On behalf of the Minister for Education, Deputy Foley, I wish to thank Senator Byrne for raising this matter today. Before I address the specific issue raised, I will provide an outline of the extent of the school transport scheme. The school transport scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the current school year, more than 161,600 children, including in excess of 135,000 pupils travelling on primary and post-primary services, 19,800 pupils with specia…

Unfortunately, I am not able to give the Senator absolute clarity on when they will commence, but I envisage that it will have to be within a matter of a short number of weeks because, as the Senator rightly pointed out, we are into May and shortly will be into June and people are looking to the next school year, which is 2024-25. I will communicate, both to Bus Éireann and to the Department, the Senator's concern about the urgency of the matter.

I thank Senator O'Loughlin for raising this important matter as it provides me with an opportunity to outline the current position. The major building project for St. Anne's special school at the Curragh in County Kildare is included in the Department's construction programme, which is being delivered under the national development plan. The brief for this project is part demolition of the original single-storey building and the development of a new-build extension for children with special educational needs at the…

Special schools are a particular priority for the Department's schools building programme. On delivery, the new building for St. Anne's special school will be very transformative for the school community. The Department design team will keep school authorities informed of further developments in the completion of stage 2B and the progression of the major build project. I will absolutely make the Minister and her Department aware of the Senator's frustration.

I agree with that. I thank Senator Lombard for allowing me the opportunity to update the House on the new endoscopy unit in Bantry General Hospital. Bantry General Hospital is a busy model 2 hospital providing services to the population of west Cork and south Kerry, from the Beara and Sheep’s Head peninsulas in the south to Kenmare in the west, Macroom and Clonakilty in the north and Timoleague in the east, and includes several inhabited islands. It is aligned with Cork University Hospital. The Government has inves…

I thank Senator Lombard for raising this issue. Misinformation and disinformation being peddled by people on the doorsteps in the middle of an election campaign is really regrettable. The Senator is right to use this opportunity to allow me to outline to the people of west Cork and south Kerry the investment the Government has made in Bantry General Hospital. I have relations in the area who have been clients or service users of Bantry General Hospital. They have nothing but good words to say about the place in ter…

I thank all Deputies for their contributions on this important and timely motion. A show of unity on an issue such as this sends a strong message to victims' families and survivors and, I hope, to the British Government. The events of 17 May 1974 mark the greatest loss of life in any single day of the Troubles. This Friday will mark 50 years since that callous and brutal act of violence. Our discussion today is a timely and essential reminder of the deep and lasting effects of these terrible attacks and of the fail…

Drive on

I would like to thank the Deputy for raising this matter. It gives me the opportunity to set out for the House the position with regard to school places including special education in north Kildare for September 2024 and onwards. I can assure the Deputy that the provision of school places to meet the needs of children and young people at primary and post-primary level, including children and young people with special educational needs, is an absolute priority for the Department of Education and the Government. The …

I thank the Deputy. I also wish to point out that the Department will continue to liaise with local authorities in respect of their county development plans and any associated local area plans, with a view to identifying any potential long-term school accommodation requirements across school planning areas. I can assure the Deputy that Department of Education officials will continue to work to ensure there is sufficient provision of school places for all children throughout north Kildare for the 2024-25 school year…

I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister of State at the Department of Health, Deputy Rabbitte, who thanks the Deputy for raising this matter. The Minister is fully committed to the continued development and enhancement of our children’s disability services through the CDNTs, as they seek to ensure equitable access to services for all children with complex needs. The Minister of State acknowledges the difficulties faced by children and their families seeking to access the services of CDNTs in CHO 5 and tak…

While recruitment and retention of staff to CDNTs remains a considerable challenge, the Minister of State wishes to reaffirm her commitment as well as that of the HSE and her Department to exploring all avenues to improve access to CDNTs for children and their families in CHO 5. I will make the Minister of State aware of all of the issues the Deputy raised here this evening.

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue, to which I am replying on behalf of the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media. It is important to note that the GAA, like all national governing bodies, NGBs, in sport, is an independent, autonomous body. The management of broadcasting and commercial rights is entirely a matter for the association. The GAA, like all NGBs, is free to enter into commercial agreements to generate revenue to support the continued development of its sport from grassroo…

I referred to the independent analysis of the consultation that took place. This will inform which events will be brought to the EU for approval, as required. Already, all-Ireland football, hurling and camogie finals are designated for free-to-air coverage. The current review involves an examination of the possibility of designating a number of additional GAA events, such as the quarter- and semi-finals of the All-Ireland series and provincial finals. A number of these are traditionally broadcast free to air alread…

I thank the Senator. Amendments Nos. 57, 58, 59 and 60 deal with section 15 on the board of the agency. These are standard provisions based on existing legislation establishing agencies. For amendment No. 60, the phrase “or a Minister of the Government” refers to the Minister for Public Expenditure NDP Delivery and Reform. This is a standard provision implementing governance and accountability guidelines. To discard these provisions would seem to imply that the Senators wish to remove the agency from the standard a…

On directions of Ministers, the powers of the Minister under section 3, relating to regulations and orders, are standard, as evidenced in the Consumer Protection Act 2014 and the Freedom of Information Act 2014. Section 11 is also a standard provision, modelled on the provisions in existing legislation establishing agencies, including Tailte Éireann and the Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence Agency.

In terms of amendment Nos. 70 and 71 which deal with section 23, the corporate plan of agency, the Senators wish to require consultation with the Irish Congress of Trade Unions and the joint committee in preparing the corporate plan. This would be highly unusual. Where there is a specific consultation requirement in previous legislation, it is as laid out as in the existing provision and it is usual only where there is an alignment of funding and planning requirements. For example, the Health (Miscellaneous Provisi…

We fully understand the Senators' intentions with these amendments but we argue the existing provisions contain the capacity for the kind of consultation and communication the agency will need in terms of planning. The proposed amendment would not be usual and the provision is already in the Bill for the CEO to communicate with committees as requested. We agree public funding is crucial. Enterprise Ireland and the IDA are major research funders. That proves to us the need to ensure co-ordination with those organisa…

Amendment No. 74 deals with section 28. The chief executive officer will be appointed for an ordinary term. This was proposed in the heads of the Bill and the appointment is in place. Appointments to public bodies are well understood and operate according to established principles, which I do not see merit in altering. We also need clarity of purpose and continuity of leadership in the establishment phase of the agency. This will be crucial in laying the foundations for success. Disrupting the term will not be supp…

The section has been drafted as a standard provision and primarily relates to situations that may arise involving ongoing legal cases where the integrity of the case is paramount and to ensure respect for the separation of powers, as provided for under the Constitution. This does not interfere with any functions or powers of any aspect of the Oireachtas as the provision is already completely limited and discrete. We, therefore, do not propose to accept the amendment.