Seanad Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 16 Apr 2024

Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters

Sport and Recreational Development

Senator Tim Lombard

I was not aware we had the wonderful Minister of State in front of us. I want to acknowledge the kind words the Cathaoirleach said. The Minister of State is a great ambassador for politics. I think he first ran for election in November 1982 and he is now a junior Minister. I am delighted to have him here.

I am bringing this issue of where we are going regarding athletics in County Cork to this forum this afternoon. This is a really important issue. We need get an understanding of how we can make sure athletics in Cork can be protected. We have a bizarre situation at the moment, in that there is no 400 m track available in the county. We also have a scenario where the Mardyke is now permanently closed due to issues with the track. The old track in the Munster Technological University, MTU, is permanently closed with no timeline as to when it will be brought into action.

There are 55 athletics clubs in County Cork, with 8,400 athletes competing. They have no track to train on or compete on at the moment. I believe the county championships for County Cork will have to be held in Kerry. Some people are now going to Limerick or Waterford to train because we do not have a suitable arena to cater for our athletes who are doing so much.

Not even that, we have international, high-performance athletes who cannot actually train in County Cork at the moment either because we do not have a 400 m track. It is absolutely bizarre. I am sure Members of this House and people looking in are thinking it is strange that a county the size of Cork, with more that 500,000 people, does not have a suitable track to train on.

As a result of that, I raise the case of what is happening in Bandon, particularly Bandon Athletic Club. This is a fantastic club, one of the biggest in Ireland and with an unbelievable track record. I have to mention two people in particular, Billy Good and Catherine Duggan, who did so much over the past few years. Poor Billy is no longer with us. It really is an area and a population that needs to see this track developed. They have done so much work in a very short space of time. They got a grant of €20,000 from Cork County Council and a sports capital grant of €290,000 in 2020. I visited the track in the last few weeks. Literally, all it needs is an injection of cash from the Government to make sure this track is completed and we will have what we rightly need, which is a suitable track for everyone to compete and train on.

At the moment, we have a crisis in Cork when it comes to athletics tracks. They do not exist. We need to find a plan. Bandon is up an running, literally. Please pardon the pun. We just need to finish it. The only way we can do so is to find emergency funding to be put in place to finish this unique project, which the community and the entire west Cork regions wants to have finished.

This is a suitable opportunity for the Government to step in and deliver the pot of money that is required. Otherwise, we will have the bizarre scenario of large numbers of people from County Cork travelling every weekend to Kerry, Limerick and Waterford to go training. It does not make sense. To think that the county championships are now going to be held in Kerry is absolutely bizarre.

We need intervention here. I am calling on the Minister with responsibility for sport to look at the pot of money that is available. There is an awful lot of money that has not been drawn down from the sports capital grant. This could be looked at regarding putting a special fund in place. If we do not, we will have a year with no running in this county. Not having a track available is simply unacceptable. We all talk about mental health and well-being and we want to encourage people to get outside after a terrible winter. We need to get funding for this, if we possibly can.

Acting Chairperson (Senator Erin McGreehan)

Thank you, Senator. I congratulate the Minister of State on his elevation and wish him the best of luck in his new role.

Minister of State at the Department of Health (Deputy Colm Burke)

I thank the Acting Chair. I thank the Cathaoirleach and Senator Lombard for their kind comments. I want to reassure people that this is not just for people from Cork. When I heard the Cathaoirleach earlier, I thought it was purely for people from Cork. I hope Senator Clonan did not feel excluded from the conversation.

Acting Chairperson (Senator Erin McGreehan)

We are always excluded from conversations about Cork.

Deputy Colm Burke

I thank Senator Lombard for raising this matter. I am here on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Catherine Martin, and Minister of State, Deputy Thomas Byrne, to respond and provide an update.

The sports capital and equipment programme, SCEP, is the primary vehicle for Government support for the development of sports and recreation facilities and the purchase of non-personal sports equipment throughout the country. Grants are available to: voluntary, not-for-profit sports clubs and community groups; national governing bodies of sport, NGBs; and local authorities. Third level colleges, education and training boards, ETBs, and schools may apply for funding provided that they do so jointly with external sports clubs or community organisations.

More than 13,000 projects have benefited from sports capital funding since 1998. The total allocation during that period stands at more than €1.15 billion. The programme for Government contains a commitment to continuing the SCEP and prioritising investment in disadvantaged areas. The 2020 round of the SCEP attracted 3,106 applications, with a total of €166.6 million allocated. Bandon Athletic Club has drawn down almost all of its allocation of €290,000 under that programme. I commend all associated with the club on their work. It was huge effort on a community and voluntary basis by members of the club.

The latest round of the SCEP - that is, for 2023 - closed for applications on Friday, 8 September 2023 and generated a record number of 3,210 applications. There are more than 350 applications from County Cork alone, seeking €40.5 million in total. In respect of athletics in Cork, applications have been received from Bandon Athletic Club, Bweeng Community Hall and Grounds CLG, Carraig na bhFear Athletic Club, Carrigaline Rugby and Athletics Partnership Company Limited, Munster Technological University - the athletics track facility, Durrus Athletic Club, Muinefliuch National School and St. Catherine’s Athletic Club.

The scoring system and assessment manual for the 2023 round has been finalised and published along with a list of all applications received by county including the relevant sport type for each application received. The detailed assessment work has commenced and equipment-only applications have been assessed first. I understand that the Minister and the Minister of State plan to announce these grants in the coming weeks. Work will then commence on assessing the capital applications, with the allocations to be announced later in the year.

Separately, the national sports policy, published in 2018, provided for the establishment of the large scale sport infrastructure fund, known as LSSIF. The aim of the fund is to provide support for large sports facilities where the Exchequer investment is greater than the maximum amount available under the SCEP. In December, the Minister and the Minister of State announced additional funding amounting to €37.6 million to 27 existing LSSIF projects, bringing the total awarded to date under the fund to €124 million. This additional funding for projects was provided in response to delays experienced by grantees arising from the pandemic and construction inflation.

One of the largest projects funded to date under the LSSIF is the Athletics Ireland and Munster Technological University - formerly Cork Institute of Technology - community sport project for the development of: an arena, phase 1; track upgrade, phase 2; and a high-performance athletic centre, phase 3, on the Bishopstown, Cork campus of the university. The project was awarded LSSIF moneys of €9.225 million in January 2020. It was awarded additional funding of €5.094 million in December of last year, bringing the total allocation for this project under the LSSIF to €14.3 million for all three phases. Phase 1 has been completed. Phase 2, the track upgrade, is due to be completed this summer. Preparatory work on phase 3 is progressing.

A new round of the LSSIF will open for applications in the first half of 2024, with the dates, terms and conditions to be confirmed in the coming weeks. While the LSSIF programme is aimed primarily at the sports NGBs and the local authorities, it is also open to other bodies, philanthropic funders, clubs and voluntary organisations to apply. However, such applications would necessarily have to be made and prioritised by a local authority, a governing body, or both.

Senator Tim Lombard

We need a viable solution for the athletics crisis in County Cork at the moment. That solution can be provided by Bandon Athletic Club, which has done all the preparation work and all the ground work, including kerbing. The provision of an injection of cash to put the actual track in place would mean we would have a track this summer. Unfortunately, if we do not have that, more than 8,000 people will have to travel outside the county. There is no real acknowledgement within the Department of the crisis we have at the moment. High performance athletes cannot train in County Cork at the moment because of the lack of a track. This is a unique situation. We have a unique solution. It is in the hands of the Minister to deliver it. If not, we will have a bizarre situation whereby our county championships will be held in County Kerry, our high performance athletes will have to train in Dublin, and the solution that is on the table, namely Bandon Athletic Club, will have to sit there for another round of funding. I appeal to the Minister of State. We need to do something special because this is going to involve 8,500 people who want to get out on the track. It is a no-brainer.

Deputy Colm Burke

I note the Senator's comments. I will certainly pass them back. As I said, I am here on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Catherine Martin, and the Minister of State, Deputy Thomas Byrne. I will certainly pass those comments back to them. I take on board the Senator's concerns about the non-availability of facilities. The Government recently agreed revised capital allocations under the national development plan, NDP, totalling €2.25 billion out to 2026. The additional allocations of capital funding for the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media up to 2026 will support key projects and programmes under the NDP such as the sports capital and equipment programme. The revised NDP capital allocations for the Department will allow for significant funding of the 2023 round of the sports capital programme. The Minister, Deputy Martin, and Minister of State, Deputy Byrne, will confirm the overall allocation for the next round of sports capital and equipment programme in the near future in the context of the ongoing assessment of the applications, which is currently under way. The Department’s capital allocations will also allow for a meaningful round 2 of the large-scale sports infrastructure programme. I note that the Minister and the Minister of State encourage all eligible sporting organisations, including the club under discussion, to consider whether an application under LSSIF would be appropriate.

Acting Chairperson (Senator Erin McGreehan)

I welcome Terry Leyden, a former Senator, to the House. He is in and out in half a minute and is very welcome today.

Disability Services

Senator Tom Clonan

I thank the Chairperson. Will the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, be here?

Acting Chairperson (Senator Erin McGreehan)

No.

Senator Tom Clonan

I was informed that the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, would take this Commencement matter.

Deputy Colm Burke

I am taking it.

Senator Tom Clonan

Does the Minister of State, Deputy Burke, have a response?

Deputy Colm Burke

I do.

Senator Tom Clonan

Apologies. Can we start the clock now? I am here to speak about the despicable practice by HSE disability service managers who are refusing to allow disabled citizens to avail of independent enablers - the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, calls them "enablers" - to allow them to have autonomy and choice in personal assistance.

I have two examples in CHO 6, where this seems to be a particular problem. In the case of one family, their son went to London in 2019 and suffered a traumatic brain injury. He was returned to them during Covid-19 and has no personal assistance. He is 29. He went to London with his whole life ahead of him and returned with a traumatic brain injury. Unlike the support and assistance he got with the UK National Health Service, there is nothing for him here. Therefore, he is at home with a traumatic brain injury, with his parents. There is funding for 40 hours a week.

The disability service manager in CHO 6, which includes Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, on her own cognisance, says he cannot use an independent enabler and must use an aged healthcare provider, like Rehab, for example, which is completely inappropriate to his needs.

At a meeting last May, the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, instructed the HSE to facilitate disabled citizens in this way, but I am getting increasing correspondence from disabled citizens all around the country whose disability services managers are saying, in an idiosyncratic and capricious manner, that they cannot use X service and must use a service of the manager's choosing. This is the result of a charity-based model of disability. I am sure my guests from Germany will be shocked to hear this because, in Germany, there is a rights-based approach to the provision of independent supports for disabled citizens.

I have another case, that of Lisa Domican, who was here for the previous Commencement matter. I am disappointed to note that, yet again, the Minister for Health, Deputy Donnelly, has failed to turn up here to give an explanation or answer. Lisa has two children, Grace, who is 24, and Liam, who is 26, both of whom suffer from autism, epilepsy, PMDD, and anxiety disorder. They are at home with no supports or care and the HSE will not allow Lisa to use an independent enabler so that they can have their own autonomy and independence.

I also got a letter from a beautiful lady whom I will call Bláithín because I do not want to give her real name. She is 86 and her husband, who uses a rollator, is 88. Their daughter got a brain tumour in 1970 when she was three years old and they have no supports. Bláithín tells me in this letter - Members can see her beautiful handwriting - that she got cancer two years ago and is just recovering. She is not supposed to lift anything, but in the wonderful Ireland of 2024, she is expected to lift her 58-year-old daughter out of her wheelchair and into bed every day. Yet again, there is funding in place, provided by people like the Minister, Deputy Rabbitte, but the HSE refuses to allow Bláithín and her family to use an enabling broker to get an independent personal assistant service. Imagine an 88-year-old man on a rollator and his 86-year-old wife, who is a cancer survivor, being expected to lift their 58-year-old daughter in and out of bed. I am ashamed of what is happening in this country. This is happening despite the care referendum, when more than 1.2 million Irish people voted to have independent supports, outside of the family, for disabled citizens.

Why are HSE managers bullying families throughout the country in this way? Why are they bullying disabled citizens and being allowed to get away with it, despite the explicit instruction of the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, and the Minister, Deputy Donnelly that this be otherwise and that citizens would have a rights-based, independent, autonomous set of supports?

Deputy Colm Burke

I thank Senator Clonan for raising this important matter today, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte. The personal assistant service was developed to provide a service for adults with physical disabilities that enables them to live their lives as independently as possible and take decision-making control. Persons with a disability determine the support they need and the activities with which they need support. Typically, personal assistant services are delivered through some section 38, but mostly section 39, organisations that have service-level agreements with the HSE.

As part of the HSE-wide requirement to ensure appropriate governance arrangements that underpin the release of the funding of agencies, a governance framework for funded agencies has been developed which ensures a consistent approach in this regard. The HSE must have in place appropriate contractual arrangements, service arrangements and grant aid agreements with all agencies that have funding released to them for the provision of services, in accordance with sections 38 and 39 of the Health Act 2004 and NFR B6. The framework was established to implement the legislative provisions of the Health Act 2004 and to reflect the requirement for public accountability whereby the HSE is legally obliged to account for all public expenditure on health and personal social services. The framework seeks to provide a level of governance which links funding provided to a quantum of services and provides for these services to be linked to quality standards, with continuous monitoring to ensure equity, efficiency and the effective use of available resources.

Home Care Direct Limited is a private company set up in 2012 and operates a recruitment platform for disability service users to access personal assistants - home care staff. The Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, met Home Care Direct in May 2023 with regard to personal assistants. At that meeting personalised budgets were also discussed as a small number of individuals are availing of personal assistant services outside the traditional service providers pathway as part of the personalised budget plan.

The pilot is trialling three different models of how personalised budgets may be accessed by people with disabilities. Model A is a person-managed fund, often referred to as a direct payment model. This payment option attracts particular legal and financial responsibilities for the individual, including administrative and employee management responsibilities. Model B is a co-managed fund with a service provider where the funding is paid directly to an existing HSE contracted service provider with services provided based on an individual's choices and decision as detailed in their personal support and spending plan. Model C is a broker-managed fund where a broker would support a person to manage their personalised budget with terms and conditions set out in a contract between the person and the broker. In practice, this model would also require a service agreement to facilitate the disbursement of funds.

Home Care Direct confirmed at that meeting that it did not wish to enter into a service-level agreement with the HSE and it was agreed that its business model fell more in line with a direct payment model.

I understand that the Senator met the HSE in February and it was confirmed that the only mechanism for the disbursement of Exchequer funds to provide a private service provider was via the service arrangement process. If Home Case Direct wishes to engage the personalised budget pilot outside of the direct payment model the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, would encourage it to liaise with the HSE once again which will be happy to support it in developing documentation to ensure it meets the standard of a service arrangement.

Senator Tom Clonan

thank the Minister of State. I am disappointed to note that his response really does not answer the question or meet the needs of the people who have contacted me. It is essentially not the case that direct payments can only be made through a service agreement. It is common practice in community healthcare organisations all over the country, and west of the Shannon in particular, that companies such as Home Care Direct facilitate independent supports for disabled citizens. It is not correct to say this is the only mechanism by which direct payments can be made.

I appeal to the Minister of State to impress upon Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, and the Minister, Deputy Donnelly, that people are in absolute crisis and it is a very easy fix. I receive correspondence, such as the letter from Bláithín, every day. I note the Minister of State seems to have rowed back on her position somewhat, where she would ask colleagues in the HSE to facilitate families. This is what we are about. We purport to support the independent human rights of disabled citizens. We had a very expensive Government campaign which said that disability rights are human rights so can we see some action on this? I appreciate the Minister of State's response and I conclude by echoing the congratulations from our fellow Senators. Comhghairdeas and well done.

Deputy Colm Burke

I thank the Senator. I, too, have come across very similar cases to those he mentioned, so I very much understand the challenges there. Finally, I thank the Senator for raising this important issue for discussion today. It is acknowledged that there are differences in the delivery of personal assistant services around the country. The Action Plan for Disability Services 2024-2026 commits to a policy review of personal assistant services in light of the UNCRPD with a working group involving key stakeholders and disabled persons' organisations. The Senator may be aware of the personal assistance review group established by the HSE. The purpose of the personal assistance, PA, review group is to develop a protocol for the eligibility and allocation of PA services based on a universally agreed definition in collaboration with the Minister of State's Department, people with disabilities and service providers.

The terms of reference of the group are: to carry out a comprehensive review of current personal assistance service delivery; identification and evaluation of best practices in personal assistant services from a national and international context; an examination of the legal and regulatory framework governing personal assistance service in Ireland, identifying any gaps or areas of improvement and providing recommendations for legislative policy or changes; and a comprehensive report outlining a roadmap for the improvement and enhancement of personal assistance services. In respect of the personalised budget demonstration project, it is expected that the pilot will move towards evaluation in 2024.

I accept what the Senator is saying in that the ageing population is increasing. Within five years, there will be more than 1 million people in that cohort and we will have more challenges. Therefore, it is important that we have the correct structure in place as well.

Abortion Services

Senator Annie Hoey

I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I have a health topic for the Minister of State, as he peruses different topics here today.

Following on from the "RTÉ Investigates" programme broadcast last night - I hope the Minister of State has seen it and, if not, I would certainly recommend he take a look at it - I want to ask the Minister, or the Minister of State, Deputy Burke, on behalf of the Minister, when the recommendations of the O'Shea report will be enacted and what timeline the Government has put in place for examining those recommendations and enacting them. Anyone who saw the programme last night will surely agree that we are in urgent need of legislative action. The documentary shone a light on the harsh reality of the exclusionary and restrictive provisions of the law. I refer to the Marie O'Shea report. This review was published in April 2023, yet progress on many of the recommendations is awaited.

The call for immediate action is also reflected in the conclusions of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Health, of which both Deputy Colm Burke and I have been members. Its December 2022 report supported the review's recommendations, describing them as necessary measures to ensure the 2018 Act meets the needs of women and pregnant people. The health committee report called on the Government to advance the implementation of the report without delay.

I acknowledge efforts to improve operational aspects of abortion services in the past year, including that 17 of the 19 maternity hospitals are now providing care, but we still have significant barriers to equitable and accessible abortion services. These barriers include ongoing criminalisation, the mandatory and patriarchal three-day wait, inadequate data collection, lack of safe access zones, uneven geographical coverage and the narrow rigid legal criteria for abortion access after 12 weeks, including the 28-day clause for fatal foetal anomalies. These obstacles have resulted in women and pregnant people being denied timely reproductive healthcare and, in many cases, being forced to travel abroad.

I do not believe that is what we voted for. I remember spending quite some time on that referendum campaign. We were putting women and their stories out - really hard, difficult stories of fatal foetal abnormalities discovered after 12 weeks, having to travel and having to live with the shame and secrecy. Those are the things that we went door-to-door talking to people about. I do not believe what we saw last night on that documentary is reflective of what people voted for.

On the documentary last night, we heard about a couple whose baby, Rose, had to be brought back on ice. The couple had to put their baby's body in the boot of the car and cover it with coats in order that they could get it through customs. I do not believe that is what people voted for. Another couple talked about having to leaving their son behind because they wanted to get a post mortem and coming back five weeks later to find their son's body decomposed. I do not believe that is what we voted for in May 2018. I do not believe that is what the people wanted to see continuing to happen to women.

It is estimated that 860 women have travelled from Ireland to the UK to access abortion services since the eighth amendment was repealed, with 85 suspected to have travelled in the first part of 2022. I personally know a number of women who still have to travel. I am stunned that I know people who have to travel. I do not believe that is what we voted for.

We need necessary legislative and operational steps. These include full decriminalisation of abortion in line with the WHO guidelines to remove the chilling effect on healthcare providers. We need to remove the mandatory three-day wait period. We need to review the 12-week gestation limit to ensure women and pregnant people are not timing out of care and forced to travel abroad. The citizens' assembly recommended a 22-week cut-off limit for fatal foetal abnormalities. This is not outside the realms of what was discussed during the process we got to ahead of 2018. We need to recruit a HSE primary care lead for termination of pregnancy to address gaps in training, guidance and data collection.

We need to expedite the safe access zones legislation. We will be dealing with that in here later today. We also need to regulate rogue crisis pregnancy agencies, which are acting with impunity.

Deputy Colm Burke

I thank Senator Hoey for her contributions in the Joint Committee on Health. I enjoyed being on that committee with her. The Minister, Deputy Donnelly, has asked me to deal with this Commencement matter.

I thank the Senator for giving me this opportunity to address the House on the review of the operation of the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018. The Act was signed into law on 20 December 2018 and expanded termination of pregnancy services have been available since 1 January 2019. The Act allows termination to be carried out in cases where there is a risk to the life, or of serious harm to the health, of the pregnant woman where there is a condition present that is likely to lead to the death of the foetus either before or within 28 days of birth and without restriction up to 12 weeks of pregnancy. This is in line with the recommendations of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution, which published its report and recommendations in December 2017. Prior to the May 2018 referendum on the eighth amendment, the general scheme of the Bill to regulate the termination of pregnancy was published. The final legislation enacted is consistent with the published proposals.

In line with statutory and Government commitments, the Minister for Health commenced the review of the operation of the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018 at the end of 2021. The final report of the review was submitted to the Minister at the end of February 2023. The report makes a range of recommendations, most of which are operational in nature with some proposing legislative change. The report was considered by the Cabinet on 25 April 2023. Following the meeting, the Government agreed that the HSE would establish an implementation group to progress the operational recommendations while the proposals recommending legislative changes were referred to the Joint Committee on Health for consideration. In December 2023, the Joint Committee on Health issued its report on the legislative recommendations. The Minister for Health has now asked for further consideration of this issue at the Cabinet committee on health.

The HSE established an implementation group and identified the recommendations that relate to the operation of the service. An action plan for the implementation of these recommendations has been developed and ten workstreams have been identified. The implementation group is chaired by the director of the HSE's national women and infants health programme. The national implementation group includes multidisciplinary representation comprising healthcare professionals across the termination of pregnancy pathway and service users with lived experience of TOP services. The first meeting of the implementation group took place in October 2023. This was followed by five subgroup meetings held in December 2023. Meetings of this group are ongoing.

An overriding message of the review centres on the need to increase access. Substantial strides have been made in this regard. For instance, six additional hospitals came on board in 2023, an increase of 55%. Termination services in early pregnancy, up to 12 weeks, are now provided in 17 of the 19 maternity hospitals, with the remaining two expected to come on board in 2024. There has also been a small but sustained increase in the number of community providers. Approximately 20 additional providers have come on board in the last 12 months alone. Furthermore, the revised model of care introduced in response to the Covid pandemic has now been approved as the enduring model of care. With this blended approach, it is possible for one of the two consultations required for termination in early pregnancy to take place remotely. This will alleviate the time and expense involved in travelling to the doctor's surgery twice and will be of particular benefit to those seeking to access services in remote areas or areas that are poorly served at present.

Safe access legislation is at an advanced stage. It is in progress through the Houses of the Oireachtas. The next Committee Stage session is to take place in this House this evening. It is the Government's priority to have this legislation enacted as soon as possible.

It is hoped that the cumulative effect of these measures will substantially reduce the barriers and increase access to services for those who need it.

Senator Annie Hoey

Many of the changes outlined by the Minister of State are not the required legislative changes that we need to see. That is what we want. The recommendations that emerged from the review have a robust evidence base and are rooted in qualitative research of the lived experience of women and pregnant people who have accessed abortion services since the commencement of the Act. This is a Government-commissioned review, so we need to immediately progress legislative amendments and service developments that accurately reflect the findings of the review, the research underpinning the recommendations that came out of the review and international best practice as set out by the World Health Organization.

The review clause was put in because we recognise that healthcare cannot remain frozen in time. I am aware that here are plans, but the Government cannot delay the legislative and operational changes any further. We need political leadership to ensure that Ireland's reproductive healthcare system is both equitable and is capable of responding to the emerging evidence and clinical best practice in order that it can meet the needs of women and pregnant people. We voted for care, compassion and dignity. Until we make legislative provision for the recommendations contained in the O'Shea report, we are simply not going to get what we for.

Deputy Colm Burke

It is worth noting that the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018 is of relatively recent provenance and has been in operation for just over five years. For much of that time its operation was affected by the challenges resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic. Nonetheless, it is recognised that the service has embedded well into the health sector, as outlined. We now have 17 of the 19 maternity units providing that service and the other two will come onboard in 2024. It is acknowledged, however, that some challenges remain. The Department of Health will continue to work with the HSE and other relevant stakeholders to address those challenges and ensure that the service is available to those who need it.

Primary Care Centres

Senator Micheál Carrigy

I congratulate the Minister of State on his new role. It is well deserved. I wish him luck.

I will be short and to the point. There is a shortage of primary care centres within my home county of Longford. There has been a great deal of discussion and many promises have been made. However, we are no further on with those promises. When will we see construction in order to provide much-needed upgraded primary care centres for towns in the county? I refer to three towns in particular. Ballymahon is located in south Longford. It has a population of more than 2,000 and is home to the largest tourism accommodation site in the county, with more than 2,500 people coming in and out of the area twice a week and staying within the geographical area around Ballymahon. Edgeworthstown, which experienced the highest increase in population of any town in Ireland between 2006 and 2011 due to the significant number of houses built, has a population of 2,500 to 3,000 people. Granard in north Longford services a huge rural hinterland that runs into parts of Westmeath and Cavan. In reality, we have not seen any progress on these projects. They have been talked about and promised but nothing has been delivered. I want an update on all three projects and I want to know when we will see progression and action in respect of them. As already stated, they need to be developed.

Deputy Colm Burke

This is a very important matter. On behalf of the Minister for Health, Deputy Donnelly, I thank the Senator for raising it and giving me the opportunity to provide an update.

The central objective of the programme for Government is to deliver increased levels of integrated healthcare, with service delivery reoriented towards general practice, primary care and community-based services to enable a home-first approach. Integral to this is the development of primary care centres in local communities across the country. Significant progress has been made in the delivery of these centres, with 174 open to date and a further seven under construction and due to open this year. These primary care centres offer a tangible example of the investment the Government is making in community-based healthcare infrastructure.

The operational lease model is often the preferred model for developing primary care centres because it has the potential to offer better value for money and enable streamlined delivery of projects. Under this model, the HSE enters into fixed-term leases with the developers. The HSE identifies the locations requiring a primary care centre and invites interested parties to express their interest in providing suitable accommodation by way of public notice in national and our local press.

With regard to Ballymahon primary care centre, the HSE advises that, while this project had previously progressed through to early planning stage, the original bidder is no longer involved in this project. As such, it is now intended that a new expression of interest competition will be initiated in May 2024 to deliver a primary care centre in Ballymahon via the operational lease model in Ballymahon. Regarding Granard primary care centre, the HSE advises it is intended that a capital funding application will be submitted to purchase a site and develop a primary care centre utilising Exchequer funding. Regarding Edgeworthstown primary care centre, following advertisement and review of submissions, a preferred bidder has been selected. A property transaction approval form was prepared and approved by the HSE property review group in December 2023. The developer is currently reviewing the schedule of accommodation for the GP, and legal negotiations have just commenced between the HSE and the developer’s solicitors.

These primary care centres will be a welcome addition to the people and healthcare workers of Longford. Unfortunately, it is not possible to estimate an opening date until agreements are in place and a construction schedule has been confirmed. However, I assure the Senator that this Government remains committed to the provision of these primary care centres for Longford and remains committed to the continued development of primary care centres throughout the country.

Senator Micheál Carrigy

I thank the Minister of State for saying the Government is committed to the development of the three centres. I ask that we progress all of them, particularly the one in Granard in respect of which the Minister of State said there seems to be change from what was initially planned for, namely, an operational lease model, and that they are looking to purchase a site. Will the Minister of State tell me which location this is planned for? This seems to have deviated from what was originally planned and my understanding of what was going to be developed.

The original bidder in Ballymahon has now gone. The expression of interest competition should be initiated by 24 May and not pushed down. I intend to ensure those dates are adhered to. I thank the Minister of State for the commitment that has been given that these will be provided in County Longford.

Deputy Colm Burke

It is a very important issue and these are very important developments in the area. On behalf of the Minister, I thank the Senator for raising this issue. The primary care centres provide important primary care infrastructure and can support the delivery of integrated care by facilitating closer co-ordination and co-operation between health professionals across different disciplines. They also provide a single point of access to services for the individual and can serve as a resource more broadly for the community, creating a focal point for local health initiatives or providing community groups with a place to meet.

It is for this reason the development of primary care centres is an important part of Sláintecare. As part of the continued Government investment in the development of primary and community care, there are now 174 primary care centres operational nationally, of which 45 became operational since the beginning of 2020. A further seven centres are in construction and many more are at an earlier stage in the development process.

The three primary care centres in Longford - Ballymahon, Granard and Edgeworthstown - are all at early stages of development. The HSE continues to engage with these projects to progress through the stages of the operational lease model or by capital funding submissions.

This Government remains committed to the continued progression of the primary care centre programme throughout the country, including planned primary care centre development in Longford. I recently attended the opening of a primary care centre in Ballincollig in my constituency. It has a population of about 25,000, and now three GP practices have moved in there. We also have psychiatric and physiotherapy services. We even have transferred part of the ophthalmology service out of Cork University Hospital. This service is now out in the community and is serving a population of 72,000, so they are very important. I take on board the Senator's comments and will convey them to the Minister.

Acting Chairperson (Senator Erin McGreehan)

I thank the Minister of State and welcome the Minister, Deputy McConalogue.

Agriculture Industry

Senator Robbie Gallagher

I thank the Minister for being here. His schedule is a very busy one and I appreciate him taking the time to respond on this Commencement matter. Everyone can agree the phrase "April showers" has taken on a whole new aspect this year, with torrential rain saturating the ground across the entire country. When people's livelihood and the welfare of their animals or crops are so seriously affected by something over which they have absolutely no control, it has to take a toll on their mental health, no matter how strong any individual might be.

Up until now there have been relatively strong supplies of extra fodder available and farmers have been helping each other out with that, which is good. However, as each day of April ticks by, these stocks deplete while the prospect of land being able to take stock or machinery remains poor and in some cases is non-existent. We will all experience tough times in our lives. Mental health problems can range from a low or a sad period to more serious depression or anxiety, with a small number of people going on to experience severe mental health problems. All farmers face increasing challenges, with falling incomes in some instances, higher costs, increased regulation and red tape, isolation and long working hours. However, it is clear the consistent rainfall we are currently experiencing affects no one more than it does the farming community. It is at such times we must support them and do so often. Farmers need to be alerted to the supports available, such as those from Mental Health Ireland, Pieta House, the HSE and other local services. I call on the Department to take a lead in this regard in order that farmers who need help can see a clear pathway to it. Farmers need to recognise the symptoms of stress, identify the causes and take steps to reduce it and, indeed, manage it. By doing these three simple things, people can improve their quality of life and make their farm a safer place. Talking about your problems is proven to have a positive impact on how you feel.

In summary, I am very concerned about the mental health of many of our farmers throughout the length and breadth of the country due to this unprecedented weather. When your livelihood depends on being able to go outside and work and be in a position to financially support your family but you cannot do those things, it has a very negative effect on an individual's mental health. That is why it is imperative the Department clearly shows a pathway to farmers to enable them to reach out and find help if they need it. I look forward to the Minister's response.

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Deputy Charlie McConalogue)

I thank Senator Gallagher for raising this matter. He is absolutely right; it has been a really stressful time for farmers throughout the country. It has been an unprecedentedly long winter in many ways, with animals being housed, in many cases, from last September up to today. That is the guts of a seven-month winter and puts massive pressure on farmers. Dairy farmers are going out to milk every morning and are still not able to get the cows out to grass. That means pressure. Other farmers are calving cows and lambing sheep with the weather beating down on top of them while they are perhaps trying to find a sick animal and having to deal with all that on their own. Tillage farmers are listening to the rain beating down when they are waiting to get out to plough or till and there is stress that comes along with that. Farming can be solitary and lonely these days and it is important that people support one another in a neighbourly way through that in any way they can and that they reach out. It is important that people talk and share the challenges and stresses around this.

Of course, it is really important that we at Government level recognise the pressure farmers are under and move in any way we can to support them to go through that. It is something I have been very much conscious of. I have been trying to work to prevent a situation where we are short of fodder by ensuring we are prepared in advance as best we can be.

To help with that, I established the fodder and food security committee in March 2022 and gave it the remit of preparing an industry response to the supply challenges resulting from the illegal invasion of Ukraine. I recognise the work of Mike Magan as chairman of that committee. The committee has been meeting and working closely with all agricultural stakeholders and farm organisations on the committee and with Teagasc under the leadership of Frank O'Mara. It has had meetings over the course of the autumn and into the winter. It had a meeting on 29 March and, very recently, on 9 April. The committee has concluded that, notwithstanding the difficulties being experienced by some farmers, there are, overall, sufficient stocks of fodder in the country and available to purchase.

With ground conditions being particularly challenging, there is grass in the fields, but until they dry up, farmers are struggling to use it. Teagasc is giving advice on how it can be best utilised in the meantime.

I have tasked Teagasc with helping and providing support to farmers who are short of fodder to get supply locally, if at all possible. It has set up a register and, so far, there have been twice as many offers of fodder as people asking for it. That is encouraging and reflects the fodder committee's feeling there is enough fodder in the country. It is important that support continues.

I ran a fodder scheme least year where I paid up to €1,000 per farm to make up to 25 acres of silage or hay to make sure we had enough stock in the country and were as prepared as possible for a long winter. Farmers responded well to that and 67,000 farmers applied for the scheme. Farmers worked hard and made a lot of fodder. That has been important in ensuring through this long winter there are stocks in the country and, unlike 2013 and 2018, we do not have to import.

There may be a shortage in some parts of the country. I put in place last week a transport subsidy scheme of €30 per round bale or €40 per tonne of silage to help farmers with transport where necessary. However, the first preference is to get it locally.

The tillage sector is under particular pressure. At the Fianna Fáil Ard-Fheis last weekend, I announced my commitment to delivering €100 per hectare for all farmers who put seed in the ground for this year's crop, either winter cereals or looking at planting now if the weather improves. That is a commitment of €100 per hectare for all tillage ground and all field crops and field vegetables, which I will find the money for. I give that commitment to tillage farmers so they know what is facing them and have confidence, in a difficult year, to plant and get the crop in the ground.

Senator Robbie Gallagher

I thank the Minister for his comprehensive response. Like myself, he was born and raised on a farm so I know he gets this and knows exactly what we are talking about. As he alluded to, farming can be a lonely occupation where people work on their own and have a lot of time to think. At this time, farmers and their families are under severe mental health pressure. It is incumbent on us to make sure any farmer experiencing difficulty knows there is a clear pathway for them and help out there. I plead with anybody not to suffer alone and to reach out for the help that is there. I thank all the organisations offering help to farmers. It is good to talk, as the old adage goes.

Deputy Charlie McConalogue

I know Senator Gallagher is a strong advocate for the farming community across his Cavan-Monaghan constituency and is in tune with farmers there and the pressure they are under. It has been a difficult year in his locality, as it has been in many other parts of the country. We have been conscious of that in government. As Minister I have worked to make sure we have responded as this has evolved, working closely with all stakeholders through the fodder committee, tasking Teagasc to provide support, introducing the fodder transport scheme and, most recently, introducing the €100/ha for tillage farmers and those who plant crops for harvest in 2024.

I have also paused all non-essential farm inspections until 22 April to give some breathing space to farmers, understanding the stresses they are under at this time.

We will continue to support farmers at Government level in every way we can, but it is also important that farmers at local level watch out for one another and give that support, because it has been a challenging time and it was a hell of a long winter. Looking outside today, we hope the weather will continue to improve as the week goes on and that things will look up, but we do not know that will be the case and it is important we share our challenges in the meantime.

Acting Chairperson (Senator Erin McGreehan)

I thank the Minister for his support. We all know he is there.

Office of Public Works

Acting Chairperson (Senator Erin McGreehan)

I welcome the Minister of State.

Senator Vincent P. Martin

I thank Deputy O’Donnell for his attendance in Seanad Éireann and congratulate him on his recent appointment as Minister of State with responsibility for the Office of Public Works. It is appreciated that he has reached out to and met all the Kildare North Oireachtas Members. We hope he can help break the logjam, with a new set of eyes injecting and instilling a fresh approach and, if you like, a type of cold-case review. He will no doubt be aware all Oireachtas Members in Kildare North have adopted a non-party political approach, united in the sole purpose of achieving a resolution for all.

Castletown House is an 18th-century, neo-Palladian country house built within an extensive estate. In 1994, the OPW took on responsibility for both the house and the estate. Initially, this included only 13 acres of land, including the house. It has long been the policy of the OPW to seek to reunite the historic Castletown estate and, as the Minister of State is no doubt aware, in 1997, 100 acres south of the house was acquired. The farmyard adjacent to the house was acquired in 2001 and in 2006, the lands associated with the Batty Langley Lodge were acquired, as were former Coillte lands to the north and east of the house in 2007. Since 2008, the OPW has reassembled, and fair play to it, 227 acres of the original 580 acres of land that forms part of the historic demesne. It is well documented, however, that last year, 235 acres of the Castletown lands was sold on the open market, with the Office of Public Works outbid in its efforts to reunite these lands. The OPW is repeatedly on record as stating it is willing to purchase the lands at a fair price - I presume that means the market value - but the problem is that, to date, an agreement to purchase the lands has not been reached, which is very frustrating.

This is clearly the long-term, permanent solution. Let us put the landowners' bona fides to the test. Will the Minister of State please reactivate a meaningful dialogue as soon as possible to achieve both short-term access solutions and the long-term resolution? Will he also help restore trust, which has been fractured, between the OPW and the local community? His presence on the ground and a hands-on approach have the potential to be a catalyst for good. Celbridge has in recent years experienced a large increase in population and desperately needs more recreational amenities, yet it is enduring restriction after restriction in respect of access to these lands. One of the local community's pro bono legal advisers, the lawyer Peter Paul Hughes, is on record as stating that the recognised, standard and tried-and-tested process of a green valuation needs to be fully utilised and exhausted and that that not only needs to be done but that it needs to be seen to have been done.

That process involves two independent valuers being appointed and a price being agreed.

At a recent public meeting, Councillor Nuala Killeen summed it up when she stated that there is not a snowball's chance of county councillors rezoning amenity lands on these historic grounds to allow for residential development. Celbridge is starved of adequate and proper recreational and sporting facilities. I hope the Minister of State's recent appointment will instil new hope and that his input will break the logjam.

Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform (Deputy Kieran O'Donnell)

I thank Senator Martin for his interest in Castletown House and estate. Since becoming Minister of State with responsibility for the OPW just last Wednesday, I have heard from Members representing Kildare North how important Castletown House and estate are and how much the communities enjoy and value them, and we have met. More broadly, Castletown House is of international importance as a result of its built heritage and collections.

The OPW took ownership of Castletown House and estate in 1994. While this initially only involved 13 acres, it has long been the policy of the OPW to seek to reunite the historic Castletown estate. That remains OPW and Government policy. In 1997, 100 acres south of the house was acquired. The farmyard adjacent to the house was acquired in 2001. In 2006, lands associated with the Batty Lodge were acquired. Former Coillte lands to the north and east of the house were acquired in 2007. Since 2008, the OPW has reassembled 227 acres of the original 580 acres of land that formed the historic demesne.

Much of the original demesne lands acquired over the years were in poor condition. The OPW has worked to open up the lands and restore many of the landscape features, particularly the historic network of pathways across the estate and the vista towards Conolly's Folly. The restoration of the historic pathways began in 2007. There has also been a concerted effort to manage the estate for biodiversity. The landscape managed by the OPW is an exemplar site for the all-Ireland pollinator plan, with some grasslands of annex I quality under the EU habitats directive. Extensive pollinator surveys have been conducted and have identified a large number of bumblebee, butterfly, hoverfly and solitary bee species. Other studies have recorded a high diversity of tree and bird and other invertebrate species. The landscape is of high value to grassland plants regionally due to the increasingly urban nature of the surrounding landscape.

In 2007, the OPW worked with the owner of the adjacent lands to develop an entrance and carpark from the M4 slipway. This removed traffic from the environs of the house. The lands encompassing the new access and carpark were retained in private ownership and were used by the OPW under licence from the landowner, Janus Securities. As part of the policy to seek to reunite the historic Castletown demesne lands with the house and lands in the care of the State, the OPW has sought on several occasions to purchase the lands in question from Janus Securities, including when the lands were offered for sale on the open market in 2022. However, despite the very best efforts of the OPW, the State was outbid in the open market process and, ultimately, the lands were acquired by a private purchaser. The OPW sought to make a new agreement with the new landowner but this was not successful despite substantial negotiations to agree a licence agreement, multiple offers to purchase all or part of the private landholdings and a mediation process last September which resulted in no outcome.

Vehicular access has not been available to OPW staff since September 2023 from the M4 slipway. While the private owner of the access road from the M4 continued to allow members of the public to continue to use this carpark, they withdrew permission for the OPW staff to cross their private lands. My predecessor as Minister of State, Deputy Patrick O’Donovan, set up the Castletown House and estate stakeholders working group to address issues of access to Castletown House and estate and the reunification of the historic demesne of Castletown House. This working group has been meeting since October 2023. The group includes representatives of the community and all of the local political representatives and Oireachtas representatives in the area. The group has met many times. However, in spite of the significant efforts by all members, it is disappointing for everyone that more progress has not been made.

Despite this genuine engagement by all Members, it remains that there continues to be no vehicular access for OPW staff to Castletown House and estate. This is impacting the community by reduced opening hours for access to the estate. I know that all elected representatives understand the importance of Castletown House as the most popular visitor attraction in Kildare. The importance of the wider estate for biodiversity and habitats is another important visitor attraction. The tearooms that were used extensively by both visitors and the local community remain closed.

I have no doubt that there is a strong commitment by the community, OPW, locally elected councillors and the Members of these Houses, to find a resolution. I will work, and I have made that commitment to the Oireachtas Members to date, to support a resolution to all challenges.

I understand that recently planning permission was granted for the carpark located on the privately owned lands that is accessed from the M4. While the grant of this planning is noted, it will take some time to understand the impact of it and the OPW is currently studying same.

I wish to reassure Senator Martin that I remain committed, as does the OPW, to find a resolution. Castletown House and its estate is a landmark public amenity. I remain committed to working with the Oireachtas Members, local councillors and, more particularly, the community groups in the area to find a resolution to this particular issue.

Senator Vincent P. Martin

I thank the Minister of State for his response. I commend the OPW on the work that it has done to open up the lands and restore many of the landscape features, particularly the historic network of pathways across the State, as mentioned by the Minister of State. There has also been a concerted effort, as stated by the Minister of State, to manage the estate from a biodiversity perspective. I would like to place on the record my gratitude for that most important work.

Does the Minister of State accept that the long-term solution is to reunite the lands? One would expect getting the chequebook out would be the difficult part but the Office of Public Works has said that it is willing to buy it at a fair price at market value. That is the long-term permanent solution. Of course short-term remedies must be delivered as soon as possible but the long-term solution is a fantastic outcome for all. I hope the Minister of State can hit the ground running in his new post, as he has done, and let us deliver, not just for Kildare but for Ireland, this jewel in the crown of our heritage.

Deputy Kieran O'Donnell

I thank the Senator. Obviously, I note how committed the Senator, other Oireachtas Members, councillors and, more particularly, the community groups in the area are to this issue.

The OPW has long had the policy to seek to reunite the historic Castletown estate. That remains OPW policy. As things stands, the OPW is committed to resolving, as I am, the issues of staff accessing the manor and respects the interests of our staff and the local community while at the same time believing in our responsibility to preserve and maintain this important heritage site. We want to see it reopened but we are very cognisant of the particular issues that arise at the moment. I want to work in a collaborate way with everyone to seek a resolution and I am working on that with my Department and the OPW.

Recent developments, through the working of a pilot scheme, highlight the complexity involved in finding a balanced solution that addresses the needs of all stakeholders. I believe all stakeholders want to see Castletown House and estate, and the OPW's team, welcoming both visitors and the local community to enjoy the fine weather and long evenings of the summer. I can see that there is clearly a broad desire to find a resolution here. The OPW and I are committed to working with all stakeholders to find a resolution both in terms of the initial situation and the long-term desire as well.

Cuireadh an Seanad ar fionraí ar 2.14 p.m. agus cuireadh tús leis arís ar 2.31 p.m.

Sitting suspended at 2.14 p.m. and resumed at 2.31 p.m.