I also welcome the students from Castlecomer. I also warmly welcome the Minister, Deputy Calleary, to the Chamber today. Last October, I introduced the Domestic Violence (Free Travel Scheme) Bill 2025, which was to provide for three months of free travel to people fleeing domestic violence to support them to rebuild their lives. This Bill was intended as a small measure to support survivors who have no means of escaping a violent home. Of course, it was designed as only one intervention to strengthen the overall protection of survivors in tandem with other supports. Since October, I have been working with the Minister to roll out the scheme and I am delighted that he has come here today to launch it. I thank him for this commitment to this issue. He expressed his commitment last October and he has followed through. I note that and I note his collaboration. It has been a pleasure to bring this forward collaboratively.

My Bill acknowledged that leaving is not a single act. It can take months or years and, for many women, it comes with a significant cost. Fleeing to a refuge that is far from your workplace, from your child's school, from your family and from court results in additional travel costs. This is a highly traumatic period that takes immense courage. The introduction of a non-means-tested travel supplement for people living in this nightmare situation recognises that financial burden and aims to alleviate some of that pressure.

Domestic violence is an epidemic in our society. This year alone, we have seen five women tragically killed on the island of Ireland: in the North, Amy Doherty and Ellie Flanagan; and, in the South, Scarlett Faulkner, Linda Costello and Milena Ostojic. I offer my sincere condolences to their loved ones, who now must tragically comprehend life without them. Last year, 67,000 domestic violence-related calls were made to the Garda. That amounts to an average of one call related to domestic violence every eight minutes. That is an appallingly high figure.

When I researched my Bill, I engaged with front-line organisations and I heard directly from survivors about this gap in provision. There are many other gaps for survivors. Many of them are financial. Free legal aid has a threshold of €18,000 but many women suffering from financial abuse simply do not have access to their income or bank accounts and so are unable to pay lawyers or solicitors. That is a significant barrier to justice for them. Many women find themselves travelling incredibly long distances to court hearings. That is another major financial challenge. Courts are often weaponised by abusive partners who do not turn up to hearings and who drag the process out for months or years.

There are all financial burdens that come with fleeing domestic violence. That is why this initiative, despite being small and modest, will contribute to the overall protection of survivors. I again thank the Minister for bringing this to fruition and for following through on his commitment.

I thank the Minister for being here today. I know from previous conversations that he took this by the horns. I also thank my colleague, Senator Stephenson, for bringing this to the Minister's attention. My colleague Senator Rabbitte and I have worked closely with him, as have many of our other colleagues. There is no doubt that we have to put a number of different supports in place for those who are suffering from domestic abuse, which is an absolute scourge on our society. A cross-departmental and cross-government approach must be taken. That is why it is incredibly welcome that the Minister is playing his part in bringing something very significant to the table.

In my county of Kildare, there is a very concerning rise in domestic and gender-based violence. Over two years, there has been a staggering 30% increase. Organisations like Teach Tearmainn do an excellent job. Teach Tearmainn gives a lot of support not just to those who are in the refuge, but to those who are outside of it, with the courts and so on. However, it is struggling to keep up with the numbers. While we do have strong local services and dedicated front-line staff, their efforts are often hindered when individuals cannot physically access help. That is why travel supports are not a luxury, but an essential lifeline. Against this backdrop, the importance of travel supports cannot be overstated. Access to safe and reliable transport can be a critical barrier for those who are trying to escape domestic and gender-based violence and ensure some normality for their children in terms of going to school and so on.

Many victims, particularly in rural areas, simply do not have the means to travel to refuges, court services or vital support organisations. That is why this is an absolute key step change. I thank the Minister for all the work he has put into this debate. Today is a red-letter day in terms of the supports that can be offered.

I thank the Cathaoirleach for his leniency on this particular matter. I thank the Minister for being here. I thank all the Senators who throughout last October contributed to this Bill when it was brought forward. While there was a time delay amendment on it, the Minister worked furiously to ensure it was not dragged out. The Minister and his team have ensured we are here today talking about travel supports. The first step forward when a person decides to leave their home is that they have a next-step plan.

Hear, hear.

There is a vote being called in the Dáil on the Order of Business. I am not too sure whether the Minister has to go.

We will not delay them too long. I thank the Cathaoirleach's team for facilitating this. I thank Senator Stephenson, the Civil Engagement Group and Senators O'Loughlin and Rabbitte for their work on this since last October. I hope it shows that the Seanad is not all about big speeches and grandiose speeches. I thank everybody for liaising with my adviser, Craig Dwyer; with officials in my Department; and, most importantly, with groups in this area to try to get a response as quickly as possible to Senator Stephenson's Bill.

The House will be aware that tackling domestic, sexual and gender-based violence is a major priority. The programme for Government includes a number of commitments in this regard. While many of those commitments fall under the remit of my colleague, the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, this is an issue that requires not just a whole-of-government approach, but a whole-of-Oireachtas approach. To this end, since October we have engaged with the Senators, but also with Cuan, Women's Aid, the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre and Safe Ireland to identify the issues faced in relation to travel and to develop solutions for domestic violence victims with travel costs. It has been agreed that a protocol, mirroring the one in place for domestic violence rent supplement, should be developed to support victims of domestic violence. Accordingly, we are introducing the domestic violence travel supplement in agreement with the representative groups.

As already agreed in the case of the domestic violence rent supplement, a person who is fleeing domestic violence will not have to satisfy a means test, nor will their employment status or participation in education be taken into account when determining their entitlement to this supplement, and neither will they be required to be in receipt of a social protection payment. These conditions, which typically apply in the case of travel supplement payments, will not apply for an initial three-month period. This will not only broaden entitlement to the payment, as requested by the Senators and the advocacy groups, but it will also significantly reduce the need for applicants to provide documentary evidence of their means and their status. We know that providing such evidence is incredibly difficult for a person who may depend on a partner or former partner, who has subjected them to violence, and does not wish to have contact with that person.

The value of the supplement paid to an individual will vary on a case-by-case basis. It is important that rather than setting a standard rate, we are flexible and we build the support around the need of the individual, taking into account, for example, the number of children they may have to support, the number of journeys they may have to make, the distances they have to travel and the modes of transport they have to use. These issues were highlighted on the evening of the debate on the Bill in October. Our community welfare officers have a great deal of experience in responding to these types of difficult situations. They will be flexible in ensuring that a person is not left without the support they need. While the payments will be administered by community welfare officers, confirmation will be required to process the claim, such as a referral from a Cuan-funded service provider, a copy of a court order or written evidence from a member of An Garda Síochána or a healthcare professional. After the first three months have passed, a person may be provided with a further three-month extension of the supplement. However, at that stage, payment will be subject to the usual means assessment alongside a review of a person's eligibility. I have asked my officials to ensure this supplement is available as soon as possible.

It will be in place from 5 May. I thank Senator Stephenson and her colleagues in the Civil Engagement Group, as well as Senators O’Loughlin and Rabbitte, for their ongoing engagement over the past six months. I look forward to working further on this agenda because we have so much work to do in this space.

We are not too sure whether there is a pairing arrangement in place for the Minister. In the height of safety, we will allow him to go to vote. Senator Stephenson is still to respond if the Minister is able to come back after the vote.

I will be back.

I ask the Deputy Leader to propose the suspension of the House for the duration of the Dáil vote.

I so propose.

Is that agreed? Agreed.

We will take the next Commencement matter as we have the Minister of State, Deputy Harkin, present. It is in the name of Senator Clonan.

Can I finish my last minute?

The Minister is coming back.

That is fine.

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit chuig an Seanad. I congratulate my colleagues on both sides of the House for their initiative in the previous Commencement matter, especially on a day when another woman has been murdered. Anything that we can do to support women and children in these violent circumstances is very much to be welcomed.

I am sorry that the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Calleary, is not here but this is something that, perhaps, the Minister of State could relay to him. I visited Cluain Training Centre in Clonmel. It is located in what used to be an old boot factory in Clonmel. It provides the most amazing resources for disabled people and people with mental health challenges. As is often the case in Ireland, it is kind of a patchwork quilt of services and supports. It was originally set up as a voluntary intervention by the Tipperary mental health and voluntary housing association back in 1993 but the building has now passed into the possession of the State.

Unfortunately, due to an anomaly, students wishing to undertake what is called a special training programme or specialist training provision have to complete an administrative process whereby they must fill out a DA103 entitlement form and have their disability allowance, invalidity payments or social welfare payments transferred over to Cluain Training Centre for the period of their training. In turn, it has the administrative burden of paying those sums over to those students.

There are a couple of anomalies in this regard. First, it creates an extra administrative burden for the Department of Social Protection staff, whom I believe are located in Longford. Second, and most importantly, for people with mental health issues, who may be nervous or concerned about their payments, it has a chilling effect on their ability and willingness to participate in the courses. Many of them do not take up the course because they are terrified of transferring their payments over to another agency. It is difficult for many of our disabled citizens to carry out this completely anomalous and unnecessary administrative burden.

We are asking the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Calleary, to please join the dots and end this anomalous practice because the Tipperary Education and Training Board is providing services for between 60 and 70 adults in the Clonmel area. It is the only service in south Tipperary, and this is really having a negative impact on its ability to do its work.

I visited the centre and I pay tribute to the great work Patricia O'Meara is doing there. She is a former student of mine. There is such a lovely sense of community there and I saw all of these young adults and older citizens involved in all sorts of very therapeutic, stimulating and constructive activities. As a parent and a carer to a young man who is disabled, I have seen some of the day service opportunities around the State and some of them are in very anonymous buildings in industrial estates away from the community. This is at the beating heart of the community in Clonmel. It is a beautiful thing, and it troubles me to think that something like this, a small administrative matter, is getting in the way of the incredible work Tipperary Education and Training Board is doing and the solace it brings to all of those 70 families, in addition to the service users.

Will the Minister talk to the Minister for Health, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, to see if the HSE could contribute some funding for the renovation of this beautiful old building to allow the service to continue using it?

I thank Senator Clonan. There are a number of asks there. He is obviously talking about the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Calleary, but it seems that the Departments conferred on this Commencement matter and decided it fell within the remit of the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science.

The Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science places a high priority on inclusion across further and higher education. This work is closely aligned with the programme for Government, the national human rights strategy for disabled people and the forthcoming further education and training, FET, strategy.

Let us deal with the two issues the Senator raised, the disability allowance and the invalidity pension. For those in receipt of disability allowance, what happens is, as the Senator said, an administrative change. When they start a FET course, their disability allowance is paused and they are paid a FET training allowance instead. This is usually €254 per week or the same amount as their disability allowance if that is higher. When the learner leaves or completes the course and the Department of Social Protection is informed, the disability allowance is then automatically reinstated, but it is important to say there is no loss of either the allowance or the services provided.

The Senator is really speaking about the payment arrangements. They are arranged between the Department of Social Protection and SOLAS nationally and have been place since 2001, 25 years ago. The Department of Social Protection has advised that the suspension of disability allowance payments while on full-time FET training is a fundamental element of the agreed national funding model and ensures consistency in payment structures across all education and training boards and training providers. I reiterate that there is no financial loss to anybody involved here.

Those in receipt of the invalidity pension must apply to the Department of Social Protection for an exemption before starting the course. When approval is given, the learner stays on invalidity pension throughout the training and continues to be paid as normal.

As I have said, there is no loss to anybody who is on this course. As well as that, there are a number of other key supports for students with disabilities. We have the fund for students with disabilities, which enables education and training boards to put vital supports in place in order that learners can participate on an equal footing with their peers. In 2024 alone, over 3,500 learners benefited from these supports and there was a further commitment in budget 2026, with an extra €2 million being secured. This new, dedicated funding also includes transport supports for learners with intellectual disabilities.

That helps to remove a barrier to participation. In addition, there is a real emphasis on capability across the system to help mainstream FET programmes and make sure they are accessible to people with disabilities. The whole idea of universal design and reasonable accommodations is very much to the fore.

SOLAS has advised that in 2025 almost €45 million was allocated to specialist training providers, and that includes Cluain, in Tipperary. It is part of that. Approximately €18 million of this funding goes to training allowances for learners. I will, as the Senator asked, speak to the Ministers in question. I am interested to hear the Senator's further response.

I thank the Minister of State for actually addressing me and addressing the question as opposed to reading out some script written by a public servant, which generally fails to address the underlying issue.

I hear what the Minister of State says. It is an historical arrangement and an agreement that goes back 25 years, but asserting that does not make it the right thing to do. This should be client focused and person focused, and should not preserve an administrative system that is simply anachronistic. I cannot see any reason it would benefit the State, the person or the service by transferring this money by way of an anomalous requirement that was set out 23 years ago. That we have just always done it this way is not a compelling argument for keeping it that way. I am mindful that they have their own local representatives down there. There are Senators in this Chamber who live in that constituency. They are so much in extremis and in such difficulty that they have reached out to me to raise this issue. I have seen the work they do. It is not a big ask. It will not cost the State anything. In fact, it will save the State money because they will not have to do this bureaucratic administrative process which is completely unnecessary and is having a negative impact on the very people who might benefit from these courses. I appreciate the Minister of State's sincerity.

It says here that the suspension of disability allowance payments while on full-time FET is a fundamental element of the agreed national funding model. It goes on to say that it ensures consistency in payment structures across all ETBs and training providers, and that would include Cluain in Tipperary. I will certainly go to the Department, but it does seem that while what the Senator asks could be of benefit, maybe the impact of it on the systems that are already in place might be substantial. I cannot really answer because it is not within my area of expertise, but I understand what he says, especially that it can be offputting when people with disabilities are faced with extra forms to fill. It is my understanding that the providers in question provide a lot of support to those people, but I will try to find out a little more on that specific issue.

I welcome the Minister, Deputy Calleary, back to the House to finish the matter that was interrupted earlier. Senators Stephenson and Rabbitte have a minute between them.

I thank the Minister for coming back. I also extend my thanks to Senators O'Loughlin and Rabbitte, in particular Senator Rabbitte, who spoke passionately about this last October. I want to put that on the record. When we talk about free travel and the financial burden, it is so much more than that because it is actually giving women and people who experience domestic violence back their agency after years of living in an abusive situation where their power has been taken away from them, their decision-making has been taken away from them and they have lived under this fear. This is not only a financial provision; we are actually empowering them and helping them to believe in themselves and trust themselves. That is why this is such an important intervention, and hopefully we can find similar interventions.

I know the domestic violence rent supplement has been introduced but I hope we can find other interventions in that space that give back agency and power to people who have had so much of that removed from them through living in that violent situation. This is what this does so well and it is a real model that we can bring forward in other areas.

I thank the Chair for his indulgence in letting me in, and the Minister for his listening ability. It was really pragmatic of him and his Department to take on board what was said that night. It does make a difference here in the Seanad that we can work across party and get jobs done even if they are small, but this is huge. It is a small step in the right direction. It will have a huge impact on a lot of women when they make that step to go forward to leave the home to know that there is travel support there for them that is non-means-tested and flexible depending on the number of children they need to support.

I reiterate my thanks to Senators Stephenson, Rabbitte and O'Loughlin, the Civil Engagement Group and all the Senators who spoke that night because it really brought this issue home to me. We have outlined the details of the protocol. The payments will be administered by community welfare officers in my Department, who are available online as well. I emphasise that people do not have to make physical contact with them. It can be done online.

We have gone through the levels of payment and the additional costs. To touch on Senator Stephenson's point, there are other forms of financial assistance available through additional needs payments to assist with essential expenses such as rent deposits, rent in advance and household bills that cannot be paid from weekly income at a particular time. They are means-tested but the service is there to provide assistance.

As I have said, we have so much more work to do in this space and all of us need to talk about the supports that are available, grow those supports and ensure people know that support is there when they make that incredibly courageous decision - that the support and back-up is there. I thank Cuan, Safe Ireland, Women's Aid and the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre for working with us on this, but I am very conscious that this is only a small step and we have a lot more to do.

I thank the Upper House. This is probably the kind of forum where this can get done, more so than in the Dáil, frankly, because of the shared commitment of everybody here to this.

I acknowledge Joseph P. McGill, who is Honorary Consul in Detroit. He is very welcome. He is a guest of Deputy John Paul O'Shea and is in good hands. I am sure Deputy O'Shea will be delivering lunch to Mr. McGill later.

The Home Youth Liaison Service, HYLS, has been helping young people and families in Sligo and Leitrim since 1989. The difficulties young people face often become identifiable in school through behaviour or academic performance but the root cause of the difficulty is rarely seen in school alone. It can originate at home and affect a young person's life there and within the wider society.

The HYLS takes an holistic approach to a young person's difficulties. It is a one-stop shop for services. Support does not begin and end at the school gate or at the beginning and end of the school day. The service is a genuinely wraparound service offering an immediate and integrated response with the objective of improving and enhancing the life and future outcomes of the young person who uses the service. I know this because I worked in the service for 17 years.

I can attest to the wonderful work it provides on the ground and the need for it.

The autism support worker role came about as part of a needs-based response in conjunction with the work of the Sligo Leitrim Children and Young People’s Services Committee, CYPSC, and the HYLS. It was specifically developed because there was a need to support young people with autism.

Since 2024, the autism support worker has been offering social, academic, behavioural and communication supports, as well as practical supports, to young people with autism at the times of their lives when they need them most. I refer to times of transition, such as moving into exam years and leaving school. Young people themselves identify these times as when they require support the most.

This service is valuable, worthwhile and sought after. The numbers prove this. In its first year of operation, the service supported 36 young people with autism in Sligo. By March of this year, in a period of just three months, a total of 68 referrals had been received by the service, along with a further 40 initial inquiries. The fact that the majority of these referrals were made by the schools themselves or by Tusla demonstrates the value of what the service offers. It is appreciated by those who work with young people, the young people themselves, their parents, the schools and other organisations that work for and support young people.

On the matter of professional engagement, both the children’s disability network team and the HSE, including the child and adolescent mental health service, CAMHS, are making referrals to the service, as are Foróige and young people themselves. It is a clear indication of the work the HYLS does on the ground. Given the success of the service, Sligo and Leitrim sought funding to have the post extended. It has been extended until the end of 2026. Also sought was the creation of a new post, for six months, in Leitrim. That has happened, so the service is really grateful. Performance indicators show the measurable impact of the work straight away. The impact can be seen in attendance patterns and engagement with all personnel working in schools. Providing the support to young people in school has a very tangible, measurable impact.

It has been proven that the engagement of the autism support worker by the HYLS has been effective. It has been effective, particularly for a vulnerable group of young people, as the Minister of State will know from her role. I ask that the required commitment be made. I know from working in the voluntary and community sector – we spoke about this during the youth work debate – that it is very hard for youth workers, social care workers or anyone working with annual funding to plan for future needs. Therefore, they are looking for a commitment for an additional year. They are not looking for long-term multi-annual funding yet. The service is looking for a full commitment to the effect that both of the posts will be funded and supported for 2026. This would mean a total annual cost of €125,000, which, for the service the staff provide, is a drop in the ocean.

I thank Senator Cosgrove for raising this important issue and giving us all the opportunity to commend the fantastic work happening on the ground. The service is absolutely amazing. We need many more such services across the country. I thank the Senator for the role she played in working with the service before becoming a Member of this House.

I, as Minister of State with responsibility for disability, alongside my colleague, the Minister, Deputy Norma Foley, remain fully committed to providing the necessary supports for children and young people with disabilities and their families throughout the country, including in Sligo and Leitrim.

In 2023, through its own consultation process, Sligo and Leitrim CYPSC identified that for young autistic people, there are poor transition support processes in place in terms of education, training and employment, as the Senator said herself. In response to this, on foot of significant collective planning and resource gathering by Sligo Leitrim CYPSC and the HYLS, an autism support officer was employed in May 2024 with the specific purpose of supporting autistic young people on a pilot basis.

Through its local funding programmes, which supported the local partners, Sligo Leitrim CYPSC put in place and evaluated this project. The project itself was developed to test and to evaluate the model with a view to then making a business case for funding and to mainstream the service. An evaluation of the project was completed and formally launched in December just gone.

It was launched to review the impact of the approach and the model of working. As the Senator said, it is a clear affirmation of the work being done on the ground. That evaluation report has recommended the project's expansion as a model of good practice and sets out the funding needs to expand the service. This would require mainstream funding to be identified because the existing funding resources available through the local partners will not be able to sustain the overall project in the long term. Recurring funding therefore, is required to secure, sustain and expand the service across the Sligo-Leitrim area. The HSE West and North West disability service met with the Sligo and Leitrim children and young people's services committee and the home youth liaison service in March of this year. The HSE service sought feedback on the home youth liaison service's autism support service from the CDNTs, primary care services and child and adolescent mental health services in the Sligo-Leitrim area, with feedback being overwhelmingly positive. The annual recurring funding requirement being sought by the home youth liaison service to sustain the autism support service and to expand same to all secondary schools in the Sligo area via the recruitment of a second autism support officer is €125,000. It has been agreed with the national HSE access and integration team that once-off funding of €78,125 will be used to support the service to the end of this year and that funding can be provided from within an identified allocation in the 2026 national service plan. This also includes the recruitment of a second autism support officer for the second half of this year. Arrangements are currently under way to have the required contractual arrangement between the HSE and the HYLS put in place in order to have the once-off 2026 funding drawn down by the home youth liaison service.

Further to a meeting of all parties on 13 April arrangements to progress the funding allocation will be progressed between the HSE West and North West disability services with the Sligo and Leitrim CYPSC co-ordinator and the HYLS manager. This will happen in the coming weeks. Consideration for further recurring funding for 2027 would be subject to the Estimates process and a new application funding form would therefore need to be submitted by the home youth liaison service

I thank the Minister of State. Before Senator Cosgrove responds, I want to welcome Rehins National School from County Mayo, guests of the Minister, Deputy Calleary. He was in just a few minutes ago and he asked that the teachers would ensure that students would not have any homework for the rest of the week, so they might consider that. The Minister said he would put in a word to make sure that happened. They are very welcome and I hope they enjoy their visit.

I thank the Minister of State for recognising the wonderful work. It is outstanding and I am not just saying that because I worked there for so long but it is an incredible service. Like any service that operates on a yearly basis, it is very hard to plan. I understand that there will be Estimates and the fact that the CYPSC co-ordinator is liaising with HSE and the HYLS manager. It is all very positive and I welcome the fact that the Minister of State has recognised the impact it has. I just want to quote what people have said. One parent talked of the confusion immediately after their child received a diagnosis of autism. "We were left without knowing who to turn to, what to do, where to go, and the autism support officer changed all that." Another spoke of being given a listening ear which, "left me with a feeling of being understood as a parent." Another parent said, "He now has friends, he's got like-minded peers, feels accepted, and even chats to them on the phone." These are not isolated comments. Every parent just wants to make sure that their child is happy in school. Not only is this life changing for the young person and their family, it is also cost-effective in the long run. Everyone wants to enjoy school and the longer people are supported to stay in school adds to the success rate they can go on to when they finish school. I am sorry for going over time but multi-annual funding is definitely the key to ensure that these services are fully supported.

I fully agree and I totally understand that it is difficult for the service to plan going forward. However, those are the constraints under which we operate.

I can totally understand that it is difficult for the service to plan but those are the constraints we operate under. I pay tribute to everybody doing such incredible work. The Sligo-Leitrim autism support service consists of a universal referral system. It consists of weekly one-to-one support which is tailored to each young person and his or her individual needs and aspirations. It enhances personal and social development, and encourages integration into education and training. It assists young people with navigating challenges and bridges the gaps in services. To use the Senator's phrase, challenges do not end at the end of the school day or at the school gates, so the service is really important in bridging that gap for families. Of course, it also provides for onward referrals.

There are some really good statistics in terms of the 36 young autistic people who are listed as active on the service's books. Seven young people's cases have been closed as their needs were met, which is really important. I found it particularly interesting that the majority of young people engaged in the service peaked at key stages of transition in their school lives, specifically from second year to third year, the transfer to leaving certificate, and the transfer on to further education and training after leaving school. That is what we want. We want examples of programmes that are really effective during these key transition points. We know that is where the pinch points often are for families and for the young people themselves. I commend the service and thank the Senator for raising it in the Seanad today.

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. The programme for Government, published in January 2025, contains a commitment to provide investment in sorting technology in Ireland's material recovery facility, MRF, network. This is a really positive commitment in the programme for Government, but in the time since the programme's publication, no progress has been made. I hope the Minister of State can update the House on progress on this commitment. The recently published Whole of Government Circular Economy Strategy 2026-2028 is another really positive step in circular economy policy. However, in regard to sorting technology, the strategy contains an action to enhance the regulatory conditions required to promote further investment in packaging waste sorting systems. This does not accurately reflect the programme for Government commitment and it is unclear what the action means in practice.

A revised waste action plan for the circular economy is set to be published later this year. It is vital that this contains an action akin to that of the programme for Government and sets out a practical pathway as to how the Government envisages that this action will be achieved.

The need for sorting technology is especially pertinent in light of the upcoming packaging and packaging waste regulation, PPWR, obligations facing Ireland. The Environmental Protection Agency has reported that without a significant increase in recycling, Ireland will not meet legally binding targets under the PPWR. Sorting technology is a cost-efficient and straightforward solution that could increase recycling rates for multiple packaging materials. I would appreciate an update on the progress made to date on the programme for Government commitment to provide investment in sorting technology in the MRF network.

The waste action plan for the circular economy is in the Minister of State's remit. What is the timeline for this plan's publication? It is important to note that an investment of only €3.5 million could fund the sorting systems across the MRF network. Automated sorting technologies have the capacity to identify, pick and sort cartons in Irish MRFs into their own dedicated streams without making huge changes to the configuration of the MRF. This demonstrates the potential to increase recycling at scale if the technology was rolled out across Ireland's wider MRF network.

While the deposit return scheme has been really successful for PET bottles and aluminium cans since its inception in 2024, MRFs have lost access to a significant stream of materials for recycling and need to look elsewhere to bridge this gap. Investment in automatic sorting technology in key MRFs could rapidly scale up Ireland's ability to segregate packaging materials and significantly improve recycling processes and rates in years to come. I look forward to the Minister of State's response on this issue.

I thank Senator Noonan for raising this issue because it goes to the heart of how we are moving from simply managing waste to genuinely valuing materials.

I will start with an important point for the House, which is that waste collection and waste treatment in Ireland are almost entirely operated by private companies under permits and licences issued by local authorities and the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA. This includes our material recovery facilities, MRFs. When we talk about additional investment in advanced sorting technology, the primary responsibility lies with the waste industry itself. However, I acknowledge that the industry is already progressing a number of investment proposals, some of them in partnership with the extended producer responsibility schemes. Indeed, I had the opportunity when I took up the role of Minister of State for the circular economy to visit many of these processing plants, such as Panda and Thorntons, which take in a huge amount of municipal waste and are investing heavily in their systems.

The role of my Department is different but crucial. Under the Waste Action Plan for a Circular Economy, WAPCE, our job is to set the policy direction while strengthening regulation and ensuring the right conditions are in place so that the recyclable materials are captured here in Ireland and not lost to incineration or export. This work is under way and the national waste management plan, NWMP, which was published in 2024 by the regional waste management planning offices, set out specific actions to address gaps in domestic waste treatment infrastructure, including improved sorting and recovery capacity.

In parallel, the extended producer responsibility schemes operated under the polluter pays principle have a key role in funding and supporting investment that improves recycling outcomes. The update on the action plan for the circular economy will commence in 2026. This will align with the most recently published circular economy strategy for 2026 to 2028, which was published in March. This updated plan will set the direction of infrastructure needs, including how we increase the capture of recyclable materials and reduce our reliance on incineration. That is being worked on and I am being briefed as regards when it will be published in the coming months, if not weeks.

While I cannot today announce any specific start date for any State-funded sorting technology, the policy framework is very clear. We have the regulatory signals with regard to the EPR schemes now in place. Even with the likes of Repak, we have extended it to a ten-year duration, which gives certainty to the sector that it can invest in that type of technology and align exactly with the type of investment the Senator outlined earlier.

I welcome the point the Minister of State made on how the commitment will be met, because it is a programme for Government commitment. I appreciate that, as he stated, the role of the Department and Government is largely in setting policy. However, this is a programme for Government commitment, so it is criticat to give certainty to the sector that this commitment is met and that a timeline is laid out for that. The packaging and packaging waste regulation, PPWR, as I mentioned, was adopted by the European Parliament in April 2024, replacing the packaging directive. This is the key policy on packaging recycling for the coming decade. The PPWR requires that packaging waste is recycled at scale, meaning packaging waste must be separated, collected, sorted and recycled through installed infrastructure.

I welcome the fact the Minister of State made a commitment to putting the funding in place. As I said, it is a modest scale of funding. This is material that, if it is not diverted for recycling, is going to end up in the big hungry beast out in Poolbeg. It is not just highly recyclable materials but also material that is highly calorific and valuable for incineration. I hope the Government will make this much-needed investment in the sector as soon as possible.

Again, I acknowledge Senator Noonan's questions and I understand the urgency in regard to investment in critical infrastructure. However, any proposal for direct public investment in sorting technology would need to be evidence based.

It would also need to be costed and justified, given the sector involves a large number of commercially operated firms. We would have to understand that where there is clear market failure, the absence of the EPR-funded investment alone is insufficient. That is why we want many of the EPR operators to work with the sectors on how we can continue to deliver measurable improvements in recycling outcomes. That is where we want to get to in achieving the targets, which have been challenging in recent years, to say the least.

However, with the new PPWR, there is an opportunity to reduce unnecessary packaging, increase demand for recycling content and create a stronger and more stable market for recyclate. That is what we all want to achieve. We want to give certainty to investors, allow for multi-year funding commitments and support large-scale investment in waste infrastructure, including advanced sorting and recovery facilities. We will see the new EU regulation, national policy and EPR funding all being aligned and put in the same direction. That will increase recycling rates and reduce incineration, while also keeping valuable materials in circulation within the economy.