Seanad Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 24 Apr 2024

Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters

Office of Public Works

Senator Malcolm Byrne

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. I congratulate Deputy O’Donnell on his new role and I wish him the best of luck as the Minister of State with responsibility for the OPW. He has always been willing to come before this House and I am appreciative that he has come in for this Commencement matter.

I raise the issue of the Coast Guard station at Courtown. My own relationship with it goes back approximately a decade when we were trying to identify potential sites. This is one of the old Rocket House stations. Up to two dozen members of the Coast Guard who provide a really valuable service for the coastal communities in north Wexford and, indeed, into south Wicklow. Yet, since coming into the Oireachtas, I have been trying to pursue this matter with the OPW. I have raised Commencement matters about the issue of the new site on a number of occasions and there is a consensus that the existing facilities are not suitable.

Let me give the Minister of State a flavour of what some Ministers and Ministers of State have told me when sitting in that chair. On 24 February 2022, the Minister of State, Deputy Naughton, said that six possible sites had by then been identified by the OPW and that the Coast Guard at Courtown was on the building programme priority list. On 23 November 2022, the then Minister, Deputy Harris, was taking Commencement matters and informed me that this was “one of the key priorities for the OPW”. Further, he said that “OPW officials are giving this project every priority possible at this time”.

In the summer of 2023, because there may have been some issue with Wexford County Council, I facilitated a meeting which, involved the Coast Guard. The Minister of State, Deputy Chambers, was in attendance. Wexford County Council said that as far as it is concerned, there is no issue and that it would work with the OPW and anybody else to facilitate this. I corresponded back and forward with the OPW, which said it was now down to five potential sites and it was still considering it. I did not hear much progress, and on 10 October 2023, the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, took a Commencement matter on this issue. She said that new accommodation for the Courtown Coast Guard has been identified as “one of the key priorities” of the OPW in its building programme.

I welcome the Minister of State to his role, but I am somewhat worried that somebody in the OPW will tell him that something it was doing is a key priority for them, given the time it is taking to make any progress. I tried to make contact with OPW, as indeed, have people who are involved with the Coast Guard locally, to see if there is any progress. Sites have been identified and pointed out to the OPW. A local landowner said they would be willing to look at this facility being there. I, therefore, want to ask the Minister of State if he would facilitate a meeting involving me, representatives of the Coast Guard, Wexford County Council, etc., to ensure this much-needed facility will finally get up and running. It is completely unfair to those who operate the Coast Guard that this has continued to run on and on as it has been doing. We are not able to get answers from the OPW. I am losing confidence in the OPW to deliver on this project. Will the Minister of State please indicate that this is a priority for him?

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

As Minister of State with responsibility for the OPW, I was very keen to take this Commencement matter myself. I have been in this role for a relatively short period, but I know this subject is of huge importance to the Senator. Progress has been made and I would like to update him on it today. I thank him for raising this important matter and I am pleased to provide an update. I know he has previously raised this with my predecessor. I can see it is a matter he has been raising for quite a significant period.

The Irish Coast Guard, a division of the Department of Transport, has 44 units based in 58 Coast Guard stations. The Coast Guard building programme, which includes the provision of new or upgraded facilities at a number of locations across the country, is managed by the OPW on behalf of the Department of Transport and covers areas such as planning, design, building and ongoing maintenance. These projects are funded by the Department.

Programme priorities are decided by the Coast Guard and the programme is overseen by a programme oversight group consisting of representatives from the Department of Transport, the Coast Guard and the OPW. The OPW provides advice and assistance on the design of such projects, site feasibility studies, acquisition of sites from the local authority or others, planning and detail design, and manages the delivery in line with the requirements of the Department of Transport and Coast Guard service.

New accommodation for the Courtown Coast Guard unit is included - and it is worth repeating this - as one of the key priorities of this delivery programme. The existing Courtown Coast Guard station is a single-room, limestone-built building originally designed for storage of rescue equipment. It is situated at a busy intersection of three roads and has no available off-road area to park. The OPW has carried out some minor remedial works to the building in the past to provide dry storage and office space and to address essential health and safety issues. Although building works alleviated some of the problems, the use of the facility in its current form is unsustainable, and everyone agreed with that. As the current site is only slightly larger than the building footprint and is bordered to the rear by a steep river gulley, there is very limited capacity to provide for any expansion or upgraded facility.

Since this matter was last raised the OPW is continuing to liaise with the Irish Coast Guard to progress a proposed new location for the Coast Guard station at Courtown. As outlined previously a number of potential sites in the ownership of the local authority had been put forward by the Coast Guard but these sites are no longer available. The OPW continued to engage with Wexford County Council and received clarity in June 2023 on a potential site that, subject to the completion of legal due diligence, may be available. A market trawl also identified a number of other potential sites that may meet the requirements of the Coast Guard. The Senator will appreciate that, under the public spending code, the OPW is required to look at all possible sites. The OPW completed the appraisal process on all sites identified, in accordance with the requirements of the public spending code. As part of the appraisal process, feasibility studies were carried out on the potential sites to ensure that all the Coast Guard requirements can be provided for and that there is no impediment to the proposed development which will be subject to planning.

This is the key point for the Senator. Following completion of the feasibility studies, a preferred site was selected following consultation between the OPW and the Department of Transport in March 2024. The OPW is now in active negotiations with the owner of the preferred site, but this is at a very early and commercially sensitive stage. As the process is still ongoing, the OPW is not in a position to provide further information on individual sites at this time, but it is worth repeating that a preferred site has been selected. That is following consultation between the OPW and the Department of Transport in March this year. The OPW is in active negotiations with the owner of the preferred site, but the Senator will appreciate that it is at a commercially sensitive stage and we are not in a position to provide any further information on the individual at this time. However, I am glad to report that progress has been made.

Acting Chairperson (Senator Maria Byrne)

Before Senator Malcolm Byrne responds I welcome Scoil Ghráinne from Clonee, Dublin 15. They are welcome and I hope they enjoy their tour.

Senator Malcolm Byrne

Cuirim fáilte anseo roimh na scoláirí freisin. I thank the Minister of State for that response. There is nothing new in it bar the last paragraph, and we had heard rumours to that effect. While I appreciate it is at a commercially sensitive point, I ask the Minister of State for assurance that there will be a Plan B, should Plan A fall through on this site. I also ask that there be communication from the OPW to the Coast Guard in Courtown. They are looking for certainty that something is going to happen. I do not want to have to come back to this House in six months, pose the same Commencement matter to the Minister of State, and get the same three or four pages except the last paragraph will say that the commercial negotiations fell through and we are back looking for another site. As he will have seen, the county council identified a number of sites and they were no longer available. That is primarily because the OPW did not go after those sites. The sites do not sit around waiting for the OPW. I ask that they be more proactive. I welcome that negotiations are going on, but I request that the Minister of State's office keep in touch with the Coast Guard locally to inform it that there is significant progress.

Deputy Kieran O'Donnell

I give that assurance. The mechanism may be that we will update the Department of Transport, which will update the Coast Guard because that is the line Department. I hope the Coast Guard in Courtown is listening to today's debate. The next step requires completion of a due diligence acquisition for the preferred site. Once a suitable site is acquired the OPW will assign a project team to commence the planning and detailed design stage of the project. The tender process will then follow the OPW-managed delivery of the new Coast Guard facility in Courtown, while continuing to work closely in the Department of Transport to deliver on the overall Coast Guard programme. At this time it is unfortunately not possible to provide a commencement date for the start of construction of the new Coast Guard facility in Courtown. The Senator did not ask but I think it is important for certainty and clarity for the Coast Guard in Courtown. I once again assure Senator Malcolm Byrne and the 24 people in the Coast Guard in Courtown, who provide invaluable public service to the people in the region and in Ireland, that the OPW is committed to continuing to work with the Department of Transport and the Irish Coast Guard to deliver on a station in Courtown and other priority locations. I will ensure the Senator is kept fully updated of any developments. I will furthermore arrange, if not already done, for the OPW to update the Department of Transport and follow on to update the Coast Guard in Courtown as well.

Acting Chairperson (Senator Maria Byrne)

I thank the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donnell. On my behalf, and as his colleague in Limerick, I congratulate him on his new appointment. I wish him the best in his new role.

Deputy Kieran O'Donnell

I join with others in welcoming the múinteoirí and their students. It is great to see them. They are wearing their school colours.

Acting Chairperson (Senator Maria Byrne)

I welcome Minister of State, Deputy James Browne, to the House.

Foreign Policy

Senator Gerard P. Craughwell

The Minister of State is decent and hardworking, and I regret he is here. This is nothing personal and I hope he accepts what I say as a professional observation. We have a Minister for Defence and a Minister of State with responsibility for EU Affairs and Defence. While I accept that the Minister for Defence is out of the country, it is outrageous that the Minister of State is not available. I understand the Minister of State has been told she has defence in her portfolio in name only, and she should not engage in any direct work in the area of defence. As far as I recall that is straight from the Taoiseach on the floor of the Dáil.

It is deeply concerning that members of the Department of Defence are signing memorandums of understanding with no uniformed military personnel present when they are signed. The Romanian side had uniformed personnel there. This cuts to the heart of the relationship that exists between the military and the Department of Defence. The Department of Defence is responsible for advising the Minister on policy matters. However, there is no statutory obligation on the Department to have any input from the Defence Forces when it comes to policy matters. It is more of a grace and favour relationship. They can come along if invited but should otherwise mind their own business and stay out of it. It is outrageous that we, Members of the Oireachtas, learned of this memorandum of understanding on Twitter and were not advised in advance. Things have moved on since I put in an FOI request and tabled this Commencement matter. Yesterday the foreign affairs and defence committee considered this matter and contacted the Department asking it to provide a copy of the memorandum of understanding to the defence committee. There is a serious problem, and I really am sorry because this is not the Minister of State's area of responsibility. He has enough on his plate besides coming up here listening to me but there is a serious issue with oversight of what goes on in this country at departmental level. It is outrageous that the Department of Defence would sign a memorandum of understanding on what we are told are defence matters without members of the Defence Forces being present. We are unsure what the memorandum of understanding was. It never came before the Oireachtas joint committee for scrutiny before it was signed. We have no idea what is involved in it, and I think the Minister of State will agree with me that he would want the Oireachtas joint committee to have oversight of anything that was going on in the defence or foreign affairs areas.

From that point of view I am sorry the Minister of State is in the chair today. I am sorry that events yesterday moved on beyond this question, and that the defence committee has expressed its concern and wants to see the memorandum of understanding. I trust the Minister of State accepts I did not want to waste his time this morning by addressing this issue after the decision was made yesterday. However, I think we have to put on the record of this House our displeasure at the fact that policy is being developed by people who are not military and have no defence background whatsoever. With all due respect to the Secretary General of the Department, who I am sure is an extremely able person, she does not have defence in her background. She is a banker by profession. Who should be providing defence policy other than people in defence? We have to look at a statutory obligation to have the Defence Forces involved in policy.

I will leave it at that. I thank the Minister of State.

Minister of State at the Department of Justice (Deputy James Browne)

I thank the Senator for raising this important matter around the issues with the protocols, terms and conditions of a memorandum of understanding signed between Ireland and Romania. I welcome the opportunity to contribute on behalf of the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence. The memorandum of understanding between Ireland and Romania, which was signed in Bucharest two weeks ago on 8 April, is policy-focused and relates to bilateral defence co-operation between both defence Ministers. The memorandum of understanding demonstrates that both countries have an agreed framework of defence engagement for the future, which we can build upon, while agreeing to fully recognise and respect our country's individual defence arrangements.

As the Senator will be aware, the war in Ukraine has dramatically changed the security dynamic in Europe, with the past two years being very significant internationally and domestically. At home, such developments nationally and internationally have provoked something of a debate on Ireland's role in international security and defence. Security and defence issues are increasingly at the very top of the EU's political agenda. For these reasons, there is undoubtedly a very strong focus on the defence challenges facing Europe and the steps required to address these.

While defence remains a national competence, our policy of military neutrality does not remove us from the global security environment or mean that we should not work closely with our fellow EU member states to address these challenges. It is necessary that Ireland takes steps towards enhancing our defence engagement with our EU member states' colleagues, where appropriate. We should be willing to identify the potential benefits to Ireland of such bilateral engagement, in particular identifying opportunities for our Defence Forces.

Our willingness to engage in such bilateral strategic discussions led to the development of the memorandum of understanding with our Romanian colleagues by the Department of Defence, in conjunction with the Defence Forces. Our agreement is an example of a shared commitment as member states to developing a positive relationship long into the future, while fully recognising the different national characteristics of both, in terms of national defence policy, and caveat it accordingly.

This memorandum of understanding is focused on bilateral defence co-operation, where feasible, and is aimed at building linkages in sharing best practice, including the terms of peacekeeping deployments. The signing of the memorandum of understanding was an opportunity to reaffirm our broad bilateral relationship and our common security challenges and experience working alongside each other, including our personal participation in European Union, NATO and UN mandated peacekeeping operations and other multinational formations. With this framework in place, our future bilateral engagement with Romania will be through strategic dialogue discussions and military staff talks that will allow for the sharing of best practice.

There are numerous areas of engagement we could potentially cover and the memorandum of understanding includes broad language around co-operation on any number of themes, including pre-deployment, training for the UN-mandated international peacekeeping operations, communications and information systems and procurement, among other topics. I hear the Senator on the lack of the presidents of uniformed military at the signing and engagement with the Houses. I will bring those concerns to the attention of the Tánaiste.

Senator Gerard P. Craughwell

I thank the Minister of State for coming here this morning. It is not easy to come in and face somebody on questions in an area not designated as being within his area of responsibility. The concerns I have are not in any way alleviated by the document provided for the Minister of State by the Department. It is a matter that the defence committee will take up in the coming weeks. It is to be hoped we will get to where we should be.

The response from the Department clearly states that this happened in conjunction with the Defence Forces. The only member of the Defence Forces present at the signing of the memorandum of understanding was, I understand, a captain in civilian clothing. That does not give me great confidence. The statutory inclusion of the Defence Forces in all matters as we go forward is something we have to look at. Once again, I thank Minister of State for taking the time to come here today. It is important that somebody was here to answer the question.

Deputy James Browne

I again thank the Senator for raising this important issue. I will bring his concerns to the attention of the Tánaiste.

Road Network

Acting Chairperson (Senator Maria Byrne)

I welcome the Minister for Transport, Deputy Eamon Ryan.

Senator Tim Lombard

The Minister is more than welcome to the House. It is great to have the opportunity to discuss this issue with him in the Chamber. I ask that he ensures necessary funding is put in place for Cork County Council under the national regional road improvement scheme. I am very much aware that a delegation from Cork County Council, including Councillors Michael Hegarty and John Paul O'Shea, is meeting officials from the Minister's Department and the Minister of State at 2 p.m. today.

As the Minister will be aware, Cork is a huge county with more than 12,200 km of road. Some 12% of the island's road network is based in the county. Reports have been published, which show that counties such as Limerick, which has 3,430 km of road, receives more than €10,000 per kilometre. Kildare, which has 2,372 km of road, receives €11,600 per kilometre. Cork, despite having 12,220 km of road, only receives €6,000 funding per kilometre. This is a significant issue in terms of having a suitable pot of money to cover the amount of road required.

There is a road resurfacing programme in Cork. Only 2% or 2.5% of the roads will be resurfaced per year, which means that some people will have to wait 50 years to get a road resurfaced. The constituency I live in starts in Ringabella Bay and goes all the way down to Ardgroom, a distance of more than 200 km, which takes me just over two hours to drive. Distances in our county are a huge issue. We need a pot of funds to be put in place to make sure that the huge infrastructural issues we have with our roads can be addressed and that roads can be maintained and upgraded.

We have a public transport system, some of which is good and some of which is bad. Some of it needs good roads to travel on and unless we have good roads we will not have the public transport system that is required.

I am very much aware that the Minister was asked on RTÉ about the Bandon southern relief road. It is a major issue. It is required due to the articulated trucks driving down the main street of the town. They have no other option. Those driving trucks from Cork to Clonakilty have to go through the main street. It is Government policy that we are trying to ensure relief roads are completed so that villages and towns can breathe. Bandon is the largest town in Cork South-West and needs to breathe, and the only way that can happen is by completing the relief road and getting trucks and a significant volume of cars - up to 30,000 cars a day - out of the centre of the town.

There is exceptional frustration due to the fact that there has been no real movement on this issue over the past few years. A sum of €150,000 was allocated to the project last year, but that will not pay for the stamps in respect of what is required. The Minister and I have been friends over the years. He needs to see what is happening in west Cork and the infrastructural problems we have. He needs to see what is happening in the town of Bandon, in particular, which needs investment to ensure that it can breathe. A significant volume of roads need to be maintained. Resurfacing one road every 50 years is not viable. We need to have the funding that is required.

Acting Chairperson (Senator Maria Byrne)

Before I call the Minister, I would like to welcome Deputy Brendan Griffin from Kerry, along with his brother Mike, sister-in-law Kelly, nephew Conor and niece June. They are very welcome. Enjoy your visit here today.

Minister for Transport (Deputy Eamon Ryan)

I thank Senator Lombard for the question. I welcome the opportunity to discuss this important topic with Members. I understand the Senator's question relates to the current system of funding allocations for the protection and renewal of the national and regional local road network, with a particular emphasis on the Cork region.

As he will be aware, and as outlined in the 2024 regional and local roads programme, the Government is strongly committed to protecting the existing road network. This network is fundamentally about connecting people and places across the country. It facilitates business, education, tourism, healthcare, agriculture and the provision of critical services and activities.

Its protection is vital for road safety.

At this point, it is important to highlight that the construction and operation of national roads is a matter for TII in conjunction with the relevant local authorities. Funding for national roads is allocated in line with the national development plan. On the other hand, the improvement and maintenance of the regional and local road network is the statutory responsibility of each local authority, in accordance with the Roads Act 1993. Works on these roads are funded from a council's own resources and are supplemented by State road grants.

Ireland's road network spans over 102,000 km and thus requires significant funding to ensure it remains fit for purpose, safe and resilient. As such, this year €444 million was allocated for national roads projects, while an additional €658 million was allocated for regional and local roads. Of this funding, Cork county is in receipt of €56 million for national roads, as well as over €83 million to fulfil the council's statutory responsibilities in maintaining local and regional roads. This €83 million is intended to supplement realistic contributions from the local authorities' own resources.

Due to the vast scale of the network, my Department employs an array of grant types to target investment across the regional and local network. Within the budget available, State grant funding is allocated on as fair and equitable a basis as possible to ensure all local authorities are in receipt of funds to maintain their networks. The allocation of the three biggest Exchequer grant types for regional and local roads is based on the length of the roads within a local authority's area, with additional weighting based on contributing traffic factors in specific areas. The rationale for this approach is that it is objective, avoids onerous administrative and monitoring burdens and, critically, avoids any perverse incentives that might arise if another basis were used. For example, providing higher levels of Exchequer funding where road quality is lower could create a disincentive for local authorities to devote own-resource funding towards achieving a high-quality network. As mentioned, each local authority is legally responsible for ensuring its network is maintained and improved.

This approach also means that, while central government is supplying significant funding, we are acknowledging that local authorities themselves are best placed to make determinations in their own areas for the maximum delivery of results. Indeed, the initial selection and prioritisation of maintenance and renewal works is a matter for each local authority. There is flexibility within the State grant programme for councils to direct resources to address particular problems identified on their networks as they see fit.

In summary, my Department recognises the importance of funding provided to local authorities for the renewal and protection of the road network. This funding helps to maintain a functioning, safe, interconnected network that facilitates thousands of people in their day-to-day activities. As such, in 2024 my Department committed over €1.1 billion to support our national, regional and local road networks. The allocation of this funding to individual local authorities is made in as fair and equitable a manner as possible.

Senator Tim Lombard

I thank the Minister. Cork has one eighth of the roads in Ireland, so one would expect it to get one eighth of the funding. This would be the normal breakdown of funding required. The scale of the county is an issue in that it is massive. Its roads need to be repaired, as the Minister knows, and very many minor roads need funding. Consequently, we need a special funding block put in place for Cork county.

Let me refer to the infrastructure problems, such as the one related to the Bandon relief road. Towns like Bandon need to have Government policy work for them. We must not have lorries going down the main street of Bandon because we cannot finish the 2.5 km relief road, which was started 22 years ago. Unfortunately, that is where we are at.

Deputy Eamon Ryan

I take the point. As the Senator knows, I know west Cork well. I have roots in the area. I am aware of the great benefit that comes from taking traffic out of the centres of towns. One might say west Cork, more than any other area, has benefited from its towns. The character of a town like Clonakilty, Bandon, Bantry, Skibbereen or Dunmanway is its great strength, so I fully agree towns should not be swamped with traffic.

There is a myriad of demands. We have increased demands because of the increasing effects of climate change. The Senator, more than anyone else, and the people of Midleton and Glanmire will know the implications in this regard. We are committed to providing Cork County Council with all the resources it needs to restore roads damaged by floods and improve protection measures. Last year's allocation to Cork for the local road network was €83 million, which I believe represented an increase of over €11 million on the allocation for the previous year. The Senator is absolutely right that Cork has a very dense network of local roads and that it is the largest county, but the allocation is made on a scientific basis and does not disfavour any one county. Where a county is hit by climate events, as Cork was last year, it is a case of ensuring that we support it. We will continue to do that.

School Funding

Acting Chairperson (Senator Maria Byrne)

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Colm Burke. I congratulate him and wish him the very best in his new role. He is certainly no stranger to this Chamber and we look forward to working with him.

Senator Seán Kyne

I acknowledge the Cathaoirleach's office for choosing this Commencement matter. I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Colm Burke, and congratulate him on his new position. I understand this is his first time in the Chamber since becoming a Minister of State. I wish him well in his role in the months ahead.

I wish to raise the minor works grant and the ICT grant for primary and post-primary schools across the country. On 1 April, the Minister for Education, Deputy Foley, made an important announcement from the Department of Education regarding the important grants in question. The minor works grant allocation, totalling €29 million, was announced at the time to support the operation of primary schools and post-primary schools in the forthcoming year. The lead-in period ahead of the new school year will give schools good time to consider plans and priorities for the use of funding, we were told. Of the €29 million, primary schools in Galway will get €1.8 million, which is very welcome. This allows for good flexibility in addressing issues at local level.

Also announced at the time was some €50 million for the ICT grant. We are told it will be issued to all recognised primary and post-primary schools. The grant is to allow for the implementation of the digital strategy for schools up to 2027, which is welcome, and the Department has stated it will support schools to ensure they continue to embed the use of digital technologies in their teaching, learning and assessment. In Galway, it was projected that primary schools would receive approximately €1.7 million and post-primary schools would receive a total of €1.169 million, resulting in a total fund for Galway of €2.873 million.

The announcement on 1 April was very welcome but I have been contacted by numerous principals of primary schools regarding the minor works grant and principals of post-primary schools regarding the ICT grant. They want to know where the money is and when they will get it. They have budgets to prepare and they have to plan, so they need to know the funding individual schools will get. As we know, school principals are under significant pressure all the time. There are certain funding requirements to keep schools running, so principals need to know the minor works grants primary schools will receive and the ICT grants primary and post-primary schools will receive. My question is very simple: when will the Department be issuing the individual grants to individual schools? The schools need the money to budget. They need to know what they are getting and when they are getting it. Does the Minister of State have that information for me today?

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

I thank the Acting Chairperson and Senator Kyne for their kind remarks.

I thank the Senator for raising this matter as it gives me the opportunity to provide an update to the House on the current position of the schools building programme and the imminent payment of minor works and ICT grants. Since 2020, the Department of Education has invested in the region of €4.5 billion in schools throughout the country.

The school building programme is adding capacity and developing and upgrading school facilities for the almost 1 million students and more than 100,000 staff who learn and work in our schools every day. The minor works grants and ICT grants are one important element of a record level of capital investment in schools.

The Department recognises the importance of the minor works grants to primary schools. This funding provides good flexibility at local level to assist schools to manage and undertake works that support the operation of the school. Under Project Ireland 2040, a commitment has been given that the minor works grant will be paid in either December or January of the school year to all primary schools, including special schools. In recent years, the Department's approach has been to pay the minor works grants to primary schools in advance of the start of the following school year in order to facilitate a better lead-in period for schools to plan any maintenance or minor works during the summer period.

Between 2018 and 2023, in the region of €310 million in minor works grants and enhanced minor works grants has been allocated to schools. The minor works grants for the current school year 2023-24 were paid in April 2023. The Minister recently announced that the minor works grants of €29 million for the 2024-25 school year would issue to all primary schools. The Department is making arrangements for these payments to issue in the coming days. All schools have the autonomy to use this funding for maintenance and small-scale improvements to school buildings and grounds. Given that each school setting is different, individual schools are best placed to decide how best to use this funding to address their needs.

The Minister also recently announced an ICT grant of €50 million to all primary, special and post-primary schools for the 2023-24 school year. This funding has now issued to all recognised schools. The funding is the second tranche of the overall package of funding of €200 million for ICT infrastructure, as provided for under the digital strategy for schools to 2027. It is anticipated that the balance of funding from the €200 million under the national development plan to underpin the digital strategy will issue over the remaining years of that strategy, subject to the wider capital needs of the Department. This grant issue builds on the €210 million already allocated under the previous strategy, digital strategy for schools 2015-2020: enhancing teaching, learning and assessment, and the €50 million issued under Ireland’s national recovery and resilience plan to enable schools to support learners at risk of educational disadvantage through the digital divide.

The aim of the digital strategy for schools to 2027 is to build on progress made in the use of digital technologies. This funding underpins the ongoing commitment to supporting and enabling schools to ensure the continued embedding of digital technologies in teaching, learning and assessment. The funding issues directly to schools as they are best placed to understand their needs in the context of the digital learning planning undertaken by all schools.

I assure the Senator that the importance attached by schools to both the minor works and ICT grants is fully recognised, as is the significant impact of these grants at school level.

Senator Seán Kyne

I welcome the announcement of the minor works grants being processed and issuing to schools in the coming days. That is welcome as long as it happens. When this announcement was made initially, it was that they would be paid soon, so I welcome that the Minister of State said they will be processed in the coming days. I also welcome what was said on the ICT grants. I have been contacted by a number of principals in recent weeks and indeed at the weekend about this payment, so I am delighted it has now been paid. I look forward to the remaining minor works grants being paid in the coming period.

Deputy Colm Burke

It is important to outline that Galway received €19.1 million in minor works funding in the period 2018 to 2024 and €1.8 million in 2024. Therefore, the total funding for schools in Galway is €20.9 million in the period from 2018 up to present. It is substantial funding. I understand from a further note I received that the funding the Senator is talking about will be announced today or will be made available from today, but that is an unofficial note. Today is 24 April and I think the funding will be announced today.

I assure the Senator that the Department is conscious of the need to continue to support the operation of the school system. The Department recognises the importance of minor works grants and ICT grants to schools. It has a strong record of delivery and continues to have a strong pipeline of projects for delivery under the school building programme. All of this work is supporting and facilitating more than 960,000 primary and post-primary students in our school system, including more than 18,000 children from Ukraine and just over 26,000 children with additional needs enrolled in close to 3,000 special classes and in our 130 special schools.

The ICT grant of €50 million to all primary, special and post-primary schools for the 2023-24 school year has now issued to all recognised schools. The minor works grant of €29 million is currently being processed. My understanding from a further briefing note I got is that it will be announced today. The Senator's Commencement matter had an influence on the Department as well, so I thank him.

Health Services

Senator Maria Byrne

I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House to discuss this important issue. I am a member of the Oireachtas all-party committee to do with diabetes. It is an area I have a special interest in because I know many people who are patients under the diabetic services, and I hear from them regularly.

While I note there were isolated cases in Mullingar hospital recently, there is a fear within the services and within the different CHO areas that there will be a knock-on effect. Insulin pumps have been a life-changing experience for people with diabetes, especially for children because many are involved in activities, sitting exams or going to school. The pump picks up when a person's sugar levels are low and it automatically gives them an injection of what they need to sustain themselves. As a result of the embargo to do with staff shortages or if a diabetic nurse is out sick or off on holidays, there is nobody there to look after the children or to advise. These diabetic nurses are so important across all CHO areas. It has been seen across some of the hospitals that there is no staff to actually put in the pumps and to look after the children with the pumps. What plans do the Government and the Department of Health have going forward to deal with this issue?

Deputy Colm Burke

I thank the Senator for raising this important matter. Diabetes is a complex condition that can have a profound impact on the quality of life of people living with the condition. If not well managed, it can lead to debilitating complications. Management is required across the entire spectrum of healthcare delivery, including self-management support as well as care delivered through general practice, community specialist care and hospital inpatient specialist care. In recent years, there has been increasing demand on paediatric diabetes services linked to a nationally recognised increased prevalence of childhood diabetes. Insulin pump therapy supports these patients to improve their glucose control and improves their quality of life.

To support insulin pump users, a diabetes team needs to have a level of staffing that includes dietitians, diabetes nurse specialists or advanced nurse practitioners, and a consultant.

Where a vacancy arises within a diabetes team, the HSE endeavours to recruit an appropriate replacement as soon as possible. Where there is a loss of staff within a diabetes team, certain elements of service may be temporarily halted to ensure that the insulin pump service can continue to be delivered in a safe manner, pending recruitment of a suitable replacement. It is acknowledged that hospitals are facing challenges, given the national and international scarcity of specialist trained staff, and where possible, the HSE redeploys staff to ensure continuity of a service.

The Government is committed to improving services for those living with diabetes. As part of budget 2023, the Minister for Health, Deputy Donnelly, allocated funding to commence the development of a national diabetes registry. A multidisciplinary HSE and academic team with clinical, public health and IT representation commenced work on phase 1 of this multi-year project last year. As part of budget 2024, half a million euro in further funding has been provided for the development of this important initiative. With a diabetes registry, the HSE will be better able to track the prevalence of the condition and improve planning for future services.

Officials in the Department of Health are engaging with the HSE diabetes clinical team in consideration of the future development of diabetes related services. As part of this work, the HSE is conducting an examination of diabetes staffing levels across the country. This will help to identify and address gaps in diabetes services.

In addition, budget 2023 provided funding for the commencement of a national paediatric audit of type 1 diabetes. This audit will highlight areas of good practice, identify service deficits and regional disparities and promote data-driven resource allocation. Due to the ongoing recruitment pause for senior administrative grades, a revised proposal has been received from the National Office of Clinical Audit to continue with this important work in 2024.

I wish to say, in conclusion, that HSE staffing levels have increased by more than 45,000 since December 2014. Last year alone, an additional 8,500 people were recruited and are working in the HSE. There is a substantial increase in staffing levels right across the board and that is important to acknowledge as well.

Senator Maria Byrne

I thank the Minister of State for his comprehensive reply. I welcome that funding was provided for the start of the national diabetic register because it certainly is something for which I have asked here in the past. It is needed because it shows the roadmap as to where the issues are and how people are being dealt with. It is important that we move to a model whereby everybody, where possible, should have a diabetic pump, especially those who have type 1 diabetes. We must move towards that as quickly as possible because it is a life-changing experience for people.

Certainly, I believe we need to invest in diabetic nurses because they have the time and are able to advise the patients as to what their issues are and they often prevent them from having to go to hospital. I believe it is a condition in which a lot more investment is needed. I welcome that there has been a lot to date, but more to come.

Deputy Colm Burke

I apologise to the Acting Chair, as I did not say at the start that I was taking the Commencement matter on behalf of the Minister for Health. Likewise, the previous Commencement matter was taken on behalf of the Minister for Education.

To conclude, the Minister for Health is aware of the needs of the diabetes community and the challenges faced by those living with the condition. Type 1 diabetes in childhood is a complex condition and if not well managed, can lead to further complications for these patients. In recent years, there has been an increased prevalence of childhood diabetes. This, in turn, has led to increased demand on paediatric diabetic services. Budget 2023 provided funding for the commencement of a national paediatric audit of type 1 diabetes. This audit will highlight areas of good practice, identify service deficits and regional disparities and promote data-driven resource allocation.

Unfortunately, the exact prevalence of diabetes in Ireland is not known. The establishment of a national diabetes registry is currently in the early stages of a multi-year project. A national registry will provide much needed data to understand the prevalence of diabetes in Ireland and to improve planning for services for people with diabetes into the future. Officials in the Department of Health and the HSE are currently engaged in working towards future development of related services.

It is important to highlight this issue. It is a challenging area and it is important that we put in place the infrastructure at a very early stage and especially that it is well managed for all age groups but for young people in particular. It is important that we put the funding into it.

Acting Chairperson (Senator Seán Kyne)

I thank the Minister. I take this opportunity to welcome the students and teachers from Lanesborough Primary School, County Longford. They are very welcome to the Chamber today and I hope they enjoy the day. I also welcome the guests of Deputy Grealish, the Galway branch of Network Ireland. They are very welcome as well to the Chamber and I hope they enjoy the hospitalities that will be afforded to them, no doubt, over the course of the day.

Cuireadh an Seanad ar fionraí ar 11:26 a.m. agus cuireadh tús leis arís ar 12 meán lae.

Sitting suspended at 11:26 a.m. and resumed at 12 noon.