I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Feighan, to the House. He is most welcome to Seanad Éireann.

Táim fíorbhuíoch den Chathaoirleach gur roghnaigh sé seo mar cheann de na Nithe i dtosach suíonna ar maidin. Tá mé fíorbhuíoch chomh maith leis an Aire Stáit, an Teachta Feighan, as a bheith i láthair le déileáil leis an gceist thábhachtach seo. Ní féidir liom an cheist seo a phlé ar bhealach níos gonta ná trí cheann de na litreacha a fuair mé ó dhaoine i bPort Láirge a léamh. Léifidh mé amach é, ach déanfaidh mé píosa eagarthóireachta air chun aon aitheantas a cheilt. I will read it almost in its entirety and it will explain the matter at issue:

I am writing to you as my public representative because I have concerns about the impact on my small Airbnb business in Tramore resulting from proposals for linking the EU Short-Term Rental Register with Planning legislation. In short, from May 2026, all short-term properties need to have council short-term usage planning permission to get a Bord Fáilte registration. Commercial operation cannot proceed without this registration.

There are many confusing messages being communicated but my summary would be that I will lose my income from my holiday rental in Tramore as 'change of planning permission is unlikely to be granted where populations are greater than 10,000'. Tramore has 11,277 according to the latest census figures. From a recent webinar, 'in urban areas (currently defined as population greater than 10,000) a broad presumption is against granting change of use planning permission'. On 20 May registration will be compulsory, but the implications for my family income, and our ability to provide much-needed local holiday accommodation remain totally unclear. This shotgun approach is apparently being rushed in over a very short period, with no consultation. For example, in my case, my property was previously rented out to long term tenants for over 15 years. Most tenants were good but certainly not all. It was quite stressful with no real support from the RTB. I am sorry to say that I am unlikely to ever rent to long-term tenants again due to my experiences. The new six-year tenancy changes have also ensured my exit from that market.

Tramore is both a thriving community and a well-known tourist town. Currently, on Airbnb [the most regular site for rentals] there are only approximately 12 entire properties available for holiday rental in Tramore. I believe it is fair to say that this town is not overrun with Airbnbs. The accommodation alternatives are pretty scarce. Once again, I would question why this rushed, blanket approach is being taken that will, in my opinion, obliterate the sector, not only in Waterford but across the country. Changes to planning and registration should indeed be undertaken but the rules need to be carried out with more context and due diligence. The process should be efficient, affordable and reflect the situational circumstances of the applicant and the related property.

He goes on to sign the letter. As is said in the media, the name and address is with the editor. The individual makes the case very cogently and poignantly. I await the Minister of State’s informed response.

I thank Senator Conway for giving me the opportunity to update the House on behalf of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Browne, on planning requirements for short-term lettings. I thank Senator Conway for articulating the concerns raised with him. It was a powerful intervention. Action 7.16 of Delivering Homes, Building Communities 2025-2030 states that the Government will introduce increased regulation of the short-term letting sector by introducing a short-term letting and tourism Bill and that a national planning statement will provide guidance for local authorities when deciding on planning applications for short-term lets.

In April 2025 a Government decision set out a policy direction which proposes restricting, through a general presumption against granting planning permission, short-term letting in cities and larger towns. Following this decision, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage is developing a national planning statement under section 25 of the Planning and Development Act 2024 for short-term letting activity. National planning statements replace section 28 ministerial guidelines and require the approval of the Government. They are intended to provide consistent national planning policies that all regional and local authorities must follow. This will ensure better alignment with Government priorities and more effective delivery of housing and infrastructure nationwide. The national planning statement for short-term letting will ensure that there is a clear overall policy approach, both at national level and local authority level, to determining planning applications for short-term lets. The national planning statement will consider a variety of factors to balance housing need in our cities and larger towns with the potential impact on tourism and economic development elsewhere.

On 1 July 2019, planning legislative reforms to regulate the short-term letting sector came into effect as an amendment to the Planning and Development Act 2000 and the 2001 regulations. These regulations provide that where a person owns a property in a rent pressure zone, which is not their principal private residence, and intends to let it for short-term letting purposes, they are required to apply for a change-of-use planning permission unless the property already has specific planning permission to be used for tourism or short-term letting purposes. With the nationwide extension of rent pressure zones in June last year, the legislative requirement to gain planning permission for short-term letting use was also extended nationwide.

In tandem with the development of the national planning statement on short-term letting, and following a review of the short-term letting provisions contained in the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, and the Planning and Development Act 2024, the Department recently brought forward amendments to the planning Acts. These amendments seek to remove references to rent pressure zones in respect of short-term lets and to codify short-term letting as a material change of use. These amendments are included in the Residential Tenancies (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2026, which was published on 30 January. It is anticipated that the Bill will be enacted by 1 March.

Last night I read that consideration is being given to increasing the cap from 10,000 to 20,000. I wonder whether the Minister of State can confirm whether this is the case. With regard to the statute bar on seven-year usage on Airbnb and the like, will it still apply under the mooted new regulations?

The Department is working to give effect to the commitments contained in Delivering Homes, Building Communities 2025-2030. I will ask the Minister to follow up on the statute bar and on whether the cap will be moved from 10,000 to 20,000. This is information I do not have but I will speak to the Minister. The publication of the short-term letting and tourism Bill by the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, which will introduce a register of short-term lets whereby hosts will be required to declare compliance with planning requirements, and the development of the national planning statement on short-term letting, will assist with the regulation of short-term lettings sector. In advance of the publication of the national planning statement, in January 2026 the Department issued Circular SPI 01/2026 on short-term letting and the planning system to clarify the current legislative and policy framework for the regulation of the short-term letting of houses, apartments and other residential accommodation in the planning system.

I thank the Minister of State for agreeing to take this Commencement matter and the next Commencement matter.

I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House to discuss this all-important issue. I welcome the fact that back in October 2025 the solar PV for the medically vulnerable scheme was extended to all homeowners registered under the life-support category of the priority services register with the energy supplier. There seem to be a lot of inconsistencies and uncertainty about the scheme. There is no one-stop shop for people to make inquiries.

I have been working with Councillor Vicki Casserly and Councillor Robbie Staples who is in Wexford with regard to people who are vulnerable or have life-changing conditions but do not seem to be able to qualify for the scheme. In some cases when families have contacted the providers, whoever answers the phone says they are not sure whether they are in the scheme. In one case a provider said it does not provide the scheme but we are told by the Department that all providers are included. There seems to be inconsistency regarding how people qualify for the scheme and the eligibility criteria. Some people with a motorised wheelchair, a bed or other life-saving equipment at home are being told they do not qualify for the scheme. There seems to be confusion about who qualifies, how they qualify and what exactly they are entitled to.

I believe an educational programme needs to be run for the energy providers. Perhaps they should be brought in to be educated on the scheme. Certainly to date the scheme does not seem to have been working. It does work for some people, if they meet somebody who knows what they are talking about, but there seems to be confusion around what is life protection and who is considered to be a vulnerable person. The scheme mentions electrical and technological equipment. Most of the people I have been speaking to have medical electrical and technological equipment but they are being told they do not qualify. I am trying to get clarity on the scheme.

I thank Senator Byrne for raising this important matter. She is seeking clarity, she spoke about inconsistency and she is seeking a one-stop-shop, which would be very worthwhile. She also asked for an education programme for the energy providers. I will bring this back to the Minister also.

The solar PV for the medically vulnerable scheme is a targeted scheme for the installation of solar PV panels for household customers who are registered on the life-support category of the priority services register. Each household registered on this category has a dependence on electrically powered equipment, including medical equipment, life-protecting devices and assistive technologies. Examples include individuals requiring dialysis machines or respirators. Reliance on this equipment can result in such households having higher energy demand than the average user and this scheme is designed to go some way towards helping to reduce these energy costs.

The scheme provides a fully funded 2kWp solar PV system for eligible households. This includes survey and design, supply, installation, and the post-works BER. The scheme is wholly managed by the registered energy suppliers, with each of the suppliers contacting their own eligible customers directly, in line with the work plans for their solar PV installers. Offers are issued to households in batches.

The scheme was launched in 2022, with an overall budget allocation of €20 million. The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, SEAI, reports that 137 systems were installed in 2024, with expenditure of €1.78 million. A total of 473 systems were installed last year, with expenditure of €2.4 million. I am glad to report that this year will see a major expansion of delivery, with an allocation of €11.7 million expected to support over 1,900 homes. Initially, the scheme was limited to individuals who were in the life support category of the priority services register in 2022, when the scheme was launched. However, due to the strong uptake and the positive impact already observed, the scheme is now being extended to include all homeowners who are registered under the life support category of the priority services register, regardless of when they were registered. This will open up the scheme to a wider cohort. The extension was committed to by the Minister, Deputy Darragh O’Brien, arising from the first report of the national energy affordability task force.

The Commission for Regulation of Utilities, CRU, suppliers’ handbook requires suppliers to establish and maintain their own vulnerable customer registers and ensure vulnerable customer data is forwarded to ESB Networks for inclusion on the industry register. Suppliers are also required by the CRU to take reasonable steps to identify customers at sign-up who are eligible to register as vulnerable customers. Most energy suppliers have agreed to participate in the scheme, with some suppliers more advanced in their programme than others. Each energy supplier has their own arrangements with the SEAI on when they will proceed with installation as this is dependent on the suppliers’ individual solar PV installers and their capacity and location. I thank the Senator for her views and I will bring them back to the Minister.

I thank the Minister of State. As he has said himself in his response on behalf of the Minister, it is up to the company to contact the applicant. In some cases some people have actually had no contact. They cannot contact them because they have to wait to be contacted. They are also being told it is not clear whether they qualify. Clarity needs to be established. An educational programme needs to be put in place for the providers because they need to be clear with their message. It also needs to be made quite clear what exactly a vulnerable person is and what life-saving equipment is. It does refer to electrically powered equipment and assistive technology but people who have that equipment and different types of machines do not seem to qualify under the scheme.

I thank the Senator for bringing this important issue to the floor of the Seanad, which is where it really should be discussed. While I am here, I must say I have fond memories of my times in the Seanad, first from 2002 to 2007 and then from 2016 to 2020.

You would always be welcome back.

Thank you very much.

He might prefer not to come back.

This issue has been brought to Senator Byrne by local councillors on the ground who listen to their constituents. I think we agree this target scheme provides critical support to some of the most vulnerable households in the country. As the Senator has rightly said, maybe the people who are providing the service need to be upskilled or retrained on how to deliver it. I am not saying they are not doing their job, but sometimes we probably need to put more pressure on them to liaise even more perfectly with their customers. I again thank the Senator.

I thank the Minister of State. We greatly appreciate his time here and we really appreciate him coming to the House.

The Minister of State, Deputy Michael Moynihan, is very welcome to the Seanad. We greatly appreciate him giving us his time to deal with the next two Commencement matters, the first of which is from Senator Lorraine Clifford-Lee and relates to reading classes for children with dyslexia.

I thank the Minister of State for taking this Commencement debate this morning. This issue is something I am very passionate about and I have spoken to him about it previously. There is an urgent need to open more reading classes in north county Dublin for children with dyslexia, and not just in north county Dublin but nationally. Within special education provision, this area is one where we are falling down.

Reading classes were first established by Micheál Martin when he was the Minister for education. They are classes for children with dyslexia, with a ratio of 9:1 and a strong focus on literacy attainment. They are specifically for children with very significant dyslexia whose basic literacy skills is very low. The children attend for two years during primary school and then return to their own schools to continue their education. Children in the first or second percentile are most likely to be granted a place in a reading class or in one of the four specific reading schools nationally. They should have completed second class or be at least eight years old and not more than 12. This seems to be the optimal age for this hyper focus on reading skills, when they benefit most. An estimated 10% of the population has dyslexia but, as I said, these specific reading classes and reading schools are for the most impacted children.

We have a very low number of reading classes in north county Dublin. There are two in the St. Oliver Plunkett school in Malahide, two in St. Molaga's in Balbriggan and two in the Holy Family Senior National School in Swords. Nationally, the figure is even far lower. We have a high population in north county Dublin and a very young population. There is huge demand and parents cannot get their kids into these classes. As well as that, the Minister of State will be aware that we have four dedicated reading schools nationally. The Catherine McAuley National School in Baggot Street here in Dublin, not far from Leinster House, takes kids from Dublin and the wider Dublin area. There are children coming from Kildare and Meath into Catherine McAuley's every day. There is also the Oliver Plunkett school in Monkstown, St. Rose's National School in Tallaght and St. Killian's school in Bishopstown, Cork. Four schools for the whole country is not much at all.

A child I know in north county Dublin has been refused a place in the Catherine McAuley school. He is below the first percentile for his age group. He is a beautiful, intelligent, talented and charismatic child and he needs access to specialised education. He will be adversely affected and his life will be adversely affected due to there being inadequate places. His family are distraught. They cannot access a place. He is getting great support within the school he is attending but a mainstream school with support is not sufficient and he needs a place. This story is replicated in families right across north county Dublin and right across the country. We are failing children with dyslexia by not supporting their needs.

The Minister of State has put great effort into providing specialised education for children with autism and I know he is very passionate about it. We are not where we need to be but we are making great progress and there were some school announcements just this week. We are, however, failing children with dyslexia and they have been forgotten about over the past number of years. The impact of opening reading classes would be enormous because the children only stay for two years and then they go back to their own schools. The number of children who would go through a reading class, for example over a period of ten years, would be far greater than in a special education unit. I would like a commitment from the Minister of State that he will assess the level of demand and make provision within the Department's budget to open more reading classes in north county Dublin for the 2026-27 school year.

I thank the Senator. Before we go to the Minister of State for his response, I welcome part of a group of Senator Kennelly's guests from Presentation Secondary School in Listowel, County Kerry.

It is timely that they are with us because Senator Clifford-Lee has raised an issue in relation to special reading classes for children with dyslexia. It is an important point in terms of education. I welcome the students and their two teachers, Norma Dowling and Louise McAuliffe. They are the first half of a bigger group coming in.

I welcome the Minister of State.

I welcome the students from Listowel to Leinster House. It is not a million miles from me over the border. I hope they enjoy the day. It is always a great day to experience Leinster House where our democratic process is best performed. I wish them a great day.

Over the past 25 years in particular, there has been huge investment in special education in terms of looking at the issues that pertain to individuals to try to best support them. There has been a lot of talk about the success of reading classes. The Senator outlined clearly the 9:1 ratio and its importance. She referenced a child she knew in her community. When we make cases in the Seanad or Dáil, it is important to bring personal stories because we are trying to make sure that special education is delivering for every student. Reading schools and reading classes have been developed. I am a huge fan of reading schools. I have seen students who have gone to reading schools and classes and it has transformed their lives. In some instances, they have been able to go back into mainstream but they spent one or two years or perhaps longer in a reading class or school. We have seen considerable demand or expressions of interest from families for them. We have invested significantly to try to support children and students within mainstream classes but the inspectorate and the Department are evaluating reading classes and schools and their positive impact. That report is being processed at the moment. We are trying to inform ourselves as to the importance of the reading classes.

Dyslexia has quite rightly been debated; I think this is my third or fourth time in the Seanad debating it and listening to the concerns of Members. It is a real issue because people are bringing it forward and expressing it on the floor of the Seanad. While there is huge investment in supporting children with additional needs in mainstream, the Senator quite rightly pointed out that a large number of extra classes - over 301 - are sanctioned this year, months earlier than last year. That being said, we have listened to debates from the Senator's colleagues in relation to extra time in exams for dyslexia.

We need to evaluate the documentation and the review of reading classes and, in particular, reading schools. The challenge is that there are four reading schools across the country in comparison with the level of demand across the country. We have all come across people who are super intelligent but have dyslexia and it has stifled their growth within a normal functioning society. It has not enabled them to be the best they can be. There is public discussion when people tell us their stories and how they masked it. All of that is true but we have to be mindful as we develop special education into the future. I said in the Dáil last night that the investment we put into education, including special education, would reap rewards not just for the students of today, but for society into the future.

I am happy to hear that the Minister of State is very much aware of the impact of reading classes and schools in transforming the lives of the young people who have been lucky enough to access them. The Government has invested a huge amount of money in mainstream and learning supports but for some children that is not enough. The severity of their dyslexia is such that they require specialised intervention in the form of a reading class. The Minister of State mentioned a report. Will he let me know when he expects that to be available?

The child I referred to is just one example of many. That child is below the first percentile. What is his family to do? He is eight years old. This is the optimum time for him to access a reading class but none is available. I do not know what to say to this family or what hope I can give them that, for next September, there will be a place available for him in north County Dublin.

I do not want to go into the specifics of one person but I will take the matter privately and we will see if we can advise as best we can.

The inspectorate has evaluated the provision for special classes and young people with dyslexia. That report feeds in internally into how we in the Department of education and the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, are going to look at supporting people with dyslexia into the future. A lot of information has come from families and schools about how best practice has worked in their school communities or in reading classes. Information has also come to us about the gaps in the system. We are working together closely on that. I will share some of it with the Senator in terms of the report. We are acutely aware of the challenges. We intend to work on this. As I said in the opening statement, how we invest in special education will determine the outcomes for a lot of children.

I thank the Minister of State for being here to take this Commencement matter. I acknowledge his commitment and compassion in relation to special education. The Minister of State visited the school across the road from the one I am going to speak about a number of months ago when we went to the Patrician Primary School in Newbridge. He will recall it is an old building. It needs a special ASD class. The physical element of the school is not leading to that at the moment but we are working together to provide same. The school right across the road, the Patrician Secondary School, is an excellent school with a really strong reputation in the Newbridge community for inclusion and supporting a diverse student population, which we would like to see around the country. Having had the opportunity to visit the school many times and the applied leaving certificate class, which has been in situ for a long time, I can attest to that.

This school has had an allocation of 6.75 SNAs since the school population was 820. The school population is now 930 and growing. In fact, the school will have a large extension to cater for 1,000 pupils. One can imagine the impact on the school community when it heard just over the weekend that its allocation of 6.75 SNAs was going to be reduced to four next September.

The whole school community is absolutely devastated. The SNAs are a really important feature of school life in terms of students who are vulnerable and need to have those extra needs met. In the last budget, 16,000 SNAs were accounted for in terms of extra funding. For 2026, there was an increased allocation of, I believe, 1,717. That is more than double the number of SNAs ten years ago. That is really great and a lot of the extra allocation is down to the Minister of State and his support for this area. I appreciate that it is not him who makes these allocations but, rather, the NCSE, working through the special educational needs organisers, SENOs. However, considering the increase in SNA allocation, I cannot at any level understand how this school, which has grown, has received a proposed allocation of 40% instead of more SNAs. The school is making an appeal. Just the mere suggestion of the cut is inconceivable and indefensible and I hope that the Minister of State will support this call to have the cut reversed and, at the very minimum, retain the current number in the school. That is needed for those children who have those extra needs and are vulnerable.

Before I call the Minister of State to respond, I welcome the second half of the guests of Senator Michael Kennelly from Presentation Secondary School, Listowel, County Kerry, including their teachers. The Senator certainly has a following. He has a lot of people here today. I hope they all enjoy their day. This is the Commencement matter debate of Seanad Éireann, which takes place every day. Topics are raised by different Senators. It just so happens that these two are about education, so they are particularly interesting for students.

I apologise to the Minister of State for cutting across his response.

I welcome the pupils and teachers from Listowel. I am from a few miles across the border on the important Cork side. The River Feale divides us.

They might go over and live on your side.

Yes. They are very welcome to Leinster House.

I thank Senator Fiona O'Loughlin for her engagement on the Patrician Catholic Secondary School in Newbridge, County Kildare. I also thank the Senator for the amount of work she does and has done on education. She used to chair the Oireachtas committee on education and had a huge input into it. Indeed, on many committees I have chaired, she has a huge input into special education. That was important.

To speak to the issue of SNAs specifically, we have almost 25,000 SNAs within the education system at the moment. That number has grown hugely over the last number of years. That is to try to meet the demand within the school communities. Investment in SNAs and special education more widely is obviously a huge priority for me in the role that I hold - not just now, but right throughout. The SNAs do amazing work. They are a great addition to the school community and they also bring an expertise that is second to none.

We have had a review right across the system. It is the first time we have had a review in terms of SNAs in some time. We also have the redeployment scheme, which is coming in on the same basis as it has for teachers. For one reason or another, the care needs in a school may have changed, so they will be moved from one school to another. There is a redeployment scheme starting on 1 September this year. This is something that, this time last year when I took over the role, I worked on to try to get it in place. It is important that we respect the SNAs and the work they do. That is an integral part of it. We must also make sure they have pathways into the future.

The Senator raised the issue of this school. I do not want to get into the specifics of the school today because that is ultimately a role for the National Council for Special Education. We in the Department have given that role to the NCSE. I work very closely with it. We have weekly meetings, updating me on the challenges within this area. However, I take the points the Senator has made about the school. She mentioned at the outset of her contribution that the student population had gone from 820 to 930. That is a huge increase. A school that is heading for somewhere in the region of 1,000 pupils is an important educational structure, and it is important that we understand it and support it.

The point is that we have many SNAs in the system and we have to make sure that they are where the greatest need is. We have to look at that. This review is ongoing. Of course, there is an appeal process in place. I stress that the school authorities should put in that appeal and put the strongest possible case forward. I do not need to tell the school authorities that because that is what they are extremely good at, but it is important that they articulate the challenges they have, the care needs within the school and, of course, the growth in population because all of that is information that will be looked at in an appeal. The appeal process is open. Right across the system, we have some schools that are losing SNAs and some that are gaining SNAs. I encourage everybody to put in an appeal and I assure the House that they will be dealt with fairly. I encourage this school to put the best case forward in the appeal.

I acknowledge that the NCSE allocation and review process are important to ensure SNAs are provided where they are most needed. I also acknowledge that the number of SNAs in County Kildare has increased to 989 this year. That is significant, along with the 74% increase in the number of special classes in Kildare from 2021 to today. That is all really important. However, it does not take away from the cut that the Patrician Catholic Secondary School has been told to expect. I know that the Minister of State's vision, along with mine, is to deliver an education system that is of the highest quality where every child and young person feels valued and is actively supported to reach their full potential. Unfortunately, the children, family and school community do not feel valued in the Patrician Catholic Secondary School in Newbridge.

I appreciate the Minister of State's interest in this matter. I hope that I can work with him and the Department in whatever way I can to help restore these positions. The school will be making that appeal to the NCSE.

Yes, the vision is very clear. It is about the best outcomes for the students. We must keep that in mind. We have additional SNAs put into the system. We got additional SNAs in this year's budget and that number has continued to grow over the last number of years. We have 25,000 SNAs in the system. The review looked at all the information we had to try to make the best possible decisions for the students and the best possible decisions to maximise the care where there is a need within school communities. For a variety of reasons, it is important that the school appeal the decision and put its best foot forward in that regard.

Senator O'Loughlin and I have worked together very carefully over many years since she came into the Oireachtas and even before that. She has a fantastic grasp and understanding of education. We will certainly work together to try to get the best possible outcomes. She will appreciate that I cannot give any cast iron guarantees. There is a process there that needs to be done. We will work on that process. I have no difficulty working with Senator O'Loughlin on this or any other issue.

I thank the Minister of State for his time here this morning on Commencement matters. It is greatly appreciated by the Seanad. I thank Senator O'Loughlin.