The Minister of State, Deputy Cummins, is very welcome.

I thank the Minister of State for joining us. This is an issue in Tipperary South and we all know that we are currently in a housing shortage nationwide. It is something that is of the utmost importance. Unfortunately, however, we seem to have a number of challenges that are hindering the progress of housing, such as the reason for this Commencement matter.

In Tipperary South, there is a housing developer who has a planning application in for 44 new homes. Forty four new homes in Cahir would substantially reduce the number of people on the housing list. It would be a good news story, positive and welcome. One of the planning conditions is that he has to have a water connection. After doing the necessary paperwork, carrying out the relevant procedures, and adhering to all the guidelines, rules and regulations, Irish Water has told him he will have to wait 16 weeks. We are right in the peak of good weather and it is very suitable for building, but having to wait four months is going to cause a number of delays. It is going to have a significant negative impact on him, his other developments and his staff.

I ask that we have a look with Uisce Éireann to see what way it can streamline its process, especially for developments, and how it plans to change the existing structures to be more productive and beneficial for developers and for those who are in rural one-off houses. We are trying to get into an area where we have housing growth and development, and we have a number of challenges and factors. I know there are also issues with the ESB, finance and planning and we are trying to get those issues addressed, but Uisce Éireann is the one which is of great concern. I appreciate the Minister of State's reply.

I thank Senator Goldsboro for raising this issue. I have to advise that the Water Services Acts 2007 to 2020 sets out the arrangements in place for the delivery of water and wastewater services by Uisce Éireann. These services are matters for Uisce Éireann which has a statutory responsibility for all aspects of water service planning, delivery and operation at a national, regional and local level. The scope, prioritisation and progression of individual projects are matters for Uisce Éireann and approved through its own board and internal governance structures under section 7 of the Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013. Neither I, nor my Department, have operational function in such matters.

That being said, I have engaged with Uisce Éireann in recent weeks on the very topic the Senator has raised, along with other items. We had an upfront and honest conversation about what I could do to assist the organisation in streamlining the consenting process for projects. I also made it very clear that I expect it to deliver pre-connection and connection agreements within agreed timeframes, which, regrettably, have not been happening at a sufficiently high rate to date.

I am advised that the 16 weeks the Senator referenced is an indicative timeframe for connection applications, with more straightforward applications taking a shorter period. Uisce Éireann notes that larger and more complicated developments or developments in areas of already limited capacity require additional time and resources to be deployed.

Uisce Éireann actively encourages submissions to be made as early as possible in the process to allow for full assessments to be completed because technical challenges may arise that may impact timelines. For example, detailed hydraulic modelling and additional technical assessments may be required in areas where water services and networks or treatment capacity are constrained. Where additional information or clarification is required with respect to land ownership, access or third party constraints associated with a particular site or developer, connection offers may be reliant on a number of customers entering connection agreements with Uisce Éireann at the same time. This can sometimes lead to delays while engagement with multiple parties is ongoing.

I do not know if any of those are particularly relevant to the Senator's individual case of 44 units that she referred to in Cahir, but I am informed that the case she is referring to was submitted in early February. It is currently under review by Uisce Éireann's design team to understand the available capacity in the system to facilitate the development and any additional works that may be necessary. An update will be given to the developer in the coming weeks.

I thank the Minister of State. It is great to hear he has had talks with Uisce Éireann in recent weeks. I understand, like any agency, that it has its own challenges and it has a number of concerns. To make progress, however, we have to make changes. Uisce Éireann has to listen to the developers, councils, Ministers and Government about what is going on. If it is not going to listen, we will not be able to change, adapt or amend these issues and concerns people have. I know our councils have a number of land banks. We are looking for developers and for affordable and social housing. We have developers, and to have this hindering progress is not good enough. I appreciate the Minister of State taking the time to look into this individual case.

It is important to say that Uisce Éireann has invested in resources and people to tackle this issue, which was cited in the meeting I had with it. I know it is determined to keep pace with the industry demand, which is in line with our own expectations, to facilitate infrastructure and housing delivery. A number of initiatives have been introduced by Uisce Éireann in recent years, including capacity registers for water and wastewater. We also have the first mover scheme so we do not penalise developers who move on a land bank first and to be able to facilitate sequential development. We also have the self-lay accreditation scheme that allows developers to use accredited contractors to do the works themselves on site. There have been a number of initiatives to try to improve the situation. I accept that pre-connection and connection agreements have to be issued to developers in a timely fashion. The organisation has assured me it is investing the resources to ensure that happens. I will continue to engage with it to ensure those timelines to issue those pre-connection and connection agreements are reduced, as well as assisting it with its asks about the consenting process. By working together, we can achieve progress in this area.

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donnell, and thank him for taking the time to address this important issue. I am advocating for the urgent implementation of a dedicated Bus Éireann secondary school transport route to Tralee in County Kerry, specifically servicing the communities of Lixnaw and Abbeydorney, which are located in north Kerry, where I currently reside. In these communities, 19 families and 29 students face significant challenges due to the absence of a structured, reliable transport service. At present, parents are forced to pay out of pocket for private transport arrangements, placing unnecessary financial strain on households. Beyond the cost, families must drive up to 14 km a day just to reach scattered pick-up points, which is an unfair and unsustainable burden on rural families. The strain is not just financial. It is physical and emotional. Parents are forced to juggle work, childcare and long daily commutes, all because a basic public service is lacking. The current system does not reflect the real educational needs or realities of these families.

Of the 29 affected students we know of, 11 attend Mercy Mounthawk in Tralee, 11 attend Tralee CBS, and seven attend Gaelcholáiste Chiarraí, the closest Irish language secondary school available to these students. This is a crucial point. Students attending Gaelcholáiste Chiarraí should, under current entitlements, be supported by a designated school transport route. There should be a clear responsibility for Bus Éireann and the Department to assist students in attending Irish medium education, not only to nurture our language and culture but also to ensure equitable access to such opportunities.

Providing a dedicated school bus route along the R557 would not just alleviate pressures on these families but would also open the door for more students to attend an Irish language school and experience the broader curriculum options offered in Tralee's secondary schools. Education through our native language, combined with expanded subject choices, should not be a privilege reserved for those who can afford private transport. Meanwhile, a Local Link service, the 272 from Tralee to Ballybunion, runs daily with fewer passengers than the numbers we are talking about here because extra capacity was put in place because of population rises in these areas. If that is viable, surely a dedicated school transport service with a clear, growing demand deserves equal consideration.

The time has come to move beyond outdated catchment policies and towards a demand-led approach that reflects how families live and learn today. If we fail to act now, we risk further isolating rural students and deepening inequality in access to education. I urge the Government to work closely with Bus Éireann and local stakeholders to ensure this service is in place by the start of the next school year. Families cannot afford another year of logistical challenges and financial hardship just to access basic education. Education should never be compromised by inadequate transport. The Government must ensure rural students have the same access and opportunities as their urban peers. I welcome any updates the Minister of State may have on discussions with Bus Éireann regarding this proposal and look forward to seeing meaningful progress made without delay.

I thank Senator Kennelly for the opportunity to update him on the school transport service in these areas. I am taking this Commencement matter on behalf of the Minister of State at the Department of Education and Youth with responsibility for special education and inclusion, Deputy Michael Moynihan. The school transport scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education and Youth. As Senator Kennelly may be aware that, under the terms of the school transport scheme, children are eligible for transport at primary level when they reside not less than 3.2 km from and are attending their nearest national school. At post-primary level, the pupil must reside not less than 4.8 km from and be attending their nearest post-primary education centre, as determined by the Department or Bus Éireann, with regard to ethos and language.

Bus Éireann has advised that pupils residing in the Lixnaw area are generally not eligible for school transport to the post-primary centres in Tralee as they are nearer to two different post-primary centres depending on their address. Bus Éireann has advised that there is a service that pupils of this area can avail of, with pick-up points of approximately 9.2 km or 7.2 km away. The Senator already alluded to that.

Bus Éireann has advised that pupils residing in the Abbeydorney area are generally eligible for school transport to the post-primary centre in Tralee, as it is their closest post-primary centre. Bus Éireann has also advised that there is a mainstream service that operates from this area to that post-primary centre.

The closing date for new applications for school transport services for the 2025-2026 school year was Friday, 25 April 2025. Any new applications made after the closing date are considered late applications and, thus, may mean that a seat is not available.

The Bus Éireann family portal is accepting payments or medical card details until 6 June. Payments or medical card details submitted after the deadline date will be deemed late. A late submission of payment or medical card details may mean that a seat is not available. Following the closing date for payment or entering medical card details, the Bus Éireann family portal will close. This will give Bus Éireann time to assess all applications and plan for routes and services for the 2025-26 school year. Routes may be altered or extended depending on the number and locations of eligible children who will be availing of school transport for the following school year.

I thank the Minister of State for his reply. As I said in my first contribution, the time has come to move beyond outdated catchment policies and towards a demand-led approach that reflects how families live and learn today. According to the Minister of State, Bus Éireann has advised that there is a service that pupils of this area can avail of, with pick-up points of approximately 9.2 km or 7.2 km away. That is unacceptable in this day and age. There is a need for a demand-led approach on this route. I urge the Departments of transport and education to review this application immediately and prioritise the route for the students so as to remove this stress for the 2025-26 academic year. I would like a written response to the effect that it can be reviewed soon, as I believe the closing date is next week.

I again thank Senator Kennelly for raising this important matter. I will bring the specific concerns he raised in respect of the schoolchildren in Lixnaw and Abbeydorney. The Senator is familiar with the area and genuinely concerned about the matter.

The Bus Éireann family portal is accepting payments or medical card details until 6 June. It is important that parents ensure they submit their payments or medical card details. After this deadline of 6 June, applications will be deemed late and a late submission of payment or medical card details may mean that a seat is not available. This is something people should be conscious of. Following the closing date for payment or entering medical card details, Bus Éireann will close the portal, giving Bus Éireann time to assess all applications and plan for routes for the service for the 2025-26 year.

I will bring the set of circumstances the Senator raised to the Minister of State, Deputy Moynihan, and the Department of education. I have no doubt that the Senator will follow up with them and Bus Éireann as well.

Where a person feels that materials published by television and radio broadcasters, newspapers, online platforms, and video-on-demand or streaming services contravene codes of practice in Ireland, for example, where concerns regarding the impartiality of news and current affairs coverage exist or where material is circulated that might cause harm or offence, a statutory complaint can be made directly to the broadcaster, the broadcaster's regulator or the Press Council.

The Acts that underpin Coimisiún na Meán and provide for the regulation of broadcasting, including the codes and rules applicable to both traditional broadcasting and on-demand services, are the broadcasting and other media regulation Acts of 2009 and 2022, principally the Online Safety and Media Regulation Act 2022, which amended the parent Broadcasting Act to a significant extent. The ultimate purpose of the Online Safety and Media Regulation Act was to respond to the shifting landscape of media and content consumption in Ireland and to introduce new rules and safeguards for consumers to ensure that regulation that had historically been applied to traditional broadcasting media would then apply to media available online.

However, this has come up as an issue in terms of complaints. In April 2025, for example, a research group from Pals for Palestine, an apolitical collective of activists who organise in pursuit of human rights in Palestine, submitted a complaint to RTÉ under the broadcasting and other media regulation Acts in respect of biased reporting by RTÉ. I am not here to make an assessment of whether the complaint would stand up, but the fact is that the complaint actually could not be followed through. The research undertaken by Pals for Palestine uncovered a pattern in online reporting by RTÉ that demonstrated a positive bias towards Israeli detainees compared to Palestinian detainees.

The reporting that was online positively humanised, at 82% versus 18%, and personalised, at 100% versus 45%, the Israeli detainees more frequently than their Palestinian counterparts; referred to their well-being more often, at 64% versus 27%; prioritised them in the news stories more consistently, at 82% versus 18%; and on occasion speaking to their sociopolitical context, at 100% versus 9%.

This group felt there was a need for a complaint to be assessed to see if there was bias towards the reporting of Israeli detainees versus Palestinian detainees. Upon receipt, RTÉ argued that as the complaint related to online news stories published on rte.ie , it fell outside the scope of the statutory complaints process provided for in the Broadcasting Act. While refusing to formally investigate the complaint, RTÉ stood by its reporting and suggested the complaints were making generalised assertions. After the refusal by RTÉ to hear the complaint, Pals for Palestine submitted a complaint to Coimisiún na Meán, which was also rejected on the basis that newspapers, print and online magazines and online-only news publications do not fall within the commission's mandate. The Press Council of Ireland, being the independent body that oversees news publications, primarily focuses on print media, including newspapers and magazines, but its remit also extends to online news media. RTÉ is not a member of the press council, so another obstacle became apparent, despite the fact that RTÉ publishes news content through various platforms online. This matter has brought to the fore the fact that online reporting by RTÉ and presumably other linear and non-linear broadcasters is currently not subject to any regulation or bound by any particular code of conduct.

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. At the outset, I wish to make clear that online news media, as the Senator knows, is not regulated by Coimisiún na Meán but rather falls under the remit of the Press Council, whose membership includes a number of online-only news publications, which subjects these publications to the Press Council’s code of practice. Complaints about such members, including about possible breaches of the code of practice, may be directed to the Office of the Press Ombudsman under the council. The Defamation Act 2009, which is the legislative responsibility of the Minister for Justice, sets out the role of the Press Council, including that it is independent in the performance of its functions.

For clarification, the Minister, Deputy O'Donovan has legislative responsibility for the Broadcasting and Other Media Regulation Acts 2009 and 2022, and I understand that Senator Ruane made a number of important contributions to amending legislation under the Act as it progressed through the Seanad in recent years. The Broadcasting and Other Media Regulation Acts 2009 and 2022 have enabled the establishment of Coimisiún na Meán as our independent online safety and media regulator. They also provide for the regulatory frameworks under which an coimisiún can effectively regulate broadcasters, providers of audiovisual on-demand media services, and specific relevant online services.

Part 3B of the Act provides for the regulatory framework in respect of broadcasters and providers of audiovisual on-demand media services. Among other things, this Part details the specific requirements for those parties to ensure news and current affairs are reported and presented in an impartial manner and without any expression of their own views. In addition, an coimisiún may make media service codes governing the standards and practices which will ensure compliance with this duty by the relevant broadcasters and providers. In this regard, in November 2024, Coimisiún na Meán published its updated Code of Fairness, Objectivity & Impartiality in News and Current Affairs, applying to television and radio broadcasters. Moreover, Part 4 of the legislation provides for redress, which requires the relevant broadcasters and providers to give due and adequate consideration to complaints, including about any potential failure to comply with any duty or media service code, including in news and current affairs coverage. To ensure such complaints are handled effectively, the broadcasters and providers must prepare, publish and implement a code of practice at least setting out appropriate contact points, time periods for responses, and the procedures to be followed in seeking to resolve complaints. These complaints may also be directed to Coimisiún na Meán. The legislation provides that, subject to the precise circumstances, an coimisiún may dismiss the complaint, refer it to the relevant broadcaster or provider for resolution, or further investigate the complaint in accordance with its statutory powers. I also mentioned that certain relevant online services are regulated by Coimisiún na Meán. In this regard, Part 8A of the Act provides for a regulatory framework for online safety. Crucially, this is focused on protecting children in particular from forms of harmful user-generated online content.

I thank the Minister of State. While the commission has remit over certain areas, currently, RTÉ online is not subject to any of that regulation. It is my understanding, but perhaps the Minister of State could clarify, that the Government is proposing reforms to the Act to make sure RTÉ online is captured. It is my understanding from my work on the Online Safety and Media Regulation Act previously that we do not even need to wait on amendments or legislation and that the Minister, through his powers, can expand the remit of the commission and give it additional functions. Is this being considered? I am sure it was envisaged anyway that RTÉ online would be captured under the commission's remit. Can I clarify or get on the record that the intent is to make sure that anything that unintentionally fell outside the scope will be included in that reporting mechanism and for it to be regulated fairly?

I thank the Senator. As I have set out, the Broadcasting and Other Media Regulation Acts 2009 and 2022 set out the regulatory framework for implementation by Coimisiún na Meán in respect of broadcasters and providers of audiovisual on-demand media services, as well as online safety in respect of user-generated content. While there are important statutory duties and code-making powers under this legislation relating to the reporting of news and current affairs, these do not extend to online publications. Therefore, this is a matter for the Department of Justice as well as for the Press Council of Ireland and, in that regard, I will ensure the matters raised here today are communicated to that Department. I will ensure the full content of the points the Senator is making, which are very fairly made, is considered, and I will also ask that the officials in the Department revert to the Senator directly, taking on board the matters she has raised today and giving her the clarification she is seeking in respect of any consideration of future amendments. I thank the Senator again.

I thank the Minister for coming back in to take this matter. I really appreciate it. We are all conscious of the Connecting Ireland rural mobility plan, which was launched in October 2021. It is a very important plan. Its key objectives concern increased access, enhanced connectivity, improved frequency and innovative solutions. It is managed by the NTA working with other partners such as Rural Link and TFI. It looks also at town bus services. It has certainly had quite a lot of success. I have seen first-hand the success of the Local Link buses. There are a few on the radar where a lot of work has been done and we are nearing the completion point. I am looking for an update on those. The proposed 888 route in south Kildare will connect Athy to Monasterevin, on to Rathangan and Allenwood. It will service different stops all along the route, particularly the Lullymore heritage park, which lies between Rathangan and Allenwood.

A number of people from Allenwood and Rathangan who work there do not have any access to public transport. Also, as regards our visitor experiences, if the Minister of State has not been to Lullymore Heritage and Discovery Park, I would recommend that he go there. It is a fantastic experience for the young and old. We want to ensure that people can access it using public transport such that people will be able to get the train to Newbridge or Kildare and get the 126 bus, for example, into Rathangan and then be able to access the 888 bus, or travel by bus to Allenwood and get the 888 over. There is a strong, vibrant community that lives along that route and is looking forward with great anticipation to its commencement, which I understand will be in early June. We do not have a timetable yet but, obviously, the frequency is important. While we have quite good public transport on linear lines through Kildare, the cross-Kildare service is not so good.

Another matter that I mentioned and that I want to get an update on is the connectivity between Suncroft and the towns of Kildare and Newbridge. Currently, there is only one service a day. That will not get young people into school - there is no secondary school in Suncroft - or get people into work or in to meet the commuter trains to Dublin. Work has been carried out on that and possibilities are being looked at as regards also connecting the likes of Nurney and Boley into a service with Suncroft.

The third part of this Commencement matter is the fact that a number of third level students travel from Newbridge to Maynooth University but there is no public bus service. This needs consideration, as does a town bus route in both Newbridge and Kildare. We have a lot of new housing estates in both towns that are about three miles from the train station. I would like to see both those towns get a town bus in order to bring people using public transport to the train station.

I thank Senator O'Loughlin for raising this important topic, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister for Transport, Darragh O'Brien. I wish to clarify that the Minister has responsibility for policy and overall funding relating to public transport but neither he nor his officials are involved in the day-to-day operation of public transport services. The statutory responsibility for securing the provision of public passenger transport services nationally rests with the National Transport Authority, NTA. The NTA works with the public transport operators, which deliver the services and have responsibility for day-to-day operational matters.

That said, the Government is strongly committed to providing all citizens with reliable and realistic sustainable mobility options, and public transport plays a key role in the delivery of this goal. In the new programme for Government, Securing Ireland's Future, the Government has committed to increasing Local Link services in rural areas to better connect villages, towns and cities.

To support this objective, under budget 2025, the Department of Transport secured €658.442 million in funding for public service obligation, PSO, and Local Link services provided by State operators and under contract by the NTA this year. This includes funding for the continuation of the various fare initiatives, such as the young adult card and the 90-minute fare, until the end of 2025. Funding has been provided to extend free child fares on PSO services to include those aged five to eight years. Funding of €15 million was secured to support the roll-out of new and enhanced bus services in 2025, including the continuation of BusConnects, Connecting Ireland and the planned introduction of further new town services.

Funding for the rural transport programme has increased from €21 million in 2019 to €57 million in 2024, and over 150 new or enhanced services have been rolled out under the Connecting Ireland programme since 2022. The roll-out of the Connecting Ireland rural mobility plan, which was action 32 of the sustainable mobility policy action plan, has been hugely successful. Under this plan, 240 towns and villages have been newly connected to the public transport network. Sixty-one new connections have been established to healthcare facilities and 41 new connections have been made to higher education facilities. The new and enhanced services introduced to date have added in excess of 300,000 weekly vehicle kilometres to the Transport for Ireland, TFI, public transport network.

The five-year plan also aims to improve the co-ordination and connections of different bus and rail services in order to provide a seamless and efficient transport system throughout rural Ireland. Forty-nine of the new and enhanced services provide connections with existing rail services. Passenger numbers have seen a fivefold increase since the roll-out of Connecting Ireland began in January 2022, with a record weekly high of 105,986 passenger journeys recorded in October 2024.

I now turn to the specific routes Senator O'Loughlin raised. The proposed route 888 linking Allenwood to Athy is expected to launch in June, which is next month. Discussions between the NTA and Local Link Kildare South Dublin on a route connecting Suncroft to Kildare-Newbridge are now at an advanced stage, and the NTA expects to finalise details in the coming weeks. A review of the network - Newbridge to Maynooth University - is now under way. However, this needs to take account of a number of commercial bus operators operating between Newbridge and Maynooth currently.

The Department of Transport, the NTA and the operators are working to ensure the optimised deployment of resources across the public transport network to match passenger demand.

I note the fact that 240 towns and villages have been newly connected to the public transport network. That is welcome. There have been 61 new connections to healthcare facilities and 41 to higher education facilities. That is notable and laudable, and we need to say "Well done" to all those involved. I am pleased that the 888 route is expected to launch next month. That is important. We need to get the timetables. I am also pleased that the Suncroft-to-Newbridge-Kildare route is at an advanced stage. It will not come soon enough for the people who live there.

As regards the review being carried out of Newbridge to Maynooth - and I appreciate that other sensitivities need to be looked at - the concerns are that some of the commercial bus operators can stop at any time and then students can be stranded. It is therefore important that a public service be given to the students who need to travel.

I appreciate the Minister of State's response. One message I would like him to bring back to the Department is to look again at a town bus for Newbridge and Kildare that will link in with the public transport network.

The Government recognises that transport connectivity is important for people who live and work in Ireland, including Kildare, and is key to bringing life back into our villages, towns and urban centres.

To deal with the specific point the Senator raised, the proposed route 888 linking Allenwood to Athy is expected to launch next month. Discussions between the NTA and Local Link Kildare South Dublin on a route connecting Suncroft to Kildare-Newbridge are now at an advanced stage and the NTA expects to finalise those in the coming weeks. I note the point the Senator raised about a Newbridge-to-Maynooth service but, as I said, a review of the network is under way and this needs to take account of a number of commercial bus operators operating between Newbridge and Maynooth currently. I will bring the point she raised back to the Minister for Transport and the Department.

The Department of Transport, the NTA and the operators are working to ensure the optimal deployment of resources across the public transport network to match passenger demand.