I welcome the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Martin Heydon, to the House.

I thank the Cathaoirleach for choosing my Commencement matter. I also thank the Minister for coming in. I am very grateful that he is attending here himself.

As the Minister will know, we would be lost without women. I just wanted to say that at the very start. As we mark 2026 as the International Year of the Woman Farmer, it is timely to reflect on both the significant contribution of women to Irish agriculture and the steps still required to recognise and strengthen their role. Women are central to the sustainability, resilience and viability of our agricultural sector, yet despite their immense contribution, they remain persistently under-represented as farm holders. According to the Farm Structure Survey 2023 conducted by the Central Statistics Office, CSO, women make up just 13.2% of farm holders in Ireland, accounting for 17,519 out of 133,174 farm holders. A related study funded by the Department of agriculture and published in March 2025 found that a similar figure of 13.4% of farm holders are women, a figure that has shown little increase since 1991.

The picture becomes even clearer when we look beyond ownership to overall labour. The CSO notes that women account for 34% of all farm workers in Ireland, highlighting that while women participate widely in farm labour, they are far less represented in positions of legal and marginal authority. Additionally, female farm holders tend to operate smaller farms, often in areas with lower land values, and remain disproportionately represented in lower income farm systems such as mixed field crops and specialist sheep. This is consistent with broader research showing that female farm incomes are consistently lower than those of their male counterparts.

As we celebrate the year of the woman farmer, it is vital to ask how we ensure this year becomes not just symbolic but a catalyst for lasting change. The Department has already recognised the importance of increasing the presence of women in the agricultural field. The Government's women in agriculture initiatives, which I welcome, the national dialogue on women in agriculture and the emerging national women in agriculture action plan all underline a clear commitment to gender equality within the sector. Furthermore, Ireland's active co-sponsorship of this UN-designated year demonstrates leadership internationally. The International Year of the Woman Farmer 2026 aims to highlight the essential but often overlooked roles that women play throughout the agrifood systems and to promote action to close gender gaps. The Department has committed to amplifying the visibility of Irish women farmers throughout the year, recognising the persistent barriers regarding land access, finance, training and representation.

What further measures will the Department introduce during the year of the woman farmer to promote equality of access to land, training and financial supports? Will the Minister's Department commit to expanding gender-disaggregated data collection to better capture women's roles, their incomes and farm decision-making? How will the Minister's Department ensure the national women in agriculture action plan is fully implemented, with clear timelines and accountability?

Before I invite the Minister to respond I must welcome the transition year students in the Public Gallery, who are here today with the Office of the Ombudsman. Tá fáilte mhór romhaibh agus go raibh míle maith agaibh as ucht teacht isteach.

I thank Senator Murphy O'Mahony for raising this important issue, which is very topical in this early part of 2026. Before I answer on the key points she raised, I will say that I am the youngest of three and, unfortunately, my dad died when I was eight years old. Back in 1986, my mother, as a 43-year-old widow, had a choice to make as to whether to set the farm to educate her three children. She insisted on continuing to farm it with me before and after school, morning and evening, because she said that if I grew up on a farm that was set, I would never have a grá for the land. I had that experience of seeing my mother in the mid-1980s as a young female farmer. Many female farmers are there not through planned circumstance but through inheritance as a widow.

That experience is not easy. I have seen how hard it is for a female farmer in a system that is male-dominated. This is an area about which I am passionate. I am delighted to see the progress we are making on the action plan points. I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues in both Houses of the Oireachtas to ensure we make lasting change and the cultural change the Senator talked about in her opening address.

It is fair to say that women play an essential role in agriculture and agribusiness. However, they can face significant barriers to land, finance, training and decision-making. Gender equality in agriculture is, therefore, a priority of mine and features strongly in the new programme for Government, as the Senator knows. It is a core element of Ireland's domestic policy framework, including Food Vision 2030, and is central to our wider international development work.

The International Year of the Woman Farmer is an opportunity to recognise the vital role that women play across the agrifood sector. It is also an opportunity to target gaps within policy with concrete actions. Ireland is actively engaging with this global initiative by co-sponsoring the official launch ceremony at the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, FAO, and taking steps domestically to raise visibility, improve participation and expand supports.

The outcomes and recommendations of the national dialogue on women in agriculture formed the basis of a 12-point national action plan, which was launched in 2024. It seeks to address issues across areas such as leadership, visibility, educational awareness, financial and legal matters and sustainability. Implementation has worked and progressed well under the stewardship of the women in agriculture working group and a final report is expected shortly. I intend to use the platform of the International Year of the Woman Farmer to build on this momentum and further improve gender equality in farming throughout the year.

Ireland was one of only two member states to formally include support for women farmers under the Common Agricultural Policy, CAP, strategic plan. The most significant practical measure to support female farmers is the women farmers' capital investment scheme. It provides an enhanced grant of 60%, up to €90,000, for on-farm capital investments. Additionally, the Department funded Making Farms Work For Women, a European Innovation Partnership project. It seeks to foster a more inclusive environment for women on farms and to address physical barriers to sole female farming.

Beyond financial supports, a range of initiatives is planned for this year. Our search for a female farmer ambassador for the International Year of the Woman Farmer places women farmers at the heart of our plans for this year. It offers a unique opportunity to represent female farmers, promote existing supports and initiatives, and highlight important issues. I have seen at first-hand the incredible work of women farmers and am confident of the high calibre of entries for this important role. I will announce the outcome at the flagship International Year of the Woman Farmer event in Athlone in March.

Rising engagement in formal agricultural learning and leadership has led to an increase in the number of women taking up formal agricultural education. The establishment of the women in agricultural studies award, in association with the UCD school of agriculture and food science, is just one way in which we acknowledge and promote the involvement of women and young girls in agriculture. Through these initiatives, we celebrate women's contributions to agriculture and create lasting structural change, enhancing recognition, participation and leadership.

I am sorry to hear about the Minister's dad. His mum was obviously a very strong and committed woman. He did not pick that up off the stones. Fair play to her.

I thank the Minister for his commitment. As he said, he saw first hand what women in agriculture can do. Nothing changes if nothing changes. What is frightening is that where a successor is identified, that successor is predominantly male. In this day and age, that has to change. I thank the Minister for his commitment.

I am leaning back into the personal element again. Happily, my wife and I continue to farm at home with four young children. I am passionately of the view that my daughter, who is only in junior infants, has every bit as much of an opportunity to inherit that farm as any of her three brothers. They will have an equal opportunity and it will depend on whoever displays the most interest in and passion for agriculture and farming. That is where we need to get to. That is why there are measures we can take. Having ambassadors will allow people to see it and be it. We need more female participation. That participation is there. I know of situations, as the Senator does, whereby the female, perhaps the wife of the husband farmer, is an integral part of the farming system and no big management decision is made on the farm without her input. It is very much a partnership. However, because her name does not appear anywhere on a piece of paper, she does not exist in the eyes of my Department. That is wrong. Those are the types of issues we want to address. We can take practical measures that will highlight the role that women farmers play and encourage more participation into the future.

I look forward to working with the Senator and colleagues on that.

With the Senators' agreement, we will suspend while the Dáil vote takes place. Is that agreed? Agreed.

I welcome and thank the Minister of State, Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan. He is coming from the Department.

In essence, this is quite a simple Commencement matter. The answer might be a bit more complex.

This relates to the imposition of commercial rates on childminders' homes. These are not necessarily crèches. These are small operations where a parent may have their own children and may take in a child or two on top of that to mind on an informal but regulated basis, in that it is a professional system.

The context of this relates to the Minister for children. By way of background, I will make some points.

Tailte Éireann indicated that, under the Valuation (Amendment) Act 2015, not-for-profit early childhood care facilities are exempt from rates but the for-profit ones may not be.

I commend the Minister for children, Deputy Foley, who has gone on record and responded when she stated that childminders should not be assessed for commercial rates of their homes. That Minister of the Government, who sits at the Cabinet table, is on the record and I congratulate her for that. I understand that the Ministers discussed this with the Minister for housing, Deputy Browne, emphasising the need for absolute clarity on this issue and that is my ask here today.

This issue relates to a commercial rates issue that arose on a childminder's home in Newbridge, County Kildare. It is not appropriate to mention the individual by name. I have not spoken to her and it would not be appropriate to raise her name in this public forum without having her consent.

This happened in County Kildare. There was a valuation of rates by Tailte Éireann, which manages property registration and valuations, as the Minister of State well knows. Indeed, we have talked about Tailte Éireann previously.

The Minister, Deputy Foley, to her credit, as I say, made the case that childminding in the family home should not incur rates unless there is a very significant modification to the building itself so it becomes a big commercial enterprise or there are substantial modifications that would undermine it in terms of being primarily residential - I think that is where the Minister was coming from.

There are significant discrepancies and inconsistencies across all of the 31 local authorities. I am not saying that is deliberate. I am saying in the absence of a clear understanding of what the law and the regulations are, this may need to be tightened up in terms of interpreting the regulations.

I am calling on the Minister of State to commit to seek greater clarity on the issue and the need for uniformity among the local authorities. Tailte Éireann has indicated that under the Valuation (Amendment) Act 2015, not-for-profit early childcare facilities are exempt from rates, but for-profit ones cannot be exempted. That is the clarity.

We all know that communities, particularly rural communities, are under pressure for childcare facilities. We know that many parents living in rural areas could have the capacity to mind one or two children in addition to their own, maybe up to preschool. It is a small enterprise that supplements the family income or farm income. We have to be flexible. We want to accommodate people once they are within the regulations and meet all the other standards.

My ask is for clarity and uniformity across the 31 local authorities in this regard. The stock answer will be that Tailte Éireann is exercising its own functions. Tailte Éireann is not fit for purpose, as I told the Minister of State previously. In my latest meeting with him, he raised a number of issues. Within days of having the Minister of State in the House on that occasion, I had margins of national press with regard to Tailte Éireann. We now know there are thousands upon thousands of issues and outstanding cases, but that is for another day. This is a simple measure. While I am not expecting the Minister of State to give me a commitment today, I hope that he will consider the merits of the case, which the Minister for children is also behind. Maybe we can seek to remedy the situation in due course.

I thank the Senator for raising this important issue. In recent years, the Government has made great inroads into reducing the cost of childcare. That is one of the key measures we have taken. As we know, childcare is still expensive, but we have certainly reduced that. A key issue that remains is the provision of childcare. There are some pockets of Ireland, in regional areas in particular, where options are not available. What we need to do is encourage more people to take on these types of initiatives.

In asking for clarity on this situation, the Senator rightly referenced the 2015 Act, which I will go into in detail shortly. What is straightforward and clear is that if it is a for-profit body or individual who is running the operation in the family home, they are subject to rates. If it is a not-for-profit body, for example, a community set-up, it is exempt. That is pretty straightforward. Perhaps we can discuss it further.

I will go into more detail on the status. As the Senator rightly said, Tailte Éireann is an independent Government agency under the aegis of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. Tailte Éireann provides a property registration system, a property valuation service and the national mapping and surveying infrastructure for the State. Tailte Éireann is independent in the exercise of its valuation functions under the Valuation Act 2001, as amended, and the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage has no function in decisions in this regard.

Tailte Éireann has overall responsibility under the Act for the maintenance of all valuation lists used by local authorities in the calculation of rates liability. This maintenance is carried out under the statutory process known as revision. Existing rateable properties have their valuations revised, and new properties may have their valuations entered on, or excluded from, the valuation list for the first time.

Under the Act, all property is rateable unless it falls into one of the exempt categories listed in Schedule 4 to the Act. This is a very specific range of exemptions that can be applied, and Tailte Éireann has no discretionary latitude to grant exemptions not covered by Schedule 4. Paragraph 22 of the Schedule, which is inserted by the Valuation (Amendment) Act 2015, refers specifically to early childhood care and education facilities. As the Senator noted, it provided for an exemption as follows: “Any land, building or part of a building used exclusively for the provision of early childhood care and education, and occupied by a body which is not established and the affairs of which are not conducted for the purpose of making a private profit.” That is exempt, but if it is profit-making, it is not and, therefore, while the Act provides that early childhood care and education facilities that are operated on a not-for-profit basis are exempt from rates, it does not provide a general exemption from rates for all childcare or childminding facilities operating on a for-profit basis. To avoid ambiguity, if an early childhood care and education facility is operated on a for-profit basis, it does not fulfil the criteria under paragraph 22.

With regard to childminding in the home, section 3 of the Act defines “domestic premises” as any premises used as a dwelling which is neither a mixed premises nor an aparthotel. If the property is used partly as a dwelling to a significant extent and partly for another purpose, it may be a mixed premises as defined in the Act, and consequently, may not qualify for the domestic premises exemption, in accordance with paragraph 6, Schedule 4, to the Act.

As a matter of course, Tailte Éireann examines all properties on their individual merits by reference to the relevant statutory provisions governing the operation of the Act and case law arising from the independent Valuation Tribunal in the higher courts. Applications to Tailte Éireann to consider the valuation of a property are normally submitted by the local authority in whose rating authority area the property is situated. Where a property is considered rateable, in accordance with the provisions of the Act and relevant case law, Tailte Éireann will issue a proposed valuation certificate. If the property is considered not rateable, Tailte Éireann will issue a proposed notice.

I have very little time left. There is more detail in my prepared script about the role of the local authority. In the context of the comments of the Minister, Deputy Foley, and the Senator's appeal today, I will talk to the Minister, Deputy Browne. I imagine this will require legislative change if it is to proceed but I will start that conversation and we will see where it goes.

Really what I am saying is let us get it down to brass tacks: a family or a parent who decides to take a child in and make €200 a week has to pay rates. Let us keep the message simple because that is how we communicate with our electorate: anyone listening in who is caring for a child and is in receipt of money is liable for rates. Despite all the announcements about concerns for childcare and supporting rural communities and families, people in difficulty and people who cannot access childcare or moderate supports, the position is that if an individual - I am not talking about the tax code, which is a matter for individuals and for Revenue - is caring for a child and is in receipt of money, and is making it profitable by covering more than what he or she is outlaying, he or she is liable for rates. That is a very serious issue. It has profound impact on rural communities, including the Minister of State's community and mine. It needs to be challenged. Let us cut to the case by seeking to end the ambiguity: we have to support people, particularly in rural communities, who want to reach out and provide - for a reasonable consideration, fee or contribution - care to a neighbour's child or a child in their community. That needs to be addressed as part of the bigger commitment to rural Ireland and rural communities but also communities in urban Ireland. I am particularly conscious and mindful of rural communities. Nobody wants to operate in the black economy. People want to be legitimate and compliant. This needs to be looked at again. I appreciate the Minister of State's commitment to take it up with the Minister. Deputy Foley has committed to this and, I understand, has already spoken to the relevant Minister. We now need follow-on dialogue. There is a two-way process. Sending emails and letters to the Minister and hearing nothing is not very satisfactory.

We need to increase the provision of childcare, especially in rural areas. There may be methods and ways of looking at that. It may not be as straightforward as the Senator has presented it. At the moment, the short-term letting legislation is very topical. If someone has a bed and breakfast with planning permission, it may be subject to rates. It probably is. I refer to the old, traditional bed and breakfasts that the Senator and I would have stayed in - not together, by the way - over the years. By comparison, in most cases Airbnbs are not subject to rates. There are disparities in that regard as well. We have to think of that when talking about childcare provision. There are childcare operators who may have a premises that is subject to rates. We have to ensure there is not an issue in terms of competition and fairness. The Senator makes a good point. If the Minister, Deputy Foley, in the context of her comments is supporting looking at this again, I can raise it with her to see if some blend or tweaking of the current legislation can accommodate the type of situation the Senator is speaking about.

I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Michael Moynihan, for coming to the House to discuss this Commencement matter. I would like to discuss the issue of bus escorts and transport for special schools.

When the Minister of State and I spoke at the Joint Committee on Education and Youth on 16 July last year, he gave me a commitment that he would look into this. I look forward to getting an update from him.

I am on the board of an amazing special school in Navan, County Meath. It was a big eye opener to see the work of all the staff in the school. If one is ever near the school between 8.30 a.m. and 9 a.m., one will find it is an absolute hive of activity. There is one area I did not understand, however, until I began to work with the school, namely transport to and from it, the work done by bus escorts in most special schools and the difficulties associated with this. I will go into my idea for managing the system of bus escorts further as I have done before during my time here.

My first focus is the timing of the social welfare payment. The escorts leave for the Easter holidays because they are not paid throughout the year and it can take five or six weeks to receive a social welfare payment. When they leave at Christmas, it takes the same amount of time. They leave in June, and it can be August by the time they get paid. I very much appreciate that there have been pay rises in the sector staggered over the past number of months, which is great. However, bus escorts have to fill out forms and answer questions about whether their circumstances are the same. They have filled out forms at Easter and may have to fill them out again in the summer. Jobs where people are constantly going on and off social welfare require a mechanism to be in place to speed up the process for them. Who can work up to the summer and expect to survive for five weeks without social welfare payments? I am sure a job like that is very rewarding and often very challenging. We should not add to the pressures on them by having a system whereby they do not get their payments on time.

The 24 buses at the school I work with, all of which carry vulnerable children, arrive at the same time from all over County Meath and, in some cases, Dublin. They are escorted by bus escorts who, as I have said, do an incredible job. There is a facility in the special educational needs transport scheme for the appointment of a school transport escort where a child's care and safety needs while on school transport are such as to require the support of the school transport escort. One has to see what happens in the schoolyards like the one in the school with which I work to believe it. They are packed with buses, bus escorts, children, parents and staff. It takes the principal and vice principal to stand in the yard every morning to get the children off the buses and direct them to where they need to go. They may also have to arrange for them to have a run around after having been on a bus for a long time. As one can imagine, they can be overwhelmed.

What is the issue? Very often bus escorts are unavoidably sick, take holidays or deal with an unexpected situation just like employees in any job do. When they are unwell, the calls start at 6 a.m. and it is up to the school principal and vice principal to try to sort out this among everything else, and this can be very difficult. It is left to the school to be the employer of bus escorts. They receive 5% of the bus escorts' wages for administration, but the cost is much more than that.

Special schools are at capacity. The role is challenging. Having to manage bus escorts is adding to a pot that is about to boil over. I ask the Department of Education and Youth and the Minister of State to examine this situation with a fresh approach, as I mentioned last year. I am not sure whether people realise that the management of the school is stretched enough. In cases like St. Ultan's School in Navan, this means looking after 24 extra staff which is not technically part of its work remit. I also spoke to St. Mary's Special School in Johnstown in Navan about that this. It manages 21 buses and 24 bus escorts.

Would the Department consider a transport manager to co-ordinate special buses travelling to and from schools? I have harped on about this for over a year. It is a brilliant idea. There would not be a specific transport manager for each school, but rather one that co-ordinates special schools in a locality. A handful of schools in Meath would be dealt with by a transport manager who would co-ordinate the buses and bus escorts. It would take that work from principals and vice principals and let them go about doing their job. It is a stressful and very rewarding environment. It could be an absolute game changer. One can imagine the benefits of taking away this stress each morning from the people whose goal it is to teach people in the school rather than having to look after transport.

I thank the Senator for her question. Bus escorts who travel on school buses do amazing work and have huge responsibility, but they love their job. I meet them on a number of mornings during the week and see the work they are doing. The Senator asked about pay for those working in special schools. I know full well the extraordinary work being done in special schools the length and breadth of the country by school leadership, teachers and SNAs.

Of course, we have the discussion about the co-ordination of the buses. Personally, I am not in favour of putting an overarching body over a number of special schools and then having that centralised because the autonomy has to be within the school. There is such a huge cohort and a strong unit within the special schools. I understand the point the Senator makes, which is about the amount of work that is there for the principals and the deputy principals to co-ordinate that and that they are making sure that they have school bus escorts recruited and that they are deployed in terms of their availability and so forth each day. There is a whole series of work being done there, and I know that that is extra work they do as part of their administrative role. The administration of it is brought up with us at each and every special school we visit and indeed at schools with a number of special classes. They would have buses coming in as well, and the co-ordination of it is important, as is making sure we have a system in place. It is important as well, however, that we keep the autonomy of the individual schools. Sometimes if we create another layer of bureaucracy in the system, it is not as close to the school, to the child, to the parent or to the school community. That is my own personal opinion on it. We have done a lot of work in relation to the school bus escorts and, as the Senator quite rightly pointed out, the salaries have been increased over the past while, which is very welcome. We are working to engage further in terms of making sure there is a proper system in place.

As regards the issue the Senator raised about summer, Christmas and Easter, first of all, it is an issue for the Department of Social Protection. Be that as it may, however, it is important that we understand that we must protect the school bus escorts, who are an integral part of the special classes and the special schools, and ensure we can simplify the process for them. The Senator referred in her opening remarks to the repeated form-filling. It is challenging and it is seen as over-bureaucratic and just ticking the boxes for the sake of it. I think there is something we need to look at there. There are people within the Department of Social Protection who would say that there were other professionals working within the school system heretofore, but it is important that we try to simplify the system where people can get their benefits without having the constant form-filling and the delay within the system. Year on year, they will apply for social welfare during the various breaks. The Senator spoke to me at the Oireachtas joint committee and this was something we took away. It is also something we have discussed with school leadership around the country in the various special schools we have visited over the past 12 months to get their feedback and their ideas on it. I seriously pay tribute to all those who are working within special schools for the amazing work they do.

Sula leanaimid ar aghaidh, I would like to welcome students from UCC with Deputy Thomas Gould today in the Gallery. Tá fáilte romhaibh.

I thank the Minister of State for his comprehensive answer. I am glad he said that the pay needs to be worked on and that he took that away from our discussion on it last year. I acknowledge that he says this is an issue for the Department of Social Protection, but the Deputy is the Minister of State working with the bus escorts and that transport side of it, so it is about the two Departments liaising on it. They cannot wait five weeks in the summer to get paid. It just has to be looked at. I am glad to hear that we are working on it but I urge the Minister of State to try to improve on this for this summer. To think that they could get paid when they finish up work would be fantastic.

With the greatest respect to the Minister of State, before he states that he does not personally want this in schools, does he not think we should research it first? If you actually go out and ask the principals and the vice principals of the schools, they do not want to manage the bus escorts. The Minister of State talks about taking that away and says it is an extra layer of bureaucracy, but it will allow them to do more within the schools. It is not something I personally feel; I listen to them, and that is what they are coming back with. They would love to have some sort of transport co-ordinator - I am not saying in every school. I have not researched every school in the country. However, is it something we should look at, maybe talking to them about it?

It is great to be here with the students from UCC as well. I welcome them. It is great to be with Cork people when we are in the Chambers in Dublin - a little bit of support from them.

I take the Senator's point on the co-ordinator. I would be reluctant to have some external body co-ordinating a number of schools but I take the point in relation to specific co-ordinators within schools because in special schools and special classes, that often falls to the deputy principal. It is something that has been raised continuously with the Department. From my engagement with the special schools in my area over a long number of years, I know the concerns they have and some have a number of buses for students from special classes. I understand the challenge that is there.

There are two issues related to what the Senator has raised with me. The first is to make sure that the benefits are given to the school bus escorts in a speedier time. That is something that we will engage with the Department of Social Protection on. I do not absolve myself from any responsibility, it is under our remit, and it is about a whole-of-government approach. We have to have a whole-of-government approach right across the sectors to make sure we are not just ticking boxes. I accept that fully but I make the point that we have to engage with them. While it is not something that is directly under my remit, I will certainly do that.

On co-ordination, I do not have any issue with exploring co-ordination within individual schools. Sometimes we see the interaction with the various semi-State bodies, such as Bus Éireann or others, and we are informed that someone else has to complete that application and then it is back for another application. I am not sure that we should look at putting in a third application or something else. We need to simply all of the services that are around special schools and special classes to make it simpler and take out the bureaucracy as much as possible. However, I do take the Senator's points on board.

Sula dtosaíonn muid leis an Seanadóir O’Reilly, I want to welcome four guests of Deputy Cormac Devlin to the Gallery. They are transition year students Claire Pegum, Áine Wyatt, Iris McMahon and Ellen Pluck. Tá fáilte rompu. It is great to see students coming in and witnessing democracy in action. We do appreciate it. Go raibh míle maith agaibh.

I am really disappointed that the Minister of State could not stay for my Commencement matter because it is connected to his Department. When will a new adult day services day centre for County Monaghan be developed? Has a location for the site been selected? Can the Minister responsible for disability provide a timeline for works to be completed?

There has been a lot of confusion on this over the past few years. I am working with a group called Special Needs Active Parents, SNAP, in County Monaghan that is trying to improve facilities and services for children with special needs and to improve services for children after they leave school. We want a bit of clarity. We get several minutes in this House for a debate on a topic, which I appreciate, but I want to know what stage the Department of disability is at with progressing an adult day centre for County Monaghan?

I have been working with my colleague in Monaghan, Olivia Larkin, on this and with the SNAP organisation's Paddy McAloon and the rest of the parents in that group. They have raised a number of issues related to the lack of disability services in County Cavan, but particularly in County Monaghan, which is more poorly serviced. There is a lack of respite services, special education places and a need to increase respite provision.

We have been told that a site has been selected for an adult day services centre, but the information has been sparse on where the site is and when it will be completed. The issue here is that families and their loved ones need to plan. Continuity and consistency for children with special needs is really important.

The daily activation unit in Rooskey is fantastic but we need a building that can deliver more space and cater for different age groups and school leavers in particular. Originally, it was supposed to be a building at St. Louis convent in Monaghan and then an old fire station. In 2024, a submission for the unit to be based in St. Davnet's campus was completed and approved by the HSE for capital and by the property steering committee. We need a decision, action on the site and a timeline for opening. I ask the Minister of State to clarify those questions for me.

I would like to add to the list of TY students who are visiting the Chamber. Leo Rowley is here today with me. I also welcome Deputy Devlin's guests and all our guests to the Chamber.

I thank Senator O'Reilly for tabling this commencement matter. I would like to use this opportunity to outline exactly what is happening. I know that is something the Senator and SNAP are keen to happen.

The HSE has provided a status update. HSE Cavan-Monaghan disability services team, supported by the HSE north-east estates department made a submission for capital funding for a new day services premises to replace the existing Monaghan day activation unit premises based in the St. Davnet's campus in Monaghan town. The submission to support the development and the delivery of a new service location in County Monaghan in line with the new directions policy was approved as a capital appraisal project in 2024, as the Senator said.

HSE Cavan-Monaghan disability services is working with the HSE north-east estates to consider the best option for the delivery of the mainstream and high-support elements within the service location. They have carried out a strategic, healthcare investment framework assessment and that was completed last year. The HSE capital estates office is currently liaising with Cavan-Monaghan disability services to identify a suitable location in Monaghan town. The HSE provides specialist disability services, including day service and rehabilitative training, to people with disability who require such services and people with intellectual disabilities form the majority of service users who are supported by these services.

As the Senator will be aware, the focus is on supporting people to participate in mainstream activities and in the life of their communities in line with their wishes and needs. Day services are a vital support for adults with disabilities to be able to participate in the life of their community and to realise their own ambitions and desires.

Day service locations act as a base location for people supported to access and participate in valued roles in their communities in line with the new directions policy and UNCRPD. It is critical that new service locations comply with the core values of new directions, which are community inclusion, active citizenship, quality and person centeredness. Locations are developed in response to demographic growth as part of the annual rehabilitation school leaver process. Supports are provided from locations local to where the individuals with disabilities live. Locations are ideally centrally located within a village or town such as Monaghan, providing easy access to other community services, for example, transport, shops, leisure facilities and so on. Each location serves a local population, rather than serving the needs of a larger geographical area because each typically has capacity for no more than 25 people in the location at any one time. The expectation is that people will be away from the location and accessing local community services in line with their person-centred plan for part of the week. This recognises that much of the support is provided in the community in line with community inclusion and access to activities external to the location. That is where it is currently at in Monaghan.

I thank the Minister of State for her response but I still have not got clarity. The clarity I have been asking for is whether a location has been selected for the day services unit. The Minister of State said the HSE is looking in Monaghan. Is that Monaghan town? Do they have a location selected? There is also information that the site the HSE and the property steering group has approved for capital is deemed as a hospital setting so it cannot be used.

This means there is still this confusion, and the Minister of State has not even mentioned this in her response. If this last site selection is deemed unsuitable because it is in a hospital setting, I want to get information for those parents and children looking in. The children need to know where they are going and their parents need to know they have a space, but we still have this obfuscation of where the location is going to be, if there is a site, if there is a design and if it is going to be built at all. What is the issue that is blocking this? Is the Minister of State still telling me that St. Davnet's campus is the location of the site, when there is information to say that site is now seen as not being suitable because it is deemed a hospital setting?

What I am clearly saying is that we are looking to replace the existing Monaghan day activation unit, which is based in St. Davnet's campus in Monaghan town. Yes, we are looking at Monaghan town. The information I have from the HSE is that it is engaging locally with the HSE north-east estates department to identify a suitable site, so I do not have information that says a site has been identified. I am being told by the HSE directly that the HSE capital estates office is currently liaising with Cavan-Monaghan disability services and my Department to identify a suitable location in Monaghan town.

So, the location has not been identified.

That is the information I have, correct.

Do we have a timeline?

There is no timeline because it is ongoing. As soon as it is identified we will have further information, because once we have an identified site, we will then know from a planning perspective how long things will take. It is really important to say that funding was approved as a capital appraisal project for this, so there is funding earmarked for this project. It is something we are very committed to delivering. We know there is a need there and we want to replace the existing facility, and this is how we do that. We engage with the local service providers to see where there is capacity and suitable premises and then we work with them to turn that suitable premises into a service for the type of people the Senator has identified and spoken about and for the people SNAP is dealing with directly in her area. This is what happens around the country.

I thank the Minister of State.