The Minister of State, Deputy Murnane O'Connor, is most welcome to Seanad Éireann this morning. The first Commencement matter is from Senator Nicole Ryan. The Senator submitted it previously but the answer provided by the Department did not even address one of the matters raised in the question. I have used the rules of the Seanad to allow this Commencement matter to come back in again.

I welcome the Minister of State. The last time I raised this matter, the Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, was here. The question was around Leap cards and it was specific to Millstreet and Banteer stations in north Cork. While I received an answer, it had nothing to do with the question I asked. It talked about Kent and Midleton stations, neither of which is a concern for me or my constituents, to be honest. I raised the issue of the accessibility and use of Leap cards from Millstreet Station to Cork city as well as an issue with regard to trains at Banteer Station. At the time, the Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, asked how many students were affected and I said I would do a survey, so I did. I got the survey results, and what they revealed was staggering, although it was something I already knew. I did the survey across the Duhallow area to gather data on the lived experience. The response was overwhelming and I am happy to share it with the Department and officials.

I will highlight the key findings from the survey. A significant majority of the respondents – the vast bulk of them – travelled to Cork for college, apprenticeships or post-leaving certificate courses at least four days per week. Many reported that Monday is the most difficult day of the week because there is no early train to Cork from Banteer or Millstreet stations, with options either being far too early or too late. Students told me they are regularly missing their 9 a.m. lectures on Monday despite having perfectly workable transport options from Tuesday to Friday. Some students reported paying for accommodation on a Sunday night purely because they cannot rely on the Monday morning train.

Importantly, several families noted that without Leap card access at Millstreet Station, the cost of train travel is pushing students into cars and adding both financial and traffic pressure. These are not abstract complaints. Rather, they are real obstacles that young people in rural Ireland face every single day. My question to the Minister of State is this. Will the Leap card boundary be extended to Millstreet Station? It sits just outside the Leap card zone, which is unfair and illogical. Students in neighbouring parishes receive discounts and subsidised fares while families who use Millstreet Station have to bear the full cost of the same journey. Extending the Leap card to Millstreet Station is a simple administrative change which would have a substantial impact.

Will the early train from Banteer to Cork be reintroduced? From Tuesday to Friday, the 6.50 a.m. train gets students to Cork in good time for their 9 a.m. lectures. On Monday, however, that service disappears. The alternatives are totally unworkable. The 5.32 a.m. train, which does not even stop in Banteer, arrives in Cork far too early and the 8.15 a.m. train, which arrives at 9.15 a.m., is far too late for students. Not a single student who responded to the survey said that the timetable on Monday works. There is a demand there for students. The service exists on four other days of the week, from Tuesday to Friday, but does not exist on Monday.

Essentially, I am asking that both of these issues, namely, Leap card access and the missing Monday train, be addressed. I am asking for clarity and a commitment for the students because it is unfair that because they live just a little bit outside the Leap card zone, they have to pay the full fare. We cannot access Leap cards in the area. This issue relates to my constituency but the same issue affects rural areas in different constituencies. Some clarity on that would be great.

I thank Senator Ryan for raising this important issue. I see it in my area of Carlow-Kilkenny. Carlow is now a university town and county and that brings challenges. It is important we have transport for students, and I am mindful of that.

As the Senator knows, I am taking this Commencement matter on behalf of the Minister for Transport, Deputy Darragh O’Brien. If I do not have some of the answers today, I can go back and look for the clarity the Senator seeks. Some of the issues she raised will be important.

The Minister for Transport has responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport, but neither the Minister nor his officials are involved in the day-to-day operation of public transport services. That is the first point. They do not have a say in that. I will come back to that.

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. The NTA also has responsibility for the regulation of fares charged to passengers in respect of public transport services provided under public service obligation, PSO, contracts. This is what we need to work on and see what we can do.

That said, I reassure the Senator that the Government is strongly committed to providing all citizens with reliable and realistic sustainable options. Public transport plays a key role in the delivery of this goal. To support this objective, in budget 2026, the Department of Transport has secured €940 million of funding for PSO and TFI Local Link services, providing a significant increase of 43%. The allocation further supports subsidised bus and rail services across Ireland, as well as maintaining targeted fare initiatives such as the recently introduced free travel for all children up to the age of nine and the young adult card, as part of the NTA's national fares strategy.

In relation to the Senator’s specific query regarding the need to extend Leap fare access to students, I would like to clarify that there are currently two Leap card options available that offer 50% discounted travel for young people and students. The Senator is probably aware of this. The young adult card is available to all young adults aged 19 to 25 and the student Leap card is available to full-time students aged 16 to 18 and those aged 26 and over. To qualify, students must be in full-time education or training for at least 16 hours per week. Any student who meets the criteria, supported by a valid student ID indicating full-time status or a letter from their institution, will be issued a student Leap card. The NTA encourages all customers to use the TFI Leap card to ensure they receive the best possible value on fares. Leap card users can save up to 30% compared with paying with cash, making it a more cost-effective option for the regular traveller.

In relation to train services, we have invested significantly in recent years in our national rail network to create a more efficient, safe and better rail service for the people of Ireland. The Senator is well aware the opening of a new through platform at Cork Kent Station in April represented a landmark day in the delivery of the Cork area commuter rail programme. It is a really good initiative and I am sure the Senator is well aware of it. This platform will facilitate Cork commuter trains to travel through Kent Station from Mallow to Midleton or Cobh without requiring passengers to change service, which will support a better rail service. A public consultation on phase 2 of the programme, which includes the delivery of eight new stations, provides upgrades to existing stations, including Mallow, and provides for electrification of the Cork commuter rail system, concluded in July. Phase 2 works will be advanced following the completion of phase 1 and subject to funding and relevant approvals.

The national development plan sectoral investment plan for transport, which was published by the Department of Transport in November, provides funding for the completion of the Cork area commuter rail phase 1 and elements of phase 2 works. I understand that some of what I am telling the Senator is just for information but I will say the Government is committed to working on the issues she highlighted today and she might want to come back to me with more questions.

I thank the Minister of State. It is not her remit and it is not her Department but we are back to the exact same scenario where I am not getting the answers I am looking for. I do not need to know how Leap cards work. Everybody knows how Leap cards work. The issue is that students who get on at Millstreet station cannot use the Leap card. They know what Leap cards are. We are talking about Mallow to Cork, Midleton and Cobh but again, I do not need to know about those train stations. I am looking for the train to be put on from Banteer as it does not stop on Mondays.

I will have to resubmit this Commencement matter because I am not getting the answers I am looking for. It is not the Minister of State's fault but is a load of waffle and it is not getting to the core of what I am asking. I will submit the Commencement matter again.

I thank the Senator for highlighting it. Public transport for any age is in the programme for Government and there has been a lot of investment in it. I understand the Senator's own area. I can see it in my own constituency of Carlow-Kilkenny. I am always working to see whether it can be changed and if we can look at train times or get extra carriages. I see the need for that. The one thing I can assure the Senator is that the Government is committed to working on the areas we need to address.

I will definitely go back to the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, on this really important issue. I might set up a meeting between the Senator and the Minister to try to sort out the issues. I thank the Senator because it is a really important issue that we try to work on for young people.

I thank the Minister of State. We will be taking this Commencement matter again. This will be the third time I have had to pick this Commencement matter. It is not because of the Senator or the question; it affects all Senators. I will read out the full question: the need for the Minister for Transport to extend Leap card fares access and improve train service for students travelling from north Cork, including Banteer and Millstreet, to Cork city. The reply does not mention Banteer or Millstreet. It mentions Cobh and Midleton. The answer does not provide any reference to the particular towns that were mentioned.

I understand about the operational issues. I understand all of that, as we all do, but there are elements in this that have no relevance to the answer the Senator was looking for. I appreciate the Minister of State is taking this on behalf of the Department. It is not her Department but, this time, we will ask for the Minister or a Minister of State from the Department to come in and actually answer the question. I ask any Senator who feels they are in a similar position to Senator Ryan, where they put in a question and it is not even referred to in the answer, to please let me know so we can address this issue. I know it is an issue that has come up in the Dáil in relation to TDs getting similar answers that do not refer to the question they have posed. We will picking this for a third time.

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit as ucht a bheith anseo le déileáil leis an gceist an-tábhachtach seo faoi shingles agus an shingles vaccine. The population of the Republic aged 65 or over is approximately 850,000. If they are unvaccinated, one in three of those are likely to get shingles. Around 90% of adults carry the varicella zoster shingles virus and the incidence of infection increases incrementally after the age of 50. Estimates indicate that approximately 40,000 of the cohort have paid the approximate €500 it costs for private vaccination. This leaves approximately 800,000 over-65s unvaccinated. Nearly all of these are at risk.

If these were to be given the vaccination over the remaining four planned years of this Administration, it would cost approximately €50 million a year for each of those four years. International and Irish data suggest that approximately 7,000 older shingles patients are likely to be hospitalised due to ophthalmic shingles, risk of vision loss, neurological complications such as meningitis and encephalitis, disseminated shingles in immunocompromised patients and severe or uncontrolled pain, usually due to postherpetic neuralgia, which regularly impacts long-term mobility, mental well-being and social and independent living.

The Shingrix vaccine is free, subsidised or reimbursed in so many developed countries like ours. Those countries include the United Kingdom and, significantly, Northern Ireland, as well as Australia, Luxembourg, New Zealand, many provinces of Canada, the United States of America, France, Germany and Spain. Alas, Ireland is a complete outlier for all of the wrong reasons. I have had personal close encounters in my own family with shingles. A dear old uncle of mine contracted it early in his 70s. It went hard on him as he became more and more immunocompromised.

In the end, shingles was the death of him. It was one thing after another until he died about three years later. It did not need to be that way. In my Commencement matter, I simply ask the Government and the HSE to review forthwith funding the vaccine for people aged 65 and over. Internationally, this is the status quo and widespread, so why does Ireland persist in being so obstinate as an outlier?

I thank the Senator for highlighting this very important issue. I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister for Health, Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill.

Varicella is a common, highly infectious disease caused by the varicella zoster virus. This virus is associated with chickenpox and shingles. Primary infection results in chickenpox, after which the virus becomes latent in the body’s nervous system. The virus may reactivate, sometimes decades later, resulting in shingles. Approximately one third of people who have chickenpox will develop a shingles infection at some point during their lifetime. Two thirds of cases occur in those aged 50 years and older.

Morbidity increases with age and the most common complication is persistent pain in the area of the rash. As the Senator has said, this condition can be very painful. I know people who have had shingles and they had a lot of pain. This has the potential to cause significant reductions in quality of life, activity, mood and sleep.

Currently, a vaccine called Shingrix is available in Ireland and is administered as a two-dose vaccine. Shingrix is more effective than the previously available vaccine, Zostavax, and can be safely administered to immunocompromised patients. Internationally, Shingrix has replaced Zostavax as the preferred vaccine against shingles. I am learning a lot of new words today. The national immunisation advisory committee, NIAC, guidelines state that the Shingrix vaccine may be considered in those aged 65 years and older, due to the greater burden and severity of the disease in this age group and in those aged 18 years and older who are at increased risk of shingles.

In advance of any change in policy, and this is what we need to address, the Minister can request that the Health Information and Quality Authority, HIQA, carry out an evaluation of the impacts of a potential policy change. These evaluations take the form of health technology assessments or HTAs. A HTA is a multidisciplinary research process that collects and summarises information about a health technology in a systematic, unbiased and transparent manner. The use of the HTA facility assists decision-makers in assessing the merits and potential shortcomings of a new health technology, policy or service based on accurate and reliable evidence.

The Minister for Health can advise that, following a request from her Department, HIQA carried out a HTA on the vaccine which protects against shingles. This HTA examined the evidence on the safety and clinical effectiveness of shingles vaccines. The cost-effectiveness and budget impact were also reviewed, in addition to the ethical and organisational consequences of including the vaccine in the adult immunisation schedule. HIQA’s HTA was published on 19 July 2024. The HTA found that including the shingles vaccine in the routine immunisation schedule, at the vaccine price at the time, for all adults aged 65 years and over would not be cost-effective and would have a substantial budget impact. However, it found that it could be cost-effective for vaccination of those at 75 years and 80 years if the cost of the vaccination was reduced by 80%. This is what we need to address.

Given that the healthcare budget is finite and decisions regarding spending in one area could impact the provision of other health technologies and treatments within the healthcare system, the cost-effectiveness must be considered in any decision-making process. The Department has considered the findings of this HTA and determined that the introduction of the vaccine could be reconsidered when the cost-effectiveness of the vaccine is confirmed as being more favourable. This is the answer given to me by the Department.

I will say a couple of things about the response provided by the Minister. First, HIQA, which published its findings in 2024, examined two contradictory cohorts, so the evidence it has given is not pertinent to the argument. I do not doubt for a moment the sincerity of the Minister but I do doubt the Government's ability to do sums. Over four years, 200,000 vaccines per year will cost €50 million a year, or €200 million. There will be 7,000 probable hospitalisations from shingles over four years. Including maintenance, specialists, pathology and pharmacy, stepdown and aftercare, these will cost an approximate €68 million a year for four years, and counting. In the lifetime of this Government, the Minister for Health and the Government could save us upwards of €70 million over the next four years if a vaccine were introduced for people aged 65 and over, as opposed to blithely throwing €700 million to clubs and pubs, Domino's and McDonald's. It is an awful cliché but a no-brainer. Into the bargain, the Government would end the scandal of brazenly expecting the poorest pensioners in this State to fund a €500 bill to keep themselves free from the scourge of shingles.

I wish to say a special thanks to Active Retirement Ireland for its input in working with me on this Commencement matter.

This is something we need to look at. As the Senator said, we are talking about elderly people who are our most vulnerable people.

There are a lot of votes in this too.

I assure the Senator that I will speak to the Minister for Health about this. The Department has indicated that the introduction of the single vaccine to the immunisation schedule in Ireland can be reconsidered if and when the cost-effectiveness of the vaccine is confirmed as being more favourable. I give the Senator my word that I will go back to the Minister because this matter is important. Over the years, I have known people who got shingles. They were very sick and suffered a lot of pain so I understand the importance of a vaccine.

Senators will be aware that the immunisation programme in Ireland is based on the advice of NIAC. The committee's recommendations are based on the prevalence of a disease in Ireland and international best practice. To protect the public from serious outcomes of diseases, vaccines included in the national immunisation programme are administered free of charge to those in eligible at-risk groups.

More generally, I urge all those eligible for any vaccine under the national immunisation programme, at all stages of life, to avail of the opportunity to be vaccinated. This discussion is timely as the flu and Covid-19 vaccination programmes are under way for the winter season. All those who are eligible for a free vaccine should make an appointment to receive it. I also encourage all parents to bring their young infants to their GP for their important childhood immunisations. These measures will help us reach the shared objective of protecting public health by preventing the spread of disease in our community.

Again, Senator Conway has my full commitment that I will highlight the urgency of considering this matter with the Minister.

Many pensioners do not have €500 in their bank account.

Yes, I agree. As the Senator said, Active Retirement Ireland does great work. Well done to it.

I thank the Minister of State for her time.

I welcome the Minister of State.

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. I raise the concerning removal of funding for the Red Door Project's probation service work in Drogheda. The decision risks dismantling a proven model of restorative justice and community rehabilitation.

Since 2018, the Red Door Project has been a core partner in the drugs court initiative, working directly with some of the highest risk and most vulnerable individuals in the community. Over the last seven years, the project's staff have built strong, trusted relationships with participants, probation officers and the courts. These relationships are not easily replicated and provide vital stability and support for those attempting to reintegrate. I have worked with the Red Door Project over the years. It provides a fantastic drop-in space, where staff maintain eyes on those at highest risk. It provides education and community employment placements, daily integration supports and consistent engagements for clients attending the drugs court.

It has a long-standing proven record with the Probation Service, the courts and other community agencies. This work is not easy; it is complex, trust based and locally embedded. The project's strength lies in its deep knowledge of Drogheda, its people and its challenges, knowledge which has taken years to build. It has become a crucial source of community intelligence and a stabilising presence for individuals who might otherwise fall between the cracks.

The decision to remove this funding and reallocate it to a Dublin-based organisation - one that, however capable, has no local roots - poses a real risk. It undermines continuity of care, removes local expertise and destabilises those who rely on this service to meet court obligations and rebuild their lives. Furthermore, this decision directly contradicts the spirit and intent of the Drogheda implementation board which was established by the Department of Justice following the escalation of the Drogheda drugs feud a few years ago. That board's final report earlier this year highlighted the need for local relationship-based supports, integrated multi-agency work, integration and sustained community involvement, essential to reducing relapsing and to strengthen resilience in the Drogheda and north-east area. To remove funding from that project, which embodies exactly those principles, flies in the face of that evidence and the Department's stated objectives.

The Red Door Project is not just another service provider. It is an incredible local service which is part of the fabric of Drogheda's recovery. Its understanding of the local dynamics, the legacy of the feud and the risks facing its clients a second to none. Its partnership with the Probation Service has delivered real results and safer communities, supported rehabilitation, and restored lives, which is the ultimate goal. I am asking that this decision be urgently reviewed and that the funding for this probation partnership be restored to the Red Door Project. The loss of the collaboration would undo years of progress. It has already lost the funding from 31 October, so this is not fear and scaremongering. It is already seeing damage to the trust that is so central to successful community justice. Just to be clear, it is not funding from the Probation Service but from the justice Department as part of the implementation board, which was hard fought for and hard won, and the results are showing.

Drogheda deserves continuity, respect for local expertise and meaningful investment in the services which have proven their worth on the ground. I am hopeful of getting a positive response today in order that it can be reviewed immediately and that funding can be reinstated to the Red Door Project in order that it can continue its valuable work.

It was great to see the Senators in the Dáil yesterday for the visit of President Zelenskyy. It was nice to see the Acting Chairperson, Senator Nicole Ryan, name-checked by the political commentator Gavan Reilly.

The Minister thanks the Senator for raising this important matter for discussion. As we are all aware, the Red Door Project is a community-based organisation in Drogheda, County Louth, providing assistance and support to those individuals, families and the wider community affected by drug use. As the Senator said, it is not just another service. I am very aware of the Red Door Project and all the great work it does. When I was Minister of State with responsibility for the national drugs strategy and health and well-being, I met people from the Red Door Project on numerous occasions. I am very much aware of the great work they do. I was very anxious to support them in every way. The project has great governance and does great work on the ground, which is something I am very aware of.

The Probation Service has never directly funded any services provided by the Red Door Project. The Red Door Project received funding for specific posts under the Drogheda report implementation plan, published by the Department of Justice in 2021. The Drogheda implementation board was established in 2021 to oversee the implementation of the report, Drogheda: Building a Bridge to a Better Future, and is an example of how the Government is prioritising building stronger, safer communities. The Drogheda implementation board's term came to an end in December 2024.

Several actions from the implementation plan related specifically to the Red Door Project and the delivery of services to the community through that project. Among other interventions delivered by a variety of agencies, the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration resourced a drug court liaison worker and administrative supports from October 2021 to October 2025 through the Red Door Project on a temporary basis.

The Probation Service launched an expression of interest, EOI, process earlier this year to provide support and interventions to Probation Service clients assigned by the County Louth Probation Service team and to expand its services in the area. The closing date for receipt of applications was 17 October 2025. The EOI process stipulated a number of specific requirements from the successful organisation, including to: work with the Louth Probation Service team to deliver services within the drug treatment court model and the joint agency response to crime model; be available for priority individual referral from the County Louth probation team; and have a restorative justice focus and ethos throughout its service.

Several applications were received from community-based organisations, including the Red Door Project. The process has now concluded and a preferred service provider has been selected by the Probation Service.

The Ana Liffey Drug Project was chosen as part of this process, due to its extensive experience in this field of work. It is the intention that the Ana Liffey Drug Project, which has previous experience working in the region, will have a number of staff based on site in County Louth delivering services locally.

I am very disheartened and disappointed by that response. I had real faith that it might be looked at again. This is a unique situation. The Red Door Project works on the ground. The implementation board put in these recommendations and it is disheartening to see it almost being taken away now. I am not taking away from the good work of the Ana Liffey Drug Project, but its people are not on the ground. It is true that it was put in as a temporary measure in Drogheda but it has proven itself by its results and the work it is doing. Continuity is key with this kind of work. I accept that staff from outside can be placed in County Louth to try to complete the work being done, but the trust may not be there. We are only now reaping the benefits from the lessening of the drugs feud over the past couple of years. Things have been picking up and to take that away now will have a hugely detrimental effect. It is terrible message to send to the people of the north east, to those who are very vulnerable. I still urge that there be some rearrangement made here.

Again, I praise the great work done by the Red Door Project, other agencies and all stakeholders to put Drogheda in a much better place after the horrific events of a number of years ago. I assure the Senator that the Government is committed to building stronger safer communities and is deeply aware of the impact that drugs and drug-related crime can have on communities.

The Government's approach to the misuse of drugs is set out in Ireland's national drugs strategy, Reducing Harm, Supporting Recovery. It is a health-led approach to drug and alcohol use in Ireland. It represents a whole-of-government approach to reduce demand and associated harms. I appreciate the great work the Red Door Project and the Ana Liffey Drug Project have done. The work of community-based organisations is vital to achieving these aims. The Minister thanks the Red Door Project for its important work in the area to date. I will bring the Senator's concerns back to the Minister. She talked about a local initiative and I think all the stakeholders can work together to achieve what is best for the people in Drogheda. I will take her message back to the Minister.

Before we move on to the next matter, I welcome our lovely guests, the fourth, fifth and sixth class pupils from Ballyvolane National School, Rusheen National School and Ballinagree National School, who are in the Gallery. It is lovely to see them. It is a long-standing tradition in the Seanad that they will have no homework tonight. I hope they enjoy that.

I was enjoying my game of waving across the Chamber to the students. They are very welcome. I hope they enjoy their day.

I congratulate the Minister of State on his recent appointment. It is my first opportunity to do so here in the Chamber. As always, it is an honour to be in his presence. He is a man who has weathered many storms in political life and had sunny days as well. The way he conducts his business across the House and across the party is a lesson for us all. I congratulate him, his family and his supporters at home.

This matter relates to the urgent need for progress on the long-awaited school building at Sacred Heart Secondary School in Clonakilty.

It has been dragging on for far too long. The situation on the ground has reached the point where health and safety concerns cannot be ignored any longer. Sacred Heart Secondary School, Clonakilty, is a high-achieving all-girls school that has been at the heart of education in west Cork since 1941. With 544 students, it continues to excel academically, culturally and socially. Recently, I welcomed a group of girls from the school to Leinster House to present to the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Martin Heydon, their project as one of the five groups of national finalists in the Certified Irish Angus Schools Competition. The school is delivering on many levels other than the academic level and it continues to excel every day.

Despite the exceptional efforts of the school community, those in the school are operating in conditions that are simply not good enough. The school has been seeking building works for 16 years. There have been 16 years of waiting, meetings, submitting documents and seeking progress. The project was approved in principle for stage 2a. Additional information has been submitted by the design team, but, to date, the school has received no timeline and no indication as to when the project will move to the next phase.

Following my recent visit to the school, I have been deeply concerned about what I saw. The old convent building, where progress has already been delayed because of the presence of bats, is now leaking again at the roof. Pigeons have re-entered part of the structure despite previous works. These are not minor issues; this is a building that is deteriorating rapidly. More worrying still is the former boarding house. The building has been assessed as being in poor condition, yet it is used every day by students and staff because there is nowhere else for them to go. From a health and safety point of view, this is not acceptable in 2025.

The technology room, an extremely popular and vital subject area, now has visible dry rot. Detailed refurbishment plans and costings were submitted to the Department some time ago but there has been no response. School management fears that the room will soon be deemed unsafe and unsuitable. If that happens, students will lose access to key curricular facilities. Even more worrying, there is a growing rodent problem in parts of the building. Pest-control contractors have raised serious concerns that parts of the old convent building may now be acting as a breeding ground for rats. This requires immediate intervention. The school should be focusing on supporting learning, not on trying to keep ahead of leaks, dry rot and rodents.

The situation is no longer just about long-term planning and capital investment, it is also about safety, including the safety of students, teachers and everyone working in the school. The school’s management is seeking clarity on several key points. I want to put these formally on the record of the House. The management want: a definitive timeframe for progressing the project to stage 2a; clear phasing information for the full project so the school knows what change to expect and when to expect it; urgent enabling works, particularly for the boarding house and the technology room; a response to the submitted refurbishment plans for the technology room; and immediate action to address the structural deterioration, pest issues and leaks in the convent building.

The school community understands the complexities involved, but after 16 years the level of frustration is entirely understandable. Sacred Heart is a thriving, dynamic school doing everything asked of it and it deserves facilities that reflect the quality of education it provides. I ask today for a clear update on the status and clarity on when stage 2a will commence.

On its website, the school has a quote attributed to W.B. Yeats, “Education is not the filling of a pail but the lighting of a fire.” The school’s development and construction works certainly need to have a fire lit under them. The students and staff of Sacred Heart Secondary School deserve a safe, modern learning environment. They deserve certainty and action.

I thank the Minister of State for being here.

I thank the Senator for raising this important issue, namely the need to provide an update on the proposed building works at Sacred Heart Secondary School, Clonakilty, and when those works will be progressed to the next stage. I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister for Education and Youth, Deputy Hildegarde Naughton.

I thank the Senator for his congratulations. It is great to be back in the Seanad. I was elected to the Seanad on two occasions and believe a Commencement matter is an important way to address issues that arise in all constituencies. This is a very new and vibrant Seanad and it has many first-time Senators. I see five of these in front of me from all parties and the Independents. The Seanad is a wonderful platform to work from.

As the Senator will be aware, the planned school building project at Sacred Heart Secondary School, Clonakilty, County Cork, was approved as a major devolved construction and refurbishment project to provide for a long-term projected enrolment of 600 pupils and a three-classroom special educational needs base.

The project has been devolved for delivery to the Catholic Education and Irish Schools Trust, CEIST, which has appointed a design team to design the accommodation being provided and to bring the project through the tender and construction phases. The design team has responsibility for progressing the project as expeditiously as possible through the stages of architectural planning. Projects progress from stage to stage in accordance with the project brief and the Department's design guidelines. The project for Sacred Heart Secondary School, Clonakilty, has recently been granted approval to progress to stage 2a, the developed design stage, of the architectural design process. At this juncture, it is not feasible to give an indicative timeline for delivery. However, the Department will continue to engage directly with CEIST to provide assistance in respect of the project, as required.

Since 2020, the Department has invested over €6 billion in schools throughout the country under the national development plan, involving the completion of over 1,300 schools building projects. In addition, repurposing and optimisation of existing accommodation capacity across the school estate has been the key enabler of timely, local provision of special-class capacity in a way that supports best practice in inclusion and integration. Approximately 80% of new special classes in the 2025–26 school year are being facilitated in repurposed classroom accommodation.

In July, the Government announced a capital allocation of €7.55 billion for the Department of Education and Youth for the period 2026 to 2030 under the national development plan. As part of the plan’s allocation, the Department will place a strong emphasis on provision for children with special educational needs, with a particular focus on meeting annual school place needs.

With regard to the roll-out of large-scale projects and additional school accommodation scheme projects, the approach will be to continue to maximise the capacity of the existing school estate as much as possible in the first instance and provide necessary additional capacity through targeted and prioritised project roll-out over the course of the period 2026 to 2030 to meet the most urgent and prioritised needs. The Department remains committed to providing ongoing guidance and practical supports in the delivery of the project.

The Senator has raised the very disturbing issue of bats, rodents and other pests and feels the school is deteriorating rapidly. I will relay the issues raised to the Minister.

I thank the Minister of State for his response. I am delighted to have confirmation that the school project has now moved to stage 2a. That is extremely welcome and the school’s management will be delighted to hear it. There is still a way to go on this issue, however. I assure the people of Clonakilty and the rest of west Cork that I will be raising it here until we see construction commence at the school. We recently noted that planning permission was granted for over 200 homes in Clonakilty. That is really welcome as Clonakilty is a hub town for west Cork. When we see the construction of homes, infrastructure must follow. We have roads issues in Clonakilty. A traffic study is to start there but we need to ensure we have the required infrastructure and facilities, including childcare facilities and school places, following on from the building of the homes. I have met people in my clinics who cannot get places for students in Clonakilty because of the current school infrastructure. We need to see delivery at the convent.

I made the point locally that bats and birds are important, but so too is a safe education. We need to see the common-sense delivery of these projects. I thank the Minister of State.

Again, I thank the Senator. I am sure his timely intervention today has helped to bring the project to stage 2a. I thank him for that. This is what politics is all about. We meet our communities and stakeholders on issues and bring them to the Oireachtas. I am delighted that the project has reached stage 2a.

The Senator said he is not going to rest on his laurels. I look forward to his working with the school management team, the principal and the parents and to his raising this matter with the Minister and on the floor of this Chamber. That is what it is about. Sometimes departmental units and design teams do not reach a certain stage, for one reason or another. Therefore, it is no harm to have the Senator on the ground to keep us all in touch and motivated. I know myself that this is what it is about. I thank the Senator very much.

There is not a single special educational needs, SEN, classroom at second level in Loughrea, County Galway. There is a rural hinterland with a population of 24,000 served by two secondary schools, not one of which has an SEN classroom. That is wrong in this day and age.

An awful lot of students drive through Loughrea town and past their local secondary schools to get to towns like Athenry in order to access the nearest school that meets their needs. That is extremely wrong and we need to urgently address that. I fundamentally believe that, as a society, we should be judged on how we cater for the most vulnerable people in our society. Sadly, that is not happening in Loughrea. Every student in Ireland should be able to access their local secondary school and have their needs met on a fundamental level. In Loughrea, that simply is not happening. It is not the fault of either of the two schools. The teachers, the SNAs and the special needs co-ordinators are doing their level best to try to deliver the best education they can for every child who comes through their door. Sadly, however, they do not have the facilities to do so.

There is a ready-made solution sitting on the desk of the Department of education right now. It is an application for a 13-classroom extension in St. Brigid's College in Loughrea, which includes six SET classrooms. It would address the needs of the vast majority of students in the hinterland who need to access special education in their local schools.

My request is simple. Where there are not adequate facilities for people with special needs in our country, we need to see fast-tracked applications whereby a school puts in an application and it gets fast-tracked where the school has a clear desire to deliver proper education for our most vulnerable students but cannot physically do so with its current buildings. We need to see those applications fast-tracked, and I ask that the Minister of State consider that. I know this is not within his remit, but he might liaise with the Minister and make sure that we deliver for every student in Ireland. We should be judged on how we deliver for the most vulnerable, and we are not delivering in Loughrea right now. I am fed up dealing with that and I want to see action on it.

I thank Senator Curley for bringing me in and raising this on the floor of the Seanad. I am answering on behalf of the Minister for Education and Youth, Hildegarde Naughton.

Since 2020, more than €6 billion has been invested in schools across the country under the national development plan, involving the completion of over 1,300 school building projects. As the Senator is aware, the Government announced in July a capital allocation of €7.55 billion for the Department of Education and Youth for the period 2026 to 2030 under the national development plan. As part of this NDP allocation, the Department will place a strong emphasis on provision for children with special educational needs, with a particular focus on meeting the demand for school places. A focus of this plan will be, in the first instance, maximising the capacity of the existing school estate as much as possible. Additional capacity will be provided through targeted and prioritised projects that will be delivered over the course of 2026 to 2030. This will meet the most urgent and prioritised needs.

There are two post-primary schools in Loughrea where enrolments peaked in 2024 and are projected to remain stable. St. Raphael's was approved funding under the additional school accommodation scheme for the provision of modular accommodation under the Department's special educational needs reconfiguration and modular accommodation programme to provide two mainstream classrooms, one SEN and one technology room. The project has progressed and the Department is awaiting the confirmation of project completion to issue the final payment. The school was also previously approved to enter the Department's pipeline for a project under the additional school accommodation scheme to provide six mainstream classrooms. This project was completed in September 2022.

St. Brigid's College was approved to enter the Department's pipeline for a project under the additional school accommodation scheme and is devolved for delivery to Galway and Roscommon Education and Training Board, GRETB. A design team has been appointed to progress the project through the necessary architectural stages of design, statutory approvals, procurement and construction. The project will provide 14 mainstream classrooms, three science laboratories, a textiles room, a design and communications graphics-technical graphics room, an art room, one technology preparation area, ancillary accommodation and a four-classroom special educational needs base. This project is currently at stage 2a of the architectural planning process. A stage 2a submission was received and reviewed by the Department, but as the submission did not include all the necessary information, a revised stage 2a report was requested. This has been received and is undergoing review from both a technical and a cost perspective. Once this review is complete, the Department will contact GRETB and provide guidance on the next steps for this project.

Budget 2026 recently provided funding for a further 3,000 special class and special school places to be provided for the 2026-27 school year. The NCSE sanctioned 407 new special classes, and over 300 new special school places are being provided for the 2025-26 school year.

To improve future planning for the next school year, families were encouraged to engage with the NCSE by 1 October 2025 for the 2026-27 school year, four months earlier than in previous years. The earlier timeline will assist the NCSE in approaching local schools to open new special classes earlier. The earlier timeline is also being introduced to provide more time for the establishment of new special classes and additional special school capacity.

I appreciate the response and I know the Minister of State is delivering it on behalf of a different Minister but, basically, what we hear in the response is that there is one SEN classroom on the way in Loughrea. It does not exist; it is on the way. I know that four are approved and that the project is at stage 2a with the Department, but I ask that that stage be fast-tracked. In a town where there is not a single SEN classroom, we see in the response that there is a four-classroom SEN base awaiting approval for Loughrea in St. Brigid's College, where I myself went to school. It would be great to see that delivered. It would be a proud day for Loughrea for us to finally be able to say that we meet the needs of every student and, no matter their needs, we will provide for them and give them the education they deserve. That is what I want from my town, but I do not see it in the response. It is a priority, but I do not see any commitment to fast-tracking applications even though zero facilities exist in a town where there is a glaring and obvious need.

It is a passion of mine to see this delivered. I would really appreciate a more urgent response from the Minister so that she would commit to some level of fast-tracking in the case of Loughrea town. I do not know many towns in Ireland that cater for the needs of 24,000 people in an overall rural hinterland but do not have a single SEN classroom. That is not good enough in this day and age. I am passionate about this. I know I have gone over time. We need to see urgent action on this. Stage 2a still means there are years involved in this before we get to completion, and that is not fair.

I thank Senator Curley for his passionate and informative contribution.

Provision of school places, including special education places, to meet the needs of our young people is an absolute priority for the Department. It is a priority for the Senator. The Department will continue to work with and support schools to ensure there are sufficient places for all students.

I will bring the Senator's very important message back to the Minister. Again, I thank him for raising this important issue in the Seanad.

I welcome the opportunity to raise this matter. Although the Minister of State, Deputy Troy, could not be here, I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Feighan, for coming to the House.

I was thinking about this whole insurance reform thing. People would know me as being an advocate for reform and would ask me how I was getting on because they had not seen a difference in their premiums. I always reassure people of the significant work already done on insurance reform, such as the personal injury guidelines, the Injuries Resolution Board and the development of the National Claims Information Database, NCID, and that is thanks to the past two Governments and Members of both Houses.

I also welcome the new action plan for insurance reform. It says:

Greater transparency is fundamental to delivering a fairer and more affordable insurance market.... This Action Plan commits to expanding transparency further, ensuring that policyholders understand how premiums are calculated, and that insurers operate in an environment of accountability.

That sounds fabulous. I welcome the proposal for a transparency code for motor insurance. The fact that this is one of the early actions - it is due to be delivered by the end of this year - shows that the Government understands how important it is that people can see what is driving their premiums. Greater transparency on insurance premiums could lead to a more competitive market, allowing consumers to better understand the factors that influence pricing. The results could be informed customers, increased competition, accountability, the identification of inefficiencies, and consumer advocacy. Overall, increased transparency could empower consumers and foster a healthier, more competitive insurance market, ultimately leading to reduced costs. Would that not be great?

The reason I have tabled this matter, though, is the current experience of motorists and small businesses. The most recent NCID report and what we all hear in our constituencies tell the same story: motor insurance premiums are rising again. Let us stop telling people that they are down since 2016 because they are actually back up. Motorists, families, tradespeople and community organisations are all being squeezed. People are asking a very reasonable question, that being, why their premiums are still going up after all the reforms. The transparency code has real potential to help answer that question. My concern is simply to ensure that we design this code in a way that genuinely delivers for policyholders.

For this policy to truly work I believe we need clarity in a small number of key areas before the code is finalised. First, we need to know the purpose of the transparency code. Why are we doing it? Is it there to help consumers understand how their premiums are calculated or is it also intended to help ensure that savings from reforms are passed to policyholders? What is the primary objective of the code - transparency alone or transparency in the service of lower and fairer premiums?

Second, it must be meaningful. That means information insurers provide under the code should not be limited to generic statements about market conditions, claims, inflation and blah, blah, blah. It should give policyholders a simple breakdown of the main elements underpinning their premiums, for example: the claims cost; their no claims discount; reinsurance; operating and legal costs; commissions to all parties, whether that be the broker, the underwriter, the insurer or the reinsurer; an indiction of the profit element at line of business level; Government taxes; the level of excess that is selected; and the individual risk assessment. Another thing is that those paying their premium monthly instead of all in go actually pay more. Put all of that down. It should also explain in plain language the main reasons for changes since the previous year, including where reforms or other developments have reduced costs, not only where costs have gone up.

Third, transparency needs to be standardised and verifiable. I am aware officials from the Department of Finance, the Central Bank and the industry are already working together on the design of the code. That collaboration is welcome but for the code to be useful I believe work should deliver a format in plain language so that explanations from different insurers are easy to read for everybody, no matter what age they are. I also think it is really important that public representatives and organisations representing consumers have an opportunity to input into the code and they have not had that so far. The action plan speaks about the Department working with the industry to develop the code and I do welcome that. However, it is not yet clear whether the end result will be like a voluntary industry code or a binding requirement backed by regulation or by the Central Bank's supervisory powers.

Finally, it is important we do something so that the transparency code does not become a way to show policyholders why they are paying more. That would be an awful result of this work. I sit on the enterprise committee and over the past few months we have had representatives from Retail Excellence, RGDATA, the Irish Hotels Federation, a chamber of commerce and the Vintner's Federation of Ireland all saying the costs of insurance are still way too high and there is not enough competition in the market. I look forward to working constructively with the Minister and colleagues across this House as the code is finalised.

Before we move to the Minister of State I would like to welcome guests of Senator Eileen Flynn. They and their teachers are most welcome to the Gallery. As is the long-standing tradition, they will have no homework tonight and we hope they enjoy their day at Leinster House.

I thank the Senator for raising this important issue. I am pleased to address it on behalf of the Minister of State at the Department of Finance with special responsibility for financial services, credit unions and insurance, Deputy Troy, and to give an update on the progress being made under the new action plan for insurance reform. I am sure Senator Nelson Murray will be very aware already of the update I am giving her because she has been a passionate advocate for insurance reform since long before she came into this august Parliament. Also, there is the fact she has raised the issue in every forum possible. I thank her for highlighting this very important issue.

Both the Minister of State, Deputy Troy, and this Government regard insurance reform as a key priority and are determined to take the necessary steps to reduce the cost burden on households, motorists, businesses, and community organisations across the country. Through previous reforms, Government has implemented fundamental changes, including: the rebalancing of the duty of care, which adjusted liability expectations and reduced excessive claims; the reform of the Injuries Resolution Board, giving it a stronger mandate as an alternative to costly litigation; the introduction of the personal injuries guidelines, creating greater consistency and predictability in awards; and enhancements to the national claims information database, transforming the availability of data about costs, premiums, and settlements.

Despite progress on insurance costs in recent years, an inflationary global climate has led to certain costs creeping up again. Greater transparency, affordability and availability of insurance is fundamental to restoring trust and fairness in the insurance market. The action plan for insurance reform, published in July 2025, will guide the direction of insurance reform for the coming years, building on progress to date but also addressing the ongoing frustrations that consumers and businesses still experience. The Senator herself said that, after all, motorists' costs are still rising and that is quite frustrating. The action plan has 26 actions being led across a number of Departments, ten of which are priority actions. Of the ten priority actions, one has been completed - that of a benchmarking report on personal injuries awards - and the remaining nine actions are progressing well and are currently on track to be delivered within their respective timeframes.

One of the key areas we need to make an impact is transparency. Work has commenced on a transparency code for the insurance industry. The code, when developed, will require insurers to provide simple, understandable explanations of how premiums are formed and what broader factors influence pricing, and ensure customers can receive additional individual information upon request. A working group comprised of industry representatives, the Department of Finance and the Central Bank has been formed to progress this important initiative, and it has met on numerous occasions to work on a draft code. It is my expectation that the code will be finalised by the end of the year. The Senator outlined as well she felt there should be public representatives on that forum and I think that is quite true. Sometimes we set up these groups and they do not take into consideration all of the stakeholders and all of their views, so I will certainly bring that back to the Minister of State.

Another key area is legal reform and addressing the cost of litigated claims. Data from the NCID has shown that the Injuries Resolution Board is the fastest and most cost-effective method of resolving personal injury claims, delivering similar awards for claimants in less than half the time of litigation, with significantly less legal cost. Amending the Judicial Council Act 2019 to make reviews of the personal injuries guidelines more comprehensive and transparent and strengthening the role of the Injuries Resolution Board are key actions in the new plan. Resolving cases outside of court reduces claim costs and settlement times, which should reduce premiums, benefiting all parties.

I thank the Minister of State for coming in today but I am going to express my absolute disappointment with the answer. We have two pages of an answer and there is just one paragraph that mentions there will be a transparency code by the end of the year. I know it is not due to the Minister of State, Deputy Feighan, but I really would have liked a more detailed answer. The response states that there is "a working group comprised of industry representatives, the Department of Finance, and the Central Bank" so we can see there are not stakeholders involved in that. I work very closely with the Alliance for Insurance Reform and it really is an excellent body in this area.

The questions I had were: what is the primary objective of the code? Will we see meaningful disclosure in how our premiums are calculated? Will there be verification? Will we be reviewing this whole process? It is about redress and safeguarding policyholders so they actually understand everything, especially older people trying to figure out their premiums. The number of people who say to me, "Oh my God, my insurance was €600 last year, this year it is €700 and I have not had a claim." It is so frustrating.

I am looking for an answer on this one thing that we are supposed to have done by the end of the year - it is now 3 or 4 December; I do not even know what date it is - and there is one relevant paragraph in the answer. I knew everything else in the reply. We all know about everything else, about all the work we are doing, and I am very grateful we are doing all of this work. Considering it took two weeks for me to get this Commencement matter selected, I would have thought I would have had a better answer on how the transparency code is going and what it actually means for people. I thank the Minister of State but I am just a bit disappointed.

I hear the Senator's disappointment and will bring that back to the Minister of State. I thank her for raising this important issue and for her contribution today. The Government is keenly aware of the cost of insurance for consumers. Indeed, we as politicians, across all parties, are keenly aware of it because we pay insurance ourselves and our constituents have to pay it. We have to be clear with the insurance industry that we fully expect cost savings achieved through the reform agenda to be passed on to consumers in the form of reduced premiums. A transparency code is an important additional reform to enhance trust and improve consumers' decision-making.

The Minister of State has said he will also be meeting the CEOs of the major insurance companies later this month to communicate the expectation that the code be widely adopted and consistently applied. In addition, he will also press upon them the need to play their part by ensuring the benefits of reform are felt directly by consumers through lower premiums and greater confidence in the market. The Senator said she wants to find out what the primary objective of the code is. I will pass that on to the Minister of State. By working together and raising this matter in the Seanad we can achieve a competitive and sustainable insurance market in Ireland that supports the transparency the Senator is calling for, fairness and affordability for all consumers.