I welcome an Aire Stáit, Deputy O'Donnell, to the Seanad.

The Minister of State is welcome. The housing crisis affects the whole island and it is important we use every measure at our disposal to unlock one of the great social challenges of our time. The croí cónaithe scheme has been delivered specifically for land or building owners. It is a positive measure. It began for towns with populations of more than 600 people. Something I campaigned for when I was in Mayo County Council was that it be expanded to the whole countryside, to towns and villages, because we have cottages and old run-down buildings in all these different landscapes. That was positively received and the measure has enabled much more supply of housing in rural areas. It should be supported and complimented.

The croí cónaithe cities scheme, which is a totally different scheme and should perhaps have a different name because there is a lot of confusion about it, is specifically for cities. It is for 20 units or more delivered by a developer on a brownfield or derelict site to bring it back into use. This scheme is a good one, but it is limited to cities alone. There are towns like Castlebar, Ballina and Westport in Mayo where people used to live on the streets above the shops. There were vibrant town centres. We should not be limiting the croí cónaithe apartment scheme developments to cities. I ask that it be expanded to include towns with a population of more than 10,000 people.

I also ask that a sliding scale be created so that other market towns, the smaller market towns with populations of 3,000, 4,000 or 5,000, have some scheme or mechanism in place to stimulate and incentivise the regeneration of derelict and vacant properties. Currently, there are some schemes but not enough and it would be welcome if we could introduce the croí cónaithe cities incentive and support on a smaller scale for towns and on a smaller scale again for medium to smaller towns and perhaps even for developments of five units in villages. I look forward to the Minster of State's contribution and hope for his support because it could be one of the many solutions to unlock the housing crisis.

I welcome guests of Senator Andrews, Catherine and Paddy Moloney and Rita O'Hagan from Glin, County Limerick. They are most welcome to Seanad Éireann.

We have to welcome anyone from Limerick, so I welcome our visitors.

I thank Senator Duffy for raising this important matter. Addressing vacancy and bringing existing properties back into use as homes is a key priority of the Government. I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Browne.

A key initiative introduced in 2022 under the croí cónaithe towns fund is the vacant properties refurbishment grant, which provides support of up to €50,000 to refurbish vacant properties and a further €20,000 for derelict properties. Feedback on the grant has been positive. It is making a real difference. At the end of March 2025, more than 12,200 applications had been received by local authorities, more than 8,600 had been approved and 2,096 grants had been paid, totalling more than €112 million. Under the scheme, there can be a maximum of two grants per property, one for the property that will be the applicant's home and one for a property that will be made available for long-term rent. A comprehensive review of the scheme under the croí cónaithe towns fund was carried out in 2024 and findings and recommendations are being considered.

A number of other supports may be used by others to bring vacant and derelict properties into use. The Senator referenced the croí cónaithe towns fund being available nationwide. The repair and lease scheme supports refurbishment of vacant properties for use as social housing. This scheme provides an interest free loan to owners of up to €80,000 for each individual unit completed in a formerly vacant property. For example, where a vacant former shop is adapted to four apartments, a loan of up to €320,000 is available. Refurbishment grant homes are leased to the local authority and the property owner receives a regular income based on market rent, with the loan repaid as a reduction in the lease payment over an agreed term.

The scheme is increasingly being used to convert vacant commercial properties into social housing units. Planning exemptions are also available for the conversion of certain commercial properties to residential use. Planning regulations introduced in 2018, which exempted certain vacant commercial premises, including over-the-shop-type spaces, from requiring planning permission to change to residential purposes, were extended to the end of 2025. The exemptions support the reuse of vacant commercial buildings as homes, increasing housing supply and regenerating communities.

The Senator raised the croí cónaithe cities scheme. He made reference to a number of issues in terms of expanding the scheme. These are matters I will bring back to the Minister, Deputy Browne, and the Department.

I welcome to the Gallery a guest of Senator Duffy, Mr. John Fitzpatrick from Boston. I thank him for making the journey all the way from the other side of the Atlantic.

I also welcome my guest, Mr. Fitzpatrick. It is great to have him in the Public Gallery of the Chamber.

I thank the Minister of State for his reply. I am well aware of the repair and lease scheme. It is an excellent scheme, but it is not the same as the croí cónaithe scheme with its city-style development. The repair and lease scheme provides funding of up to €80,000 per unit. It specifies that beneficiaries take tenancies from the county council. Croí cónaithe, on the other hand, is a more private sector-led development. It is a grant. It is not paid out of rent or anything like that, as the Minister of State knows. The croí cónaithe cities scheme is very good. We do not need to overcomplicate things. We need to stimulate development in every town and village across the country, not just in cities. We demonstrated that when we expanded the croí cónaithe scheme. The criteria were limiting it to a population of 600. We broadened those and now we can see the figures for ourselves. More than 12,000 people have applied. That is incredible and very positive. It is one of the positive measures that is being used to tackle the housing challenge.

I am asking for a scheme similar to the cities scheme to be created and tailored for areas of different population sizes - 20,000, 10,000 and 5,000 - to encourage the revitalisation and regeneration of our market towns. I would appreciate it if the Minister of State would work to advocate and support this request with the Minister. I have no doubt but that the Minister of State will do that. I thank him for coming to the Chamber to discuss the issue.

Having listened carefully to the points raised by the Senator, I will say that the Government is committed to addressing vacancy. The vacant property refurbishment grant has been successful in this regard, along with the other schemes and measures in place. It is supporting bringing properties back into use as homes and the regeneration of villages, towns and cities.

The Senator raised a point in respect of the croí cónaithe cities scheme. I will bring his suggestion back to the Minister and the Department. I suggest that the Senator make a submission to them on the particular issue he has raised, outlining the areas he would like to be looked at. I will follow up on the matter with the Minister and the Department.

The Minister of State is welcome back to the House. He is no stranger to housing and the Department of housing and local government. My Commencement matter relates to Ardrew in Athy, County Kildare. I am also going to mention a number of other projects related to County Kildare.

The Minister of State may or may not be aware that the construction of over 70 social housing units in a community building project scheme for Ardrew has been halted by the Department of housing, which is the Department charged with the promotion of sustainable planning and development and tackling our housing crisis. It is strange to be in a position where the Department is clearly reconsidering a number of housing projects. I would be interested to hear the reason for that from the Minister of State, but the Department cited the overall cost of the project at Ardrew, which was considered too high. The construction of new homes at Ardrew was planned to begin in a few weeks' time. Indeed, builders were on site and preparatory works were being carried out. This project was ready to go. The Department had considerable notice of it and was fully aware of the finances, planning and various stages associated with this proposed development. This did not come out of the blue. It begs the question of who is minding the shop down in the Custom House in respect of our social housing programme. Planning approval was in place and the contractors were ready to go.

This was, of course, all part of a public-private partnership. The Ardrew project was part of bundle 3. For those who are not acquainted with the bundle system - I am conscious that there are always people listening in - housing construction bundles are associated with a specific group of social housing projects within a large PPP programme, where private contractors take on the design, build, finance, operation and tenancy management of a set number of social housing units with the support of the Government and within a scheme.

The Ardrew housing development is not the only one affected by the Department's interventions. The Department has confirmed that housing developments under bundles 4 and 5 are also to be reconsidered in the context of the National Development Finance Agency, NDFA. I can see why that might be necessary.

The developments affected by these reviews consist of 60 social homes at Oldtown Mill in Celbridge, County Kildare; 99 social homes and 32 affordable homes in Coolaghknock Glebe in Kildare town; 104 social homes in Rathasker in Naas, County Kildare; and 98 social homes and 40 affordable homes in Rickardstown in Newbridge, County Kildare. This sets the scene in Kildare alone.

Returning to the Ardrew project, over 800 people are on the housing list in the Athy municipal district area. That is only one part of the county. There is a desperate need for four-bedroom units based on medical and overcrowding assessment and need, and they have been validated. Some of these units would have been four-bedroom. The Department has decided to reconsider all aspects of bundles 4 to 7 in the Kildare County Council area.

There is a crisis. There is grave disappointment at the lack of progress. The fact that the Minister and the Department have agreed to reassess all of these at such a late stage, particularly with regard to Ardrew where people were ready to go, is very disappointing.

I acknowledge the work of former Senator Mark Wall, who is now a TD, and his councillors. They have really been the advocates of this. I met people on the ground in Athy last Saturday. I am shocked at what I am hearing but, more importantly, what I am seeing and what I have validated from cross-referencing with the Department and Kildare County Council. I hope that the Minister of State will be able to enlighten us on these matters.

I thank Senator Boyhan for raising this very important matter, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage. I am glad to have the opportunity to discuss the future of social housing PPP bundle 3, the individual project at Ardrew in Athy, County Kildare, and the next steps following the recent decision regarding the procurement process.

The Government and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage are committed to increasing the supply of new-build social and affordable homes. Increasing the overall housing supply is key to addressing the housing challenge. On 3 June, following a detailed evaluation, the Department made the considered decision not to proceed to contract award for social housing PPP bundle 3 through the existing PPP programme route. This decision was not taken lightly. It was driven by concerns about the overall cost of the project, which, upon review, was deemed to be too high to represent the most efficient use of public funds.

However, I stress that this is not a withdrawal from our commitment to delivering the homes that bundle 3 was designed to provide, including the site at Ardrew. The Department, in collaboration with the NDFA and the four local authorities involved, remains fully dedicated to ensuring these social housing units are built as soon as possible.

Work is already under way to proceed quickly to an alternative procurement and delivery approach. The Department is working with its programme leaders, the NDFA and the relevant local authorities, including Kildare County Council, to ensure there is no loss of momentum. Meetings are taking place with stakeholders and initial discussions have confirmed a shared urgency and determination to progress these construction projects.

Importantly, all four local authorities involved - Dublin City Council, Wicklow, Kildare and Sligo - have already secured full planning permission for the sites in question, representing a total of 486 homes, 73 of which will be delivered in Athy. This is a significant advantage, as it allows us to move straight into revising the delivery mechanism.

The focus will be on immediately progressing a new procurement strategy likely to be designed and build public works contracts and the adoption of modern methods of construction, MMC. These approaches not only offer efficiencies in terms of time and cost but also align with our sustainability and quality goals.

While the original procurement route for PPP bundle 3 will not be pursued, our commitment to delivering these vital homes remains. With strong partnerships already in place and planning approval secured, I believe this alternative strategy will ultimately lead to a successful delivery and a more effective and efficient result for public investment.

That reply is exceptionally disappointing and simply not good enough. The Minister of State is not in a position to tell me when the Ardrew housing scheme in Athy, County Kildare, will be advanced. It really is appalling. The housing scheme has planning permission, yet the project has sat on his table in his Department. As Kildare County Council has confirmed, the Department has been aware of all the developments I listed. If I was one of the nearly 5,000 people on Kildare County Council's housing list, I would be disappointed.

The Minister of State did not give a timeline or date for when these works will start. I accept and respect the fact that he is speaking on behalf of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage but that is no consolation to the people in County Kildare who are on the housing list. This site is advanced. All of these sites and bundles have planning permission. What the hell, who is minding the housing issue in the Custom House when we have been told time and again that we have a housing crisis? Clearly, we are not important enough for the Department to advance these units. I ask the Minister of State to confirm to me that I can go downstairs and pick up the phone to the guys in Kildare County Council and say this project will happen within six weeks, six months or six years.

I thank the Senator again for raising this very important matter, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy James Browne.

While the decision not to proceed with the original procurement route for PPP bundle 3 was difficult, it was made in the best interest of value for the Exchequer and long-term programme viability. My Department's responsibility is to ensure that every project we deliver is not only aligned with our social objectives but also financially sustainable and accountable to the public. What remains unchanged is the commitment to delivering these 486 much-needed social homes, including the planned 73 units for Athy, County Kildare. We are fortunate to have planning permission in place and we have highly engaged partners in the NDFA and local authorities, which are ready to move at pace. This allows us to move quickly into alternative procurement and delivery strategies that are most cost-effective and efficient. The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage has already begun co-ordinated discussions with stakeholders to agree the next steps. We will move swiftly to explore procurement options in innovative construction methods to meet delivery targets in a timely manner. I am confident that with the expertise and commitment across the programme, we will deliver these homes successfully.

When?

I thank the Minister of State for being here. My question concerns the development of the Riverbank Arts Centre and the new Kildare branch library. In the late 1990s, I was involved with a group of like-minded people who lobbied for an arts centre in Newbridge. Eventually, the Riverbank Arts Centre opened its doors in 2001 as County Kildare's arts centre. The centre has given great service and I give credit to Caroline Williams and her team for the multidisciplinary approach they have taken, bringing theatre with international, national and local elements, and for what they do for young people. The centre also has an art gallery. However, the building has gone beyond its original purpose. Riverbank Arts centre is County Kildare's arts centre. The population of the county has reached 270,000. In the latest census, population growth in County Kildare was recorded as almost 14%, which is almost twice the rate of other counties. The theatre was never comfortable. I am short and I find it difficult to fit into the narrow seats so I can imagine taller and larger people find the seating very uncomfortable. In fact, they have ceased to go there and instead go to other theatre spaces.

There was great jubilation when, in 2017, Riverbank Arts Centre was awarded what was at the time a substantial amount of money from the Department of arts. Along with Wexford, it was awarded €1 million by the Department. The venues were the only two in the country to receive that funding. They were to become flagship projects for the Department, and rightly so. We all looked forward to that. Has anything happened since? Absolutely not. Eight or nine years later, there is an excellent board, chaired by Paul Davis, comprising volunteers who are putting their time and energy into the project. They have gone through Part 8 and have tendered for and have a terrific design, but nothing has happened.

Riverbank Arts Centre is where the old vocational school was in Newbridge and beside it is the county library and the Newbridge branch library. The county library was built in the 1930s and there is a preservation order on it. There are many health and safety concerns and refurbishment work will start there. The Newbridge branch library was built in the 1970s as an extension. It is not a building of any importance, but there is now an agreement, through national funding and local property tax funding, that the library will be moved across the bridge for a year or 18 months while a three-storey library, which will suit all ages, is developed. That is very welcome, but it does not make sense for there to be three elements in the one space.

Out of the three spaces, two would have work carried out on them in early 2026. It makes no sense that work on the Riverbank Arts Centre would not go ahead at the same time. As night follows day, two buildings would be completed and funding would come through for Riverbank and we would have to start all over again. I appeal for the funding to be provided to complete the work in Riverbank and make it fully accessible, something we should ask for in all public buildings. I ask that the seating be made more comfortable. It would be a landmark building and space for the entrance to Newbridge.

I thank Senator O'Loughlin for raising this important matter, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy James Browne. I wish to clarify that the provision of library services, including the provision of library buildings, is primarily a matter for local authorities in their capacities as library authorities under the Local Government Act 2001. In addition, the libraries capital programme for the period 2018 to 2027 is the responsibility of my colleague, the Minister for Rural, Community Development and the Gaeltacht.

With regard to the arts centre, while mainly funded by local authorities, the Department of Culture, Communications and Sports currently provides grants as a contribution towards securing and enhancing existing arts and cultural facilities under its cultural capital scheme. Notwithstanding all of this, under call 1 of my Department's urban regeneration development fund, URDF, dating back to 2018, Kildare County Council submitted a successful proposal for funding the Newbridge cultural and civic quarter. My Department provided €92,000 in funding towards technical assistance and design work for a number of projects in the proposal. These projects included the design and Part 8 process for the Kildare Central Library and to progress design plans for public realm works on the Newbridge Main Street. They also included funding towards a feasibility study for St. Conleth's Square, which incorporated a proposed climate action centre and a new public space at the rear of the town hall. These technical assistance and design works, all of which have now been completed, outline plans for better linkages along Newbridge Main Street through an approved public realm between the River Liffey linear park, the county library and the Riverbank Arts Centre, which the Senator has name-checked.

The intention of the funding was to allow Kildare County Council to provide a proof of concept on these projects, bringing them through various stages of design and planning and having them ready for submission under appropriate funding schemes as they subsequently arise.

A flagship of Project Ireland 2040, the URDF is targeted to support the regeneration and rejuvenation of our cities and key towns, such as Newbridge. In keeping with this aim, the national planning framework was launched in 2018 with committed Exchequer funding of €2 billion. The review of the NDP in 2021 extended the URDF to 2030. To date, Kildare County Council has been provisionally allocated €21,922,032 in URDF support towards its seven successful proposals approved in the first two rounds of the URDF funding allocation. A further €7 million has been allocated towards the third and most recent round of funding, which is supporting a programme of acquisitions in each local authority to address long-term vacancy and dereliction. An interactive GIS story map site containing details of all the successful projects under call 1 and call 2 provide members of the public access to up-to-date information on the URDF-supported projects at local authority level. The site is available through the URDF website, www.gov.ie/urdf .

I thank the Minister of State. Before I call on Senator O'Loughlin to reply, I welcome Mr. Joe Druhan, Fr. Richard Redmond and Fr. Odhrán Furlong to our Distinguished Visitors Gallery. They are guests of the Ceann Comhairle, Deputy Verona Murphy. They are very welcome.

With the greatest of respect to the Minister of State, I might as well tear up this response because there is absolutely nothing in it on development and particularly on River Bank Arts Centre. I am sure the Minister of State agrees that it makes far more sense to be able to have the full jigsaw, so to speak, happening at the same time. Meanwhile, there is €1 million unspent years after it was awarded, its value totally diminished from what €1 million could have provided at the time, and it is languishing without some more funding to top it up.

I accept Kildare County Council has been allocated significant moneys under the URDF. That is essentially about unlocking housing but we have to have amenities to support those who come to live in those houses. The infrastructure in Kildare has totally deteriorated because it is a commuter county and has been successful in building houses. I do appreciate that there is funding for the library. As the Minister of State says, funding could and should be provided by the Department of arts. I have called for a capital funding programme, similar to the sports capital programme, for arts facilities. That is really important. I want the Minister of State to bring the message back to the Minister that Riverbank Arts Centre in Newbridge is thriving for what it is, but we need far more investment in the cultural, educational and social future of those who use it. The public realm the Minister of State mentioned will not follow until all those elements come into place. What comes first? In my view, the building work on those three adjacent sites has to be completed and then we have the public realm and what comes after that. I thank the Acting Chair for his indulgence.

Once again, I thank Senator O'Loughlin for raising this important matter, which I am talking on behalf of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy James Browne. I understand how genuine Senator O'Loughlin is on this matter. In line with the programme for Government, there was an intention to expand URDF estimates as part of the towns and cities infrastructure investment fund. Arrangements for the implementation of this funding is still under development and will be clarified further once the NDP review process is complete. However, in relation to the proposed library project, given that the main source of funding for libraries is provided by the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht's library capital programme, the Senator may wish to engage with that Department or the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport regarding the River Bank Arts Centre.

I understand that the Senator wants to get the work on the River Bank Arts Centre and Newbridge library done concurrently. The funding for both of those projects, as the Senator will be aware, comes from the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport. It provides a contribution towards securing and enhancing existing arts and cultural facilities under the cultural capital scheme. The funding for libraries comes from the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht's library capital programme. I expect the Senator has been in contact with both Departments to discuss the funding for both of those projects.

The Senator might follow up with them again and then revert to the Department regarding the situation with the public realm works. I will bring the issues raised back to the Minister, Deputy Browne, but the Senator might also follow up in his own way with the Department too.

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Michael Moynihan, to the House. As a neighbouring county, I wish County Cork all the best in the upcoming all–Ireland hurling final. We hold no grudges when it comes to the hurling ball.

My Commencement matter concerns the need for the Minister for Transport and Bus Éireann to review the rural school bus routes in County Kerry and extend services beyond the Listowel catchment area and into the Ballybunion and north Kerry area. An issue close to the hearts of many families in my county, especially in north Kerry, is school transport access to Gaelcholáiste Chiarraí. It is the only Irish-speaking secondary school in north Kerry and services the area from Tralee into the hinterland.

I acknowledge the positive steps taken recently by Bus Éireann. I thank it sincerely for its co-operation and hard work in recent months. I have been proud to work alongside it and I am very pleased we have secured a new school bus route from Abbeydorney and Lixnaw to allow students to attend Gaelcholáiste Chiarraí. This is a great development. I greatly welcome it, as do the parents. It is a life-changer for them and the students. It is proof that progress is possible when local needs are listened to. I thank Councillor Aoife Kennelly for her work on this matter too.

This is, however, just a start for any child who wishes to attend Gaelcholáiste Chiarraí in Tralee, the only Irish language secondary school in north Kerry. The school provides excellent education and a living connection to our national language and identity but that should extend to students across north Kerry, from places like Ballybunion, Tarbert, Moyvane, Causeway, Astee, Ballyduff and Kilmorna. Nine pupils in the Gaelscoil primary school in Listowel have been identified to attend the Gaelcholáiste Chiarraí in Tralee next year. However, there are no accessible connections to our school transport network. Therein lies the problem. The network has been extended into Lixnaw now, which is fantastic, but we need to extend it further. We need to get kids in other non-Irish speaking primary schools showing they want to attend the secondary school too.

Families are being punished for choosing the medium of Irish language education. Parents are being forced to drive a round trip of up to 25 km every day just to get their children to school. Others rely on outdated connections and long, indirect journeys that place great stress on students and their families. This is simply not good enough in 2025. No child should be denied access to education based on where they live and no parent should be put in the impossible position of choosing between their child's education and their family's daily routines. I call on the Minister for Transport and Bus Éireann to build on the progress we have made and extend the school bus routes to serve all north Kerry. We have shown that solutions are possible. We now need to apply them fairly, consistently and urgently. Let us ensure every student has a fair chance to attend Gaelcholáiste Chiarraí in Tralee. Let us support our language not just in words but through action and deliver real equality for the communities of north Kerry and for the students who want to attend the school.

I will give one practical example. The bus that leaves Listowel to go directly to the Gaelcholáiste in Tralee leaves at 8 a.m. A child - one of two siblings - who wants to get that 8 a.m. bus from Tarbert next year will have to be up at about 6.30 a.m. to get ready for school and get dropped at the bus for 8 a.m. I urgently ask the Minister of State to progress the new routes.

I thank the Senator from Kerry for his good wishes on the hurling. I take them very graciously. As I come from within a few miles of the County Kerry border, we know full well that it is meant with sincerity and gratitude.

I have to declare my interest in Gaelcholáiste Chiarraí. I know well that the Gaelcholáiste is an extremely well-run school under a hugely successful leadership team. There are teachers who have been there for quite a number of years. My wife has been a teacher in Gaelcholáiste Chiarraí for a long number of years. I know Gaelcholáiste Chiarraí quite well. When I was taking this Commencement matter, I was not sure if it was a conflict of interest. I wish all of the team in Gaelcholáiste Chiarraí every continued success in its amazing leadership and what it is doing there. It is an excellent school, as is all of the team working there.

The school transport scheme is a significant operation run by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education and Youth. Under the current terms of the post-primary school transport scheme, children are eligible for transport where they reside not less than 4.8 km from and are attending the nearest post-primary school education centre. The distance is determined by the Department and Bus Éireann, the rules regarding ethos and the language. Bus Éireann has advised that it is currently assessing the applications for school transport for the 2025-26 school year. I thank Bus Éireann and the Department's officials for the amount of work they have been doing since the closing date in early June. Bus Éireann has advised that pupils from the Lixnaw area attending Gaelcholáiste Chiarraí had to travel to Abbeydorney or Kilflynn previously to access this service to school. Due to the increased numbers this year, many buses have been replaced by a large vehicle that has been put in place, as alluded to by the Senator.

The route is under procurement. This service is being rerouted to give an extension to Lixnaw and give these pupils a better level of service. These pupils are eligible, as Gaelcholáiste Chiarraí is the nearest Gaelcholáiste. Relating to the pupils living in Moyvane and also attending the Gaelcholáiste having to drive to Listowel to meet the service, I can confirm to the Senator that only two applications have been received from that area. The remote area grant will be offered to families to travel to the pickup points.

As the Senator may be aware, a minimum number of ten eligible children residing in a district locality, as determined by Bus Éireann, who have applied and paid or entered their medical card details is required before consideration may be given to the establishment or the retention of a school bus transport service. This is provided it can be done within the reasonable cost limits. Bus Éireann is assessing all applications and payments received. It is now planning for the routes and services for the 2025-26 school year. Routes may be altered or extended depending on the number and location of eligible children who are availing of the school transport for the following school year. Once routes have been finalised, Bus Éireann will assign tickets for each school transport service. Tickets will begin to issue this month. They will continue to be issued through July and August. Families who are unsuccessful in obtaining a seat will be notified via email and a refund will be issued. Applications and payments or entering of medical card details submitted after the deadline will be deemed late. A late submission of payment or medical card details may mean that a seat is unavailable, but we are keeping that under review over the next number of weeks.

Before I call Senator Kennelly to reply, I welcome to the Public Gallery Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn's guests, who are from the Neighbourhood Management Team.

I thank the Minister of State for his response. He mentioned the fantastic school of Gaelcholáiste Chiarraí. The one thing we want to do is make it accessible to everybody. I received a letter from the principal of Gaelscoil Lios Tuathail this morning. It states:

In September fifth and sixth class, we have the following children who will be attending the Gaelcholáiste Chiarraí:

One from Lixnaw; one from Ballylongford; one from Duagh; two from Kilmorna; one from Ballyduff; one from Tarbert; and two from Moyvane.

The nearest pickup point for many of these areas is far away.

I seek an accommodation for the nine children who want to attend the Gaelcholáiste next year. I will sit down with the officials to find the nearest pick-up point to allow these kids to attend the Irish school. Parents send their children to ordinary national schools all over north Kerry, but if an opportunity arises for a pick-up point to allow their child to attend Gaelcholáiste Chiarraí, there will be more than nine children. I guarantee the Minister of State that would be the case. The sustainability of the route will not be an issue for Bus Éireann.

I would appreciate if the Senator could give me more details on the students he mentions. Both the Department and I will look at the issue to see how we can ensure the best outcome. Second level education through the medium of Irish has become extremely popular not just in Kerry but right across the country. It is something we must encourage right across the system, notwithstanding the excellence provided in Gaelcholáiste Chiarraí and throughout the country. I know the communities and areas the Senator mentions, as we are just over the border.

Senator Kennelly mentions nine students going to the Gaelscoil in Listowel. Are they going into fifth class and sixth class in September?

As we speak, they are in fifth class and sixth class.

I will talk to the Senator afterwards and get the detail.

Absolutely.

I cannot provide any commitment but we will work to see if there is any reasonable solution for these students. It is something that is important to Senator Kennelly but it is also important to us to make sure that the Gaelcholáistí are as accessible as possible into the future. I will do anything I can to support the Gaelcholáistí. That is important not just to Senator Kennelly but it is important to me as well.

I thank the Minister of State for his time this afternoon in addressing the Commencement matter of Senator Kennelly.