As there are over 14 Deputies, we will take a minute at a time and see where we end up.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 17 to 41, inclusive, together.

The Cabinet committee on children and education oversees the implementation of programme for Government commitments in the area of children and education. It receives detailed reports on identified policy areas such as child poverty and well-being, and education. The membership of the Cabinet committee on children and education comprises the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste, the Minister for Health and others. I will not go through the full list; there are quite a number of Ministers on it.

The programme for Government contains many important commitments intended to improve the lives of all children and especially those children who need our help most. These commitments include setting an ambitious child poverty target; progressively increasing the child-support payment; expanding eligibility for the fuel allowance to families in receipt of the working family payment; and exploring a targeted child benefit payment. The Cabinet committee meets quarterly and met for the third time in December. It will next meet in the first part of 2026.

The Government’s vision for education is to deliver a world-class education system which breaks down barriers and ensures every child can achieve their full potential. That is why we remain committed to building on the work of the DEIS programme, which, since 2006, has been operating to tackle educational disadvantage.

Budget 2026 moved towards permanent targeted payments to support the most vulnerable. A €320 million social welfare package for children includes the largest increase ever in the child support payment, increased income thresholds for the working family payment and the extension of fuel allowance to those on the working family payment.

Increases in prices and wages have widened the gap between people reliant on social welfare and the average income in society. In recent years, as a result, the Government has invested to protect low-income families with children. Since 2020, the weekly child support payment has increased by 95% for children aged 12 and over and by 61% for children under 12. This exceeds the growth in average wages of 28% and exceeds the rate of increase of many other permanent social welfare payments.

Other new or enhanced allocations in budget 2026 to address child poverty through the provision of services include an additional €5.14 million for Equal Start, which is a 30% increase on last year; an additional €16.5 million - a €48 million full-year cost - to the Department of education to implement a new DEIS strategy and the new DEIS plus scheme; a 22% increase of €7.3 million for youth justice supports; €3.2 million of funding to expand and strengthen the national network of family resource centres, with the addition of ten new centres bringing the national total to 136; and an expansion of the income thresholds for the national childcare scheme.

Given the growing demand for many children's services, "Breaking the Cycle: New Measures in Budget 2026 to Address Child Poverty and Promote Well-being", our third report on child poverty spending in the annual budget, highlights new and additional spending in that area. Analysis from the ESRI shows that the permanent measures taken in budget 2026 are progressive and prioritise protecting the incomes of the poorest families.

On disabilities and children, we have established a dedicated Cabinet committee on disability. The work of this committee is progressing important initiatives to respond to the needs and well-being of children. There was a record allocation of €3 billion for special education provision in 2026, including funding for 1,700 additional SNAs and 860 additional teachers for special education. We are also establishing the new education therapy service as an additional support for children with special educational needs. It is intended to commence in special schools, with roll-out over time to special classes and mainstream schools. Recruitment is advancing and it is anticipated that the service will commence in 45 special schools at a later stage in the 2025-26 school year. Significant investments in disability services are also being delivered, particularly in the children's disability network teams, CDNTs. I will leave it at that because I am conscious that a number of Deputies want to get back in.

Actually, we only have eight minutes left. We will begin with Deputy O'Meara. I suggest 30 seconds but it is rather pointless.

Is mór an trua é nach bhfuil níos mó daoine líofa as Gaeilge sa tír seo, go háirithe i dTiobraid Árann. It is well recognised that immersion in the language is the best way to attain fluency. That is why last summer I asked the Minister for education to look at introducing a mandatory Gaeltacht course for all students studying Gaeilge at leaving certificate level. Another important version of immersion in a language is Irish-medium education but that is not possible at second level in Tipperary because we do not have a Gaelcholáiste. In 2024 and 2025 statistics showed that 23% of parents would send their children to a Gaelcholáiste if one was available locally. At primary level in Tipperary, 4.6% of students are in a Gaelscoil. This rises to 5.2% in south Tipperary but the national average is 6.8%, so Tipperary is well below that.

Thank you Deputy.

At second level, it is 0% in all of Tipperary as we do not have a Gaelcholáiste.

Deputy John Connolly.

We are dead last in the national rankings. I ask that we would look at introducing a Gaelcholáiste in Tipperary.

I very much welcome the formal announcing of the national therapy service in education involving the placement of occupational therapists and speech therapists in special schools. I particularly welcome its introduction in two schools in Galway, Ábalta Special School and St. Joseph's Special School in Newcastle. I also welcome the announcement of 301 new classes for children with additional needs in the mainstream setting. However, the lists that we get do not define the category of class and I am concerned that we are not opening up enough classes for children with developmental language disorder, DLD. These are classes that children attend for two years and then they return to their own mainstream class or school. We need more of these classes. Early intervention is important in this area.

I recognise that progress has been made in the last 12 months in relation to the cost of childcare, with the expansion of the national childcare scheme subsidies, improvements to core funding and a lowering of the maximum cap on fees. This has brought weekly costs for childcare to around €200 for families who are paying the highest rates. Many of my constituents in Meath West have told me that there has been good progress in the downward trajectory of their childcare bills. About 15% more families availed of subsidies in Meath last year, so the changes are working but we still have a significant way to go to turn €200 per week into €200 per month.

Will the committee specifically address the high number of child protection and welfare cases awaiting the allocation of a social worker in the Louth and Meath areas? Tusla's multi-service performance data continuously outlines that these are some of the worst areas of the country in terms of children not being allocated a social worker. I ask the Government to take action to reduce the numbers of unallocated cases, improve timely intervention and support the most vulnerable children in County Louth.

I want to speak about Gaelscoil Mhíchíl Cíosóg in Ennis, County Clare. It is a fabulous school with 451 pupils.

I am sorry, which Gaelscoil?

Gaelscoil Mhíchíl Cíosóg. Michael Cusack primary school. It is a scoil lánGhaelach. There were 452 pupils enrolled last September and 480 are projected for next year. This school was designed for eight teachers. It has prefabs. It is a fabulous school with lovely education going on. I was there yesterday and got a tour of the school. Curtains have to be pulled so that one class can be taught alongside learning support. School meals are being prepared in an area where an autism class being taught. It is quite chaotic. The school has planning permission for a new build project and has gone through all of the statutory phases. It kills the school to think that it will not get that new build of seven new mainstream classrooms, autism classes, SET support rooms-----

Thank you Deputy.

----for the next few years.

Deputy Ó Murchú.

Deputy Ó Murchú will be the last participant before the Taoiseach responds.

We have had the really tragic cases of Kyran Durnin-----

That is really unfair, a Cheann Comhairle.

That is not fair.

-----Oísín Reddin, Daniel Aruebose, Vadym Davydenko-----

Do you understand the format, Deputy Coppinger?

You can extend.

No.

We also have the issues raised by the child law project and the terrible case of a serious assault of a ten-year-old girl in Citywest. While we have heard from Tusla that it is reorientating and we know that there are legislative changes on the way, a big issue remains. Mr. Gerry Hone, the national director of services and integration for Tusla, appeared before an Oireachtas committee recently and said that we are missing or we need 300 more social workers and 100 more social care workers.

The point is made, thank you. The Taoiseach to respond.

He told me afterwards that at least 500 foster carers are needed.

Ceann Comhairle, can I raise a point of order?

This is not fair.

We do not have sufficient capacity.

Can I raise a point of order?

On a point of order-----

Just before you raise a point of order, I do not have the remit in this case to extend Taoiseach's Questions.

We get all of the Government backbenchers but not the Opposition at large, a Cheann Comhairle-----

On a point of order, a Cheann Comhairle-----

How are-----

Can I raise my point of order?

----which is the strategy. That is the strategy.

Point of order-----

Sorry, Deputy. The Taoiseach to respond.

You speak about 30 times a week; would you go away out of that.

Take it to Dáil reform, please.

I have a point of order, Ceann Comhairle.

Sorry, but you said you would take my point of order.

Deputy, there is no point of order.

Can all of you stop shouting over me? I was making a point of order.

There is no point of order, Deputy. The Taoiseach is going to respond.

This is completely unfair.

I want to talk about Tullow, Callan and Borris. I want to talk about all of those schools.

The Taoiseach to respond. Deputy, please resume your seat.

Can you take my point of order?

No, there is no point of order. The clock is the clock. The Taoiseach to respond.

You said you would take a point of order.

It is completely unfair.

Deputy, please resume your seat. I understand. I said to take it to Dáil reform.

You could extend it.

No.

It has been extended before.

Once.

Well, it is incorrect-----

The Taoiseach went way over in his answers.

Respect the Ceann Comhairle.

Only the backbenchers have been heard and no Opposition.

Deputy, I am not going to get to you one way or the other, unless you want me to extend by 20 minutes.

You have five times more speaking time than we do.

You cut Taoiseach's Questions and now it is being cut for the second slot.

You are only running down the clock on everybody, Deputy. The Taoiseach to respond.

Show respect for the Ceann Comhairle.

The Ceann Comhairle should allow me make a point of order and then I will sit down.

Ba mhaith liom-----

Deputy, you are being disruptive. Please resume your seat. Please.

Ba mhaith liom-----

Why will you not let me make a point of order? It is not right to just ignore what we are saying.

It is not a point of order. Please resume your seat.

It is a point of order. You could have just let me make it and then answered it.

Ba mhaith liom a rá leis an Teachta O’Meara go bhfuil ionadh orm-----

The Taoiseach can talk for 15 minutes over his time-----

Please, Deputy, do not be so disruptive.

----- nach bhfuil Gaelcholáiste dara leibhéal i dTiobraid Árann. B’fhéidir go mbeidh seans againn teagmháil a dhéanamh leis an ETB chun clár de shaghas éigin a chur i bhfeidhm ionas go mbeidh, diaidh ar ndiaidh, Gaelcholáiste againn. De ghnáth, tá Gaelcholáiste i mbeagnach gach aon chontae anois. There are Gaelcholáistí in most areas now. There is at least one in many counties across the country, so I am surprised. Perhaps the ETB might be in a position to work with the Department or with local interests and schools, particularly the Gaelscoileanna, to see if consensus can be arrived at in respect of a Gaelcholáiste that would be centrally located and could be availed of by those who want to pursue second level through the medium of Irish.

Beidh mise sásta tacú a thabairt le tioscnamh den chineál sin.

On Deputy John Connolly's issue, the national therapy service is commencing. We want to roll it out to the remainder of the special schools. That is important. It is a significant development. We made this a red-line issue in the most recent general election. I agree 100% on the developmental language disorders. I brought in the first of those classes back in the late 1990s. They are game-changers in how they can facilitate children to deal with language challenges at an early age in order that they can transition back into mainstream education. It is one of the better outcomes I have seen with children down through the years. I will talk to the Minister of State with responsibility for special education in relation to that.

Deputy Dempsey referred to cost of childcare. We can do more and we have to do more to meet the commitment in the programme for Government. In the forthcoming budget, we will examine that issue to see what more we can do. We hope to have earlier discussions with Deputies on the next budget. We are conscious that the European Presidency is coming our way, so we need to talk about these things a bit earlier than usual.

I will pursue the issue Deputy McGreehan raised in respect of unallocated social workers for children in the Louth-Meath area with Tusla. The Deputy stated that the situation there is out of kilter with the rest of the country in the context of the numbers that remain unallocated. That is a concern. At some stage, we need to look at how people are deployed as well. Numbers generally seem to be increasing and caseloads are increasing. That is across a range of professional service engagement.

Maidir leis an Teachta Crowe agus Gaelscoil Mhíchíl Ciosóg, beidh me ag caint leis an Aire faoi thionscadail tógála sa Roinn. I will talk to the Minister about school buildings. We have a lot of challenges.

Deputy Ó Murchú also referred to social workers. We have had a lot of cases. I fully take on board what the Deputy is saying. We need to look at allocating more social workers and at the best way to deploy them.