School Meals Programme
7. Deputy Eoin Hayes asked the Minister for Social Protection his views on the progress of the hot school meals programme funded by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15584/26]
First, I want to state my unequivocal support for the hot school meals programme. It is a really important programme. I am glad the Minister is doing it and the Department is funding it. The Minister said on RTÉ Radio 1 last week that a third of school meals were not meeting basic nutritional standards, according to the initial assessment carried out by a dietitian appointed by the Minister's Department. Can the Minister confirm whether his Department is worried that once more thorough assessments, including site visits are completed, the figures of compliance may be dramatically below expectations and when those more comprehensive assessment results will be made available?
I thank the Deputy. I have to say that when I was appointed Minister for Social Protection, I did not think a lot of my time would be spent on school meals. It is one of the most popular programmes and most debated in the House. That is a good thing and we want to get it right.
In 2019, there were 37 schools and 6,600 children who were eligible for hot school meals. Today, all 3,200 primary schools and 550,000 children are eligible for hot school meals. There are 3,700 schools around the country which are eligible for the full supports; meaning 3.4 million school meals per week, delivered by more than 300 suppliers, including community-based suppliers. Deputy O’Reilly has championed the role of meals on wheels. Overall, I welcome the Deputy’s support for the success of the programme but we have more to do and we will continue to strive for improvements.
The budget for any hot school meals programme this year is €289 million. To assist in improving the programme, my Department has established an inter-departmental working group, including the Department of Health, the Department of Education and Youth, the Food Safety Authority and the Department of children, to oversee and make recommendations. Last year, I instructed suppliers to remove fats that are high in saturated fat, sugar and salt. Previously they had been permitted once a week and only when chosen by parents. We have also seconded a CORU-registered dietitian, funded by my Department, for the school meals programme. She is under the clinical supervision of the Department of Health and is undertaking an in-depth review of school meals supplier menus and their compliance to nutritional standards. We also last year launched the summer holiday hunger initiative, which supported 42,000 children. I am very focused on the nutritional standards of the hot school meals. There are 16 different standards and we will get a chance to discuss the full details of those during supplementary questions.
I thank the Minister. Some clarity on those guidelines and standards would be very helpful. The Minister mentioned he instructed suppliers to assess certain nutritional values in the meals. This is one of my supplementary questions. The scheme is funded and being evaluated by the Department but my understanding is the contracts are being organised by the schools with the relevant suppliers. What is the role of the Department in the contracting arrangements, for example, if somebody is not living up to the contractual obligations? Does that come to the school or is it something the Department has a role in? What other instructions is the Department able to give? Reliance on private companies more generally can yield benefits in some ways and disadvantages in others. It would be helpful to understand whether there are any plans on how to change that arrangement and get better value for money, better nutritional standards and on the way the Department would like to pursue this.
The dietician has been working since September and she has completed an in-depth review of school meal supplier menus and their compliance with nutritional standards. The nutritional standards have been in place since 2019, since the inception of the programme. They were developed by the Irish Nutrition and Dietetic Institute, the HSE, Safefood and the Food Safety Authority of Ireland. There are 16 standards in total - 13 relating to food and three relating to drinks. The interim report is based effectively on desktop, so we are now beginning, with colleagues from the Department of Social Protection, the process of getting into schools and looking at what is being delivered. The main findings of that interim report, which were based predominantly on looking at menus, is that at least 66% met at least three of the five standards looked at in the initial look. Some 80% contained adequate carbohydrates that did not include foods high in fat, salt and sugar. One of the issues is around fruit and vegetables and how available they are. That was very hard to decipher from the menu. We will have the full report by the summer and I look forward to discussing it.
In regard to our role as a Department, we are also developing an inspection tool. We are getting into schools. We did 400 school inspections last year and another 100 desktop inspections.
In the next supplementary reply, I ask for some clarity on contracts and the Department's involvement in contracting with the schools. I note that 400 school meals were evaluated and a third of them did not meet the basic nutritional standards. Somebody told me that they did not meet three of the five guidelines. Will the Minister give a sense of how many met all five of the guidelines that were assessed? He mentioned there were 16 guidelines overall. What is the plan to assess those future guidelines? There are 11 more guidelines to go. Is it possible that nobody is meeting all the standards that the Department has set? How will that be evaluated by the dietitian and by the Department?
I thank the Minister for acknowledging my interest in this, and particularly in the role of meals on wheels, which is in the community, already delivering healthy, nutritious meals to people. I would differ with Deputy Hayes. I do not believe there are benefits to being reliant on the private sector. I think that is a backwards step but we are all different in our own lovely ways. Has the Minister had any formal engagement with the national meals on wheels organisation and if he has not, will he have that formal engagement to see how prepared it is to take on the work? My information, having engaged with it, is that there are plenty who will. There would be a tie-in with community employment schemes and other schemes to support this. I wanted to briefly mention portion sizes. We have talked about this before. It is beyond ridiculous that people in junior infants get the same as those who are in sixth class. The requirements of the kids are vastly different. I hope that is being looked at.
I assure Deputy Hayes that the nutrition side is being closely monitored. Coming back to the overall discussion about suppliers, my preference is for local suppliers. That could be meals on wheels. Deputy O'Shea is with us. The Duhallow community food project is also a very good model. It is locally produced. This day last week, I was in St. Munchin's Community Centre in Limerick, where they do extraordinary work. We saw the food being prepared there. I do not mind whether it is private or public. I think it should be local and, most importantly, nutritious. With our dietitian, we are developing a tool to allow us to do more audits, to actually get into schools and to see what is being served, because what is on a menu may be different from what is being served.
The contract is with the school, which does the contract with companies. I pay tribute to the Department of education and the school meals unit of my own Department. They work incredibly hard and give guidance and support. The contractual relationship is between the school and the supplier, which is important. I make the point to Deputy O'Reilly that I hope, once we finalise the report of our dietitian, to engage with organisations based on having her report and analysis of the potential. As I said, I am open to anything as long as it provides nutrition, but my personal preference is for local.
Social Welfare Schemes
8. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of individuals currently in receipt of jobseeker's allowance and jobseeker's benefit in Cork and Limerick, with particular focus on Intreo areas such as Mallow, Newmarket, Macroom and Kilmallock; the most recent trends in these figures over the past 12 months; the supports and activation measures in place locally, such as training, employment services and community programmes, to promote sustained employment in these areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14225/26]
I ask the Minister about the number of individuals currently receiving jobseeker's allowance and jobseeker's benefit in Cork and Limerick, with a particular focus on my area of Cork North-West, in Mallow, Macroom, Newmarket and Kilmallock, and, most importantly, the recent trends of these figures over the last 12 months. What are the supports and activation measures in place locally such as training, employment services, and community programmes to promote sustainable employment in the area? Will the Minister make a statement on the matter?
I thank Deputy O'Shea for his question. The total number of recipients of jobseeker's payments has remained generally steady over the last 12 months in both Cork and Limerick. In Cork, it varied between 11,700 and 13,700 over the year, while in Limerick, it varied between 5,200 and 6,000. At the end of January 2026, in Cork, there were approximately 12,100 recipients of jobseeker's payments. Figures were broadly the same in January 2025, with around 12,100 recipients. In Limerick, there were 5,800 recipients of jobseeker's payments in January 2026. In January 2025, there were 5,300 recipients of jobseeker's payments.
Regarding the specific areas the Deputy mentioned, the CSO publishes breakdowns of the live register by office each month. In January 2026, there were approximately 2,700 people on the live register in the Mallow, Newmarket, Macroom, and Kilmallock areas. This is comparable to 2025, when there were also 2,700 people on the live register. I will arrange for detailed tables of recipient and live register numbers to be sent to the Deputy.
The public employment service, Intreo's employer relations team, offers a wide range of locally based services to assist employers, including engaging directly to assist with recruitment activities, and by hosting local recruitment events that connect employers to jobseekers through a mix of in-person events and online webinars. During 2025, Intreo employer relations hosted 12 recruitment events and careers fairs in Charleville, Mallow, Millstreet and Fermoy, at which there were a wide range of supports on offer in further education, training, upskilling, work placements, programmes such as the work placement experience programme, community employment and Tús, to support people to obtain or retain employment.
I thank the Minister for those figures. They are partly along the lines that I thought there were, consistently around the 2,700 mark between all the areas. The challenge for us as a Government is to try to get those people back into the workforce and working with the activation officers. It will be important to see if we can work on those. The challenge that I see and the trend is that many young people end up in unemployment now. I hate to see that. I would like to see them getting involved in work placement programmes, further education and training, employment services, or community employment programmes such as Tús. Community employment is very important indeed. I thank those who work in the Intreo offices, trying to engage with people on jobseeker's benefit and jobseeker's allowance to try to get them back into the workforce. It is important and we need to continue those good efforts.
I thank the Deputy and join him in acknowledging the superb work being done by our Intreo teams across the country. We will have work and skills events around the country next week. I encourage every Deputy to help to promote those events and to attend the events to see how they work. We are more than happy to show them. We have already had a good discussion this morning about youth employment and the work we are doing with Intreo, and the tailored, individualised employment support that Intreo provides. As the Deputy knows, with the youth guarantee of the European Union, we are pledging to provide a good quality offer of employment, education or training to those under 30 within four months of them becoming unemployed. We are focused on delivering that. We are focused on identifying appropriate training opportunities for young people.
I thank the Deputy and Senator Anne Rabbitte for their engagement with me around redesigning community employment, Tús and the rural social scheme, RSS, to ensure that they offer opportunities to people. As I said earlier, we are currently finalising a new draft of pathways to work. That will look at all the labour market challenges we face, because our biggest enemy is complacency, and we must ensure that our labour market and supports are relevant to the conditions in the market today.
I thank the Minister for his continued engagement on this matter. We all need to tackle youth unemployment quickly. It is good to see that, after four months of being on jobseeker's payments, there are significant activation measures from Intreo offices to assist those young people to try to get back to work. I am sure all the Deputies in the House are contacted through their offices or social media about advertising jobs available in the local area. There are plenty of jobs, but we need to work with Intreo staff and employers in the area to make sure that we get as many people back into the work force as possible.
While the Minister is here, I want to mention the southern branch managers association executive being in contact with me about the Intreo offices run privately. I believe they have been in contact with the Minister's office about support for a pay agreement that he and his Department are working on. I encourage him to work with them to try to get that pay agreement over the line. Intreo offices are important to all of us, not just today but in the future too.
We will continue to work on activation. I am focused on targeted activation. It is important that we give people the opportunity to remain connected and qualified for the labour market.
It is something I am very focused on doing, and I thank our Intreo colleagues. In relation to the branch office managers, as the Deputy knows, we have 55 social welfare branch offices at various locations, including 24 in the southern region, 11 in the northern region, 17 in the midlands and west region and three in the eastern region. We have received correspondence, and we are engaging with the branch manager representative groups in relation to a review of their remuneration arrangements. My officials are engaging around that. We will be engaging with the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and we will have further engagement with the Branch Managers Association in relation to those outcomes. Quite a number of Deputies have been in touch with me in recent days about this. We are very focused on it. I very much appreciate the fantastic work they do.
Social Welfare Payments
9. Deputy Séamus McGrath asked the Minister for Social Protection to increase the living alone allowance in recognition of the significantly lower income available to qualifying single householders relative to couples. [15159/26]
I ask the Minister to increase the living alone allowance in recognition of the significantly lower income available to qualifying single income householders relative to couples. It is widely acknowledged that the household costs and cost-of-living challenges for people living alone are quite significant. When we compare a couple, for example, versus a single income household, there is quite a significant difference. The living alone allowance is designed to bridge that gap but, unfortunately, it does not go anywhere near enough. I ask the Minister to please consider this increase in the upcoming budget.
I thank Deputy McGrath for raising this issue. As he knows, the primary weekly social welfare payments are intended to enable recipients to meet basic day-to-day income needs. In addition to those primary payments, we also provide a range of other payments that are considered secondary in nature. The living alone allowance is one of those secondary payments. It is not a scheme or stand-alone payment but rather a supplement to certain primary social protection payments for those who are in receipt of those payments and who are living alone.
The current rate of living alone allowance is €22 per week. It has increased by over 144% since 2019, when it was just €9 per week. The majority of the recipients of the living alone allowance are those who are over 66 and who are getting a pension from our Department. The living alone allowance is also available to those who are under 66 who live alone and who are getting disability allowance, the invalidity pension, the incapacity supplement or the blind pension. The rate of primary and secondary payments to pensioners, and their adequacy, are considered in the context of the annual budgetary process.
In doing so, the Government considers evidence from a wide range of sources, including agencies such as the Central Statistics Office, CSO, and also research submitted by advocacy groups around this. The data shows the cost of living for a single person is more than the individualised cost of two people living together, as the Deputy said. For this reason, the living alone allowance is available to those in receipt of qualifying payments. Any future changes to the rate of payment for the living alone allowance would have to be considered in the overall budgetary context. We are not yet in budgetary season but, certainly, it is an area that many Deputies, including Deputy McGrath, have raised with me. However, it will have to be looked at in the context of the overall budgetary envelope that is available to us in 2027.
I accept we are very early in terms of the budgetary cycle. I did raise this issue with the Minister last year. I appreciate he is under significant pressure in terms of what he can prioritise with the resources available to him. Again, however, I would strongly argue that this receives strong consideration and that is why I am flagging it at this early stage.
A couple who are both on the contributory pension have approximately €600 per week in basic payments or, indeed, a contributory pension plus qualified adult is up to €500. However, for someone on disability allowance living alone, his or her basic payment is €254. The household costs for that individual are very similar. Many household costs are unrelated to the number of people living there, for example, local property tax, house insurance and rent or mortgage payments. Indeed, many utility bills have flat rates, so they are not really dependent on usage to a great extent. The living alone allowance is designed to bridge that gap but I would strongly argue that it needs to increase. I welcome the increases over recent years to €22 but the gulf is far greater, and it really does need to be increased in the upcoming budget.
We are certainly conscious from our day-to-day experience with our own families, but also from our constituencies, that the cost and the cliff for those living alone, particularly those who have suffered bereavement or separation, is particularly tight. We are very conscious of that. That is why there has been such a big increase in it since 2019. I also want to ensure that people are aware there are other supports available that they may not be aware of in terms of the household benefits package and the fuel allowance, which we increased in budget 2026. A person who is in receipt of a pension and who qualifies for the living alone and fuel allowances also receives the telephone support, which is an extra €2.50 per week. We look again at the costs on a 2026 basis ahead of budget 2027. We have shown cause over the past number of years, and it will be looked at in the context of the budgetary allocation for 2027.
As I outlined earlier, the difference between a couple, for example, on social welfare and an individual can be over €300 of a difference per week. That is very significant. When we look at the advocacy groups, such as Alone, which is advocating on behalf of older people, they indicate that over 100,000 people are potentially in poverty. The vast majority of those would be individuals living alone. Again, the living alone allowance is designed to help support those. I welcome it but, again, I am reiterating the point that it does need to be increased. On any objective analysis, €22 is not sufficient to make up that difference. As I said, many of the household costs are not related to the number of people in the property. As a constituency TD, similar to the Minister, many of the requests we get are from people living alone in terms of the difficulties they face in meeting daily costs and running a household. I appreciate the Minister's response. Again, I would urge him to strongly consider this at an early stage.
I will certainly take on board the Deputy's request. He is definitely in early but there were other Deputies even in ahead of him this morning for budget 2027 priorities.
I will point out in the context of budget 2026, however, that €12 billion has been allocated for pension payments. Many people who are living alone are predominantly pensioners. That €12 billion is an increase of just over €700 million from the 2025 Revised Estimates. The investment in pensions, as we discussed at committee yesterday, is nearly 42% of the Department’s overall allocation. In terms of the choices we had to make, this year we went for a weekly increase in the overall pension rate and across all the weekly welfare payment rates. We increased the fuel allowance in the context of energy costs and the weekly rate of the fuel allowance. We also expanded the fuel allowance this year for the first time to working families. As I said, that kicks in from this week. We have made the changes. It is very focused on targeted areas. I hear the Deputy, however, and I hear him in the context of budget 2027. Perhaps he might have a good chat with our colleague, the Minister for public expenditure, in relation to that too.
Question No. 10 taken with Written Answers.
11. Deputy Noel McCarthy asked the Minister for Social Protection his Department’s plans to introduce a cost-of-disability payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15527/26]
I am talking this question on behalf on Deputy McCarthy. I remind the Minister that Deputy McGrath was always first in in the budget process in Cork County Council when he sat on it with me over the past number of years. It is good to see things have not changed since then. I want to ask the Minister, and it is a very timely question on behalf of Deputy McCarthy, about his plans to introduce a cost-of-disability payment and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I thank the Deputy. The Government recognises the significant additional costs that disabled people are facing in their daily lives. We are committed to improving outcomes for disabled people by reducing more permanent measures. The programme for Government includes a range of commitments to support disabled people, including a commitment to introducing a permanent annual cost-of-disability support payment. In addition, under the National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People 2025-2030, which was developed with significant input from disability groups and advocates, it was agreed to establish a strategic focus network summit on the cost of disability. While this is led by my Department, it includes other Government Departments in what is a cross-government endeavour, as well as disabled people, their families, carers and advocates. I have asked my officials to prioritise this work. Subsequently, I launched a public consultation process on how a cost-of-disability payment can best be delivered. We launched it last Friday, and it will run until 7 April. As I said earlier to Deputy Hayes, I encourage maximum participation in this project across the House. I encourage any interested parties to visit gov.ie/cod, where they will find guidance on how to engage with the consultation in whatever format best suits them. We have already received some 80 submissions.
Following on from that consultation, on 13 May, I will chair a cost-of-disability strategic focus network summit. The summit will provide a space for key stakeholders, such as disabled persons organisations and officials from across government, among others, to input into the design of a new cost-of-disability payment.
It will provide a space for key stakeholders to identify ways that Departments and Government agencies can make changes to lower the cost of disability in the future. This whole-of-government approach is important - as we discussed earlier with Deputies Roche and Hayes - particularly as we know that addressing these costs is not simply a matter of providing income supports; we must also improve the delivery of and access to key services. Other supports continue to be available from and provided by my Department.
It is great that, as of today, more than 80 submissions have already been made. I join the Minister in encouraging people with disabilities, their families, carers, representative organisations and all interested stakeholders to take part in the newly launched public consultation process relating to the cost of disability.
The programme for Government includes a commitment to introduce a permanent-cost-of-disability support payment recognising the significant additional costs that many disabled people face in their daily lives. The consultation seeks views on how this new payment should be designed and delivered. The consultation provides a very important opportunity for disabled people and their families to shape a payment that is intended to directly address the real and ongoing additional costs associated with disabilities. These include costs relating to transport, healthcare, education, communication, assistive technologies and high household expenses. I encourage the Minister and all in this House to publicise this consultation as broadly as possible in order that we can get as many people as possible provide feedback.
I want the consultation to be as broad as possible. As I outlined to Deputy Hayes earlier, we met the disability consultative forum in my Department yesterday around the consultation. We are open to further suggestions as to how to make it more accessible and to make people engage with it more. There is a guidance document to provoke discussion. We are open to people’s ideas in relation to this matter. We had some good feedback yesterday on what it should look like and on administration issues and assessment. We want to ensure that we have a proposal that is ready and that is shared as much as it can be. That is why we have the process. We will also have the consultative forum. As I stated yesterday, we will be inviting the Deputy, as Chair of the committee on social protection, and the Chair of the disability committee to the forum on 30 May. I will also be inviting spokespersons from the other parties to attend. It is important that what happens on that day will not constitute a box-ticking exercise. We are open to ideas on what form the day should take in order to make it an effective use of people’s time.
I very much welcome that this consultation will inform the agenda of the strategic focus network summit on the cost of disability, which will take place in May and which the Minister will chair. I look forward to attending as Chair of the joint committee on social protection.
The Minister said that every support will be given in the interim to people with disabilities in terms of any immediate payments that are required. People with disabilities need to contact their local Intreo offices to make sure that any supports available through them would be made available in that time. On my behalf and on that of Deputy Noel McCarthy, for whom I am taking this question, and as Chair of the joint committee on social protection, I strongly encourage everyone with lived experience as well as organisations working in the sector to get involved in this process. We all welcome that the cost-of-disability payment will be introduced in line with the programme for Government commitment in 2027.
We have spoken extensively about the process this morning. I hope people engage with it. The Deputy is right that there are additional supports available through the community welfare system.
Separately, I will be hosting a briefing next Wednesday in the audio visual room with community welfare officers to outline the supports available from our section. They will also be available in the coffee dock in Leinster House 2000 to meet Deputies who cannot make it to the audiovisual room. There has been a lot of feedback from Deputies on the community welfare system, its availability and what is involved. I would appreciate it if Deputies, Senators or members of their teams could engage with that process on the day so we can get that feedback on a structured basis. All of us will have feedback. We want to get as good a range of experience from around the country. With the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach’s forbearance, I will put a plug in for this event. It is important in relation to this issue and also many others in my Department as well.
School Meals Programme
12. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Social Protection for an update on his efforts to analyse and improve the quality of food available through the hot school meals scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14764/26]
Sinn Féin and I strongly support the hot school meals programme. Anyone who has any doubts about it should speak to the principals of DEIS or DEIS plus schools. Incredibly compelling evidence was presented at a recent meeting of the education committee. The scheme is not perfect. One of the areas in respect of which there are concerns is food quality. What is the Minister doing to analyse and improve that?
We had a very extensive discussion on this earlier. I commend the education committee on the work it has done in respect of this matter. That work has been very considered and well thought out, and I look forward to the committee's report.
As the Deputy said, the objective is to provide regular, nutritious food to children to support them in taking full advantage of their education. The programme is an important component to encourage school attendance, extra educational achievement and participation in school.
Under the school meals programme, the primary relationship is between the school and supplier. My Department provides the funding for the meals directly to the school and it is the responsibility of each school board to administer the programme in their school, including handling the procurement process. I thank the school communities around the country that have made this happen in their schools. I recognise the extra pressure it puts on them. The schools procurement unit under the Department of education provides guidance to schools for all procurements including the school meals programme.
Clear nutritional standards have been in place for the school meals programme since its inception. A specific standard was set for school meals under the nutritional standards for school meals and nutritional standards for hot school meals. A technical nutrition subgroup comprising dietitians from the following organisations was involved in developing these standards: the Irish Nutrition and Dietetic Institute of Ireland; the HSE; Safefood; and the Food Safety Authority of Ireland. These standards are publicly available on the gov.ie website.
As we previously discussed, school meal suppliers were instructed to remove food that is high in saturated fat, sugar, and salt from September 2025.
My Department has seconded a CORU-registered dietician for the school meals programme who is under the clinical supervision of the Department of Health. One of her first tasks was an in-depth review of school meal supplier menus and their compliance with the nutritional standards. That review is ongoing, and I hope to have s full report before the beginning of the summer.
I am very focused on the school meals programme, that it offers the best nutrition. I absolutely agree with the Deputy on its importance. I reiterate that for many children it may be their only hot meal of the day.
I agree 100% with the Minister's final point. I want to focus specifically on the issue of quality. The Minister stated that on the basis of the initial desktop analysis, 66% of meals met 60% of the standard. That is not good by any measure. If you were to give it a grade that is probably a C or below. It is of concern because there is a huge public spend on this. I have heard how the Minister will analyse this. How will he influence this and ensure quality? He stated that in the context of fatty and sugary content, he issued instructions and there was 80% compliance. How will he ensure that when we have this analysis, he actually influences what is happening on the ground?
By funding and appointing a dietician rather than listening to all sorts of opinions, we will obtain an informed opinion. The dietician’s first job was to look at a paper-based exercise and look at the menus. They are now getting out to schools with colleagues from the Department of social protection. They are also developing an auditing tool to allow the process to be more efficient and will allow us to get the nutritional standards. With all that information I will engage. I am happy enough that we are on the right path but there can be unintended consequences. On high salt and sugar content, we have had substantial feedback from parents whose children will only eat that for a range of reasons.
I want to try to get as much in as possible so that we do not add to the distress of children by making what we think might be good decisions but which add to it. I will come back later to the point raised by Deputy O'Reilly around portion size.
I appreciate all of that complexity. We heard at the Oireachtas committee that it is sometimes at the request of parents or the children, in that the food is of a different standard or there is a lack of variety.
Two other important points were raised with us at the education committee which are relevant to the Minister. He mentioned one of those earlier, which is in the area of school holidays. Specifically, a point made by principals, Eoghan O’Byrne and Conor McCarthy, when they came in to us was around the continuation, that is, of the hot school meal for the school term but not outside of that. There was a separate point regarding the administrative cost of the scheme. Schools, and particularly principals, are looking for support on that. Is that something the Minister will consider?
Will the Department be publishing the standards and what schools, or what suppliers, have met the standards over time? This may not be in the short term but as it gets up to evaluating all the different schools and standards.
Regarding Deputy Hayes's question first, the standards are available. They are published on gov.ie. I want to get a full understanding of that when I get the full report. I am not into naming and shaming. We will absolutely publish the full report and I look forward to discussing it not just at the social protection committee but also at the education committee.
On Deputy O'Rourke's questions, the holiday meals school pilot this year was very important. We do that in partnership with the Department of education. I think something like 40,000 children have benefited from it and that was really important. It was particularly focused on what used to be known as the July provision and those who take part in that programme. I agree on that issue of the summer provision and that is something we will look at. As of now, we are focused on this programme. On where we came from in 2019, the then Minister, Regina Doherty MEP, followed by the then Minister, Heather Humphreys, drove it hard to get it into every primary school. We now have it open in most primary schools. There are some we are still working through. I want to bed it down and then start to fulfil the programme for Government commitment-----
Thank you.
-----around secondary schools as well. My focus now is to bed down those nutritional standards and ensure we have good compliance with those standards so a scheme as important as this is doing what it is designed to do in terms of nutrition and supporting education.
Social Welfare Benefits
13. Deputy Edward Timmins asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will review the carer’s benefit for teachers who are not on full time hours; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15591/26]
The carer's benefit scheme allows people who are working to take time off to care for family members, often children. It is not means tested and it is based on PRSI contributions. It has a requirement that people must work a minimum of 16 hours per week in the period prior to their claim. This is patently unfair to teachers who work, say, 11 hours per week and are deemed not to qualify.
I thank the Deputy for this question. The Government acknowledges the very valuable role that family carers play and we are fully committed to supporting carers in that role. The commitment is recognised in the programme for Government and in budget changes for 2026 where the earnings limit for carer’s benefit will increase from €625 to €1,000 after tax from July, there will be a €10 increase in the weekly rate of carer’s benefit, and carer's benefit will be made available to the self-employed for the first time. As the Deputy said, carer's benefit is a payment made to ensure people who may be required to leave the workforce or reduce their working hours to care for a person in need of full-time care. It is payable for a period of up to two years for each care recipient and may be claimed in one go or over separate periods.
There were 4,616 people in receipt of carer's benefit at the end of January 2026. Expenditure on the carer’s benefit scheme is estimated to exceed €76 million this year. To qualify for carer’s benefit, a person must meet the PRSI and other conditions of the scheme and have been in full-time employed for at least eight weeks in the previous 26 weeks. Another qualifying condition is that the applicant provides full-time care and attention of no less than 35 hours per week to a person in need of such care. The carer is allowed to work or engage in education and training for up to 18.5 hours a week. The 18.5-hour limit for carer's benefit reflects a careful balance between ensuring the care recipient receives full-time care but also enables carers to maintain a connection to employment, training, education or to other interests. Any proposal to amend the 18.5-hour limit would need to preserve that balance and would have to be considered in the broader budgetary and policy context.
I thank the Minister for that. I am aware of all that information but I am focusing on something different. I refer to the qualification based on the number of hours carers work. Sixteen hours is the number. I will explain this briefly. There are two particular circumstances in relation to teachers and even if one were applied in the qualification process, then a teacher on fewer than 16 hours would qualify. At the moment, for a teacher who works 11.2 hours a week, this represents over half the number of hours of a full-time teacher who has 22 class-contact hours. This person works over half a full-time week. In any other full-time role, a person who works half-time will work between 17.5 and 20 hours and, therefore, will qualify for the carer's benefit. There is a distinction with teachers. They must work over 16 hours a week to qualify but that is well over half what a teacher does. I know of a case of a teacher who does 11.2 hours and they do not qualify but anyone else working half their normal week of 35 to 40 hours - that is, 17.5 to 20 hours - would qualify. I will give other reasons in my next contribution about extra hours teachers do that are not taken into account.
I am happy to engage with the Deputy around the specific instances. Subsequently, we can examine those in more detail. As I said, we have made substantial increases to the means assessment and that will continue from 1 July this year. We have also increased the carer's benefit rate by €51 over the past five years. Previously, this was done by the then Minister, Heather Humphreys, and I have continued that. The changes in the income limits from €625, which started from July, will continue to increase in 2026.
On the specific issue of teachers' hours and what is regarded as a full working week, I am happy to engage in that to see if that can be resolved. I look forward to hearing more details in the Deputy's next supplementary.
I will expand a bit more in relation to teachers. Teachers do much more than 22 class-contact hours. They are required to do many more hours outside the 22 hours and this was outlined in the Croke Park agreement. It includes yard supervision duties and class supervision. There are many other requirements, including planning and setting exams, contact with parents on many issues and continuous professional development. The actual hours worked by someone doing 11.2 hours is actually more than the 16-hour requirement but this is not recognised in some cases while it is in others. I ask that teachers, who work over half the week, be considered to qualify. The 16 hours is the cliff edge but that is not fair on teachers because their week is different. There is the 22 class-contact hours but they do additional hours. If they do 11.2 hours, they are doing more than half. Any other employee in any other job would qualify straightaway. Teachers are a unique case and I ask the Minister to examine that.
Certainly, we will engage on that. There are also issues being brought to my attention around teachers who are job-sharing and that complicate the Deputy's scenario even more. Those who are working fewer than 18.5 hours may qualify for carer's allowance, which would be subject to the means test and to other eligibility requirements. If the Deputy wants to send me the details, we will engage with him around it. Any changes to the carer's benefit or to the qualifying conditions in terms of hours or means obviously has other knock-on issues, so I do not want to give the Deputy a commitment without fully analysing the details. We will drill down into those details and will work with the Deputy's office on that.
Social Welfare Payments
14. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Social Protection for an update on the programme for Government commitment to introduce pay-related parents benefit and explore other payments where a similar model could be applied. [15142/26]
I am seeking an update on the commitment to introduce pay-related parent's benefit and potentially others. I am doing so because Government policies are not joined-up enough when it comes to new parents whose babies are in their first year of life. These parents can find themselves in a catch 22 situation where they either want to stay at home but cannot afford to do so or want to go back to work and cannot source childcare for babies under 12 months of age. The large majority of OECD countries are using earnings-related payments. We seem to be an outlier. We can do more to support parents of children who are in their first year from the point of view of both child development and family well-being.
The programme for Government contains a commitment to introduce pay-related parent's benefit and explore other payments where a similar model could be applied. Parent's benefit provides nine weeks paid leave to each parent during the first two years of a child’s life or following adoption. This leave can be taken in blocks of a minimum of one week up to a maximum of nine weeks.
A pay-related model that moves away from flat rates of payment would provide a stronger financial cushion to new parents, as the Deputy has said, while reflecting the contributory and solidarity principles of the social insurance system. A pay-related model was introduced on 31 March 2025 for jobseeker’s benefit. My Department will draw on the learnings and operational experience from that to inform options for parent's benefit and other family leave schemes. In that context, I intend to issue a public consultation document on a pay-related approach to parents' benefit this autumn. That will help to inform decisions about other family and related benefits. I will invite the views of the public, employers, members of the House and stakeholders to support the process and to assist in the development of future proposals in this area. I look forward to working with the Deputy in that consultation and subsequent follow-on.
That is really encouraging, particularly as we in Ireland are above average when it comes to the length of time we can spend at home with our new babies on foot of maternity and parent's benefit. As stated, we are below average when it comes to the financial supports to do so. As the Minister indicated, pay-related jobseeker's benefit is working very well and is a model that could be applied in this instance.
I cannot emphasise enough how important the first year of a baby's life is for both the baby and the parents. As a mother, it changes you - your body, your brain formation and your identity. There is a term for it, "matrescence", and it does not get the attention it deserves. We are still behind the curve when it comes to family leave. In most countries, maternity benefit replaces at least half of a person's wages but that does not happen here.
The Deputy has definitely outlined a very strong and fair case. That is why we have the programme for Government commitment and why I will be launching the consultation on this in autumn. We are certainly an outlier among EU member states in paying a flat rate for all family leave benefits. That needs to be looked at. However, we provide one of the most generous durations of maternity leave in terms of 26 paid weeks and 16 unpaid weeks. On the figures, the weekly rate has gone from €245 in 2019 to €299 in 2026. In 2023, there were 76,935 recipients of parent's benefit. In 2025, there were 93,671.
This is definitely something we will engage on in the context of the consultation. We have a lot of work to do. We absolutely know that. I want to learn from the first year of operation of jobseeker's pay-related benefit and apply some of the lessons in that regard in order to inform how we design the consultation process in such a way that it will be both good and engaging.
I am really looking forward to engaging in the public consultation. The figures are important. According to the OECD, payments are lowest in Ireland and the UK, where less than one third of gross average earnings are replaced by maternity benefit. Countries such as Lithuania, Austria, France and Germany have benefits based on past incomes. We have a high percentage of maternity leave employer top-ups. In 2021, the most recent year in respect of which I could obtain figures, about 70% of women received a top-up. However, that leaves one third of women relying on maternity benefit. I do not think it is a coincidence that one third of women are not availing of their nine weeks of parental leave.
We also have a major issue when it comes to fathers. About 55% of men are taking paternity leave and it drops to 25% when it comes to parental leave. Families are missing out. Ireland can do more here. if you look at countries such as Finland, they have extended leave coupled with lower rates so there is a trade-off. In Ireland, we get above average in terms of time but we are not getting the financial supports. It is really impacting parents with babies who are in their first year in the context of the choices they can make.
I am in full agreement with the Deputy. She has made a very strong case. That is why we will start that consultation and begin work on addressing all of the issues she correctly outlined. They all stand up, and we have an awful lot of work to do in this space. That is why we have that commitment to introduce pay-related benefit for parents, which would address many of the challenges the Deputy highlighted as well
Question Nos. 15 to 18, inclusive, taken with Written Answers.
State Savings Schemes
19. Deputy Eoin Hayes asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide the total administration fees that have been paid by participants in the My Future Fund to date, or most recent data available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15581/26]
I would like an update on the administration fees associated with the My Future Fund being paid by the participants. In particular, I would like a sense of any consideration that has been given to these fees not necessarily being flat fees and applying different rates to different cohorts, proportionate to their income.
As the Deputy knows, the programme for Government contains a commitment to introduce the automatic enrolment, AE, retirement savings system. The aim of AE was to address the pension coverage gap that exists in Ireland and to provide workers with greater comfort and security regarding their retirement income. The new system, known as My Future Fund, commenced on 1 January. The administration fee associated with My Future Fund was prescribed in regulations, following consultation with the CEO of the National Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings Authority, NAERSA, and the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation.
The administration fee takes the form of a flat weekly fee rather than a commission based on a percentage of funds under management. We did this because the administration fee reflects the actual costs of administration, which do not vary with fund size, and will be the same for all participants regardless of their income or the size of their retirement fund. The standard pension industry practice is to charge a percentage fee based on the assets under management; the cost of this obviously increases significantly as a person's pension savings accumulate. In contrast, charging a flat fee will ultimately prove much better value for money for all the participants over the course of a standard retirement planning horizon.
A fee equivalent to 55 cent per week will be charged each time contributions are paid to a participant's fund, up to a maximum of €28.60 per year. If a participant is not making contributions - for example, if they have opted out, suspended contributions, have joined an occupational pension scheme or are not currently receiving their pay - that administration fee will not be charged. As of 19 February, a total of €2,221,231 had been collected in administration fees. These fees are intended to cover the costs of NAERSA on an going basis.
I acknowledge the importance of the administration fee. I welcome the fact that a commission was not charged in terms of the fee. There are options when it comes to a flat fee versus a progressive fee. I made a few back-of-the-envelope calculations in respect of this matter, but do not hold me to them. If someone who is 60 years of age and who earns €20,000 per year is auto-enrolled in the scheme, they would spend about 6.36% of their contributions in administration fees over the course of their involvement in the My Future Fund. That is assuming that they are with it the entire time.
I also welcome the suspension of administration fees if people are not contributing. That is worthwhile and something that does not happen in the UK, for example.
By contrast, someone who is 25 years of age who is making €80,000 a year, and assuming that income stays the same, will spend 0.67% of their contribution on administration fees. There is a wide gap there, from a regressive perspective, on administration fees, depending on your income. If you are younger, you get better returns as you are in there for longer but if you are poorer, they will almost always be a higher proportion of your income.
The Deputy's assessment is an interesting one. In terms of getting this up and running, in the early stages we tried to bring as much clarity and understanding as possible in regard to the fee area. The feedback I have got in the past year in dealing with this is that a lot of people find administration fees and investment fees around pensions very confusing. It is one of the things that, certainly in my personal experience, would dissuade you from engaging with the pension provision. Therefore, we wanted the administration fee to be flat and to be accessible and understandable. Equally, we were able then to bring the prospect of the 700,000 plus workers, which we now know is 760,000, to bear in getting investment management fees, which were well under those applicable to an occupational pension scheme or to personal retirement savings accounts, PRSAs.
On the age side, administration fees are higher in a lot of PRSAs than they are in My Future Fund. I am not totally aware of - and I am happy for the Deputy to send me information if he wishes - the progression of fees.
Ultimately, all operational issues from My Future Fund are now going to be dealt with by National Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings Authority, NAERSA. NAERSA has taken over operational responsibility, as we have launched. I want to make sure this is the best value possible and as accessible as possible so I am happy if the Deputy wants to share information with me on that.
I join the Minister in that. I want to make sure auto-enrolment is as successful as possible. I am confident the investment side, in terms of the investment fees, has been very well handled. In terms of the value for money, the Minister has got a very good rate for people.
On administration fees, and I will send this information to the Minister, it strikes me that people who are on the lower incomes - for example, somebody who is on €20,000 for the rest of their life - will spend approximately 3.24% of their contributions on administration fees. By contrast, someone on €80,000 for the duration of the scheme will spend less than 1% on administration fees. There is a question there. If you are on a lower income, a flat rate will be a higher proportion and that may rob people of that financial security into the future. Will the Minister, or NAERSA, consider changing that administration fee in the future to make it more progressive, so that people who are on lower incomes are spending a less of a proportion of their income on the administration of the fund and that it is similarly progressive for people on higher incomes?
Certainly, I am happy to look at the Deputy's information. A realistic assessment of administration fees would have to be done over the lifetime of their participation in My Future Fund. Incomes will, hopefully, change and that incomes will increase over the lifetime of their fund. One of the great advantages of My Future Fund is that it is portable and that people can bring it with them to their next employment, as they change employment. Particularly in this labour market, we are all going to be working in many different jobs. People can bring My Future Fund with them and, as incomes change and employment terms and conditions change, that fee will still remain the same. The best way of looking at the impact of the administration fee is not on a particular time of your income but over the lifetime of your personal My Future Fund growing.
Certainly, I am happy to look at the information the Deputy has prepared. We will provide it to NAERSA. I stress NAERSA is independent in its operation and in its care of My Future Fund.
Public Transport
95. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Transport to report on the issue of cancelled buses on the Dublin Bus and Go Ahead networks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15474/26]
How seriously does the Department take the issue of ghost buses or cancelled buses? In the first six months of last year there were 6,000 complaints to the NTA in Dublin about this. Those are just people who get the strength to make complaints. This is causing real problems in my area, particularly with the 238 which is an absolutely infamous ghost bus. The people of Tyrrelstown are losing their jobs and losing their livelihoods. They are ending up late for work and late for school. It is having a huge impact on people's lives. What are the repercussions from the Department for the operators?
I assure Deputy Coppinger that I do take it very seriously. It is a real frustration and inconvenience for passengers who are affected by ghost buses or services that do not show up. There have been particular recent bus cancellations on the Dublin Bus and Go Ahead Ireland networks. We need to acknowledge that last year there were 363.5 million public passenger journeys across the State, which is up 6% on the previous year, the highest amount ever, so people are responding. However, it behoves the operators to ensure that the services as listed turn up.
Issues happen from time to time and they arise for a range of reasons, including driver and mechanic shortages which has been an issue on the route the Deputy referred to, particularly with the services operated by Go Ahead. In my supplementary reply I will come back with more detail on what is happening there.
The most significant factor in recent months has been traffic congestion. For example, Dublin Bus is currently delivering 98% of contracted kilometres set by the NTA. However, punctuality is being affected by rising traffic volumes in the city in particular. Buses delayed going out and coming back in are having an effect. I have convened a meeting on 18 March with stakeholders specifically to discuss congestion in the city core but also around the M50.
Some things need to be planned better within our transport operators, particularly relating to resources, something Go Ahead has acknowledged. I have been in touch with the operators directly on many occasions, particularly on the issue of being able to trust the data on the app. If the app is showing the bus is coming but then it just disappears, people cannot make alternative arrangements. A big issue with Go Ahead has been with mechanics. It has employed ten more but they were delayed in getting here. They have been trained and are now working, so we should see an improvement there.
While Dublin Bus is generally performing very well, one of its issues is with driver numbers. It is recruiting a further 100 drivers from South Africa right now and they are coming in. There are still good jobs for people in Dublin Bus. We have work to do there and I am continuing to do it. The Deputy should trust me - I take this very seriously. It is a serious issue. I will come back in with some more details in a minute.
Congestion, drivers, mechanics, breakdowns and all sorts of reasons are given. Is it not some reflection that we cannot get workers to work in these services? As the Minister knows, one of the issues with Go Ahead is that it has reduced conditions compared with Dublin Bus. Drivers were eating their lunch on the side of the road at one point.
However, I want to talk about the 238. It is absolutely unacceptable that between 4.2% and 8.2% of the bus journeys on the 238 route are cancelled every week. How can up to 8% be acceptable at any time? The people paying the price are ordinary working people. It is also ironic that they are trying to introduce parking charges in Blanchardstown centre. The 238 is the only bus people in Tyrrelstown have to get to Blanchardstown centre and yet they are meant to be taking that bus. Many of the people work there, by the way.
I draw the Minister's attention to the impact it is having. There was a very good article in
the Dublin Inquirer interviewing people in the area. A woman, Ms Bernie Casey, talked about her 23-year-old son and said it is affecting his work. Some of her son's friends have lost their jobs in the centre because of it.
I am pleased that people are responding and using public transport at rates we have not seen previously. That is good. I acknowledge that particularly on certain routes, there are issues. A cancellation rate of up to 8% in a month on the 238 route is unacceptable. I will raise that matter directly with the operators.
The operators do get fined and significant fines are levied on them for non-performance. I have the 2024 figures for Go-Ahead Ireland, which are the most recent figures I have for a full year. It was fined well over €1 million. That money is then reinvested.
Bus Átha Cliath is running a jobs campaign at the moment. They are good, secure jobs with good in-house training. There is good career advancement. The Deputy said the situation is ridiculous if we cannot find people to work in those jobs. There are nearly 3 million now working in the economy. The economy is going well. People are well-trained and well-educated. There is a pro-enterprise Government. That does pose strains. I am not in any way dismissing the point the Deputy has made, particularly about the 238 bus. I will look specifically at that matter. I have a meeting on 18 March with bus operators and other stakeholders about congestion.
I will also mention the other services for Tyrrelstown and Hollystown. The Minister knows these areas well from his time on Fingal County Council. He knows the figures for Fingal. It is the fastest growing area and so on. I do not need to recite the figures to him. Dublin West has never had the transport it needs. It is the most recurring issue that people are contacting me about. It is causing hardship to students who are trying to get to UCD through two- to three-hour bus journeys. The 39 route is like a coffin ship at this point. It just keeps being added to and the journey keeps getting longer.
A woman in Tyrrelstown contacted me. She works in Dublin Port. Can you imagine what a feat that is? It is like an odyssey, trying to match up the different connections. It is very dangerous for a woman late at night or early in the morning when it is dark. People in these areas are suffering. There is also the 40d route.
If the Government wants houses built, and we all want houses built, we must have the transport and infrastructure. Dublin West needs massive investment in public transport.
Dublin West will get and is getting that massive investment. We have €24.3 billion to invest in transport between now and 2030. The Deputy is right to highlight the issue. I know Dublin West very well. The Fingal area is one of the fastest-growing areas in the country. There are good jobs there. New families are setting down their roots in the housing we have built over the past five years. There are more than pinch points in certain areas and the Deputy is right to raise those as an issue. I will in particular raise the specific routes that the Deputy has mentioned. I am aware of the issues. It is our job to work hard with the transport operators to improve the services that are there. There are some routes that are working very well but there are others that, quite frankly, are not. An 8% cancellation rate is unacceptable.
I will mention the automatic vehicle location system, which will make a big difference. With it, at least people will know if there is a delay or cancellation because they will be able to see it on the app. There will be real-time data. That is going into pilot this quarter, with full roll-out and completion scheduled for 2027, which is next year. That is notwithstanding the fact that we must improve the core quality bus corridors, which we are doing. There are plans in Dublin 15 and west Dublin for that, as the Deputy knows.
96. Deputy Joe Neville asked the Minister for Transport the number of transport surveys carried out over the public transport networks to ensure that there is adequate capacity on routes and efficiency in delivery; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15650/26]
I welcome to the Gallery my son, Liam, who is taking a mid-morning break from school. He is welcome.
I wish to ask how many transport surveys have been carried out over the public transport networks to ensure there is adequate capacity on routes and efficiency in delivery; and to ask the Minister of State to make a statement on the matter, especially pertaining to north Kildare.
I welcome the Deputy's son to the Public Gallery. Is his name Liam?
Yes.
Liam, you are very welcome to the Gallery. Perhaps he will follow in the footsteps of his dad, his uncle and his cousin. Hopefully some day he might be here.
I thank the Deputy for his question. As the body responsible for public transport planning, the NTA, along with public transport operators, conducts regular surveys of public transport capacity. To assist with the prioritisation of the deployment of additional bus capacity in the greater Dublin area, the NTA has recently developed a new business intelligence tool, using ticketing data to identify where capacity issues are being experienced across the bus network by route and time of day. For Dublin Bus, this was supplemented with 17 surveys to verify the accuracy of the results. It is intended to roll out the tool's use across the wider bus network upon the availability of all relevant data sets needed to estimate capacity and usage.
On Bus Éireann services in quarter 4 of 2025, capacity surveys were undertaken on 25 selected routes where overloading concerns were recurring. Selected sample bus stops were surveyed remotely using CCTV and camera technologies. With regard to rail and light rail capacity, in the case of Luas and Irish Rail, fleet and driver resources, as well as track capacity, are now heavily used during peak demand periods so the scope to add extra capacity at these times is limited. The next tranche of new rail fleet, including battery electric DART, is expected to come into service in 2027, at which point there will be an opportunity to add additional capacity to existing rail services.
On Luas services, TII commissions a yearly census over one sample week in October or November on both green and red lines during peak patronage periods. All tram stops are surveyed remotely using CCTV, with some in-person surveys undertaken for validation purposes. Similar annual surveys are undertaken at all Irish Rail stations, generally on a Thursday in November to reflect the busiest period on the network.
The NTA acknowledges that capacity can be a challenge. The Minister, Deputy O'Brien, the Minister of State, Deputy Canney, and I have also been on to the NTA about capacity issues. We continue to regularly monitor this and work closely with all operators to identify where improvements can be made. I will supply the Deputy with more information in the next part of my response.
Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit for the response. The reason I raise the issue is that in the fast-growing area of north Kildare, which has had a huge population increase, we have significant challenges when it comes to transport and public transport. As we all know, the roads, including the M4 and the N7, are full coming into Dublin in the morning. We want to give the opportunity to as many people as possible to use buses and trains. Ultimately, many of those buses and trains are full. It is good to hear that the surveys are in place, that we are assessing the capacity and that the information is there. At the same time, we need to ensure the information is shared and we understand that it gets used in the best way possible. Trains coming from Kildare in the morning can be delayed. There can be buses that do not turn up. We need to ensure those data are captured. I would like any information that the Minister of State has to be shared with us.
I thank the Deputy. He is right that the capturing of information is important. He spoke about the exponential growth in the Maynooth, Lexlip and Kilcock areas. The Minister, Deputy O'Brien, spoke about the Fingal piece. The NTA is acutely aware of, and acknowledges, that the capacity issue is a challenge at times. The NTA continues to make efforts to incorporate and learn from the feedback we have spoken about this morning. It is important to recognise that, subject to planning, the recently announced BusConnects phase 7 routes should be of significant help.
I reassure the Deputy that the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, the Minister of State, Deputy Canney, and I, and our Department, will continue to work with the NTA to ensure the network delivers on the objectives set out and that the performances are closely monitored as we remain focused on delivering services for people, the travelling public and the customers that they can depend and rely on. The Deputy is right. It is about ensuring that people in north Kildare have a transport system that is fit for purpose and takes people off the M4, as the Deputy said. I would be happy to engage further with the Deputy, the Minister, Deputy O'Brien and the Minister of State, Deputy Canney. It is about information and data that can lead to positive outcomes for the travelling public.
While we are discussing north Kildare specifically, there are a couple of projects that have been set in train. The M4 bus corridor, for example, has been built. I was recently in touch with the Minister's Department looking to ensure that we get the legislation passed so we get that bus corridor open. That would be one way to take traffic off the motorway.
DART+ South West has been delayed. We really need it because there has been that increase in population all the way down towards Naas and all along that corridor. We need to ensure we have a full, live DART system, as well as the one we are going to have from Leixlip to Maynooth and coming out to Kilcock within the term of this Government. There are a lot of positive projects in north Kildare and I am pushing for them, but we need to ensure other things, such as Local Link buses and buses to the likes of Johnstown Bridge, as well as more Bus Éireann buses, while at the same time ensuring we get DART+ South West in place in order that everything links up cohesively.
The M7 to Dublin from Carlow and Kilkenny is heavily congested. Drivers are frustrated by the traffic and the delays. The number of business vehicles using the route has increased substantially. I would like to see some action on it.
I draw the Minister of State's attention to the need for huge investment in local routes in Kilkenny city. Places like the Lyrath Estate Hotel, the Abbott facility and housing estates and nursing homes dotted around the city are not served by bus routes. I ask that the reports being submitted and the constant lobbying that is going on be recognised and that we ensure that huge investment and input will deliver extended services to all of those places and bring in towns like Graiguenamanagh, Thomastown, Johnstown and Freshford, which are being neglected.
Will the Minister of State please intervene with Iarnród Éireann regarding Kilkenny railway station? The old buildings are in an absolutely shocking state. Iarnród Éireann has shown clear disrespect for Kilkenny in terms of the appearance of the station.
I am familiar with the situation relating to the M7. Deputy McGuinness is right that it has become heavily congested and is an absolute nightmare for motorists. We need a further conversation on what we can do there. I will happily meet the Deputy on Sunday in Nowlan Park to discuss the important issue he raised regarding Kilkenny city.
I thought that in all the announcements about road projects, there might be something about the ring road for Kilkenny.
I could not get the Deputy's number, but I will happily meet with him to discuss it.
Regarding Kilkenny railway station, that is under the remit of the Minister of State, Deputy Canney, but I will get back to the Deputy on it. I certainly will work with him on the roads issue because it is very important.
Deputy Neville is right about the M4 bus corridor. It has been built and should be used. The Minister has asked his officials in the Department to expedite the relevant legislation and he hopes to have it done by the summer recess. It is an important issue. As the Deputy knows, we are seeing progress on DART+ South West. He is right to raise the issue of the M4 bus corridor because the situation beggars belief. I thank him for his advocacy and ongoing work on it. The whole ethos overarching his question is about gathering information that will support future planning and delivery of services, including roads, bus and train services for the travelling public. It is an important question because it will facilitate the development of new routes and alternatives. I hope the Department, working with the NTA, can expedite the matter.
Bus Services
97. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Transport if there are plans to ensure that the NTA and service providers such as Dublin Bus are adhering to punctuality standards for buses across Dublin city, given that, as per the public service obligation contracts annual performance report, many low-frequency Dublin Bus routes did not experience punctuality of above 80%. [15297/26]
My question relates to the punctuality of buses in my area. The recent roll-out of BusConnects on the F spine routes 23 and 24 has had a profound impact. Punctuality is not something one would have associated with the early phases or even the continuing phases. Will the Minister provide an update in respect of the obligations on providers in this regard?
The Deputy has been advocating on this issue for some time. The F spine routes have only been in place only since October, and there have been issues with them. The NTA is monitoring them. BusConnects is and should be a positive development but we have seen very specific issues with some of the new routes that have been rolled out. I absolutely assure the Deputy that I will work directly with him on this on behalf of his constituents. I have already highlighted the issues, particularly on the 23 and 24 routes, to the NTA.
There have been issues with some resources within the bus operators. Leaving that aside, BusConnects is a positive development and an investment in our public transport. The Ballymun-Finglas quality bus corridor is approved and going to construction. It is the second one and will make a big difference in terms of giving priority to buses and also on the active travel side. There are issues with congestion. I am convening a meeting with stakeholders on 18 March to discuss, in particular, congestion in the city core but not just there. We will look at interim and short-term measures that can be taken to improve bus journeys in particular.
More and more people are using public transport and it is great to see. There were 363.5 million passenger journeys in 2025, which was the highest number ever. Bus Átha Cliath carried the greatest number of passengers among all our operators. People are responding but I fully acknowledge the frustration with the roll-out of some of the new routes in terms of how they operate in practice versus what was said in principle. I am actively looking at that. The NTA is assessing it right now and will engage with the operators. Lessons have been learnt. I want very clear avenues set down for how we can improve performance in that area. Financial penalties applying is no consolation to people. We need a reliable service. I will remain fully engaged with the Deputy on those two particular routes on the F spine.
I appreciate the Minister's interest in this matter. I have engaged with him regarding the core bus corridors, which are incredibly welcome and which will facilitate speedier journeys into the city centre. Together with the tenders going out for the metro project, we are seeing substantial investment in future infrastructure.
Before Christmas, at a meeting with public representatives, NTA representatives spoke about October being a difficult time to implement a new service, with increasing congestion heading into the Christmas period. They also spoke about issues with recruitment. Providers need to have these matters in order and they need to engage with the NTA. When a new service is being introduced by the NTA, it must be done in conjunction with the operator.
The Minister referred to penalties. I would rather have buses arriving on time than a company being fined. However, when it comes to for-profit operators, the facility to impose a financial penalty is important. There are bus services in my area that are operated by private operators. It is my preference that they not be there but that is the nature of the current framework. We must make sure they abide by the conditions under which they tendered for those contracts.
I 100% agree. There have been issues with Go-Ahead Ireland, for example, with regard to mechanics. That has been rectified and those mechanics are now in place. We have had issues with driver recruitment across our network. One of the reasons for that is we have near full employment in our economy, with record numbers of people - nearly 3 million - working. Having said that , there are very good and well-paid jobs that give a path to progression within our bus operators, including in Bus Átha Cliath, Bus Éireann and others.
The Deputy is right, and I have said this to the NTA, that when an operator bids for a route and is awarded it, we must be absolutely certain the resources are there to manage it. The people need to be there to do the job. Lots of good work has been done and I do not mean to be negative but I have been frustrated on a couple of occasions that we only found out after the event, when issues arose with particular routes, that the operator did not have enough mechanics or had not been able to recruit drivers. We need to tighten up on that big time between the NTA and the operators. Fines will continue to be imposed. In 2024, which is the most recent year for which we have full-year figures, the main private operator was fined nearly €1.5 million. Those fines are reinvested in the network.
I assure the Deputy that this matter is not off my radar. We will get improvements here. BusConnects is a good thing right across the country. There have been issues with new routes. We will work to fix them.
Rail Network
98. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Transport the date on which the public consultation on the route options and emerging preferred route for the Navan rail project will take place; if he will provide an update on the project development; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14756/26]
On what date will the public consultation take place on the route options and emerging preferred route for the Navan rail project? A commitment was given at the end of last year that it would happen early in 2026.
The NTA's transport strategy for the greater Dublin area sets out the framework for transport investment across the region from 2022 to 2042. The strategy includes delivery of the Navan rail line between 2031 and 2036, subject to planning and funding approvals. The plan is currently on target.
It is anticipated that a public consultation on the route options for the Navan rail line will take place in the middle of this year. I will ask that it be done by the end of quarter 2. We want to avoid it happening during the summer period. We want people to have input into the consultation process, which will ultimately result in a defined route for the Navan train line. It will support the development of a preliminary business case, which will need to be approved by the Government, in line with the requirements of the infrastructure guidelines, before any planning application.
Government is committed to the Navan rail line project. It is anticipated that a planning application - known as a railway order - for the Navan rail project will be lodged with An Coimisiún Pleanála in 2028. We have the public consultation on the preferred route and the preparation of the planning. In 2028, the planning application will go in. It is fully funded to do that. To be fair, the Deputy and his colleagues in Meath West have been raising this regularly, and rightly so. Navan and the area around it are growing. We have committed to the rail line. Some might say with a lot of justification that it has been talked about for too long but has not been delivered. We are absolutely committed to doing so. I am hopeful that if we can meet those timelines, we will have planning permission in 2029. The sectoral plan, which was published in November 2025, provides funding for the Navan rail line project to progress through this process and up to the railway order. That is the timeframe. We are looking at the end of quarter 2 for the public consultation.
I make no apology for being obsessed with this project. It is just such a potential game changer for the county on so many different levels. It is hugely important socially, culturally, economically and environmentally. It would be transformative and I welcome the fact it is now back on the agenda and back in the plans and there are euro beside it. I am concerned there will be slippage at every juncture, and there has been slippage in relation to it. As I said, in October, we said early 2006. Is the Minister confident that by the end of quarter 2, we will be able to go to consultation? I can say without a shadow of a doubt there will be huge interest, regardless of the time of year this goes to consultation. There have already been a huge number of submissions in relation to this project. There is huge interest in it.
The Deputy is right and I have no issue whatsoever with him raising this matter regularly. I do not want any slippage on it. The Navan rail line will be absolutely transformational in terms of quality of life, the environment and the economy. It will be a major piece of infrastructure to deliver. All I am interested in doing is making sure we hit those timeframes. In the NDP, there are major projects like MetroLink which has gone on for years and will start construction next year. There is DART+ and all of the various things. We have talked about quality bus corridors. There is major investment in public transport, and rightly so. I am keeping a really close eye on the Navan project and I want the public consultation out by the end of quarter 2. I take the Deputy's point that whenever it comes out, people will be very interested in it.
Regarding the timelines, we are dependent on planning. For some of those elements, we have a better planning system now. Obviously, I hope we do not get objections and various things like that but let us control what we can control. For the public consultation piece on the preferred route, we are aiming for the middle of year, that is, the end of quarter 2 or very early quarter 3 if there is any slippage but it has to be the middle of this year. I will certainly keep the Deputy informed of progress.
We can control what we can control in relation to this and we will be persistent in pursuing it and making sure, as best we can from the Opposition benches, we hit those deadlines. The big question then is around taking it beyond planning and to construction. Will the Minister outline how the Navan rail project best positions itself as a priority project in the midst of a range of other funding demands on the Department and the Minister? How can the project compete to ensure it can move quickly and uninterruptedly to construction?
The Deputy is right; we can control the controllables. It is funded right the way up to planning and we will get it through planning. We often talk about the NDP going to 2030. Of the €104.25 billion investment, one quarter of that is for public transport. If we look out to 2035, the figure is €245 billion. Thanks to the hard work of our people and good economic management, we will have the capital to actually deliver these projects. By the way, I do not look at them just from an expenditure perspective. It is also about what they will deliver in economic terms. That investment will pay back in spades to the Exchequer. I know Deputy O'Rourke, Deputy Aisling Dempsey, the Minister, Deputy Helen McEntee, and the Minister of State, Deputy Thomas Byrne, have all been working very closely together, to be fair, advocating for the people of Meath on this and the difference that it will make. We will have this funded. What we have to do is really watch this project as it moves through. Meath is in the greater Dublin area framework of the transport investment strategy and it is listed in the NPD. Let us get a consultation done, get people engaged with it, get it into planning, get it out of planning by 2029, and get on with building this transformational project.
Bus Services
99. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Transport the status of the review of the public consultation on the proposed 425A bus route; the status of the assessment of submissions received; the expected timeline for completing the review; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14894/26]
I want to raise the issue of the 425A bus route from Mountbellew to Galway city. Back in January the NTA launched a public consultation on its proposals. I would like an update as to where that public consultation is at. Has it been reviewed and assessed and where is it at? From speaking to representatives of the NTA in the Committee of Public Accounts they seemed to indicate that by the end of quarter 1, they would have an update but I would appreciate an update from the Minister today.
Deputy Dolan and I have discussed this route before. The Department of Transport, the Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, and I are acutely aware of this. We have seen good increases across the rural transport network and they are very important links. I have mentioned to other Deputies and colleagues that when we look at public transport usage, we see that 363.5 million people used it last year. People are responding both in urban and rural areas when the services are there.
Regarding the 425A route between Galway and Mountbellew, the NTA was proposing to amend the bus network - we discussed this and the Deputy has concerned around that - serving Athenry. The recently published consultation closed on 9 January of this year. I am telling the Deputy things he already knows. I know them too and I want him to be assured of that. The proposal consists of the rerouting of the existing 425A through Athenry and the introduction of a new route, 416, between Athenry and Tuam. There were over 100 submissions, which is good. I know the Deputy has been to the forefront of this as well. They are being assessed now. I have to give them a little bit of time, although not an inordinate amount of time because people need to act quickly.
On foot of the Deputy's question, which I thank him for, I can say that we discussed this with the NTA and my team yesterday, which the Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, will tell him, in preparation for this. I have asked for an update on when we are coming back with the assessment of the submissions. It is good that is done because we have to take people's views into account. We also have to take into account the views of the operators and how we can provide a better service for people. I will keep the Deputy directly informed on this. I expect to get a date for when the submissions are finalised. Then we can move on and have a look at it and see what the construct of the service will be then.
I really appreciate that and the manner in which the Minister has worked with me on this since I became aware of the NTA's proposals. It is important to say that absolutely nobody in my constituency has come to me saying they want to see the 425A rerouted into Athenry. Previously, the 425A was a once daily return service. It is now a four times daily service. It is working fantastically and we do not need to change it. A 416 service from Tuam to Athenry in the form of a Local Link would be fantastic but the reality is that what we are missing is an investment. We need an Athenry bus that goes directly to Galway city. Athenry is a town with a population in excess of 5,000 people. Our trains, as the Minister knows, are at capacity and we need the bus to provide an alternative form of transport for people to get into the city. That is my real ask; that Athenry gets its own, dedicated bus service.
The Deputy has been and remains a very strong advocate for improving public transport in his constituency and the Galway area. I commend him on that and I will work with him in this regard. Thankfully, the Government, of which he is a member, is investing in public transport at a rate never seen before. What really pleases me is the investment in our regions as well. It is not east coast-centric or Dublin-centric where it may have been with some other initiatives. We are looking at regional development.
I asked the NTA about it yesterday. We are looking at the end of quarter 1 for conclusion of the review of the submissions, which is the end of next month. I will give it that time and then we will assess it. The Deputy has very clearly articulated the fact the 425A service is working well and people do not want to see a change being made to it. I am sure that will be borne out in the submissions. I assure the Deputy that he and I will work directly on it.
The Minister is right. There has been such a significant investment over the past few years in public transport, active travel and trying to secure the future of our networks. Athenry had a privately-operated bus service. It pulled out essentially because the middle-day services were not feasible. There is a public service obligation, PSO, determination there. It is in place for Athenry and we need to meet it.
The bus going from Athenry does not have to go directly on the motorway. It goes in by a place called Derrydonnell, over to Oranmore and into Galway City. It could be a fantastic service that covers more areas. It would be an addition of service because the rerouting of the 425A is seen as a shortcut to serve Athenry, and that cannot be the case because it would disproportionately affect people on the Galway Road. I really appreciate the Minister’s engagement on this matter.
At the end of quarter 1 when we have the submissions back, we will have a look at it. One thing is, with the PSO, which underpins many public transport services because we have expanded them so greatly, myself and the Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, were able to secure a significant increase in the base in the PSO. This still means we have to manage new routes in the context of our overall allocation.
The point the Deputy has made very clearly is very valid. The existing four-time-a-day service is working very well. If we need additional services, which the Deputy has advocated for also, that also needs to be looked at in the round too. What I commit to doing is, when this submission review has been completed, we will get a copy. We obviously have to work with the NTA because it sets the routes, but I will certainly engage with the Deputy directly on this. I know how important it is to him. To be fair, he has been advocating for it on a regular basis.
Greenways Provision
100. Deputy Brian Brennan asked the Minister for Transport for an update on progress of the Arklow to Shillelagh greenway; to outline the next steps in the process, and a timeframe; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15349/26]
I thank the Deputy for raising this very important matter about a very scenic part of the country. I thank him for his advocacy. For the purpose of the question and the greenway itself, the Minister for Transport has responsibility for the overall policy and Exchequer funding in relation to greenways. The planning, design and construction of individual greenways is a matter for Transport Infrastructure Ireland in conjunction with the local authority.
As Deputy Brennan knows, and he has been a long time campaigner for this, the Government has long-since recognised the strategic value of greenways as sustainable transport corridors, as well as being catalysts for regional economic development tourism and community health and wellbeing. That is why the Government and the Department of Transport allocated €59 million to TII this year, to support the greenways and active travel and national roads programme. One scheme being supported is the Arklow to Shillelagh greenway, as Deputy Brennan has articulated and outlined. Last year, this scheme completed phase 2 which was the open selection of TII’s project management guidelines. This is a significant milestone for the delivery of the greenway as it involves identifying a preferred route corridor for the scheme. Wicklow County Council is currently procuring a technical adviser to help advance this preferred route corridor through the development approval process. A successful tenderer has been identified, and their appointment is anticipated in the coming weeks. The technical adviser will commence works to progress the scheme through phase 3, which is design and environmental evaluation. This phase takes into account technical, environmental and social factors identified in earlier project stages and will establish the definitive land footprint necessary to develop and operate the greenway. There will also be extensive engagement with affected landowners and stakeholders during this phase.
It is anticipated that phase 3 will take up to 24 months to complete. Immediate tasks over the coming months will focus on engagement with the Arklow to Shillelagh greenway committee, as well as stakeholder engagement more broadly, procuring and undertaking necessary engineering and environmental surveys, and advancing design development. The Department of Transportation – I will conclude on this – has committed €300,000 to this greenway project for this year. We are committed to the scheme. We hope to see, along with Deputy Brennan, it progress in the coming years.
I thank the Minister of State. In my life, before I took up this position, I was heavily involved in the tourism industry in south County Wicklow for over 20 years. I know first-hand the area’s needs and I cannot emphasise enough the importance of this greenway project. Our support for this is simply critical, as for decades now there is a genuine feeling in south County Wicklow that it has been ignored in terms of tourism investment. This project will simply be a game changer and a catalyst for future tourism developments in Arklow, Woodenbridge, Aughrim, Tinahely and Shillelagh and everywhere in between. I am of the belief that tourism is the greatest commodity we have in this country. When a person has guests staying in towns or villages it really ticks so many boxes; employment, support for local suppliers, shops, pubs, cafés and restaurants. I recognise there has been positive progress on this project over the past few months, but this project is simply taking too long. The first meeting was held nine years ago, on 17 October 2017, in Lawless’ Hotel, Aughrim. We must stay positive and I look forward to ensuring this particular project comes to fruition.
I genuinely thank the Deputy for his commitment and dedication to this project. As someone in the hospitality sector he recognises the importance of the greenway project. What might be unique in this case is that the scheme has general public acceptance and deserves to progress more quickly than others.
In my own area of Cork we have a huge issue with a particular greenway, which is disappointing in terms of the level of engagement by TII. In this case, we have allocated money to TII and it has already expended or allocated almost €100,000 towards this scheme. There is a number of phases to go through, as the Deputy knows. The Minister of State, Deputy Canney, and I have always spoken about expediting and increasing the passage through gates in terms of projects. It is important for a variety of reasons. As the Deputy said, this will be a game-changer for the area. If we look at areas like Arklow, Woodenbridge, Tinahely and Shillelagh, these are areas that bring people in. They are wonderful spots and great tourist attractions. This will be an unlocking of further potential.
I totally agree with the Minister of State. I drive this route every week. I try to have a vision of what will happen – not if but when – this greenway happens. We look at cafés on the quays in Arklow, Woodenbridge buzzing with tourists, Lawless’ Hotel in Aughrim reopening, bike shops in Tinahely or more pods in Shillelagh. It is going to be simply transformative. We often overuse the term “game-changer”, but it will literally open up new tourism in south County Wicklow. I worked for years in tourism and fought against the Westports, Galways and Killarneys to get tourists into south County Wicklow. When we get this project it will be transformative and we need the Minister of State’s help along the way.
I assure the Deputy that the Minister, the Minister of State, Deputy Canney, and I are very committed to this greenway project. The Deputy is right, and he paints a wonderful picture. I look forward to visiting with him again because he has painted a wonderful, broad brush of what it can do. It will drive economic change and regeneration. The point the Deputy has made is the vision will become a reality. It is not “if”, it is “when”, and all of us on this side of the House are anxious to progress the scheme. From our end, there are no barriers to the progression of the scheme. We have allocated money for the greenway project. The Deputy’s enthusiasm will help us to go back and further engage with TII to ensure that we can, with Wicklow County Council, bring this to fruition. There seems to be broad acceptance and agreement around this greenway, which is a positive. Our Department has allocated funding for the greenway project and we look forward to its completion.
Public Transport
101. Deputy Maeve O'Connell asked the Minister for Transport if his Department is considering encouraging transport providers to extend public transport operating hours later into the night to facilitate the night-time economy in Dublin. [14878/26]
I want to ask the Minister about how we can support the night time economy by seeing if he is engaging with both public and private transport providers to try to extend operating hours later into the night.
I thank Deputy O'Connell for raising this really important issue in terms of the extension of service operating hours and the BusConnects network redesign. As she is no doubt aware, it is a transformative programme of investment in our bus system aimed at improving public transport across the city by strengthening the existing system through enhanced services with high-frequency spines and new local orbital and radial roots. As part of that redesign, the NTA has introduced 15 24-hour bus services across the city in recent years. That significantly enhances both late night and early morning travel options. It has allowed more people, particularly night time and shift workers, to use and avail of public transport services.
In addition to those 15 24-hour routes, we have 12 Nitelink services which run from the city centre to the suburbs on Friday and Saturday nights, providing extra capacity during peak late-night demand periods. Iarnród Éireann operates all available trains across the network daily to meet the record demand it is seeing on all routes. This is outside of required maintenance cycles to ensure fleet reliability, and any repair works which may be taking place. However, over periods such as St. Patrick’s Day, Christmas and new year, Iarnród Éireann puts on additional late-night services to accommodate passengers. I asked the company if there is any more flexibility, recognising that we do more with the buses. Fifteen 24-hour routes and 12 Nitelink routes are great and support the night-time economy. While I know we have a short window for maintenance of tracks, which we need to do for safety reasons, we might look at further weekends in the year when we could extend the rail and Luas services. They are constrained more than the buses because we have to maintain the tracks and rolling stock, but I have asked both companies if there is any other flex or other opportunities to provide additional services that bit later on certain weekends.
I thank the Minister. I appreciate the feedback on that and that the Minister is engaging with the rail operators, Transdev and Irish Rail, about trying to extend rail services. I represent Dublin Rathdown, which is a constituency adjacent to the city centre constituencies. An awful lot of my constituents raise the point with me all the time that they would go into town more often if they knew that they could get home. We are within a distance from the city centre that it should be easily accessible and affordable. We have taxi services, but like every form of transportation, they do not suit everybody all the time. Many areas in Dublin Rathdown are quite close, and I have personally done the walk from the city centre to Stillorgan many times due to the lack of public transport. I always make sure I wear comfortable shoes. Again, that is not suitable for every person at all times, particularly in our climate. I also represent a constituency with UCD's students, and there is huge potential for them to support the night-time economy.
Those 15 routes I referred to are up and running. They are 24-hour routes. Going back five years, we did not have any 24-hour routes. The Deputy is right that we need to support the economy. More people would go out in our city if it was easier to access. It is getting better. Of course we are looking for other opportunities for routes, with more 24-hour routes. Obviously they have to be paid for too. I mentioned in response to colleagues earlier that we have to manage our new routes and improvements to existing routes within the envelope of the PSO that we have. This issue is genuinely kept under review. I, like the Deputy, know the city well. It has bounced back post Covid but it could do with more help. Our taxi fleet has unquestionably improved. The Nitelink services exist but I have also asked the rail and Luas operators to see whether there is any additional headroom where we could provide additional times at certain periods of the year.
I listened to the Minister talk about the constraints in the system. It would be remiss of me not to refer to some of the communications I have received this week about our wider transportation service. Hannah was in touch with me about the No. 11 bus route in Clonskeagh. Three full buses went past her on one day, and this has happened repeatedly. She has spent hundreds of euro on taxis. Three buses went past Catherine from Leopardstown, going down the N11. In Kilternan, which is one of the fastest growing residential areas in the country, particularly in my constituency, there was a protest last Saturday, led by my colleague, Councillor Pearse Dargan, about the poor bus service there, including the L26, which should be going every 15 minutes and is actually going every 30 minutes, and the 44 service. There is a lack of connectivity between the fast-growing area of Kilternan with Dún Laoghaire and also to the Luas. I appreciate the pressures on the system.
We have to recognise that, as our population is growing, our system is growing too. The 363.5 million public passenger journeys last year is a record number. That is a good thing and I know the Deputy fully supports that. We will look at the specific issues with the routes the Deputy mentioned. I will feed that in and I am sure the Deputy has done so already. We will always have work to do to roll out those improvements. We are ambitious as a Government to see public transport options increased for our citizens and improvements made to existing routes and new routes. We have to balance that with how we can pay for it. It is also appropriate that we do that. Things are going in the right direction. There are issues with specific routes. I have spent quite some time this morning answering questions on those. I will feed the Deputy's comments in.
Road Projects
102. Deputy Noel McCarthy asked the Minister for Transport to provide an update on the progression of safety and traffic management measures on the N25 between Midleton and Carrigtwohill, County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15464/26]
I am taking this parliamentary question on behalf of Deputy Noel McCarthy.
I thank the Deputy for raising this project on behalf of Deputy McCarthy, which I know is of great importance to him. The Minister for Transport has overall responsibility for the allocation of Exchequer funding for national roads. As part of the annual allocation process for national roads, TII prepares the booklet for funding for each project for the year. We announced this year's allocation last week. Approximately €139 million in Exchequer funding was allocated to Cork County Council for national roads in 2026. This represents an increase of over €66 million for Cork County Council when compared to last year, and will help to progress a number of major national road projects such as the M28 and N25. I know Deputy O'Shea has been advocating a greater increase in funding for Cork.
I am pleased to confirm that Cork County Council's allocation also includes €500,000 to enable of the progression of the Carrigtwohill to Midleton project, which has been paused at the route options selection phase since 2021 due to funding constraints. This project consists of an upgrade and realignment of approximately 5 km of the N25 dual carriageway from Carrigtwohill to Midleton. It will separate local and strategic traffic, and deliver upgraded junctions. Most important, it will improve safety for all road users on the N25 between Carrigtwohill and Midleton. Those of us who use that road know that it has become very congested and popular.
In addition, over the past number of years, TII has provided funding to Cork County Council for identifying smaller, more localised interventions on this section of the N25, including €100,000 this year for junction safety improvements. These are badly needed and we would all welcome them. While interventions on this section have proven challenging due to the number of access points, limited land in public ownership and budgetary constraints, one measure that has been developed and proposed by Cork County Council is at Milebush, where it is hoped to provide improved access by utilising lands owned by the local authority. I hope that will be progressed this year.
I thank the Minister of State. The current stretch of the N25 national route between Carrigtwohill and Midleton remains a safety issue. The configuration of the road is dangerous. There are frequent accidents, some of which have been fatal. TII's collision analysis has confirmed the collision rate for the route is above average. Low standard junctions, medium crossings and direct access points to the road for properties are not encouraging safe travel. At peak times, it is not unusual to see traffic on two busy lanes travelling at high speed. I acknowledge that TII has recently confirmed funding of €500,000 for the Carrigtwohill to Midleton route. While I appreciate that TII is the authority tasked with planning, design and construction of individual national roads, will the Minister of State please advise what the latest funding will be allocated for? Is it the intention that the junction will remove dangerous median crossings at Ballyrichard and Water-rock? Will they be closed? Any additional information the Minister of State can provide would be welcome.
Deputy O'Shea, speaking on behalf of Deputy McCarthy, is right that the N25 is an important road. It is the road to Rosslare Europort and funnels traffic into Cork city. As I said, the interventions for junction safety on the N25 are a matter for Cork County Council in this case. It will identify the points the Deputy has outlined and the need for enhanced safety measures to be taken. Funding has been allocated to it. The important point for our Department is that this road has had a number of accidents and fatalities. We have allocated resources to the council to ensure we can have the on-ramp, off-ramp, access points and egress improved.
I will take the points the Deputy made back to Cork County Council and back to the NTA on behalf of Deputy McCarthy because it is about ensuring that road is safe. We have already seen a huge allocation of resources to the improvement of the road at the tunnel. This will further augment the work being done there.
I note that the N25 Carrigtohill to Midleton project was included in the latest national development plan review, which was published in November, as one of the roads projects to be advanced for future construction. It is, however, currently lagging behind the proposed upgrade to the Midleton to Youghal section of the N25 as no tendering or construction date has commenced or is yet outlined for the Carrigtohill to Midleton section. The situation is likely to worsen in future with thousands of housing units currently under development at Water Rock and more proposed for Midleton. This will put additional pressure on the already overburdened junction at the Lakeview roundabout in Midleton. This roundabout was upgraded with a slip road in 2019, which has made some difference. However, the whole design of the roundabout is no longer fit for purpose given the traffic volumes currently. Can the Minister confirm if the upgrade to the Lakeview roundabout will be progressed as one of the additional interventions proposed at the N25 Midleton to Youghal route? I am sure Deputy McCarthy will welcome any progress.
Government with the NTA and the council have allocated funding. This is a very important route. Living in and being from Cork, I recognise the volume of traffic has increased, and the number of accidents has increased. It is a priority for us in government. That is why we have allocated money after having had a pause. I will take the areas the Deputy mentioned back to Cork County Council because the issues he raised are a matter for the council in the main. I will articulate the views of Deputy McCarthy to the council. I will make the point to Deputy O'Shea that we have allocated €139 million in Exchequer funding to Cork County Council for national roads this year, which is an increase. I hope that as part of that allocation of funding, we will see the route and the junctions the Deputy mentioned are addressed by the council.
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