I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 7, inclusive, together. Ireland's well-being framework is a Government initiative to measure progress and policy impact in Ireland in a more holistic way. The framework consists of 11 dimensions that reflect different aspects of well-being. It is supported by a dashboard hosted by the Central Statistics Office and composed of 35 indicators that bring together economic, social and environmental statistics in an integrated way. Each year, an Understanding Life in Ireland report is published, which assesses Ireland's well-being performance across these 35 indicators. An updated analysis will be published before the summer. The 2024 assessment shows that Ireland's overall performance is positive, particularly in the areas of work and job quality, and social connections and community. Only one of the 11 dimensions, the environment, climate and biodiversity dimension, showed a negative performance. The analysis also highlights that there is more work to be done. In particular, there are some groups in our society for whom progress is unequal across multiple areas of well-being, including people with long-term illness or disability, single-parent households, households with lower incomes and households in rented accommodation. To assist expenditure decisions, we continue to integrate the framework into the budgetary process. The well-being framework was featured at last year's national economic dialogue and as part of the summer economic statement. The well-being framework was also part of the analysis underpinning budget 2025. This included analysis of the dashboard in budget-day documentation and a paper showing how selected expenditure measures in budget 2025 are enhancing well-being, published by the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform. Across government, Departments are working to use the well-being framework for policy development and decision-making. I believe the well-being framework is a useful tool which can help us to better understand the economic, social and environmental impact of policy decisions.
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Sorry?
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Deputy Cian O'Callaghan raised the issue of the CIÉ pensioners. I take on board the Deputy's point that the actuaries are saying it would not impact on the scheme itself if the pensions continued to match salary increases. I will talk to the Minister with a view to getting an assessment of it. I am conscious of the issue. I want to see other ways to make progress on this issue. I will come back to the Deputy. I am not familiar with the specific issue raised by Deputy Paul Murphy. I do not understand why the local authority is seeking planning permission. Was there a particular nature to the insulation?
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Did he apply for retention?
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I will examine the details and try to get back to the Deputy. If he can send me the background to the case, we will pursue it. We want people to insulate. We do not want people to be penalised for insulation. Deputy Bacik raised workers' rights and the reproductive healthcare leave Bill. I will have to check where the research commissioned by the previous Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, is. Remote and flexible working is kept under constant review. Due to the nature of different jobs and the nature of work in different Departments, there cannot be a uniform policy across the board. I will check with the Department of public expenditure what is happening on that front. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan raised the issue of the well-being framework and what is measured by it. In the words of Robert Kennedy, who put it far more eloquently, GDP "measures everything ... except that which makes life worthwhile". That is what the well-being framework is endeavouring to meet. On the biodiversity front and on the insulation front, I agree that there will be more spending. We are spending huge amounts of money on the electricity grid which the IFAC-CCAC report identified this morning. We are spending a lot on electric vehicles. Maybe we can do more. However, I am conscious we must do it within the fiscal framework we are told we must keep within. It is not that simple. We will be spending more on the grid and many of these issues and the budget will prioritise many of the areas around biodiversity restoration. Last week, for example, the Shared Island fund had some very effective biodiversity measures, environmental trails and so on, which are very positive in the Border county areas in Cavan, Monaghan, Carlingford and Cuilcagh, the geopark that straddles both sides of the Border which the Shared Island fund enabled us to purchase. Now we are developing trails around that. I take on board what Deputy Ó Murchú is saying about mental health generally. The SOSAD issue has been raised by other Deputies too. Deputy -----
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Yes, Deputy Bennett too, apologies. The Minister of State, Deputy Butler said earlier she has met the group. She says the HSE is telling her that it has to satisfy governance and it wants audits and so on. It is working with the group to try to fix that and get that sorted.
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I know but there must be some issues there that need resolving.
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As soon as we can get it done. The Minister of State is sympathetic. She has met the group with a view to getting it resolved.
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On Deputy Coppinger’s question, the €3 billion will be some time off. The immediate target is LOA 2. The programme for Government commits to a move to LOA 3 after that but we are some distance off because of procurement and so on. The Deputy spoke of increases but we are one of the lowest spenders. We have very low spending on military and we are coming from a very low base. Procurement capacity has to be built up and so on. The fact is, Europe is exposed in the world today and Europe feels exposed. Those on the eastern flank and the Baltic states in particular feel an existential threat from Russia – nobody else but Russia. There is a general view across Europe now that Russia represents a very significant threat to the long-term security of Europe and because of geopolitical developments that Europe will have to become more self-reliant in respect of its own security and defence. That is the view. Europe’s ultimate goal is to engage peacefully. Europe wants peace and wants to maintain peace and wants prosperity but sometimes the only way to maintain that is to have some strength that would deter people from encroaching and violating Europe’s borders or the borders of member states of the European Union. It is a very unsettling and uncertain environment in which we are currently living but those are the facts of the situation. There is a lot of worry about the place.
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I will be going, yes.
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I thank the Deputy for the points he made. I refer to Mark Henry’s book which identifies the extraordinary gains that have been made in lifespan in Ireland among men and women. It is a great story which never gets told but health did something right over the past 20 years. Lifestyle is important as well. I like the idea of tax relief for gym membership. I think it is a good idea although I understand that, I should not say the mandarins in finance -----
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-----are inevitably saying there are complexities. Inevitably there are complexities attached to the proposal but I think we should do everything we possibly can to encourage activity and fitness levels in society. That is why I think one of the best things we have done in recent years is transformative investment in active travel across the country. One only has to go along greenways or walkways and they are populated by people going out, getting exercise and getting fit.
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 8 to 23, inclusive, together. The Cabinet committee on disabilities has been established to oversee the implementation of programme for Government commitments in the area of disability with specific focus on children’s disability services as well as disability services more generally under the forthcoming new national disability strategy. It is due to meet shortly. Under the programme for Government, we are committed to delivering a step change in disability services. To deliver on this I have established a standalone Cabinet committee on disability. The Government is committed to advancing the rights and improving the lives of people with disabilities. We will prioritise the publication of and fund a new national disability strategy, setting out a vision to 2030. We will adopt a whole-of-government approach and advance the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Optional Protocol to the Convention of Persons with Disabilities. I am also establishing a disability unit in my Department. This unit will support the work of the Minister for children, disability and equality and other Ministers in driving cross-government working and collaboration to improve the lives of people with disabilities and enable them to achieve their potential. I know many in the various sectors are working hard for children, but the system is not delivering. I want to unlock the capability I know exists and further build capacity to implement models of support and care that work, particularly for children and families. I am engaging with Ministers and officials to fully tease out the programme of work for the unit to establish how it can best add value and impetus to the disability agenda in the same way the Department has done in the area of child poverty. On Monday, 24 February, we had a good meeting on the unit attended by eight Ministers. The unit will support the work of the Cabinet committee on disability. It will have a key role in overseeing the implementation of programme for Government commitments in the area of disability, with a particular focus on the forthcoming new national disability strategy. It is important to ensure that the work of my Department does not duplicate others' work, rather it should further drive innovation and give momentum to policy implementation. It will also identify gaps between Departments and agencies, and promote and support cross-government, inter-agency and inter-disciplinary working for the benefit of all those with disabilities.
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How many occupational therapists?
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What is the delay? Is he seeking an opinion?
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Who is seeking the opinion?
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Deputy Geoghegan raised the first issue, which was an interesting point, relating to the recruitment of therapists, particularly from overseas. This was raised at our initial meeting between Ministers last week. Perhaps we need to engage with CORU on this. Historically, although I am not sure whether this is the case here, regulatory bodies can have fairly rigorous criteria for professionals coming in from overseas. That needs to be examined because the figure is too low. We have been in a position to recruit people from overseas in many disciplines, not just in health but across the board, and that figure is far too low, in my view. Why it is so low needs to be examined. When just 21 speech and language therapists have been recruited over three years, there is something wrong there. To respond to Deputy Murphy, again the budget has provided for 400 new special classes and 300 new special school places. There has been huge growth, as the two most recent censuses have shown, when we look at the difference between the two in terms of the number of people identifying as having disabilities, and particularly children with additional needs. About 209 of those 400 new special classes have already been sanctioned for the 2025-26 school year, beginning in September, so there is every chance that those 400 new special classes will be approved. I know the Minister of State, Deputy Michael Moynihan, is working flat out engaging with all the various stakeholders and the NCSE to make sure every child will have a place next September, along with the Minister, Deputy McEntee. Five new special schools have been established already for the 2025-26 school year in counties Cork, Dublin, where there are two new schools, Monaghan and Tipperary. The NCSE will continue to assess what additional provision is required in local areas and what schools have capacity to accommodate the required provision. We also need to look at legislation. The existing legislation is not strong enough, or certainly should be proactively followed through. Every school should be proactively accepting children with special needs, both at primary and at post primary. Post primary is not as strong as primary at accepting children into schools and that is not good enough. We have a Constitution. Every child is entitled to an education and there should be no question but that schools take in children in their locality, and they should be proactively seeking facilities. Some are doing so, but on the second level side it has been too slow. We are going to examine that again and, in my view, we have work to do. Up to now, the NCSE has been endeavouring to persuade schools and work with them, but I do not think that is enough, given the numbers who are seeking places. Every child should know, certainly by May or April, whether they will have a place for the following September. It is now March, and we still have an opportunity to sort out a lot of cases coming our way that need resolution. Deputy Ó Murchú asked about section 39 workers. That is, I hope, with the Workplace Relations Commission-----
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Yes, a therapy-based service is being worked on. At our meeting, we gave the green light for that and asked the Department of Education to prepare to, we hope, commence it this September, if we can get the Estimates right and so on. It was not provided for in the previous budget because the pilot scheme had been initiated under the auspices of the Departments of Health and children, but that has not worked out. Therefore, I think we are going full on with a school-based therapy service, for special schools in the first instance. Deputy Coppinger raised the referendum and a special school, Danu. She said a new building that is required was expected by September 2024. I will follow that up and come back to the Deputy. Deputy Conway-Walsh raised the issue of a scoliosis patient. It seems, from what she suggested, that an opinion has been given but the patient's parents are seeking a second opinion. Will the Deputy give the details of the case to me? Obviously there should not be an issue with the family being facilitated with a second opinion. In complex cases, consultants may have different perspectives and a child or a family can benefit from a second opinion. If the Deputy sends the details of the case to me, we will follow up on it. Further questions related to access to schools and so forth. Deputy Bacik spoke on that issue.
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We are working to see if we can ensure places for children next September. I agree with Deputy Cian O'Callaghan that nursing homes are not suitable for young people who have a chronic illness or a significant disability. My understanding is that the number had come down in recent times but I will speak to the Minister for Health and the Minister of State with responsibility for nursing homes with a view to seeing what we can do to reduce and eliminate that. I did not fully get what Deputy McGreehan spoke about, the public sector-----
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In terms of its obligations.
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We discussed that last week. The public service must do far better than it is doing. There is no question about that. There must be proactivity within the public service, particularly on the employment front. We are not employing enough people with additional needs in our public service. The Deputy spoke about the means test. We will work on that, with the Minister for Social Protection in particular, but that is a budgetary measure for next September. Deputy O'Sullivan spoke about CAMHS in the south west. It is a very serious issue and we will follow through. I make the point more generally that huge resources are being allocated to these areas. We need to examine how those resources are being deployed, what methods are being used and policies and so on because the growth in health spending has been phenomenal in the past four years. The population has grown and I get that. The level of need has grown; that is without question. We have to be a bit more forensic in looking at the value for money side of it and whether we are using the best mechanisms and methods to help people.
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 24 to 37, inclusive, together. The Cabinet committee on children and education will oversee the implementation of programme for Government commitments in the areas of children and education with a special focus on child poverty and well-being. It will receive detailed reports on identified policy areas, such as child poverty, well-being and education. A separate Cabinet committee on disability has been established. The membership of the Cabinet committee on children and education comprises: the Taoiseach; the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Defence; the Minister for Finance; the Minister for public expenditure; the Minister for children; the Minister for Health; the Minister for Social Protection; the Minister for Education; and the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage. It will meet quarterly and the first meeting of the Cabinet committee on children and education of the new Government will take place soon.
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Which report?
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There were quite a number of contributions there. Deputy Tóibín spoke first on the 70,000 referrals.
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In the first nine months of last year, and he is suggesting it will go to 94,000. That is an extraordinary number. I will have to drill down behind the numbers in terms of context and so on but it is very high. That is a broader societal issue as well and it shows Tusla has an enormous workload, to put it charitably. That is a huge impact. As the Deputy said, they are referred by a variety of professionals in the child welfare and childcare area, teachers, gardaí, probation officers and so on. I do not know whether the foster care association has met with the Minister. I would give consideration to meeting with groups but would prefer if they met Ministers first to see if they can make progress. I am very mindful of the role of foster carers and the need to look after them and encourage more to participate in fostering children in need. I believe that is the most effective mechanism for children in need, on the front line of care or interacting with care agencies. Deputy O'Sullivan raised a special school in Cork. I need the details of that. The most difficult thing for a school is acquiring a site. It is easier said than done. Once you get the site, you can do an awful lot in terms of design. I will talk to the Deputy later, but we have to make efforts. I have seen schools turned around faster in the past.
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That is what I am saying, but again I need to know the details of it. I will certainly see what I can do to progress it. Deputy Ó Murchú asked about school-based and holistic therapies. The initial phase would be special schools and that will take some time. I am hoping we can get it started this year. Mainstream schools will be some time after that, but we will see what we can do. A lot will depend on the estimates, budgets, recruitment and so on. We will have to dramatically increase the number of therapists in our third-level colleges as well. This has to be something that is planned and programmed for the long haul. On the CDNT workforce report, I need to see it published. I do not know where it is right now.
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The Deputy has mentioned it three times already, so I will find out where it is at. Turning to Deputy Bacik, there has been a massive increase in the number of special needs assistants. I will follow through on the issues she has raised in terms of what has been provided. I take Deputy Crowe's point on the census. I have seen this issue before in terms of how transience in rental accommodation can affect the demographic going into any school and it may not often be appreciated by the criteria. Let us be honest, the previous Minister increased DEIS hugely. You always have to target resources. If you get above a threshold then you are not targeting properly. The DEIS-plus will help us with some of the most difficult ones. There is an issue where some schools get designated and others in close proximity do not, but there are special issues the Deputy has mentioned that should be factored in like Ukraine, war or whatever. Deputy Dempsey mentioned acute and urgent issues in terms of early intervention, CDNT issues and the need for increased funding. I acknowledge all the difficulties she outlined. They are true and we have significant issues there. I will follow up Deputy Conway-Walsh's question about specific training at junior certificate level.
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Yes, and schools’ allocations. I will pursue Deputy Ardagh's question with the Minister seeing as she made a compelling case. If there is no second-level coeducational non-denominational school in Dublin 8, there should be. As she said, there is now a primary school so there is a feeder school for such a school. We should try to progress that. It is no different to Deputy O'Sullivan's point in that you need a site and some plan for it, or for some existing school to change over to a coeducational, non-denominational school. Deputy O'Rourke asked about the school completion programme and the lack of referral pathways. I would like if that were wholly brought back within education. I pushed for that policy at the start of the previous Government. I established the embryonic form of school completion almost 20 years ago. It would be better if the entirety of that programme were in the Department of Education so all those issues can be dealt with. Deputy Brabazon's issue was about prefabs. Some of my most enjoyable years were in prefabs, but I do not know whether that was good or bad for my education. The Deputy's point is well made, however. It is frustrating for a new school building with plans for a sensory garden for prefabs to suddenly land. That is not what it is about. Prefabs are not meant to be long-term or short-term solutions anymore. If the Deputy brings the case to me, I will see if we can get some movement on it. Deputy McGreehan raised the issue of childcare provision staff struggling. We have increased spending enormously in this area. The smaller providers are saying they have suffered a bit, particularly with the fees freeze and then the pressures on them in conforming. I will ask the Minister to engage with her on that specific issue. I take her point that some are saying they are cutting staff and cutting costs. I could not agree more with Deputy John Connolly that teachers are in many cases advocates for well-being and wellness. He has experience of that. The programme for Government commits to the reduction of the pupil-teacher ratio. It is to be hoped we can pursue that, as we have done in recent years. It is now at historically low levels. We will continue to try to do that, because that will give great opportunities for teachers to engage with pupils specifically on the issues of wellness and the well-being of each individual pupil within the classroom.
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