I thank Deputy Wall. I am taking this question on behalf of the Minister for Education and Youth. First, the Minister is committed to the provision of additional special places for children with special educational needs. Budget 2026 has secured funding for 3,000 new specialist places and the NCSE is currently examining where these places are best located for the 2026-27 school year. Over 2,700 new places have already been provided for the 2025-26 school year. This means there are now 3,742 special classes nationwide. We will build on this figure next year placing specialist provision where it can best meet existing and future demand. In County Kildare, 148 special classes are now in operation, providing capacity for 888 students. This includes 17 new special classes for this year. In addition, 16 new special schools have been established in recent years. Special school capacity has also been expanded across a number of special schools nationwide. Six of these special schools are in County Kildare, educating approximately 359 students with the most complex of special educational needs. These schools are supported by the Department and the NCSE. The NCSE will have a clear picture of local demand for special class places in the 2026-27 school year after it reviews and assesses all of the information that has been provided through the parents’ notification process, which closed on 1 October. The NCSE expects to start sanctioning new special classes for the 2026-27 school year shortly and the Department and the NCSE continue to consider options for increasing special school capacity. This can be achieved either through the expansion of existing special schools or the establishment of new special schools. A key focus will be on establishing new special classes in schools without an existing special class such as the school referred to by the Deputy, Scoil Bhríde in Lackagh. I recognise the crucial importance of the matter raised by the Deputy having listened to many of the testimonials provided by him. An earlier notification deadline was introduced this year to support forward planning and to equip the NCSE with timely local information on those students leaving school, transitioning to post-primary specialist places or seeking specialist placement and entering the education system for the first time. This information is critical when examining where provision needs to be placed to meet demand. The NCSE will also have due regard to any vacant places in existing special classes in an area and any places that will be become available through the normal movement of children leaving primary or post-primary school. I stress that the NCSE will continue to support all children made known to it after this date. However, it is critical that the NCSE has timely access to local knowledge to effectively plan future provision.

Sentiment score: 0.40

The Deputy did not just raise an important question, he did it so passionately as an advocate for the school he spoke of. I can fully understand his passion in this regard. All I can do is thank him for raising the matter and for giving me the opportunity to reassure the House that the Department of Education and Youth and the NCSE are committed to ensuring that all children can access an education that meets their needs. I heard what the Deputy said about local provision, which is hugely important. The Department continues to engage intensively with the NCSE regarding forward planning for new special provision to ensure every child has a place in an educational setting best fitting their educational need. It is important to remember that the vast majority of students with special educational needs are supported to attend school in mainstream classes with their peers. Central to this are the 15,000 special education teachers and 12,500 SNAs allocated to mainstream settings. For children with more complex needs, special classes or special school places are provided. This is in keeping with the policy on inclusive education, which advocates that children will be supported to receive an education in the most inclusive setting possible. The NCSE advises that a small number of special places remain in many counties for those seeking placement this year. While those places may not always be in a preferred school, vacancies do exist. The NCSE remains available to provide advice and support to all families seeking specialist placement and will continue to examine where provision is required for the 2026-27 school year.

Sentiment score: 0.53

While I am taking this question on behalf of the Minister for education, I hear very clearly what the Deputy is saying. As somebody who has championed carers' rights for many years, both at European Parliament level and at home, I fully hear the argument he is making. However, I have a response I will read to him and I will perhaps make one or two further comments. As the Deputy said, the carer’s leave scheme is regulated by the Carer’s Leave Act 2001, as amended. The terms and conditions of the carer's leave scheme for teachers are outlined in chapter 6 of the Department of Education and Youth’s Circular 54/2019, Leave Schemes for Registered Teachers employed in Recognised Primary and Post-Primary Schools. Under the terms of the circular, a teacher may apply for carer’s leave when they have satisfactorily completed one year’s continuous service with their current employer. This requirement is waived where a teacher is compulsorily redeployed into a school or where a school is amalgamated, provided that they have worked at least one full year in their former school prior to redeployment or amalgamation. Under section 24 of the Education Act 1998, as amended by the Education (Amendment) Act 2012, the board of management is the employer of teachers, SNAs and other staff of the school. In the case of community national schools, the ETB is the employer and not the board of management. Therefore, when a teacher moves to another school, they are changing employer. This is further confirmed by the contract of employment, which states that the employer is the board of management of the school. To reiterate, the Department of Education and Youth is not the employer. I hear what the Deputy says, but as the scheme is regulated by the Carer’s Leave Act 2001, as amended, it is not within the remit of the Department of Education and Youth to amend the eligibility criteria set out in the Act. It should be noted that the eligibility criteria set out in the Carer’s Leave Act 2001 applies to all employees of the State. As I said to the Deputy, I cannot go beyond the response that is in front of me, but he makes the case very clearly and compassionately. That is what he is asking for. If it is any help, I am certainly willing to make sure that his message gets to the Minister and is delivered very clearly as to the specific circumstances of the case. Perhaps he is right. Perhaps we need to change the law or there are some other solutions. I honestly cannot say but I can say this much: I certainly hear what he says and I remain open in any way I can to seeing whether I can help to provide a solution to this extremely difficult case.

Sentiment score: 0.15

I have a further response here reiterating all of what I said. To be honest with the Deputy, I know he does not want to hear it. Nonetheless, that is my role and responsibility this evening. The Deputy talked about bureaucracy, but it is also the law. He is an expert in this area where I am not, but perhaps the law is what needs changing and not so much the bureaucracy or how the law is implemented. As I said, the employer of all school staff is the individual school board or the board of management which manages the schools on behalf of patron bodies. The Department is not the employer. The carer's leave scheme is regulated by the Carer's Leave Act 2001, as amended. In line with the Act, the eligibility criteria for carer's leave includes the requirement for an employee to have been employed for a period of 12 months' continuous employment with their current employer. The Deputy has made the specific circumstances in this case very clear. As I said, I will bring it to the attention of the Minister, if the Deputy wants to speak to me afterwards or tomorrow. I am not saying I can do anything, but I will make sure this message is clearly brought. I will not read any more of what I have in front of me. I do not think it would be helpful.

Sentiment score: 0.14

I thank the Deputy for raising this important matter. I am taking this question on behalf of the Minister for Health. The Minister once again acknowledges the extraordinary role our healthcare workers played during the pandemic, as do I. They went far beyond the call of duty working on the front line, treating Covid-positive patients, and doing so in the early days when the protections we now take for granted were not yet in place. Their courage and commitment can never be forgotten. The Deputy has described well the price some of those workers have paid for that. In July 2022, a special scheme was introduced to provide support to eligible public health sector staff who developed long Covid. This was a temporary, exceptional measure, unique to the health sector, designed to acknowledge the risks faced by staff working in high-exposure environments before PPE, vaccination and widespread community transmission were established. The Department has advised that there are approximately 159 employees still in the scheme. Most of these staff have been supported with full pay for almost five years. The Department of Health has consistently worked to ensure that these staff are looked after and has requested that the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation agree to extend the scheme several times, as the Deputy mentioned, since its introduction. Following a Labour Court hearing in June of this year, a final extension was recommended. The scheme will now run until 31 December 2025, when it will formally conclude. The Department wants to be clear that the conclusion of this scheme does not mean that supports will end. Staff who remain unfit to return to work will transition seamlessly into the public service sick leave scheme, ensuring continuity of care and financial protection. Under that scheme, staff will receive full pay for three months, followed by half pay for three months. They will then have the option to apply for temporary rehabilitative remuneration, which can provide up to a further 547 days of paid leave. In addition, the critical illness protocol may provide supports for up to three years. Beyond financial supports, staff will also be entitled to reasonable accommodations to assist them in returning to work. This may include modified duties or adjusted work patterns while rehabilitating. These measures are designed to ensure that staff are supported not only financially but also practically as they recover and reintegrate into the workplace. While some EU countries recognised Covid-19 as an occupational illness, this applied to Covid-19 itself, not long Covid. To the Department's knowledge, no country provided sustained full pay for long Covid comparable to Ireland’s special scheme. The Minister for Social Protection has reviewed the EU recommendation on recognising Covid-19 as an occupational illness. It has been determined that Covid-19 does not meet the criteria required for recognition under the Social Welfare Acts. The Department wants to assure the House that, while the special scheme will conclude at the end of this year, the supports available to staff will continue under established public service arrangements.

Sentiment score: 0.18

I hope the Deputy will understand that I will not comment on his remark regarding former Members of this House who are unable to explain their rationale or whatever. However, as he asked, I will bring this to the attention of the Minister for Health, as it has been. I just happen to be answering tonight on her behalf. I again acknowledge the extraordinary service of our healthcare workers during the pandemic. The special scheme for long Covid was an exceptional measure introduced to recognise the unique risks faced by staff in those early days. It is important to say that it has provided sustained support for almost five years, a level of protection unmatched in any other sector. I personally agree that it is warranted. As the scheme concludes on 31 December, staff will not be left without support. They will transition automatically into the public service sick leave scheme with full access to the supports that provides, including temporary rehabilitative remuneration and the critical illness protocol. Reasonable accommodations will be available to assist all staff in returning to work. This approach at least tries to ensure fairness and equity across the public service while continuing to provide meaningful protection for those affected. Our priority remains to safeguard staff welfare, uphold the principle of equal treatment and ensure that those who gave so much during the pandemic are supported to recover. I reassure the House that the Department of Health will continue to work closely with the HSE, staff representatives and with colleagues across Government to ensure these supports are delivered effectively and compassionately.

Sentiment score: 0.20

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. I am taking this question on behalf of the Minister for housing, Deputy O'Brien. The Deputy will appreciate, and already knows, the supply of public water and provision of wastewater services in general are matters for Uisce Éireann in the first instance. Uisce Éireann has statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local level. Neither I nor Minister Browne have an operational function in the matter to which he refers. However, we have asked Uisce Éireann for an update on his behalf. First, Uisce Éireann is committed to addressing odour issues and supporting communities impacted by public wastewater infrastructure. As the national water services provider, Uisce Éireann manages approximately 26,000 km of public sewers across Ireland. This extensive network is continually monitored and maintained to ensure it operates effectively and minimises any impact on local communities. In response to complaints relating to odour in the Mulhuddart area specifically, and I think the Deputy referred to this, Uisce Éireann recently undertook significant improvement works upstream to enhance flows from Kilbride, County Meath. These works involved diverting flows away from Church Road and directing them eastwards. This diversion has already delivered a noticeable reduction in odour impacts across the wider area, improving conditions for residents and businesses. Does the Deputy know if this has had any impact? Some of what he has said is it seems to come and go. I am not sure what he is saying but certainly, if that is the case, that needs to be brought to the attention of Uisce Éireann because he is right, it is not good enough. However, further measures are planned for early in the new year to build on this progress, and I hope there has been some progress. These include sealing the old pipeline that is now disused following the diversion. Once sealed, the old manhole chambers will also be filled with concrete, eliminating potential sources of odour and further improving the local environment. While I personally know nothing about the specific situation, I believe that should be prioritised. It is important to note Uisce Éireann is responsible for the public wastewater network only. Odours arising from private side dwellings or internal plumbing fall outside its remit. However, it remains committed to investigating any reported issues within the public network and implementing solutions where required. Uisce Éireann teams continually review the network to identify opportunities for improvement and ensure that communities experience the highest possible standard of service. Uisce Éireann has established a dedicated team to deal with representations and queries from public representatives. I do not need to tell the Deputy what the email is and there is also a dedicated telephone number. Finally, the Commission for Regulation of Utilities, CRU, also provides a free complaint resolution service for customers who have submitted a complaint to Uisce Éireann and are unhappy with the outcome. Again, I presume I am telling the Deputy what he already knows but it does provide solutions.

Sentiment score: 0.24

I thank Deputy Donnelly. Again, without knowing any of the specifics, I agree with the Deputy and hopefully we are dealing with the final steps and that, as he said, it would be sealed up and concreted over. I agree nobody should have to live with that. I will again refer to what is contained in the response I have here. I think I can say with sincerity that Uisce Éireann would like to assure customers that it is committed to addressing odour issues and supporting communities impacted by issues relating to public wastewater infrastructure. The networks are continually monitored and maintained to ensure that they operate effectively and that any impact on local communities is minimised. From what the Deputy said, it appears that progress is being made. What needs to be done now is to get to the end point-----

Sentiment score: 0.41

-----in order that the Deputy will not have to raise this matter again and that nobody will have to respond to it again. The updated national development plan has secured record levels of investment of €12.2 billion for the water sector, of which €11.7 billion will be invested by Uisce Éireann to support the delivery of key strategic projects in our cities and regions in order to deliver the additional water services capacity required for the new housing targets, while prioritising public health and safeguarding the environment. That reflects the issue the Deputy raised.

Sentiment score: 0.26