partnerships will be established, based in each local authority administrative area. Each LCSP will be supported by a full-time co-ordinator and a full-time administrator, resourced by the Department of Justice. Section 114 of the Policing, Security and Community Safety Act 2024 provides for making of regulations to establish the LCSPs. My Department is working with the Office of Parliamentary Legal Advisers, OPLA, to facilitate drafts of these regulations, which it is proposed will commence shortly.
Sentiment score: 0.45
I agree with the Deputy that it is really important to get them up and running quickly, to get community buy-in and to get that feeling that we are moving forward in this area. I think we are. The implementation of the Act will have a tremendous effect. The resourcing of it is there and I have no doubt, from my own community where I have dealt with a host of issues in this area, that there is a real desire in community groups to see this work succeed. I know the Department is determined, through the resourcing being made available, to see that happen as well.
Sentiment score: 0.29
I would not be quite as nice to Meath people at a Leinster final or on an All-Ireland Sunday, as the Deputy was there. I thank her for raising this issue, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister for Transport. Improving public transport services and infrastructure is central to improving citizens' quality of life and achieving our decarbonisation goals. Achieving these goals has been set out in the programme for Government. The NTA has statutory responsibility for transport planning in the greater Dublin area, including in Fingal West. The NTA's greater Dublin area transport strategy, which was approved by the Minister for Transport in January 2023, sets out a framework for transport investment across the region over a 20-year period from 2022 to 2042, and it provides a clear statement of transport planning policy. This strong policy support has been backed up by increased levels of Exchequer funding, which is supporting the roll-out of initiatives such as MetroLink, BusConnects Dublin and DART+. The delivery of these projects had been delayed due to delays in the planning approval process. However, there have been some positive developments recently, with An Bord Pleanála approving 11 of the 12 BusConnects Dublin core bus corridors, including the Swords to the city centre scheme, as well as the conditional approval of DART+ West and full approval of DART+ South West projects. These projects will continue to advance in the coming years. It is anticipated that the first of the BusConnects Dublin core bus corridors will enter construction later this year, which will represent a significant milestone in the delivery of the major public transport projects. The first six phases of the BusConnects Dublin network redesign have also been rolled out in recent years. These new spines, including the A spine via the airport to Swords, will continue to be rolled out on an incremental basis in the coming years. Two orders for the new DART+ train fleet have been placed so far. The first order is for the purchase of 95 additional DART carriages, which comprise 65 battery-electric carriages and 30 electric carriages. These carriages started arriving into Ireland last year and are currently undergoing testing, prior to entry into service. The battery-electric carriages are planned to enter service on the northern line from Dublin to Drogheda in 2026. MetroLink will provide improved access to employment, education, leisure and healthcare facilities. This includes Dublin Airport, the Mater hospital, the Rotunda Hospital, Dublin City University, Trinity College Dublin, and numerous other locations in Dublin city centre. The Government approved MetroLink under decision gate 1 of the public spending code in July 2022. This enabled the project to enter the planning system. In September 2022, TII submitted a planning application to An Bord Pleanála. The railway order consultation period, following the submission of the railway order application, provided the opportunity for stakeholders along the MetroLink route to raise concerns about the project. The statutory planning consultation for the project closed in January 2023. In 2024, An Bord Pleanála held an oral hearing and an additional round of public consultation in relation to MetroLink. A planning decision from An Bord Pleanála is awaited. In addition to the above, TII submitted a planning application for Luas Finglas to An Bord Pleanála last November. The statutory consultation period for this project closed in January. This major public transport project will extend the existing Luas tram network northwards by almost 4 km from Broombridge to the Finglas area, shortening journey times to and from Dublin city centre to approximately 30 minutes or less. This route will provide interchanges with Broombridge train station, which is on the planned DART+ West line, as well as bus services. These projects represent a major improvement to public transport offerings in the west Fingal area.
Sentiment score: 0.23
I will of course convey the Deputy's views to the Minister. In summary, transport connectivity is obviously highly important for people who live and work, as we know, throughout Ireland. It is key to our villages, towns and to Dublin and our other cities to encourage urban centres and have strong local economies. I believe, as does the Minister, in expanding the public transport network and increasing services throughout the country, including in the west Fingal area. The ways we have set out to do that are included in what I said, such as BusConnects and Connecting Ireland. That will lead to a better facility overall for public transport users. I will take note of the Deputy's request and pass it on to the Minister.
Sentiment score: 0.21
I thank the Deputy for asking the question. I stress that enabling students with special educational needs to receive an appropriate education is an absolute priority for the Government. It is the Government's priority to ensure that all children have an appropriate school placement and that necessary supports are provided to our schools to allow children with special educational needs to flourish and prosper. To ensure schools can open new special classes as quickly as possible, the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, is examining which schools have capacity to expand and is reaching out to medium and larger primary schools with available accommodation, and no existing special class, to open a new special class for the 2025-26 school year. This will not only ensure that classes can open quickly, as existing accommodation can be reconfigured in a more streamlined and efficient manner, but it will also provide more options for parents in local areas as more and more schools open specialist provision. However, as in other years where schools have no available accommodation, particularly at post-primary level, and there is a known demand in a local area, the Department of Education will continue to provide additional classroom accommodation to provide necessary places. At local level in Lucan, and indeed nationwide, the NCSE continues to examine where provision is best placed to meet demand. I confirm that the council has ruled out sanctioning a special class at Scoil Mhuire for the coming school year. The council is confirming this directly with the school now to avoid any confusion. As new special classes are sanctioned in other schools, it will inform parents and provide advice and support on how to apply. Of the 400 new special classes to be sanctioned for the next school year, the NCSE has sanctioned more than 350, with classes provided in every county. A total of 66 of these classes are in Dublin, with a number in the Lucan and broader west Dublin area. The council continues to sanction classes. These will be added to in the coming days. The Minister for Education, Deputy McEntee, and the Minister of State with responsibility for special education, Deputy Michael Moynihan, both meet the NCSE and senior Department of Education officials on a weekly basis to track the progress being made on securing additional classes and special school places. I will raise the other issues the Deputy mentioned here.
Sentiment score: 0.27
I thank the Deputy again for raising the question. I will of course convey back to the Minister the additional points he raised here. I thank him for giving me the opportunity to reassure the House that the Department of Education and the NCSE are committed to ensuring that all children have access to education suitable to their needs. The Department of Education continues to engage intensely with the NCSE on forward planning for new special classes for the 2025-26 school year and future years. More than 28,000 children are now being supported in special schools and classes with the number of special classes increasing by 100% since 2020. It is the statutory responsibility of the NCSE to work with schools to provide sufficient special education provision each year. As already outlined, budget 2025 provides funding for another 400 new special classes, up to 300 additional special school places. The NCSE continues to assess what additional provision is required in local areas and which schools have capacity to accommodate the required provision. As the NCSE progresses the sanctioning of new special classes in the coming days, it will in turn advise parents of the location of any new special classes for the 2025-26 school year.
Sentiment score: 0.49
I thank the Deputy for raising this issue and providing the opportunity to update the House on this important matter. Modern methods of construction are a key measure to support the delivery of housing under Housing for All and the programme for Government and have the potential to boost productivity, increase efficiency and improve sustainability in the construction sector. Modern methods of construction is the term used to describe a range of compliant manufacturing and innovative construction including modular systems as alternatives to traditional construction. The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and the Government’s commitment to modern methods of construction has been clearly outlined in the new programme for Government, including binding targets for its use in at least 25% of all State-backed housing and an innovation fund via the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund, ISIF. Initiatives already in place under Housing for All to promote modern methods of construction include: the accelerated social housing delivery programme, the Roadmap for Increased Adoption of Modern Methods of Construction in Public Housing, the Construct Innovate technology centre, the national demonstration park, the Build Digital project, the built to innovate initiative, the development of standardised approaches to the design of housing and training for industry and public sector professionals. In December 2022, the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage approved funding of €94 million to address legacy land debt. The funding was contingent on the local authority committing to the early development of a housing proposal that would commence construction in 2023 or no later than 2024 and utilise modern methods of construction. A total of 26 sites received funding as part of an accelerated social housing delivery programme. This programme is being led by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and will see the delivery by 13 local authorities of at least 1,500 social homes using modern methods of construction across approximately 36 sites. It is intended to expand the use of the design and build procurement approach to enable greater use of modern methods of construction in social and affordable housing delivery. Separately, the Department is engaging with Wexford local authority on piloting several three-dimensional modular units, which are expected to tender in the first half of 2025. A standardised design approach is key in facilitating the ease of adoption of modern methods of construction. To support this standardised approach, the Department has identified a number of designs from the design manual for quality housing, adjusted to allow for ease of delivery utilising different forms of modern methods of construction, including three-dimensional modular systems.
Sentiment score: 0.45
The Government approved new housing targets up to 2030. Some 303,000 homes are expected to be delivered from 2025 to 2030. This equates to an average of approximately 50,500 homes, building up to 60,000 homes in 2030. To meet these very ambitious targets, it is necessary to use many different ways of delivery. Modern methods of construction are a key pillar in this housing delivery programme. This year, the accelerated social housing delivery programme and the Government initiatives described will continue to support the delivery of housing using modern methods of construction. Additionally, under the programme for Government, further initiatives will also be implemented to support the key pillar that accelerates the delivery of quality housing. I take on board all the comments the Deputy made about modular housing, too.
Sentiment score: 0.22
I thank Deputy Gannon for raising this important issue and offering me the opportunity to respond on behalf of the Minister. Improving access to quality and affordable early learning and care and school-age childcare is a key priority for the Government. Early learning and childcare capacity is increasing. An annual sector profile demonstrates an 8% increase in enrolments between the 2021-22 and 2022-23 years. Within the Dublin city local authority area, enrolments grew by 2,235. Core funding application data shows that, between year 1 and year 2 of the scheme, the annual place hours increased by almost 8%. The Tusla register of services demonstrates a net increase in the numbers of registered early learning and childcare services in 2024. However, it appears that demand for early learning and care and school-age childcare remains higher than available supply, particularly for younger children and in certain parts of the country. Demand for early learning and childcare beyond sessional preschool provision is highly elastic and shaped substantially by families' individual composition, circumstances and preferences; employment patterns and income; and the price and availability of services. A forward planning model is in development, which will be central to the Minister’s plans to achieve the policy goals set out in the programme for Government to build an affordable, high-quality, accessible early childhood education and care system, with State-led facilities adding capacity. The Government continues to support the ongoing development and resourcing of core funding, which has given rise to a significant expansion of places since the scheme was first introduced. Core funding funds services based on the number of places available regardless of whether they are filled. This provides stability to services and reduces the risk associated with opening a new service or expanding an already existing service. For the current programme year, the allocation for core funding allows for a 6% increase in capacity. Additional funding was secured in budget 2025 to facilitate a further 3.5% increase from September 2025, in the fourth programme year. The Government is also supporting the expansion of capacity through capital funding. Capital funding has been allocated to the early learning and childcare sector under the revised national development plan. This will enable significant investment in early learning and childcare. The building blocks capital grant schemes are operating over 2024 and 2025. The primary focus of these schemes is to increase capacity in the one- to three-year-old, pre-ECCE, age range for full daycare. The building blocks expansion grant scheme was operated by the Department last year. Twenty-three services were awarded capital grants of between €25,000 and €100,000 for projects to undertake renovation of or upgrades to existing space to cater for more children. This funding has delivered almost 300 affordable new places for one- to three-year-olds, with approximately 100 of those places in Dublin. The building blocks extension grant scheme was launched on 4 November 2024. Applications for this scheme have now closed and an appraisal process is under way. The primary focus of the extension grant scheme is to increase capacity in places for one- to three-year-olds, with early childhood education range for full daycare. Some €25 million will be made available this year to deliver additional capacity under the scheme, and the Minister expects to announce the outcome of the application process in the coming weeks. The Department funds 30 city and county childcare committees, which provide support and assist families and early learning and childcare providers. Parents experiencing difficulty with early learning and childcare needs should contact their local city and county childcare committee for assistance.
Sentiment score: 0.26
Early learning and childcare is an area that has seen rapid and significant developments and has had a substantial increase in investment in recent years. In particular, we have made good progress in affordability for parents, pay for staff and the inclusion of children with disabilities. However, we need to go further in the coming years. We need to support parents and educators and make provision right across the early learning and childcare sector, with a focus always on ensuring there is a positive experience for children. The national childcare scheme has increased subsidy rates paid to families, which, along with fee controls and other reforms to the scheme, are delivering much greater affordability for parents. Out-of-pocket costs for some families remain much too high, though. That is why the programme for Government builds on the initiatives we had in recent years. For the first time, the Government is committing to introducing an element of public provision with State-led facilities to add capacity. Taking a more strategic approach to forward planning and the option of public delivery options, there is a much greater scope to influence the types and number of places available and to better align those with families’ needs. Importantly, we are committing to progressively reducing the cost of early learning and childcare to €200 per child over the lifetime of this Government. Officials are examining this ambitious commitment and exploring approaches on how to most effectively achieve this objective.
Sentiment score: 0.42