I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Michael Moynihan, to the House.

I add my voice of welcome to our distinguished guests. I note that we have representatives from New Jersey. The small town I am from, Rathangan, has officially twinned with Freehold because Bruce Springsteen's great grandmother came from Rathangan. I look forward to catching up with them later and perhaps helping to organise a visit to Rathangan, which is a great little spot.

I will turn to the question at issue. I appreciate that the Minister of State, Deputy Moynihan, is here. He is doing an excellent job in a very difficult situation with particular constraints. I want to talk to him about St. Anne's Special School in Ballymany, The Curragh, and to request a clear and definitive update on the timeline for its long-awaited rebuild. St. Anne's Special School was established in 1967 by Elizabeth Bermingham and her husband, Michael, who did wonderful work to help to set up KARE for the young people of Kildare, parts of Offaly and parts of Wicklow, with intellectual disabilities. The school moved to its present location in 1974. Generations of young people have gone through the school, including my own brother, Cathal. Cathal and I, as well as another brother, Brian, went to a fundraiser for the parents' council on Friday last in Newbridge. It was lovely to catch up with very dedicated parents and the school community there.

St. Anne's is a vital education facility. As I said, it serves children and young people aged four to 18 with moderate to severe and profound general learning disabilities. It provides an essential service not just to families within the Newbridge-Kildare-Curragh catchment but also further afield. The conditions within which the students are being educated are absolutely unacceptable. One issue is funding. The current funding is no longer sufficient to meet even the school's basic operational and utility costs. As a result, some of the funding and resources intended for educational supports are being diverted to cover core expenses. This has led to shortages in critical classroom materials and sensory requirement, together with reductions in cleaning services. There are also the challenges that every school now has, namely, the rising cost of energy and insurance.

The school building itself and the existing facilities are not fit for purpose. They are overcrowded and there is a lack of adequate accessibility. There are safety concerns. There is only one accessible toilet available for up to 40 senior students. Heating systems are unreliable and parts of the premises are unusable. Indeed, the school was forced to close during a cold spell last winter due to heating failure.

Planning permission for a new school building was granted by Kildare County Council in March 2022 and that is valid until next March. However, the project has yet to progress beyond stage 2B. We know the school is included in the national development plan pipeline but we still need to have a timeline for the project moving to tender and then from tender to construction. It is a very urgent situation. I acknowledge the excellent work that was done with St. Mark's Special School and the fact that another new special school will open in September in Monasterevin. That is all incredibly welcome. It is essential, however, that along with that progress, we have progress at St. Anne's school. I am, therefore, looking forward to the Minister of State's update today.

I will take this in two parts. I thank the Senator very much. I know her huge interest in education, including special education, goes back a long time. She and I have worked together in various capacities over the last while. I, therefore, accept the Senator's bona fides on these issues.

I will go through the building project for St. Anne's Special School in the Curragh. The project is included in the Department of education's construction programme, which will be delivered under the national development plan as part of Project 2040 funding. The brief for the project is to provide 16 new special school classrooms, including the demolition of some of the existing buildings. It also includes the retention of the extension completed in 2012. The major building project for the school is currently at an advanced stage of architectural planning - stage 2b, detailed design - and the design team has secured all the statutory approvals and is preparing the suite for the tender documents.

The stage 2b submission was received by the Department of education in May 2024. It has been reviewed by the Department's officials and comments have been issued to the design team. The Department is currently awaiting the design team's clarifications. Once the stage 2b submission clarifications have been received, the Department will review the additional information.

As the Senator said, planning permission for St. Anne's Special School was granted on 25 March 2022. In the event that an extension to the current planning permission is required by the Department, the design team will arrange for the preparation of the documents for same when necessary.

The Senator will understand that there is a huge envelope of money in the national development plan for investment in education right across the estates of the schools. This project has been ongoing and there has been huge engagement on it between the Department and the school authorities. I know from the Senator's representation and, indeed, from the information we have that County Kildare and its surrounds have huge need. The Senator mentioned Monasterevin. We are trying to make sure we have appropriate education to meet the needs. I know the Senator has a personal involvement in St. Anne's as well, and I will take that in board.

We are waiting for some documentation to come back from the design team with clarifications. I ask the Senator to use her good offices to ensure that is returned to the Department as a matter of urgency. I will give a commitment that those matters will then be looked at as speedily as possible in the Department. We understand the need for the school. This has been a long time coming and the school authorities and school community have long been advocating on this issue to the Senator. I ask her to make sure that any outstanding documentation is returned to the Department. We will then take that and go through it as fast as possible to make sure we can move this project forward. It is a hugely important special education work in Kildare and we are anxious to make sure it progresses.

In my closing remarks, I will refer to the issues the Senator raised in relation to funding for insurance and so forth. The Senator should rest assured that if we get the information back, we will progress the project as fast as humanly possible within the Department.

A vote has been called in the Dáil. Does the Minister of State need to leave?

I do, unfortunately. I have been warned to be in the-----

As a vote has been called, we need to suspend.

Is it an eight-minute bell? We would have two minutes to complete.

I am not sure how long the bell is.

It is an eight-minute bell.

We can finish this, and then the Minister of State is free to go.

If the bell stops, I will still have time to get to the Chamber.

I thank the Minister of State.

I am sorry.

I appreciate that.

I thank the Minister of State for his clarification and for his support. I suggest that he come to visit St. Anne's some day, either on his way up or back down to the wonderful metropolis of Coiscéim. He would be most welcome to come just off the Curragh roundabout to see St. Anne's and the very dedicated and committed staff. The current situation is not sustainable. The students of St. Anne's deserve to be educated in a safe, adequately resourced and fit-for-purpose environment. I take on board what the Minister of State said in relation to the outstanding information required and I commit to working with the principal and board of management to ensure that it is submitted as quickly as possible. I will certainly let the Minister of State know when that information has been put in, because I know he takes a personal interest in these matters.

The Senator has undertaken to do that and will come back to us on it. The principals, wider leaderships and entire school communities in special schools, be they teachers, special needs assistants, SNAs, or bus escorts, are super human beings and do amazing work for our most vulnerable.

Absolutely.

I thank St. Anne's team for the work it does.

We are commencing this weekend a regional engagement with all the leaders of special schools in locations around the country to see the challenges they are facing. We are meeting the principals to have informal discussions. We begin in Sligo this week and we have a number of others over the next couple of weeks. We want to get a sense. I have had meetings with special schools in terms of the insurance and funding mechanisms, and we have done some work in relation to the capitation grants, but there is a lot of work that needs to be done. I assure the Senator that we will be engaging with special schools over the next while to see the challenges that are being faced.

I must now go to the Dáil Chamber.

I thank the Minister of State.

We will resume now. I thank the Minister of State for rushing back. Before we start our next item, I welcome Bernie and Eamon Smith and Cyril and Lavina Jordan, who are guests of Senator Nessa Cosgrove. They are very welcome and in very good hands. Senator Cosgrove is always welcoming and is one of more hard-working Senators. Everyone is very welcome. I call Senator Sarah O'Reilly.

I, too, welcome our distinguished guests from Cavan, which is a great county.

I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House today. I was concerned last week when I saw the proposed launch of the special inclusive classes. When we get into the detail of what this will entail, it really feels like the Department is trying to give classroom overcrowding a new name. These special inclusion classes will see autism classes double in size. The class will go from having six students to 12, with no increase in staff or classroom allocations. If it is considered best practice to have one teacher and two SNAs per six children, then how is this proposal not simply a failure to meet those standards? The reality is that two SNAs are not enough to deal with six students going between an inclusive class and various mainstream practical classes in schools, especially if autistic students are allowed to choose their subjects in the same way as mainstream students do. Will the Minister of State provide clarity on this? If the Department believes these inclusion classes are the best approach, then why is it not being used in schools across the country as is? My gut, and we should all listen to our guts, tells me that after the recent SNA debacle, the Department is now worried about the staff capacity to open new autism spectrum disorder, ASD, classes and is framing this as an exciting launch instead of acknowledging the reality that it is doubling up classrooms.

Teachers and SNAs are already struggling with burnout and increased workload. They are doing more with less. Is the Department asking them to double classroom sizes? Is that what is happening at the minute? I was surprised that there would be no additional funding for classroom extensions or staff. This is not an existing proposal. It is just the Department window dressing. My office spoke to the principal of St. Aidan's school in Cootehill, County Cavan. The school has been waiting five years for an extension and only got confirmation that the stage 2B report was completed about two months ago. St. Aidan's agreed to adapt one of its mainstream classrooms to create an ASD room. In the process, it lost vital space needed for the mainstream school students. What is more ludicrous is that when the school applied for an additional ASD room, the request was denied, but since then it has been asked by the Department to create a second ASD room. How can the Department explain or justify the rationale for refusing additional accommodation only to turn around and ask schools to magically create another classroom? Instead of progressing extensions and increasing staff allocations, the Department's approach seems to consist of sending letters to schools telling them to make space where there is none.

Teachers and SNAs are finding themselves in impossible situations. These inclusion classes are, in my opinion, nothing more than a clear attempt to sugar-coat increased class sizes. Is it not a major failing that schools and parents feel the Department is totally disconnected from what is going on in schools at the moment?

Before the Minister of State commences, I welcome guests of Deputy Duncan Smyth from Swords Community College. They are all welcome and the tradition is that they do not have any homework for the rest of the week. I hope they enjoy their visit.

I welcome all the distinguished guests to Leinster House. I hope they enjoy their day. It is always a special day when students or anybody visits the seat of Dáil Éireann and Seanad Éireann. I hope they enjoy their day and whatever benefit is in it. I did not realise that the Acting Chairperson had the imprimatur to give homework off. It is something I must look up the Standing Orders for.

The Minister of State does not get homework off.

Would there be any chance that-----

He has to do his homework.

I thank Senator O'Reilly for raising the issue. In the first instance this year, as opposed to other years, we have started the sanctioning of classes much earlier. We have 432 classes sanctioned already.

That is because we had an earlier date for notification of 1 October. An awful lot of forward planning is being done in relation to special education and over the past number of years, the amount of money that has been put into primary and post-primary education has been absolutely huge by any yardstick. It is also meeting the need within our school communities and our cohort of students. Families have been notifying the NCSE of their special education requirements for students.

The issue the Senator raised relates to the five schools that were announced last week. It is hugely important that we make sure we are doing our best to have the best possible outcomes for students. At post-primary level, a lot of a lot of integration and inclusion happens. When we announced the classes last week there was a headline straight away that we were not putting the staffing resources with the students. However, in any of the enhanced classes that we have, six students will be getting 1.5 teachers and two SNAs at post-primary level. If there is an additional six students, they will be getting an additional 1.5 teachers and two SNAs. There is absolutely no reduction in staffing or the staffing ratios that are in place for students with additional need in special classes. That ratio was set many decades ago and is sacrosanct in that it is Government and departmental policy.

Some comments were made on Wednesday and Thursday of last week to the effect that we were not giving any staffing but nothing could be further from the truth. I note that some organisations corrected their comments when it was pointed out that we were giving the same staffing. We also want to make sure that we are supporting post-primary schools in particular with additional resources in terms of staffing for students. We have interacted with a huge number of principals and we have some great models of education being delivered in post-primary schools throughout the country. In a number of schools that I have visited myself I have seen the way they are delivering at post-primary level in terms of having a hub and having students going in and out of different classes. They have all said that we need to have the supports in place, be they teachers or SNAs. In each of the instances cited by the Senator, we are giving the extra teachers and SNAs. There is absolutely zero question about that. It is fundamental and vitally important that we reassure parents and students that there is absolutely no cutback whatsoever in terms of the teachers and SNAs that are being provided for children who are going into special classes. It is the same ratio.

In relation to a lot of the policy that we have been looking at over the last year or so, we are trying to determine the best model to ensure that we are equipping students who are going into special classes for a more fulfilled life. We have to look at the outcomes for children, both at primary and post-primary school, and on into adulthood, whether they are going on to further education or into the workplace and provide whatever supports are needed. This model has been very much welcomed by a number of the education partners. It is in its infancy but it is something that we are looking at to make sure that we are supporting children by having the support staff in place for the students. The same ratio applies. We are making sure that we have the support staff in place in order that that we can have the best possible model of integration into the future. We have a huge number of teams of both teachers and SNAs within the special education sector and we want to now look at how best we can make it as inclusive as possible

I thank the Minister of State for that comprehensive reply, which does address some of my concerns. If the ratio of teachers and SNAs to students is going to stay consistent, that is good but it is reasonable for people to assume that this is a move to increase students in ASD classrooms when the Department is not progressing planning and extensions for school accommodation and new builds.

I mentioned St. Aidan's, but Bailieborough Community School is in the same position. It is six years out from an extension being announced but is stuck at design stage 2b just like the other school mentioned. It is beyond a joke that Bailieborough, Kingscourt, Virginia and Cavan, all approved projects, are gathering dust. Teachers and principals are right to feel overlooked. Does the Minister of State see why schools and parents see this proposal as an attempt at overcrowding? That is just another word for it. The Department has been piling more onto teachers and school communities particularly those waiting five to ten years for additional classroom space.

I cannot accept that there is overcrowding. We are looking at how best to ensure teachers, SNAs and support teams are in place to encourage students and to make sure we are as inclusive as possible. Not every student can be mainstreamed but we need to make sure that where it is possible we have the best possible support in place. It is also taking a child with special educational needs through primary school and post-primary school and equipping them as best we can for life after school as well. That is the premise. There are challenges. We are putting in a huge amount of money - over €5 billion has been put into the school building programmes over the past number of years. In the coming years, €7.55 billion is to be put into it. We are working closely with school communities. The Senator mentioned a number of schools in her area. I can reassure her we are working with them. Our aim is to make sure we have special education provision in every community as locally as possible for the needs of the child and families into the future.

This matter kind of explains itself. I thank the Minister of State for being here. The ask is that Mounjaro be included in the long-term illness scheme through the medical card. I was contacted by a constituent in my home county, Mayo, whose husband has unfortunately been sick since 2010 and is a cancer survivor. His health is declining and the cancer treatment has caused a number of severe side effects. He is unable to work and his wife is his full-time carer. They have two teenage children. There are a lot of pressures on the family. He requires a lot of medication each day. Thankfully, many are covered by the medical card scheme under the long-term illness plan. However, he has type 2 diabetes and suffer from severe side effects taking Ozempic. As a result, he has been forced to take Mounjaro injections instead but they are not covered by the plan. The family was able to manage this previously by crossing the Border and buying it in Northern Ireland. That was their workaround because it is more expensive here than it is up North. It is costing them €600 in the Republic versus about £400 in the North. The rules have changed, however, which means that they can no longer buy Mounjaro in Northern Ireland and have to buy it in the Republic. This is costing them about €600 per prescription and is putting huge financial pressure and a burden on this couple and their family.

While, as I already mentioned, it is welcome that certain elements are included in the long-term illness scheme through the medical card, it is a loophole. Can it be included? If there are reasons the computer says "No", is it possible for it to be included in instances where there are side-effects from the patient taking Ozempic? I would welcome the Minister of State's consideration of it, in the interest of helping a family in need.

Before the Minister of State commences her reply, I welcome guests of the Minister, Deputy Calleary. They are very welcome to the Seanad. I am probably pronouncing it wrong. They are from Behy ICA. May they enjoy their day. It is a great place to visit.

I also welcome the ladies to the House. I spoke to them earlier.

I thank Senator Duffy for highlighting this important issue. I am answering on behalf of the Minister for Health, Deputy Carroll MacNeill.

The State is aware of the importance of access to new medicines for patients and acutely aware of the plight of patients diagnosed with diabetes. There has been significant investment in new medicines in recent years. In 2023, nearly €1 in every €8 of public money spent on health was spent on medicines. This level of investment is unprecedented in supporting patients to access available new innovative medicines. Budgets 2021 to 2025 included dedicated funding for new medicines of €158 million. Budget 2026 allocated an additional €30 million of funding to new drugs. From 2021 to March 2026, this has enabled the HSE to approve reimbursements for 263 new or existing medicines.

The long-term illness, LTI, scheme was established under the Health Act 1970 and regulations were made in 1971, 1973 and 1975, prescribing 16 conditions to be covered by the scheme. Under the LTI scheme, patients receive drugs, medicines and medical and surgical appliances directly related to treatment of illnesses free of charge. Under the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013, the HSE has statutory responsibility for decisions on pricing and reimbursement of the cost of medicines. The Act provides for a rigorous process for the assessment of new medicines for reimbursement. This ensures the right medicines are chosen and approval is at a sustainable price. That is important.

For a drug to be reimbursed under the community drug scheme, a company must first submit an application to the HSE. Mounjaro is a medication licensed by the European Medicines Agency, EMA, for use alongside diet and physical activity in adults with inadequately controlled type 2 diabetes, on its own when metformin is not suitable, or in combination with other diabetes treatments. It is also authorised for weight management in adults with obesity or those who are overweight and have related health conditions.

A pricing and reimbursement application for Mounjaro was first submitted by the applicant in January 2024 for the treatment of adults with inadequately controlled type 2 diabetes as monotherapy where metformin is not suitable, or in combination with other diabetes treatments. A second application was submitted in July 2024 for chronic weight management in adults with obesity or those who are overweight and have at least one overweight-related condition. Following the conclusion of a rapid review by the National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics, NCPE, for both indications, two health technology assessments, HTAs, were commissioned by the HSE. A HTA is a detailed evaluation of medical technologies, including medicines, to determine their effectiveness, safety, cost efficiency and broader impact on health and the budget of the service. The HTA takes time to evaluate and involves gathering and analysing complex clinical and economic data, consulting stakeholders and aligning with regulatory standards to ensure decisions are evidence based and transparent.

I thank the Senator; I have nearly concluded. As I mentioned, I am taking this Commencement matter on behalf of the Minister.

Following the submission of both health technology assessments by the applicant, the HTA report on each indication was submitted by the NCPE to the HSE in December 2025 and February 2026. This has been looked at. The corporate pharmaceutical unit in the HSE, which is the point of contact between the HSE and the pharmaceutical industry, has advised that commercial engagements are ongoing and, due to the commercially confidential nature of these engagements, it is not in a position to comment further at this time. As the Senator can see, there is work going on.

I acknowledge the members of the Behy Irish Countrywomen's Association, ICA, as they head out the door, and wish them well on the rest of their visit and trip. I know Margaret is celebrating her birthday today. They might wish her a happy birthday; I know she is here.

I thank the Minister of State for her reply. I understand there is work under way. I know she has taken the point based on my contribution anyway, but I want to reiterate that we need to do whatever can be done to support the inclusion of Mounjaro. It can have a transformational positive impact on the lives of those who benefit from it, especially those who are suffering from long-term illness, recovering from cancer, and who are experiencing side effects from Ozempic. I understand there are commercial sensitivities in relation to these discussions but I hope an outcome will be reached sooner rather than later. I hope the decision will be to make it eligible so that people can benefit from it. The Minister of State can take it from the House and from me that we would like to see Mounjaro supported and included in the scheme for the betterment of people who need it most.

I thank the Senator for highlighting the case for the family. As he said, €600 per month is a lot of money. I will definitely go back to the Minister, Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, on this; I assure the Senator of that. I thank him again.

The State has made significant investment into the medicines pricing and reimbursement system since 2024, including funding to recruit an additional 34 staff across the pricing and reimbursement system, which includes an 80% uplift in the number of staff in the NCPE. We also have a pricing and reimbursement medicine tracker now. I am sure the Senator is aware of this. It was launched to provide transparency to patients and industry alike, in addition to two new framework agreements with Medicines for Ireland and the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association, IPHA, on the supply and pricing of medicines. That has been successfully concluded following extensive engagement and negotiations with our pharmaceutical sector. These agreements will enable faster access to new, innovative medicines for patients. The Senator is right. This is something that needs to be looked at and he can be assured I will definitely speak to the Minister, Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, on his behalf. I thank him again for raising this matter.

I welcome the Minister of State to the Chamber once again. The Commencement matter I present today is in regard to the safe routes to school scheme and it follows discussions with Fine Gael councillors in Roscommon: Councillors Liam Callaghan, Valerie Duffy, Ruth Conboy and Dominick Connolly, about their frustration at the introduction of safety schemes around their national schools throughout County Roscommon. The safe routes to school scheme is one of the most positive and forward-thinking initiatives we have seen in recent years. It was developed in 2020 with a simple but powerful goal - to make it safer and easier for children across Ireland to get to school. In many ways it has delivered, where it has delivered. The scheme aims to improve safety at school gates, upgrade walking and cycling routes and encourage active travel among students throughout the country. We are now seeing tangible improvements in that area, with wider footpaths and safer crossings. We have all seen the colourful school zones and traffic calming measures that make a real difference to families.

Since the scheme was introduced in 2021, 526 schools are at various stages of either completion, design or development towards benefiting from this programme.

Investment in the scheme amounts to around €50 million.

We cannot ignore the bigger picture. When the scheme opened initially 932 schools applied, accounting for about 20% of the eligible primary schools. That tells us that this is an important scheme that is in very high demand. A safety scheme outside schools is urgent. There are currently no plans, as far as I know, to reopen the scheme until the remaining 406 schools from the original cohort have been included. At the current pace, and factoring in inflation, significantly more than €50 million will be invested in this initiative, given that projects outside schools cost €200,000 and more. Meanwhile, countless other schools, many in desperate need of basic safety measures, are left waiting, not just for delivery but even for the opportunity to apply to the programme.

We have to ask ourselves if there is a more effective way to protect our children. While the full suite of interventions is welcome - the bells and whistles of colourful pencils sticking up outside the school and anti-grip speed bumps - we are facing ongoing and very real road safety concerns and challenges. Speed remains a major factor in collisions. Rural roads in particular pose a serious risk, with many schools located along high-speed routes where children are most vulnerable.

Perhaps it is time to rethink our approach to this issue. Instead of focusing solely on comprehensive high-cost upgrades for a limited number of schools, should we not also prioritise basic, life-saving interventions for all schools? Measures such as speed reduction zones, speed ramps, flashing warning lights and speed indicator signs can be delivered for around €50,000 per school. These are proven, practical solutions that can significantly reduce risk. For the cost of one major project, we could introduce essential safety measures at multiple schools. Surely the priority must be ensuring that every child in every school has at least a baseline level of protection when they arrive at the school gate.

I know I am short on time. Essentially, for the cost of one of these schemes, we could see interventions and safety measures introduced at multiple schools. A basic speed bump costs about €5,000, so we are looking at €10,000 for one on each approach, and a few thousand more to erect signs at either side of each school. That would ensure that all schools benefit from the core elements of the safe routes to school scheme, giving students safe access to their schools.

I thank Senator Scahill for raising this matter. To be fair to the Senator, he has been a proponent of the safe routes to school scheme for some time. This is my third or fourth time here to discuss with him the issue of safe routes to school.

I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister, Deputy O'Brien. There is merit in the suggestions the Senator made. I affirm the Government's strong commitment to active travel. A total of €360 million per annum has been earmarked for the development of walking and cycling facilities, which amounts to a €1.8 billion investment between now and the end of the decade, building on over €1 billion already invested since 2021. This significant investment has delivered nearly 1,100 km of new walking and cycling infrastructure, alongside hundreds of junction upgrades and additional pedestrian crossings, as well as supporting the very successful safe routes to schools initiative.

The Senator quite rightly raised the issue of safety concerns, which are consistently raised as the main barrier to children walking or cycling to school. Parents and guardians often highlight the speed of vehicles, traffic congestion, the absence of footpaths and the lack of safe crossing points as the reasons they choose to drive their children to school instead of having them walk or cycle.

As the Senator articulated, the safe routes to school initiative was launched in 2021 with the aim of promoting the provision of infrastructure interventions, which the Senator just discussed. Over 900 schools signed up to take part in the initiative. There are currently 526 schools across all 31 local authorities actively engaged in the scheme.

I, too, pay tribute to Councillors Callaghan, Duffy, Conboy and my good friend Dominick Connolly, a long-time councillor in Roscommon. They have been very strong in support of the work that Senator Scahill and I have been doing with the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, and the Minister of State, Deputy Canney, in the Department of Transport. To date, 172 schools have completed their works, while a further 31 schools are under construction, with many more progressing through design and statutory approval.

I assure the Senator that I look forward to going back to meet with his colleagues in Roscommon County Council to discuss the matter further.

The data from participating schools shows clear behavioural change, with marked increases in walking and cycling levels along with reduction in car use at the school gate. Our overarching aim is to ease congestion and improve air quality, which allows us to build better physical activity into the children's lives. It is also about the long-term economic benefit and the safety piece. The Senator is right that there is a waiting list.

The scheme, in terms of specific interventions in rural and higher-speed rural environments, focuses on speed reduction, improved driver awareness and school visibility. Early trials have shown that there have been speed reductions of approximately 9% at these locations, which is a huge improvement in safety for all people.

The overarching point we are making is that the money invested reflects the advancing scale and maturity of the programme. The median cost, as we say, is quite high at €380,000 but there are variations depending on the location of the school. I am sure Councillor Connolly will definitely have me down to Roscommon with Senator Scahill to advocate for this. There is no better than the Fine Gael group there that the Senator has worked very strongly with.

The scheme is highly cost effective for two reasons. First, the interventions are targeted and of a relatively low cost. For example, a well-designed crossing or traffic calming measure can be delivered with modest capital investment, yet it fundamentally transforms the space around the school. Second, the scheme is co-ordinated by An Taisce, which does not apply any profit or markup for its contribution. Taken together, this represents excellent value for money.

I look forward to working with the Senator on ensuring the benefits of the safe routes to schools are extended to other schools and far beyond the school gate and that we increase the delivery. I will revert to the Senator in a moment with a couple of other points.

I want to alert the Minister of State that there is a vote in the Dáil. Does he need to go?

I do.

It is an eight-minute bell and has been ringing for three minutes. Senator Scahill can use his minute and then the Minister of State can take his, after which we will move on to the Order of Business.

I thank the Minister of State for his response. I believe in the scheme. I welcomed when Ballyfarnon was brought to the design stage recently following an intervention from us in relation to an accident that had happened earlier last year. When it comes to road safety, doing something now is better than waiting years for perfection. Children's safety must come first and while I welcome there are schools that have been introduced, councillors in Roscommon and I are still looking at three national schools on a main road. Lisacul National School, Taughmaconnell National School, Castlesampson National School, Ballybay Central National school, Frenchpark, Killina, Clooneyquinn and Kingsland are all schools that need these measures now. For the price of one or two of these, we could have quick measures introduced now that we know would have an impact on reducing speed.

Seventeen schools in Roscommon. The Senator mentioned Frenchpark. We should remember the late Senator John Connor today who was a great local authorities national politician.

I look forward to working with Senator Scahill to advance the safe routes to school scheme in Roscommon. Seventeen are selected, six have the works completed. I accept the point the Senator makes and I will work with him to deliver on them.

I thank the Minister of State. We now move to the Order of Business as the Minister of State legs it over to the Dáil vote. We will just wait for the Cathaoirleach.