I welcome the Minister of State to the House. He is most welcome. I welcome Mary Charlotte Peacock and Tobias Zimmerman to the Seanad Chamber. They are most welcome. They are guests of Senator Duffy.

Cuirim fáilte roimh na haíonna. A few weeks ago, I wrote in The Journal about domestic abuse against men in Ireland and the urgent need to fund a fully staffed 24-hour helpline through Men's Aid. I did this very carefully knowing that it is a very sensitive space, and determined that raising the issue would not in any way take from the very real and disproportionate impact of domestic violence on women. What I did not fully anticipate was the response I would get. Since that article was published, I have been contacted privately by several men who have experienced and are still experiencing domestic abuse. Some are still in abusive relationships. Some have left. Some have custody of their children. All of them describe the exact same thing: silence, stigma and shame. Several told me that simply seeing the issue acknowledged publicly made a massive difference. One man said it was the first time he felt the experience he has suffered for years was being taken seriously. Another spoke about the help they have received from Men's Aid and how critical that support was at a moment when they felt completely isolated. That should make us stop and think.

We have made massive strides in how this country understands domestic abuse. We recognise coercive control. We understand that abuse is not just physical but psychological, financial and emotional. We have invested in services and supports for women who remain the majority of the victims, but we also have to recognise that some men are victims too, in opposite-sex and same-sex relationships. Domestic abuse is about power and control. It is not about physical size or stereotypes, yet for many men, the barrier to seeking help is not only about their fear of their partner, but fear of ridicule, disbelief or being assumed to be the aggressor. The stigma attached to a man admitting he is afraid in his own home remains really profound.

There is currently no fully funded 24-hour national helpline dedicated to male victims of domestic abuse. Men's Aid provides an essential service but it does not operate around the clock. Crisis, as we know, does not operate within office hours - currently Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The moment someone reaches for help is often late at night, when the house is quiet and courage briefly outweighs that humiliation. At the moment, that phone remains unanswered. I have been told by support organisations that when men flee abusive situations, even with their own children, they face additional systemic barriers. When presenting as homeless, they are sometimes asked why they would volunteer to leave their home and make themselves homeless. That question reflects a societal assumption that men simply cannot be victims in the same way. If someone leaves, it is because they are unsafe. Maybe their children are unsafe. They are not choosing homelessness; they are choosing survival.

This is not a request - and I must stress this - to divert funding from women's services. It is not about creating competition between these victims. Compassion is not a limited resource, and protection should not depend on your gender. It is about ensuring that our domestic violence framework is complete and total. I am asking the Minister of State to outline what consideration has been given by the Department to provide sustainable funding for a properly staffed 24-hour helpline for male victims of domestic abuse, or even funding that would support staff from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., seven days a week. What steps can be taken to ensure that men fleeing violence, particularly those with children, are recognised appropriately within our housing and emergency accommodation systems? Ending domestic abuse begins with breaking that isolation. When someone finally decides to seek help, it is our responsibility to make sure that someone is there. No victim should reach out in the dark and hear nothing back.

I thank the Senator for raising and putting a light on what is an important issue. The Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration is fully committed to supporting victims and survivors of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence, DSGBV, irrespective of gender, and to ensuring that services in Ireland are accessible, effective and responsive to identified needs. The Government absolutely recognises that men and boys can be victims and survivors of domestic abuse. Through the delivery of the third national DSGBV strategy, with its overall aim of zero tolerance, we are working with partners across Government and within the sector to prevent all forms of DSGBV and to support anyone who is a victim of it. It is important to emphasise that Ireland’s domestic violence legislation is gender neutral, meaning both men and women are afforded the same protections under the law.

Under budget 2026, funding was increased to almost €80 million to support Cuan and other services working to tackle DSGBV and to support the implementation of the zero tolerance strategy.

This represents an increase of €12 million year on year. Through this funding, Cuan supports the delivery and development of 78 domestic and sexual violence organisations across Ireland, and a number of these provide specialist services specifically for male victims. Cuan funds the national male advice line, operated by the Men's Development Network, a service that operates seven days a week and provides confidential advice and support to male victims of domestic violence. Male victims can also access services provided by the Rape Crisis Centre and other specialist organisations, which offer free and confidential support to victim survivors of sexual abuse of all genders. The national rape crisis helpline operates 24 hours a day and is available to anyone affected by rape, sexual assault or other forms of sexual violence, regardless of gender. Currently, Cuan only provides funding for these helplines, as well as the national Women's Aid helpline. Men's Aid Ireland has not sought specific funding to make its national helpline, which operates from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday, available 24 hours a day.

It should be noted that action has been taken to develop accommodation supports for male victims, in partnership with organisations within the DSGBV sector. The Men's Development Network has partnered with Sonas Domestic Violence Charity to establish a referral pathway to safe home accommodation for male victims and provide wraparound supports where needed.

Importantly, Cuan is currently undertaking work to strengthen the evidence base around DSGBV in Ireland. This includes supporting the development of improved data collection on the prevalence of domestic violence affecting both men and women. This work will inform future service delivery planning and the development of a national DSGBV services development plan. Through these actions, the Government continues to work to ensure that supports remain accessible and responsive to all victims and survivors, regardless of gender.

I thank the Minister of State for that response and the continued investment I can see in supports for victims of domestic and gender-based violence. These services are vital and must continue to be properly resourced.

Gender-neutral services are admirable, but there is a service gap in the framework. Cuan is operating a seven-days-a-week helpline, although it is not for 24 hours a day. I seek that funding be made available for that and, in particular, Men's Aid. Quite often, a man will not contact a service that he feels is either gender neutral or specifically for women. Services are weighted heavily towards women. As I said, they are very vital and neutral and we do not want to take any kind of funding away from the women-specific helplines or services, so there is still a need for a specific helpline for men, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. I will relay to Men's Aid that if there are funding sources available, it needs to be tapping into every single one.

That is a very important point to relay to Men’s Aid. I will obviously convey the Senator’s remarks to the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, who I know has done significant work in this area since becoming Minister. It is very important to have the recognition that the services provided are gender neutral, but I fully take on board the Senator’s comments that there is that problem area of men maybe not wanting to engage with services that they perceive as being particularly in one area, an area that for various reasons we do not need to go into today make them feel uncomfortable about engaging with the services. Therefore, the development that Cuan wants to have to ensure that wraparound services are available for male victims as well is very important.

I thank the Minister of State. Before we go on to the next Commencement matter, I welcome the guests of Deputy Ardagh, the children from School Eoin in Crumlin.

Tá fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. Glaoim ar an Seanadóir Costello.

I thank the Minister of State for coming in today. I raise the issue of the need for her to set out clearly what is being done to improve Internet access across rural areas. It is a real and practical problem for people in rural areas. In my constituency, an area called Bohernabreena is severely affected. Many residents and farmers there continue to experience very poor and unreliable broadband. This is now creating serious day-to-day difficulties. One serious issue that has been brought to my attention is that of people struggling to access the AgFood and other online agricultural systems that are now required for farming payments and compliance. When the Internet connection is slow or drops out, people cannot log in, pages time out and applications cannot be completed. For example, AgFood requires a two-step verification, and by the time the verification text arrives, the application has timed out, preventing the farmer from logging in. These systems are no longer optional, but essential. They are being designed under the assumption that everyone has a fast, reliable Internet connection, but that is simply not the case in many rural communities. This is not just inconvenient, but puts people at a real disadvantage.

This problem is affecting vital local services as well. The local community centre is directly impacted by poor Internet access. On Friday, I witnessed that for myself when an issue arose where the broadband disruption affected the running of the centre. Staff were unable to carry out basic administrative tasks, bookings were disrupted, and some services could not be provided to local people. I witnessed a staff member trying to get a resolution. It was a level of disruption and frustration that was really unfair. This shows very clearly that poor connectivity is not only affecting individual households or farmers, but limiting what community facilities can deliver for residents.

We often talk about the digital divide between rural and urban areas, but it is important to understand how serious this divide actually is. In 2024, the Economic and Social Research Institute published a paper, called “Exacerbating the Divide? Investigating Rural Inequalities in High Speed Broadband Availability”. The findings of the research were very clear. They showed that Ireland did not have a slow or gradual digital divide. Instead, researchers described it as a binary divide. In simple terms, areas either have very good broadband coverage or almost none at all. The paper shows that more than 70% of small rural areas have broadband coverage of 10% or less, and at the same time, almost 90% of small urban areas have coverage of 90% or more. While most urban communities are fully serviced by commercial broadband providers, the majority of rural communities are being left behind. The research also highlights an important point that within areas that have poor connectivity, certain groups may be at even more of a disadvantage, including older people, low-income households and people who rely heavily on online public services. This is particularly relevant for farmers and rural workers who must now use online services to carry out basic administrative tasks.

At European level, there is a clear recognition of how important digital connectivity is. European policy aims to ensure that households, schools, businesses and public services all have access to high-speed broadband and modern mobile coverage. In Ireland, the Government has acknowledged that the market alone will not deliver broadband to many rural areas. That is why the national broadband plan was introduced in 2019, to allow the State to support the roll-out of high-speed broadband in areas where it was not commercially viable.

Under the Government's digital Ireland strategy, the target is that all household and businesses will have access to gigabit broadband by 2028 and all populated areas will have 5G coverage by 2030. These are welcome and ambitious targets. However, for people living in places like Bohernabreena, they can feel very distant. What matters to residents, farmers and community groups now is whether they can connect today, whether the service is reliable and whether essential services continue to operate properly. For many people, the answer to this is "No".

I ask the Minister of State to outline in clear and practical terms what steps are being taken to address poor broadband coverage in rural communities, how delivery on the national broadband plan is being accelerated in areas that remain underserved, and what specific measures are being taken to ensure that communities such as Bohernabreena and facilities like the community centre are not left behind.

I thank the Senator for raising this incredibly important issue. As somebody who is from the very rural constituency of Cavan-Monaghan, I understand the issue she has raised for people living in rural parts, particularly the farming community. So much of our lives is now transported into a digital area. We are expected to be able to adapt, put many of our public services online and be able to facilitate that. It is important as a Government that we are committed to that digital transformation. It is equally important that we be in a position to provide that Internet and broadband access that is required in rural parts, not just in urban. As the Senator said, it is not or should not be binary as to whether a person has really good or bad access.

We need to ensure that everyone has equal access because people risk being left behind if they do not. I thank the Senator for raising this very important matter. I am taking it on behalf of the Minister, Deputy O'Donovan, who is answering questions in the Dáil at the moment.

Ensuring that all communities across Ireland, including those in rural and more remote areas, can access high-speed broadband is a key priority for the Minister and the Government. Ireland’s digital connectivity strategy, published in December 2022, sets ambitious targets including the provision of a gigabit network to all households and businesses in Ireland by 2028 and access to 5G in all populated areas by 2030. As the Senator quite rightly said, these are ambitious targets that we intend to achieve.

The Programme for Government: Securing Ireland’s Future, published in January 2025, sets out a number of targets, which include the completion of the installation of high-speed fibre broadband connections to 1.1 million people across homes, farms and businesses nationwide by 2026. The national broadband plan, NBP, is the Government’s initiative to deliver high-speed broadband services to all premises in Ireland. The Government identified a need to deliver broadband services where commercial operators would not operate, such as in parts of rural Ireland. As part of the NBP, the Government appointed National Broadband Ireland to deliver a future-proofed high-speed broadband network to those parts of the country, primarily in rural areas, not served by commercial operators. I am advised by NBI that over 451,557 premises across all counties have now been passed and immediate connection is available to them, with over 166,000 already connected. Deployment momentum is strong, and the main infrastructure build is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2026, as per the programme for Government commitment. The latest information on when high-speed broadband will become available in an intervention area can be found on NBI’s website. NBI also has a dedicated email address, reps@nbi.ie , which can be used by Seanad Members across the House for specific queries.

Under the NBP contract, NBI is required to reuse existing third-party infrastructure, including poles, ducting and chambers, where possible. Where repairs or replacements are required, NBI provides the necessary details and requests these works through an agreed process with the owner of the infrastructure. Once the works have been completed, the owner of the infrastructure notifies NBI, and the infrastructure is then approved for use by NBI. The latter advises that 100% of the third-party infrastructure that NBI intends to use as part of the roll-out has been surveyed and that 96% of the required remedial works have now been completed. This infrastructure is either already in use or is actively being brought into use as part of NBI’s deployment, with the remaining 4% to be completed by the end of this year. The NBP's deployment remains on schedule and within its approved financial budget, reflecting robust programme governance, disciplined cost control and effective delivery oversight.

The NBP was established to bridge that digital divide we spoke about and to ensure that all regions, including rural and small-town areas, have access to high-speed broadband infrastructure. The NBP delivers more than just connectivity. It drives economic growth, social inclusion and community development by enabling remote work, digital learning, telehealth and new business opportunities, while strengthening regional skills, innovation and quality of life. As all of us here in the House know, it also ensures the regional development we all feel so passionate about.

Along with the NBP intervention contract, substantial progress is being made by commercial operators in upgrading their networks throughout the State and ensuring the targets set out in the digital connectivity strategy are achieved. I have run out of time. I will hand back to the Senator to conclude.

I thank the Minister of State. I am glad that progress is being made. I will be making use of the email address for representatives to follow up because what I witnessed on Friday was chaotic. It showed terrible shortcomings for a rural area. I stood in a room with approximately 20 farmers who were suffering with poor Internet connections, which is a barrier to accessing the agrifeed system. In what other industry would you have 20 business owners who cannot access a basic service to carry out their work? It was very unfair on them. I committed to following up on that, so I will be making use of the email address. I ask the Minister of State to pass on my points about what I witnessed at first hand in Bohernabreena to the Minister.

I absolutely commit to sharing the experience of the farmers in the Senator's local area with the Minister, Deputy O'Donovan, to ensure something like this does not happen again and to see if any specific issue arose in that particular area. As the Senator stated, this involved 20 incredibly important businesspeople in the local area. I want to ensure we drive delivery of high-speed broadband, particularly across rural and remote areas. In urban areas, there are other ways of communicating but it is not so easily done in rural constituencies and regions like the Senator's and mine. I will absolutely share that with the Minister.

Along with the NBP intervention contract, commercial operators continue to upgrade to achieve the targets of the digital connectivity strategy. Commercial operators have indicated that all of their networks within urban areas will be upgraded by 2028. The Department is continuing to monitor these upgrades to ensure any unnecessary barriers to this investment are addressed to mitigate the risk of there being areas where the availability of gigabit connectivity services is limited. These measures include making the process to access existing infrastructure easier and ensuring new housing developments are designed to facilitate telecommunications connectivity from the outset. I am sure in five years' time, or probably less, we will look back and think it archaic to have had to have those discussions and debates but here we are.

The implementation of the NBP plan continues to align with the delivery schedule and approved funding parameters. The main infrastructure build remains on track for completion by the end of this year. I am satisfied that the programme is advancing steadily and meeting its key milestones. I again thank Senator Costello for raising this incredibly important issue.

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. Public transport should be simple, accessible and modern yet passengers on Bus Éireann services across the country are still required to carry cash. In 2026, that simply does not reflect how people live, travel and pay for services. Card and contactless payments should be accepted on board Bus Éireann services. Across Ireland, contactless payments have become the norm. Our Local Link services already accept card payments and, since 2022, all licensed taxi services have been legally required to take card payments. They also cannot charge an additional fee for providing that service. People now expect to be able to tap their card or pay with their phone for simple services. However, Bus Éireann passengers are still being told to download apps, buy Leap cards or carry cash. While very useful, those options do not work for everybody. Not every passenger has the app or a Leap card and fewer people are carrying cash. Bus Éireann Expressway services accept card payments, which means the technology and operational model already exist within the system, but the same convenience is not available to people who use the many standard Bus Éireann services throughout the country every day.

This creates a real problem for passengers. Bus stops are often located in areas where ATMs or shops are not located nearby. This is especially a problem late at night. This issue has been raised with me, particularly in respect of people waiting in darkness in rural areas for a bus to come late at night only to be told they needed to carry cash to use the service. Drivers in this situation are often placed in a difficult position. They have to tell people they cannot take on them on the service or to allow them on board, asking them to get cash somewhere else when the bus next stops off. I acknowledge the fact that Bus Éireann drivers, especially those on rural services, are very accommodating with individuals, but they should not have to deal with this.

At the same time, this also means that our Bus Éireann drivers on rural routes are carrying a significant amount of cash with them at all times, which potentially raises safety and security concerns for them. We know that a national contactless ticketing project is currently under way, with a roll-out expected in the coming years. That contract was awarded to a Dublin company in 2024 to replace the Leap card, yet I believe it is not until 2028 that we are expecting the roll-out of that system. While the progress is welcome, the questions that many customers and passengers are asking is why a basic payment option should take years to implement. With modern payment technologies, even a standard mobile device can process contactless transactions. Many small businesses and service providers adopt this quickly. It raises the question of whether an interim solution could be introduced much sooner while the larger system is still being developed.

Public transport must evolve the way people live and travel. Accepting card payments on board buses is no longer a luxury; it is a basic expectation. It would improve accessibility for passengers, reduce the amount of cash drivers are carrying and ensure nobody is left standing on the side of the road waiting or wondering if they have change to pay for a bus. If the long-term system is still a number of years away, we should be asking whether a practical interim solution can be introduced now. In the modern transport system, paying for a bus journey should be the easiest part of the journey.

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Seanadóir Scahill as ucht an rúin seo a chur roimh an Teach. It is a very important issue and I am taking the matter on behalf of the Minister for Transport, Deputy O'Brien.

The programme for Government is committed to the rolling out of contactless fare payments on all public transport and to keeping fares low and affordable. It is important to stress that contactless fare payments, or next generation ticketing, will be introduced initially as part of BusConnects Dublin before being delivered nationwide, including on Bus Éireann services. The Senator is right. People expect the service to be reliable, accessible and modern and I fully concur with him that many people now do not carry cash, but use cards instead. It is important to stress that many public transport users have travelled the world and have engaged with other systems where contactless ticketing is in operation and in use. The Senator spoke about the whole Local Link service. That has been a huge success.

I assure the Senator that the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, and the Department and Government, along with the stakeholders, are making, and will continue to make, significant efforts to implement the next generation ticketing across the country over the coming years. The Minister and the Department have made significant funding available to support the move to new ticketing technology, and the National Transport Authority has entered into a contract with a Spanish technology company, Indra Sistemas, to deliver the project. The Minister met with the company in January at its new Dublin headquarters. During the visit, he emphasised the importance of this project and the desire of all public transport users - as articulated and outlined by the Senator here - and of Government to see it implemented without delay. Last week, we had questions on this particular matter in the Dáil. This modern solution will introduce contactless payments for passengers via bank cards, mobile phones and barcodes across all public transport modes nationwide that are subsidised by the State. It will replace the Leap card system, which has served over 9 million users since its launch in 2011. The initial focus of this project is on the greater Dublin area. It will be rolled out across four phases, with phase 1 due to be launched in the summer of 2027. This will test contactless payments on new validators or ticket machines. Phase 2, as the Senator said, will be launched in 2028, allowing passengers on Dublin Bus and Luas services to use this new ticketing technology, including contactless payments, on validators. Plans for later phases remain under development at the moment.

I share the Senator's view that it is taking far too long. There is a frustration felt by many of us in government because the old legacy system is difficult to maintain and is at the end of its life. The Senator is right that people have moved on. The world has evolved. Separately, the NTA is actively rolling out contactless payments across the TFI Local Link, with regular services allowing passengers to pay for single journeys via debit and credit cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay. This system is being deployed across all 15 TFI Local Link offices, with the full cohort to be done by the end of this year.

As Minister of State with responsibility for rural transport, I pay tribute to the Local Link offices and the services being provided, particularly those we are talking about here with contactless payments making it easier for people from Laois, Offaly, Mayo, Sligo and Leitrim. Under budget 2026, a funding package of €940 million was secured for PSO, and TFI Local Link received a 43% increase from last year. This will further support subsidised bus and rail services across Ireland, while maintaining targeted fares, including initiatives such as the recently introduced free travel for children up to the age of nine, and young adult cards for those aged 19 to 25, as part of the NTA's national fares strategy.

To conclude, I thank Senator Scahill for the points he has made. It is incredibly frustrating. We need to move quicker and the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, shares that view as well.

I thank the Minister of State for his response. I am glad to acknowledge Local Link because I know it is within his remit. It is great to see the 43% increase Local Link will be receiving to support its roll out of the services. Sometimes, we seem to overcomplicate these things. Local Link and the taxi services are able to do this. There are white-box solutions out there for just about everything at the moment that are very easily implemented, adapted and which are able to do this. We spoke about volunteering last week when the Minister of State was in the Chamber last. We know all our local GAA and soccer clubs are using these remote terminals now to process transactions for their local lottos when they are out and about. When it is as simple as that, it is very hard to understand how it takes three to four years to implement a solution like this on our main bus system when all the other services have done it. It is something I hope we can speed up the solution on.

If I may digress for a second, I encourage the Senator to go over in a minute to the NTA briefing because it is not the first time he has raised this matter. He has been a very strong proponent of this. The next generation ticketing was initially introduced as part of Dublin BusConnects and then going nationwide. I am not being defensive here but it is important to get it right. There needs to be careful planning, approvals and co-ordination with multiple different external organisations in terms of design and installation. The important point is to get it absolutely right because if not, the Senator will correctly come back in here and say it has been a completely diabolical and mismanaged project. We should travel with haste in the context of the project being implemented safely, correctly and within budget and then there is the whole piece around that next generation ticketing and the validators on the entire public transport fleet and stations. The Senator makes a very good point. There is complication and complexity and I am not quite sure why we have to make it so difficult. As somebody who is not an expert, I am looking at it like the Senator and asking why it cannot be done quicker. I hope when we do this - and I will ask the NTA in a minute when I go over to the briefing - that we get it right. It is about the next generation ticketing. It is about ensuring the solution works nationwide. I thank the Acting Chair for her indulgence.

Tá fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit, an Teachta Moynihan.

I thank the Minister of State for coming in. Gaelcholáiste Synge will be the vitally important Gaelscoil for the Dublin 2, 4, 6 and 8 area that has long been awaited by the local community. It is due to open at the end of August this year. The establishment of this school is the result of a very long and committed campaign by activists in Dublin city to ensure the students in this part of the city have access to Irish-language education. Despite the school having been established on paper, there has been no clarity and no timeline on when it will actually come into being.

There are real concerns around it. It does not have the staff it needs nor the buildings to accommodate the projected number of students, not to mention the deeply flawed way in which the Department failed to engage with students, family and staff of the CBS Synge Street when the Gaelcholáiste was first established. The Department of education has essentially been radio silent on the future of this school and has avoided meeting local campaign groups or making clear commitments around the future redevelopment of this site. The south inner city is crying out for a Gaelcholáiste, but the Government's approach and lack of planning are making a shambles of the opportunity.

One way in which the Department can take a positive step forward is by acquiring the Christian Brothers' monastery, which is adjacent to the Synge Street site and is currently being sold off. The Gaelcholáiste could use this very effectively. This building was formerly used by Synge Street CBS and has many practical rooms, classrooms and a full-sized canteen. Its acquisition would be a great benefit to Gaelcholáiste Synge. The building the Gaelcholáiste is situated in now has 13 classrooms, which is not enough to accommodate the 400 students intended by the Department to study at the school in the future. Likewise, the building lacks any practical rooms whereas the additional space that would be afforded by the monastery would allow a broader curriculum to be offered to students. It would also enable the school to become wheelchair accessible, which is very important. The Christian Brothers have considerable debt with the Department of education due to the amount of redress. As the monastery is a Christian Brothers' asset, it would be wise for the Department to acquire the building as part of the compensation. I would like the Minister of State to make a statement on whether this is something that has been considered by the Department. Will he commit to assisting the school in becoming fully established and effective, put all the worries the school currently has away and ensure that there is a healthy, vibrant and positive Gaelcholáiste?

I thank Senator Andrews. I appreciate the opportunity to discuss Synge Street CBS becoming a Gaelcholáiste. The Department of Education and Youth is working with the Edmund Rice Schools Trust, ERST, to ensure the successful transition of Synge Street CBS to a co-educational Gaelcholáiste on a phased basis. The first phase of this transition will involve the first year intake only, which will take place in September 2026. The work has included regular communications and meetings between the parties involved in the transition to a Gaelcholáiste, including the Department of education.

In regard to the accommodation requirements of the school, officials from the Department have visited the school and conducted an assessment of the its immediate needs. A project manager has been appointed to oversee these accommodation requirements. The anticipated work that will be required is currently being reviewed by the Department. It is intended to advance these accommodation requirements as quickly as possible and the necessary work will be completed in time for the Gaelcholáiste to receive its first students in September 2026.

With respect to the Christian Brothers' monastery located close to Synge Street CBS, the Department of education has no plans to acquire this property from the Christian Brothers. There is already extensive and adequate school provision at the Synge Street site. For this reason, the monastery mentioned by Senator Andrews does not form part of the Department’s plans for the Gaelcholáiste. While the acquisition of the monastery is not part of the Department’s project plan, the relevant sections within my Department have been notified of the intention of the Christian Brothers to sell the property in the near future.

In relation to the Gaelcholáiste, my Department has identified the necessary work to be carried out on Synge Street CBS to enable it to transition from an English-medium, single-sex post-primary school to a co-educational Gaelcholáiste on a gradual basis over the next five years. In the meantime, my Department intends to utilise available space in Bunscoil Synge Street, a Gaelscoil on the same site as the future Gaelcholáiste. The bunscoil will require some minor realignment work, which will take place over the summer months. The Synge Street CBS patrons and the future patrons of the Gaelcholáiste, the ERST and other relevant parties have been kept informed of the Department’s proposed works.

It is worth noting that, while conducting a survey of the available space in the bunscoil, it came to the Department’s attention that a private language school not connected with the Department was utilising space within the building without the knowledge of the Department. The patrons have been notified of our Department’s requirement for this space also.

I thank the Minister of State, but that was somewhat disappointing. The south inner city is in desperate need of a Gaelcholáiste. The community is crying out for it. The Government's approach is falling far short. That is disappointing. There is an opportunity here to purchase the monastery. It would make a huge difference in the long term. Long-term planning is very important. It is disappointing that the Minister will not meet the local campaign group. There has been radio silence. The local group knows the details of what is needed and the least it deserves, given the campaigning it has done over the years on this issue, is to be engaged with and consulted. I urge the Minister of State to ensure that this campaign group is met and there is some satisfaction brought about.

The Government and the Department are very committed to this project. This project has received huge coverage. Synge Street CBS is known not just in Dublin, but right across the country in terms of the school's history and so forth.

I take the Senator's point fully. Across Dublin and the rest of the country, communities are coming together looking for Gaelcholáistí and Gaelscoileanna. The specific unit in the Department that looks at these matters advises schools to go year by year because it is a big undertaking for any school to go from a single-sex school to a co-educational school and from the medium of English to the medium of Irish.

My understanding is that there is huge engagement with the relevant parties. I take the point raised in relation to the local campaign group but my clear understanding from what I have been told by the Department is that there is ongoing communication between the ERST and the various partners in education to ensure the transition is as smooth as possible. Synge Street becoming a Gaelcholáiste will be of huge benefit to the communities mentioned in Dublin 2, 4 and 6. We have other communities within Dublin and right across the country that the Department is engaging with also. I take the Senator's concerns but I assure him that the Department is working closely to make sure this transition is as seamless as possible in September 2026.