I thank the Deputy for raising the issue and providing me with the opportunity to address it on behalf of the Minister of State, Deputy John Cummins. The current mandatory retirement age of firefighters is 62, which was raised from 58 in 2024. It is the same for all uniformed services, including the Irish Prison Service, An Garda Síochána and the Defence Forces. A firefighter may retire upon attaining the minimum age of 55 years. If a firefighter wishes to serve beyond that age, the fire authority that employs them must satisfy themselves as to their medical fitness, having undergone the appropriate medical assessment. The firefighter may continue to serve while undergoing annual fitness tests but must retire on or before turning 62. In 2024, the Courts, Civil Law, Criminal Law and Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act amended the law in relation to the age at which certain public servants were required to retire. Part 11 of the Act provided that the then Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform could make orders enabling line Ministers - justice, defence and housing - to make regulations regarding the retirement age of uniformed services. Regulations were made in August 2024, with the consent of then Minister for public expenditure, raising the mandatory retirement age to 62. The provision of fire services in a local authority's functional area, including the establishment and maintenance of a fire brigade, the assessment of fire cover needed and the provision of fire station premises, is a statutory function of individual fire authorities under the Fire Services Acts 1981 and 2003. The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage supports fire authorities through setting general policy, providing a central training programme, issuing guidance on operational and other related matters, and providing capital funding support for equipment and priority infrastructural projects. Engagement with staff-side associations, including on the mandatory retirement age and medical assessments, is a matter for each local authority as employer. The Local Government Management Agency, LGMA, will act on the local authority's behalf in industrial relations matters in the normal way. Following a Workplace Relations Commission, WRC, agreement with retained firefighters in September 2023, approximately 630 new recruits have entered service as fire authorities implement the mandated minimum crew number of 12 in each fire station. This is in support of the revised model of service provision rostering week on, week flexibility and four weeks paid annual leave. I note that the recently enacted but not yet commenced Employment (Contractual Retirement Ages) Act 2025 does not apply to an employee whose employment is subject to the maximum retirement age required by law, at which the employee is obliged to retire or be retired. Therefore, this Act excludes firefighters and other uniformed services. Given that this matter was addressed less than two years ago in consultation with staff representative bodies, the Department of housing has no plans to revisit this.

Sentiment score: 0.11

I agree with the sentiment and point she has raised. I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister of State with responsibility for local government, whose remit it is to engage with local authorities as those acting as employers for firefighters. In other uniformed services, a request is sometimes made to, for example, the Garda Commissioner as regards gardaí who want to work for an extended period above the normal retirement age. I feel that this is something that could be looked at for the firefighters. It could be utilised, reflecting on the level of knowledge, skill and expertise many firefighters have and the need to hold that in their respective fire stations so as to train those who are new entrants or need years to build up that capacity. Notwithstanding that, the fire services had a significant campaign just two years ago. The issues at that time were very much focused on recruitment. There is an opportunity for further engagement on the extension of the retirement age that the Deputy is appealing for. How that can be supported, along with the adequate resourcing, is something that local authorities need to continue to review, ensuring that we have essential services delivered by firefighters, we have the infrastructure, training and equipment they need, and we have continuous investment into the sector. I will certainly take all of this back to the Minister of State, Deputy Cummins, and I will ensure that the Deputy gets the relevant information following the discussion here today.

Sentiment score: 0.32

I would like to thank Deputy O'Connell for providing a debate on this important Topical Issue. I welcome the opportunity to outline the position on behalf of the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport. As the Deputy has outlined, the national broadband plan, NBP, is the Government’s initiative to deliver high-speed broadband to every household, business and farm in Ireland, ensuring all premises in the country are covered by a gigabit network no later than 2028. It is the largest infrastructural project in rural Ireland since rural electrification, spanning 96% of Ireland's landmass. The NBP is delivering high-speed broadband to over 1.1 million people in more than 23% of premises in the State. This includes over 64,410 farms, 26,350 non-farm businesses, 693 schools and 27 islands and it is fast transforming those communities. As one of the largest public investments in the State’s history, the national broadband plan is designed to address market failure, ensuring universal high-speed connectivity and supporting balanced economic growth, competitiveness and social inclusion across all regions. We are delivering strong progress on these challenging targets. Deployment momentum is strong and the main infrastructure build is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2026, bringing the project in ahead of schedule and running under budget. In addition, commercial deployments have also advanced strongly, with the latest figures released from the regulator showing that 90% of premises now have access to gigabit connectivity, which is a significant increase of 32% since 2020. As part of the roll-out, the Government identified a need to deliver broadband services where commercial operators would not operate. National Broadband Ireland was appointed to deliver the wholesale broadband service to those parts of the country located in the intervention areas. Already, over 1.5 million homes have been passed across the State, and this will complement the Government's priority around the digital connectivity strategy, ensuring Ireland has a multitude of connectivity in regard to fixed-line operators while also delivering the plan for high-speed broadband services in the non-intervention areas. Actually, I want to correct that. In support of the national broadband plan, Eir has already passed over 1.5 million homes across the State. SIRO has reached a milestone of having passed over 700,000 premises for full broadband. Virgin Media has advised the Department that it has upgraded its services to over 700,000 premises with full broadband. The Department is continuing to monitor upgrades by commercial operators to ensure that any unnecessary barriers to the availability of high-speed fibre broadband are addressed and the risk of any gigabit service-challenged areas is managed. Information gathering and detailed analysis is ongoing with the operators and it is understood that a full-scale risk assessment will ensure that any potential gigabit challenges are addressed. These data will complement the initial analysis already conducted by the Department. The Department is working closely with the commercial operators in reviewing all of the scenarios that the Deputy has raised in regards to direct buried leads. Analysis by the Department will continue to provide avenues to address and optimise policy in regard to other areas where black spots need connections.

Sentiment score: 0.25

Regarding the Deputy's constituents and residents who have raised concerns with her, and anyone living in non-intervention areas or areas that are served by commercial operators - the likes of Open Eir, SIRO and Virgin Media - if they cannot get access to greater than 30 Mbps of broadband service after contacting their retail service providers, they should raise queries with the Department through its website under "Contact Us". There is a section within the national broadband plan. It is important that we escalate this issue to commercial operators. It is important that people have a service, that issues be investigated and that their services be upgraded to meet their level of need. Indeed, the Commission for Communications Regulation provides an online broadband checker on its website. This shows availability, allowing people, especially those with an eircode, to check. We want to ensure that the information checker reflects the lived reality in the network operator areas. If you cannot work from home because you do not have adequate connectivity, that is a problem and something we want to fix. We want to work with private operators to do that. We want to hold them to account, especially those that are currently providing services, and ensure that they are upgrading those services. We are working on measures to make the process of accessing existing infrastructure easier, ensuring that new housing developments are designed and facilitated with telecommunications connectivity to address any potential gigabit service challenges. We need to continue to hold private operators to account in regard to their current licences. The Minister, Deputy O'Donovan, and I will work with the Deputy on the specific black spot areas she has raised here today.

Sentiment score: 0.17

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Naughton, regarding the provision of sports facilities at the Carrigtwohill school campus in east Cork. Indeed, it is not the first time Deputy O'Connor has raised this matter in the Dáil. The Minister, Deputy Naughton, is aware of this issue and she recently met with Scoil Mhuire Naofa and local representatives on the matter. I am sure the Deputy is aware of that. As the Deputy said, the Carrigtwohill school campus project is the largest single school building project ever undertaken by the Department, to serve some 2,400 pupils. The project was completed in Q4 of 2023 under the Department’s design and build programme. It includes two 24-classroom primary schools for Carrigtwohill Community National School and Scoil Mhuire Naofa and accommodation, including 14 classrooms across the three projects, for children with special education needs. The project also delivered three general purpose areas, a PE hall in the post-primary school and 13 ball courts in total. The schools on the campus have sought to use a green area, which forms part of the site, for recreation purposes. As someone with a sporting background, I can see how important the provision of green playing areas is for school activities and to ensure children get the best experience at the earliest stage possible. Being a keen sporting supporter, the Deputy will really work with the local public representatives but also with the Department in trying to formulate a solution to the problem. As the Deputy outlined, the area in question is not suitable for use as a formal playing pitch, as it is required as an attenuation basin for flood management. However, the Department is pleased to support the schools' access to the green area as an informal recreation space. Planning permission was granted by Cork County Council for an entrance and access way to this green area, as a stand-alone planning application. The scope of works and associated costs to provide the entrance and access way has recently been reviewed by the Department. The Department's programme manager has been requested to carry out a further due diligence review to establish a more cost-effective option to deliver the access way to the green area south of the campus buildings. Once received, Department officials will further review the proposed scope of work and costs, along with the programme timeline for completion of the access and entrance way to the southern green area. Department officials will update the schools and patron bodies upon completion of that review. In addition, the Department has agreed that the area of 1.9 acres to the north of the campus in the Department's ownership, to which the Deputy referred, can be used as a recreation area by the schools on a licence basis. Officials from the Department are in contact with the relevant stakeholders to progress this. Should the land be required to support school place expansion in the future, its use as a recreation area will cease. The Department of Education and Youth has had positive and productive engagement with the three schools and their patrons throughout all stages of this project and will continue to support the schools on the new school campus.

Sentiment score: 0.24

I thank the Deputy. It is positive to give some good news when we are taking Topical Issues. This is important for the 2,400 pupils attending the school without access to green space. It is positive that they have identified and agreed the availability of the green areas both the 1.9 acres to the north and the attenuation area to the south that will become now an informal recreation area. To the Deputy's point, it is important that the lease agreements are agreed, that the licences are put in place and he can work with the schools patronage and management on any sports capital projects that might accelerate the development of these playing pitches and, indeed, future-proof the campus at Carrigtwohill for the students and the staff and ensure further enhancement of the external playing space available on the campus. It is really important that nothing is delayed. The steps agreed to date need to be worked through in the period ahead, and things put in place in the summer period leading into the next academic year, because without certainty people build up frustration and anxiety. Deputy O'Connor has worked very collaboratively with the patron, the Department of education and school management. The overall community will benefit from this. It is an investment in the community and not only in the campus itself. Having additional playing pitches and space for an area that has seen a rapid increase in population is very beneficial. I thank Deputy O'Connor for his work on this.

Sentiment score: 0.36

I thank Deputy Byrne for continuing his advocacy in regard to the delivery of the Courtown Coast Guard station. I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister of State, Deputy Canney. The Courtown Coast Guard unit provides an important and valued service along a busy section of coastline, supporting maritime safety and search and rescue operations in the area. The unit is staffed by a dedicated group of volunteers who continue to deliver a coastal response and unmanned aerial system capability. Their contribution to the local community and maritime users is widely recognised. The Courtown unit operates from a parish-owned premises under a license agreement. This facility provides suitable welfare for operational accommodation and support, supporting the unit effectively in carrying out its duties. It represents a practical and functional solution which ensures continuity of service. The Irish Coast Guard building strategy, developed by the Department of Transport in collaboration with the Office of Public Works, was launched by the Minister of State, Deputy Canney, in November 2025. This provides a structured and consistent framework for the delivery of Coast Guard infrastructure nationally. The strategy sets out a clear approach to ensuring that all Coast Guard units operate from a safe, modern and fit-for-purpose facility, while also ensuring the public investment is managed in a responsible and proportional manner. Progress continues to be made across the wider Coast Guard building programme. A new Coast Guard station was delivered in Westport and officially opened by the Minister of State, Deputy Canney, earlier this year, while construction of the new facility at Greystones has commenced and is on track for substantial completion in early 2027. A number of additional projects are also progressing nationally and are at various stages, including feasibility, site identification, design and delivery. In the case of Courtown, the current premises aligns with the strategic approach set out in the building strategy. The facility is meeting operational requirements and providing sustainable suitable accommodation for volunteers. In this context it is appropriate that consideration be given to whether the existing premises can be secured but also enhanced on a longer-term basis rather than proceeding immediately to a more capital-intensive solution. The objective remains, which is to ensure that any solution delivered is sustainable, supports operational need and represents value for money for the Exchequer. This requires a balanced and evidence-based approach, taking account of local circumstances, available options and the wider Coast Guard infrastructure programme.

Sentiment score: 0.35

I agree with the sentiment of the challenges the Deputy has outlined with regard to progressing this important critical infrastructure for the community in Courtown and the volunteers who go above and beyond every day. I will take that back to the Minister of State, Deputy Canney, and his officials in the Department to further engage with the OPW with regard to the realisation of the existing premises. They can continue to future proof the needs of the local community. I will mention what the Deputy has referenced with regard to intensive engagement with the local community on its needs and the focus of progressing a sustainable solution into the long term that continues to meet the operational requirements and needs of the locality and complies with the current Coast Guard building strategy. That needs to be reflected on an individual basis. I know the response I have been provided with today does not meet the needs of the people the Deputy represents, and the area that requires investment in its critical infrastructure. I will relay that back to the Minister of State.

Sentiment score: 0.15