I thank the Minister for coming to discuss this all-important issue. I am very conscious of the fact that Limerick is shovel-ready in terms of the family courts. I welcome the Minister's announcement of the scheme and that he is looking at rolling out phase 1. As the Minister is probably aware, there are two courthouses in Limerick. There is one on Merchant's Quay and one on Mulgrave Street. The courts are all running in parallel with one another. A number of courthouses are available. We are at a very advanced stage, although behind Dublin and Cork. There are about ten courtrooms altogether between the two buildings. Certainly, I know that a lot of the family courts are taking place there as it is. Tusla is just up the road, which deals with family cases.

There could be two separate entities where criminal issues could be dealt with in one courthouse and family issues dealt with in the other courthouse. In family courts, there are very sensitive issues. Sometimes, people do not want to meet others or they are in a stressed state and need the family supports. That is why I am asking the Minister to consider Limerick in phase 1.

I thank Senator Byrne for raising this very important issue. I commend her on her observation of what was a very significant announcement made last week by me. The decision was made by Government last week as well. That decision concerned the implementation plan for the commencement of the Family Courts Act which, as the Senator knows, was passed by the Houses back in 2024. It proposes an extremely radical reform of the family law courts throughout the country.

Obviously, what cannot happen is that I just designate that on one day, all the family law courts will be transformed into the modern family law courts envisaged by the legislation. That is why I need a phased implementation plan. As the Senator is aware, last week, I announced an implementation plan for the Act. It will result in very significant reforms of the family justice system - probably the most significant reforms of the family justice system in the history of the State. The plan provides for a phased approach for the commencement and implementation of the Act. It is envisaged that implementation will proceed in three phases, allowing time and space to engage with stakeholders, evaluate progress and identify any issues as they arise. A phased approach that provides for both regional and procedural elements to commence at relevant points during the entire implementation process has been deemed the most practical solution. It also allows for a region-by-region commencement, bringing new family courts into operation in selected locations over a series of stages before a full national roll-out.

The intention is that once we have the new family court system up and running we will, as the Senator very sensibly indicated, have family courts in one location. Around them will be all the necessary back-up services that are required by people who find themselves before the family courts, such as access to Tusla and, more importantly, access to mediation services. This is so people can try to mediate a solution as opposed to having a court-imposed solution. As the Senator indicated, it is not appropriate for people involved in family court proceedings to find themselves in public areas where there are criminal cases going on, for instance, or other disputes going on. We need to recognise that when it comes to family law disputes, they are highly sensitive disputes. We need to go out of way to ensure we can try to facilitate mediated resolution of the disputes. We want to make the environment as amenable as possible for people who find themselves before the courts.

As the Senator indicated, phase 1 will commence in January 2027. Three locations will be initially selected to commence operating as family courts in the new system. The locations will require a family District Court, a family Circuit Court and a family High Court. Judges with specific expertise in dealing with families and family law matters will be assigned to these first court locations on a full-time basis. That process is already ongoing. I am engaging with the presidents of the courts to try to identify the specialist judges. I hear what the Senator is saying about Limerick and its preparedness. I have not made a decision yet, but the Senator certainly has first-mover advantage in that she is the first representative who has come to me to indicate they have a preference for it.

To a large extent, it will be based on factors such as the preparedness of the buildings, whether buildings or Tusla services are available and what other facilities are available for the other court work to continue operating there. The Senator indicated to me there are two courthouses in Limerick and there could possibly be a mechanism of separating family law from the other types of work. I will certainly have a look at that and I thank her for raising the issue. I will have to announce the three locations in the next number of months. I will certainly take into account what the Senator has said in respect of Limerick.

I thank the Minister for his positive response and the fact he will engage and think about it. I appreciate that he will consider Limerick when he is making his decision. I am not putting any words in his mouth but certainly I believe that Limerick is ready and has the capacity and availability. Obviously, we have Tusla right on our doorstep. The mid-west regional office is only up the road. Certainly we have all of the wraparound services. I look forward to working with the Minister in relation to it.

I thank Senator Byrne. Whether or not Limerick makes it into phase 1, the good news for the country is that an implementation plan is in place. It sets out three very important timelines. At present we are in the pre-phase 1 designation stage, in terms of preparing for the commencement of phase 1 in January 2027, when three locations will be identified. In phase 2, which will commence in January 2028, we will identify a much broader range of courts around the country. The following year it will operate nationally.

I know Senator Byrne is not saying this but sometimes people can ask why we cannot do it all in one go. It would create chaos if I did it in one go. It would mean that everybody would be told that on 1 January, every court in the country would change around. I am sure I would get some plaudits from people saying I have pushed this on but it would be a disaster. This is why it is important to phase it and to have an implementation plan. It is a very detailed plan and I would urge people to look at it. Certainly my officials will engage with stakeholders. I am pleased that people are looking to be part of phase 1, and certainly we will give careful consideration to Limerick. I cannot guarantee anything, as Senator Byrne knows-----

That is okay.

-----but it is important to know the process is ongoing.

The Minister of State, Deputy Dooley, is very welcome back to the Chamber. Today I want to talk about vulnerable customers and the solar PV scheme for medically vulnerable customers. In January and February 2025 Storm Éowyn hit our country. I do not know whether too many people in the Chamber know that my area was very badly hit. My house was out of power for 13 nights. We have a very old demographic in our part of the country and a lot of these people were on a vulnerable user list. From engaging with these people, they do not feel they benefited any extra by being on this list. Vulnerable customers are defined as people who may be put at risk due to interruption of their electricity supply or gas supply, particularly those relying on electricity to operate life-supporting machines. Priority is given to people on life-protecting devices, assistive technology supporting independent living and medical devices. In trying to support these people, and ensure they are better prepared for future events, I came across the solar PV scheme for medically vulnerable customers. It is to include all homeowners who register with the energy suppliers under the life support category of the priority services register. These homes have dependence on electrically supplied equipment, including medical equipment, life-protecting devices and assistive technologies.

The solar PV scheme for medically vulnerable customers is a targeted initiative designed to support the installation of solar photovoltaic panels in households registered under the life support category of the priority services register. It was good to see that the scheme was extended last October. At the time, the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, said 470 homes benefited from the scheme, and it was being extended to include eligible homeowners who are registered under the life support category of the priority services register. This is not a scheme that is very well known about. When we do a search we see that all the onus is on the electricity providers to engage with people on the register and find out about their eligibility, and then put them in contact with a solar provider to see whether the scheme will work for them. We have an opportunity to scale this up an awful lot further than this. We should be bringing it to the vulnerable users rather than putting the onus on them and the providers to do this.

One of the things I saw when I was looking up the scheme is that the majority of providers have online applications but, historically, vulnerable users are more limited in doing this particular job. I hope that through the Minister of State and the Department we can simplify the scheme and roll it out to an awful lot more people. I believe there is an appetite out there and the time is right to do it. Since Storm Éowyn last year my area has had ten or 12 power outages. I have spoken to people with ventilators and oxygen at home, and this is a real worry and stress point for them. It is great to see that a scheme is in place but I want the opportunity to highlight it and try to push it forward.

I thank Senator Scahill for raising what I believe it is a very important issue. As he has rightly identified, the solar PV for the medically vulnerable scheme is a targeted scheme for the installation, as he has identified, of solar photovoltaic panels for household customers who have registered on the life support category of the priority services register. These are homes that have a dependence on electrically powered equipment, including medical equipment, life-protecting devices and assistive technology. Examples include requiring dialysis machines, which we are all familiar with, or respirators. As such, these households may have a higher energy demand then the average user. The scheme is designed to go some way towards helping to reduce their energy costs but Senator Scahill has identified an equally important component, which is that it provides electricity when the grid in particular isolated areas is impacted through storms or other interruptions.

The scheme provides a fully funded 2 kW solar PV system for eligible households. This includes the survey, design, supply, installation and post works on the building energy rating. Senator Scahill is wondering about the progress to date. The scheme was launched in 2022, with an overall budget of approximately €20 million. The SEAI reports that 137 systems were installed in 2024 at a cost of almost €1.8 million. Last year about 473 systems were installed, with expenditure of about €2.4 million. We are ramping it up slowly. This year we will see a major expansion of delivery, with an allocation of €11.7 million. This is expected to deliver about 1,900 homes. To date in 2026 about €1.17 million has been spent, with 171 homes installed and a further 60 in the process of being completed. This shows that the pace of the deployment is ramping up.

Senator Scahill is raising the scheme and I hope that other Senators and Members of the Parliament will generally recognise the scheme. It is not necessarily widely known about. There are a lot of schemes that are oversubscribed but this one is not. We all know vulnerable users and we often use social media to promote certain schemes. This is one where all of us collectively could do a little bit more, considering specifically that the money is available.

Initially the scheme was limited to individuals who were on the life support category of the priority services register in 2022, when the scheme was launched, but due to the strong uptake and positive impact already observed the scheme is now in the process of being extended to include all homeowners who are registered on the life support category regardless of when they were registered. Customers are registered by their supplier and we are pushing the suppliers to do this.

Most energy suppliers have agreed to participate in the scheme, with some suppliers more advanced in their programmes than others. Each energy supplier will have their own arrangement with the SEAI on which they proceed with the installation of this, and it is dependent on the capacity of the suppliers' individual solar PV installers and, of course, the location because this adds to the burden. The scheme is wholly managed by the registered energy suppliers, with each of the suppliers contacting their own eligible customers directly, in line with the work plans of their solar PV installers.

It is important to note that suppliers, who manage the administrative aspects of the scheme under the SEAI, issue offers to eligible homeowners in batches, based on operational capacity. As regards the batch, obviously, the installers get the benefit of the grouping effect. Each participating supplier received an allocated amount of funding under its memorandum of understanding with the SEAI. Once the initial allocation is used, additional funding will be provided to ensure that all eligible households are offered access to the scheme within the budget allocation. Given the importance of the scheme and the fact that the expected spend this year will bring the total close to the overarching financial allocation, it is intended to commence a review of the scheme in 2026, towards budget 2027, and see how we can better advance the good work being done.

I thank the Senator for raising the matter. His raising it here will give further ventilation and amplification to a scheme that is very worthwhile.

I welcome that 1,900 homes will be included this year. It would be interesting to see how many vulnerable users there are and what percentage we are covering there. One of the people who contacted me about this said it would be great and would reduce their anxiety if they were able to get onto this scheme. In contacting their energy provider to inquire about the scheme, they were told there was nobody internally they could speak to, that it was done on a lottery system and that if they were ever picked, the provider would get in contact with them then. I would like to see if there were some sort of contact that public representatives could make on this with providers because it is very vague and there does not seem to be anybody taking responsibility in any of the providers for engaging with public representatives. That would be a great way of trying to make sure that those 1,900 potential houses can be targeted at those who need this most.

Certainly, the Department could take that up with the SEAI to make sure there is a greater level of connection or communication between those potential beneficiaries. I think the Senator asked how many were on the register. My understanding is that there are about 18,000 in total. The 1,900 figure would represent about 10% of that, if my sums are close, so we still have a bit to go. Not everybody will want solar and not everybody will see it as beneficial, but the Senator has identified a need and has clearly identified the capacity for the scheme to deliver for some. We will make every effort to improve the communication to get as many people into the scheme as possible. As I said, the overall future of the scheme will be looked at in the context of budget 2027. Again, it is too early to establish that, but I think we have seen the benefits of the scheme. Let us hope it can be continued into the future. Even if we get them, we would probably be at 15% with the ones that were done back to 2022. That is a good start, and then we could ramp it up to get all those 18,000, or as many as wanted, onto the scheme.

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit, an Teachta Higgins.

I thank the Minister of State for coming in for this very important Commencement matter. This is about requesting an update from the Department about the South East Technological University Wexford campus. Regrettably, Wexford has the lowest number of people with a third level education degree. We are at about 37% as of census 2022, while the national average is 46%. This shows just how important the Wexford SETU campus will be. I am aware of the CPO being completed. I am aware of the detailed design, and the layout for the campus is under way. I am here to request a very important update on where this project is at and what we can do to work together to move it on. This is a unique campus. It will be the first campus in Ireland which will co-educate from primary school education to secondary school education, apprenticeships and then on to university status, all co-located on the one site. This is a unique, flagship campus but we have to move it on. The people of Wexford have been waiting too long for their own designated third level campus. There is fantastic work going on in St. Peter's College and the campus it has there, but the reality is that it is just not suitable for the scale of ambition people have for third level education in Wexford.

I would be very grateful to get an update from the Minister of State. I visited the site with the Minister, Deputy James Lawless, on 5 December, when he came to Wexford. We are now several months on and we just want a clear update on where we are at.

I thank Senator Cathal Byrne for raising this important matter on behalf of his fellow constituents in Wexford and for requesting an update on the proposed new campus for South East Technological University in Wexford.

The Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Deputy Lawless, as the Senator noted, has previously acknowledged that the SETU campus infrastructure in Wexford is not suitable and that there is a need for a campus that will meet the needs of learners and teaching staff. On the recent visit to the SETU campus to which the Senator referred, where the Minister was welcomed, he announced that he had instructed SETU and Waterford and Wexford Education and Training Board to work together to develop a new, innovative proposal which will deliver a new tertiary campus in Wexford town.

As the Senator said, this is an exciting educational opportunity. It will be transformative for learners in Wexford and marks an important step in a collaborative journey for SETU and Waterford and Wexford ETB. This tertiary campus will support learners to reach their full potential by creating pathways and removing barriers to access. It will give learners of all ages, as the Senator said when he spoke about a co-located facility, a place where they can progress, upskill, reskill and innovate without having to leave County Wexford.

I understand that a number of engagements have taken place between SETU and Waterford and Wexford ETB and work is ongoing on developing a business case proposal, which is expected to be submitted to the Higher Education Authority later this year for evaluation.

This project is being progressed under the Department's technological sector strategic projects programme. If the preliminary business case is successfully evaluated, it will then move on to the next stage of the process, which is pre-tender - project design, planning and procurement strategy stage. This is a key stage of development, where the proposal will be further refined, the design will be further advanced, and the procurement strategy and project execution plan will be developed.

I acknowledge the work done by Wexford County Council over recent years to identify an appropriate site for a permanent home for this fantastic Wexford campus. As part of this engagement, a preferred site was identified. Following a lengthy negotiation process between Wexford County Council and the vendor, agreement could not be reached on price.

Wexford County Council is now progressing the acquisition of a site totalling 48.5 acres by way of compulsory purchase order. The intention is that a proportion of this site will be used to facilitate a new Wexford campus for SETU and the remainder of the site will then be developed by Wexford County Council. Work on the CPO process remains ongoing by the council.

Funding requirements for the proposal will be informed by the relevant evaluation processes and funding availability in the context of the Department's overall capital budget. Specific funding has been set aside within the Department's budget towards the cost of the site.

The Minister has always been fully supportive of the need to expand the tertiary education footprint in the south east and the need for the stakeholders - SETU, Waterford and Wexford ETB and the local authority - to continue to work collaboratively to advance this ambition.

The Senator stated that this will be a flagship campus and he would like us to work together. To reiterate, the Minister is very happy to work with him and other stakeholders in the area, whether that is SETU, the ETB or the local authority, to ensure this project can develop as quickly as possible. I thank the Senator for his efforts in leading this drive.

I thank the Minister of State for her response. The reason I am so passionate about this project is that I have seen so many people my age and older who did not have the opportunity to go to third level in their own county but went to Dublin, Waterford or Cork and, unfortunately, did not come back.

There is a real opportunity here to stop the brain drain from County Wexford into other areas and use this campus to drive jobs, economic growth and economic opportunity in our county. I thank the Minister of State for the update. I will work with her, the Minister and the Department to ensure that this project continues to be driven forward. If necessary, I will raise it again to ensure it is kept at the top of the agenda.

I thank the Senator for being such a passionate advocate for this. It is really important that our politicians are champions of key local issues. This is a key local issue for his area, not only for the people he represents in Wexford but also for the region as a whole. I fully accept the Senator's point in relation to the census figures he cited earlier. According to the 2022 census, 37% of people in Wexford have third level degrees, which is substantially below the 46% average across Ireland. The second point the Senator made, which is particularly interesting, was that many of those people then go on to live in Dublin or somewhere else. It is important that we are investing in our educational facilities in areas like Wexford. It is also important that we continue to invest in job creation and in job-growing innovations locally.

The tertiary education campus is just one component of an overall master plan for the area, which will include a range of other different uses, namely, housing, schools, sports facilities and transport links. Wexford County Council will lead out on the development of this overall master plan for the area. It is these kinds of innovative, visionary projects that we need to back, both financially and from a resource perspective, to ensure that we can deliver the balanced geographical growth we want in this country. I thank the Senator for championing this project, which the Minister supports.

I thank the Minister of State for being here. My Commencement matter arises from work I have done with Councillor Ben Ward in Tullow, County Carlow. I have also worked with Senators Garret Ahearn, Maria Byrne, Garret Kelleher and P. J. Murphy on this issue. We are making a clear request for a reduction in the maximum payment under the drugs payment scheme, DPS, from €80 to €60 in budget 2027. I know that budgets are finite, but there is a commitment in the programme for Government to explore a reduction in the maximum payment. The people affected are in difficult medical situations and perhaps have long-term illnesses. In a time when the cost of living is high, we need to try to take away some of the pain of essential costs, such as medical bills.

Councillor Ward has written to the Tánaiste and Taoiseach about this matter, on which he is a very passionate advocate on behalf of many constituents in his area who have felt the pressure of the cost of living. The proposal is budgeted to cost approximately €45 million out of a €27 billion budget for health. I would welcome it being given consideration. There are demands across all Departments but, as I said, this would help vulnerable people. Spending on essential life-saving medication is not discretionary. The proposed reduction would ease the burden on people who are under pressure and have a profound positive impact. I would welcome if the Minister gave it consideration.

I thank Senator Duffy for raising this important issue on behalf of the people he represents in County Mayo. I am answering on behalf of the Minister for Health, Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill. In line with the commitments set out in the programme for Government, this Government will continue to prioritise improving the affordability of healthcare and medicines. This work will continue over the lifetime of this Government.

As the Senator is aware, the drugs payment scheme ensures that expenditure on approved prescribed medicines or medical appliances does not exceed a named threshold in a particular calendar month. The DPS is not means tested and is available to anyone ordinarily resident in Ireland. Currently, the DPS threshold is €80, meaning that no individual or family pays more than €80 a month on approved prescribed medicines or medical appliances. The DPS significantly reduces the cost burden for people with ongoing expenditure on medicines, with the State covering the complete cost of medicines, which can cost many thousands of euro once the monthly household cost is above the €80 threshold. Consideration of further changes to the DPS threshold, including the proposal to reduce it to €60, will be made in the context of current healthcare priorities and the budget available.

It is important to note that any significant reduction in the DPS threshold, as proposed by the Senator, would have cost implications for the State and could, therefore, place additional pressures on other areas of the health service. The Senator estimated that the measure could cost around €45 million. In that context, any adjustment to the threshold will need to be carefully considered, taking account of the finite resources available.

As the Senator is aware, the DPS forms part of a wider range of measures to support affordable access to healthcare and medicines. These measures include community drug schemes, expanded access to free GP care and the abolishment of public inpatient hospital charges for children and adults, all of which continue to support affordable access to quality healthcare.

People who cannot, without undue hardship, arrange for the provision of medical services for themselves and their dependants may be eligible for a medical card under the General Medical Services scheme. In accordance with the Health Act 1970, as amended, eligibility for a medical card is determined by the HSE.

The Senator mentioned a number of families he is dealing with who have difficult medical situations and long-term illnesses. I assure them that, in certain circumstances, the HSE may exercise discretion to grant a medical card where an applicant exceeds the income guidelines but faces difficult financial circumstances, such as additional costs arising from illness. Where an applicant does not qualify for a medical card, they can also be assessed for a GP visit card, which entitles them to free GP services. Individuals may also be eligible to claim tax relief at 20% on qualifying medical expenses, including prescribed medicines. I hope the Senator will agree that the HSE, the Minister and the Department of Health are investing heavily in making medicines more affordable and accessible for our population across the country, including in Mayo.

I thank the Minister of State for her reply. The improvements and advancements in health outcomes in Ireland have been incredible. I know we give the HSE and the health service a fair bashing at times, but the advancements and improvements, including improved access to healthcare for the whole population, have been incredibly pronounced. That being said, in a cost-of-living crisis, consideration should be given in the next budget to further reducing the maximum payment. I ask for further engagement with the Taoiseach and Tánaiste to try to relieve the burden of these costs, which are, as I said, non-discretionary. They are life-saving and critical to those who pay in and need them.

I acknowledge the work of Councillor Ben Ward in County Carlow. He is very passionate about this matter on behalf of members of his community who have approached him. I see this in my home county of Mayo where people who are under pressure come into my office every week. There are good supports available through community welfare officers and Intreo offices, but a broad relief like the one proposed would have a very positive impact. I thank the Minister of State for considering this matter this morning.

I pay tribute to Councillor Ben Ward who, as the Senator said, has been an advocate for this, not just in Carlow but at a national level. I will bring the Senator's feedback and his constructive idea to the attention of the Minister for Health and the Minister for Finance. It is important that it is discussed in the context of upcoming budgetary negotiations.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank healthcare workers across the country who deliver exceptional care to the population when they need it the very most. The Minister fully appreciates the importance of improving both affordability and accessibility to healthcare and medicines by patients in Ireland. As noted earlier, we have a brand new suite of measures to support this approach, helping to ensure affordable to quality healthcare and social care services while operating within budgetary constraints. Any adjustment to these measures, including the lowering of the drugs payment scheme, as has been proposed, needs to be carefully considered taking into account the finite resources available and the potential impact on wider healthcare service provision.

The State has heavily invested in medicines. State expenditure on medicines has grown substantially since 2021. It now accounts for almost €1 in every €8 of public health spending. Budget 2026 allocated €217 million in additional funding for medicines, and €30 million of this is available for new drugs funding. It should be noted that the year 1 cost of a new drug comes from the allocation for new medicines but once these medicines are approved for reimbursement the full cost of providing them can reach multiples of this initial cost as their uptake increases. That is the budgetary constraints within which we operate

Ireland is among the highest spenders on health across the EU, according to the OECD and has the third highest rate of State coverage of pharmaceutical expenditure in Europe. That is down to a lot of our healthcare workers and, indeed, pharmacists who deliver a fantastic service to the population. I thank them and I thank the Senator for raising this issue.