Alan Dillon
Mayo · Fine Gael · Ireland
“Landlords are generally not in a position to supervise day-to-day waste management practices within occupied properties. The Government therefore has significant concerns regarding both the practicality and effectiveness of these provisions.”
“The Government has commissioned an independent study to examine the feasibility of moving Ireland's household waste collection system from the current side-by-side competition model to a franchise-based system. That study is examining the environmental, economic, operational and consumer implications of alternative market structures.”
“If the evidence supports significant changes to the market structure, the Government will consider those recommendations carefully. If the evidence suggests improvements can be achieved through strengthened regulation, enhanced enforcement or targeted reforms within the existing framework, those options should also be considered.”
“We also want to see a well-designed waste collection system that not only delivers environmental benefits but also provides householders with the opportunity to reduce their own household waste costs through reducing residual waste, correctly segregating recyclable materials and correctly segregating organic materials.”
“We have a lack of capacity so we need to continue that, and investment certainty is really important in that regard but also to enable Ireland to meet both our national and European obligations, which are far reaching. These will all benefit from a stable and predictable policy framework.”
“Ireland requires continued investment across the waste and resource sector. We need investment in collection infrastructure, recycling capacity, material recovery technologies, organic waste treatment, digital systems and innovation. Those making long-term investments require certainty regarding Government policy.”
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“It is a critical period for Ireland in terms of improving security of supply, realising targets and ambition around decarbonisation, expansion of renewables and development of the offshore grid. The benefits to extending and reinforcing the grid are many, including: improving the resilience of Ireland's electricity system and future-proofing it for generations to come; ensuring that every home and every business has a reliable and secure source of electricity, including the 300,000 new homes we have committed to build by 2030; safeguarding against damage from future weather events and storms; and accelerating the connection of new sources of renewable electricity which contributes to Ireland's transition to greater levels of renewable energy and the achievement of our climate goals.”
“As part of the draft determination, an overall network expenditure programme of between €14.1 billion and €18.1 billion is being considered for the period 2026-2030. A final determination will be made by the CRU later this year. The level of investment being considered under PR6 marks a significant step change. The current price review, PR5, which spans the period 2021 to 2025, will see an investment of at least €7.6 billion. PR6 will more than double that. This unprecedented package of investment will enable the network companies to support Ireland through this period of change in terms of our use and demand for electricity. It will support key priorities in infrastructure, housing, competitiveness, investment, growth and climate action.”
“The International Energy Agency has advised that expanding and modernising electricity grids is essential for a secure, affordable and sustainable electricity system. It has expressed concern that globally, investment in grids is failing to keep pace with spending on generation and electrification. In Ireland, every five years our electricity network companies, ESB Networks and EirGrid, present their five-year forecast investment plans to the Commission for Regulation of Utilities, CRU, which then approves the revenues allowable for their operating and investment programmes. These revenues are charges to electricity customers known as network tariffs. This process is known as a price review. The next price review, PR6, covers the period 2026-2030. The CRU published its draft determination for PR6 in July of this year.”
“I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." I am pleased to address the House on the Second Stage of the Electricity (Supply) (Amendment) Bill 2025. The Bill will provide the legal mechanism for the payment of €1.5 billion of equity investment in ESB, as committed to by the Government under the national development plan. I will set out the broader context for why Government equity investment is required, before outlining the subject matter of the Bill. As Deputies will be aware, Ireland’s electricity demand will grow significantly over the coming decade. It is estimated that electricity demand will double by 2035; this is in addition to the 25% growth that has taken place over the past ten years.”
“In recent months, the Minister, Deputy Peter Burke, and the Tánaiste launched the action plan on market diversification, alongside the action plan on competitiveness and productivity, a whole-of-government strategy to expand our global trade opportunities and build resilience into Irish SMEs. What does Aontú offer? Nothing.”
“Under Simon Harris's leadership, the Government has protected jobs, supported businesses and strengthened Ireland's economy. What has Aontú delivered for Ireland and for Mayo? Not one house, not one more road, not one job, not one hospital bed - nothing. Deputy Paul Lawless has delivered zero. Aontú's latest attempt to grab the headlines is another political stunt. It has no substance, no solutions and no delivery. Deputy Tóibín and his party take our economic success for granted. The fact that we have resources today is because of prudent management by the Government, the Tánaiste's leadership and the hard work of the Irish people. In an era of global uncertainty, the Government and the Tánaiste are building resilience and opening doors for Irish businesses.”
“I want to express my sincere sympathies to Harvey Morrison Sherratt's parents, Gillian and Stephen, and all families impacted by CHI's scoliosis and spinal surgery waiting list. This is a deeply serious issue, one on which we are all united across the Dáil in wanting to resolve. Simon, the Government and the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, are working with parents and advocates to agree a structured partnership to deal with the issues and challenges around scoliosis and spina bifida. This is real action not political point-scoring. I fully support this motion of confidence in my party leader, Simon Harris, a leader who has delivered for Ireland. I see how hard the Tánaiste works. I see the results - real delivery and real progress.”
“In my other role within the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment, I was delighted to see increasing investment in waste enforcement, funding around reuse-repair initiatives and supporting resource-efficient building practices. Through the Circular Economy Fund we will be providing innovation grants for SMEs. This is a clear signal that the circular economy means cleaner streets and greener spaces and it will enable thousands of skilled jobs in every region. Budget 2026 is about balance and supporting our people but also supporting businesses while protecting workers. As a Government in an era of such global uncertainty, we must ensure Ireland remains a vibrant, competitive and fair place to work and to do business.”
“We are establishing the AI office of Ireland, which will be a landmark step in making Ireland a leader in responsible AI adoption. This sends a clear signal to global investors that Ireland is a place to work, to do business and to innovate. It sends a signal to Irish SMEs that we are here to help them to embrace AI and green technologies and to allow our indigenous Irish companies to scale internationally. From 1 January 2026, the minimum wage will rise to €14.50 per hour, the highest ever ahead of inflation. We will also adjust the USC in order that full-time minimum wage workers stay at the lower rate of 2%. This budget also accelerates Ireland's transition to a circular economy and protects our environment, creates jobs and builds resilience.”
“It is cutting red tape and has already seen reductions in paperwork of more than 23%, making it easier for businesses to access grants through the national enterprise hub. We are also delivering on our programme for Government commitments on an action plan for competitiveness and productivity. Key measures included in this year's budget are the research and development tax credit, which has been increased from 30% to 35%, and the entrepreneur relief cap, which has been raised to €1.5 million at a capital gains tax rate of 10%. We have also seen enhancements to the digital games tax credit and an expansion of the small companies administrative rescue process, SCARP, which will help viable small companies to restructure and survive. We are also backing innovation with regional gross capital SME supports.”
“We know the cost of doing business is a major concern for many and that is why we set up the cost of doing business advisory forum, which looks at tackling legal costs, compliance burdens and utility prices, with recommendations due to be published early next year. We are also focusing on actions we can implement in the medium to long term. Hospitality VAT will be cut to 9% from 1 July 2026, protecting more than 191 jobs in cafés, restaurants and hairdressers in every town and village across the country. We are also boosting funding to local enterprise offices to help small businesses to digitalise, decarbonise and grow. A new small business unit has been established within our Department.”
“Budget 2026 is about securing Ireland's future, supporting families, protecting jobs and investing in infrastructure that is much needed. This is a budget of more than €9.4 billion, with €8.1 billion in spending and a €1.3 billion tax package. That is a 7% increase in total spend. We are prioritising those who need it most. We are looking after pensioners, carers and people with disabilities. As a party of fiscal responsibility, my party, Fine Gael, is saving more than €6.5 billion into two long-term funds to safeguard our future. On backing small businesses and jobs, this budget is about ensuring Irish enterprise is put to the fore, protecting jobs and preparing our economy for the future. Working with the Minister, Deputy Burke, we are focusing on three priorities: cutting costs for businesses, driving innovation and supporting workers.”
“I hope today was informative in highlighting the areas of work and the steps we are taking to increase the visibility for Irish businesses and ensure they can grow and scale into the future.”
“A lot of work has been done in the last number of years to protect workers and we will continue to do that while ensuring we strike the right balance with businesses that may be feeling challenges around costs because every additional measure we implement has a cost. The action plan on competitiveness and productivity has been central to that, with focused short- and long-term measures. We will continue to examine issues around regulatory burden, planning infrastructure delivery, water costs and reporting and compliance. I again thank everyone for their contributions today. I thank them for being here on a Thursday afternoon and for their commitment to the SME sector and our indigenous Irish enterprises throughout their localities and regions.”
“We are very cognisant of that. I am engaging with Department officials on how we can expand these types of vouchers for these types of SMEs that have ambition to grow and to scale. Regarding the action plan on competitiveness, we talked previously about commitments from the Government around measures to support employees. We have certainly made significant strides to protect workers. We have honoured any pay increases through the Low Pay Commission and any of its recommendations. We have seen workers being protected through the introduction of statutory sick leave, and we now have the auto-enrolment pensions.”
“I will be engaging with the new CEO, Jenny Melia, with regard to my ideas on how we can build even greater capacity around digital transformation and energy efficiency. I want to focus on the important strategy around accelerating the uptake of digital technology. Senator Crowe talked about the grow digital voucher scheme and how important that has been. The previous version of that was the trading online voucher scheme. Many of these platforms now need visibility in the online space to compete with many other retailers who do not have that footfall in their high streets or local villages and shops. Key to that is ensuring the adoption of AI, but also ensuring we can build resilience in our retail sector for indigenous Irish businesses that want a platform and want to have customers in all parts of the world - in Europe, America and Asia.”
“We want to ensure local enterprise offices are proactive in engaging with businesses and it is not the case that businesses always have to make the first reach. My local enterprise office in Mayo has a Mayo ideas week. It is an opportunity over a two-week period for businesses to come, listen, engage and network. That peer-to-peer learning is very important also. Businesses can learn from others on how to access different schemes and different grants to support their business, but also to build resilience. It might be energy efficiency or digital transformation. We want to give that capability to local enterprise offices in doing that, as well as working with the Enterprise Ireland LEO centre of excellence.”
“We are actively engaging with the local enterprise offices and Fáilte Ireland to explore opportunities for greater alignment to support small businesses and micro-tourism businesses in order that we have a collaborative approach whereby both are intertwined and duplication is reduced. Energy efficiency grants were mentioned in the context of the Green for Businesses initiative. We want greater alignment with the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, SEAI, grants. The SEAI does a lot of work in that regard. We have initiated work in that regard and it will continue. This is about building capacity within our local enterprise network and ensuring that services meet the needs of our clients.”
“We have reduced the number of questions on each of those application forms by over 10%. That is a very important exercise to make things a lot quicker. There is also the fact that applicants do not have to provide duplication of their information for subsequent applications. We are continuing to evolve and expand the National Enterprise Hub to incorporate more supports and more assistance. Many Senators look at other key agencies like Fáilte Ireland, which supports our hospitality and tourism sector. It has its own independent business support hub. We want that to have a reach for small businesses and those that qualify.”
“We want to avoid not having that visibility within Government and across different agencies. The SME test has been an important position for the Government to take. It will certainly ensure any proposed legislation going forward is assessed on the basis of whether its implementation or costs will be prohibitive for the business itself. We have had many cases that have been impacted to date. I am sure they have been raised here. We want to make that process a bit better. Around simplification, people talk about ensuring our grant application forms are lighter and faster for a lot of businesses. We have made a serious effort to look at how we can streamline the local enterprise office grant system. People talked about the grow digital scheme and the energy efficiency scheme.”
“We must look at the cost of utilities such as water and energy, and even the challenges around planning and compliance. It is very focused across various themes. Three meetings have occurred so far. It is chaired independently by Kevin Foley, an experienced chair who spent many years working on dispute resolution at the Labour Court. We are very focused on ensuring we can target measures from the grassroots up, and that the policy from the top down is effective. The SME test which was previously raised here is a key focus for me and the Minister, Deputy Burke, because we understand many businesses have been on the receiving end of policy or legislation that may have been introduced but that has had unintended consequences and may have disproportionately affected specific sectors.”
“Across this forum we have representative bodies and organisations from sectors such as agriculture, retail, advanced manufacturing and agri-tech. They are all present and it is an open invitation for our small businesses to engage with regulators and key agencies. Various themes have been discussed within the cost of business advisory forum. Senator Nicole Ryan talked about insurance. That is a key area of focus, in terms of how we can drive down the cost of insurance for businesses. The Minister of State, Deputy Troy, and the Minister for Finance, Deputy Donohoe, are very focused, along with the Department of enterprise, through the action plan on insurance reform to implement significant reductions in the cost of insurance. Legal costs are also a barrier for many businesses.”
“Looking at specific schemes we have implemented, last year record supports of more than €400 million were provided by means of the power-up and ICOB grants. At a time when inflation was riding high, the cost of doing business was increased and we got direct supports into businesses to support their cash flow but also to help them on their sustainability journey. The fact we have established the small business unit within our Department is a clear demonstration that we want to provide additional focus to small businesses and ensure the voices of these businesses are heard across government in policy and regulation. We have set up the cost of business advisory forum. That is very focused on tackling costs head-on. We will have co-ordinated action and targeted relief.”
“It provides a real starting point and a focal point with a local reach. That is vitally important because we all know the head of economic development within our local authorities. We all know the advisers and expertise who have that reach within our towns and villages and provide that assistance if businesses want to expand or to engage in a digital transformation or look at sustainability projects . We will get into more detail in regard to energy efficiencies and how we can drive down the cost of doing business for many of these businesses who do not have the bandwidth within their businesses to have a HR function, where many decisions are made around the kitchen table. It is our role and that of the LEOs and the national enterprise hub to provide support, consultation and advice.”
“It is focused on being pro-enterprise and pro-business, and we have certainly provided a wide-ranging level of supports for small businesses through targeted initiatives and also by ensuring we can foster growth, innovation and resilience. I spoke earlier in regard to some of the key areas within our Department that are central to this. Senator Scahill talked about the importance of the national enterprise hub. As stated, that has provided huge assistance with over 7,500 queries. It provides support in one focal area, a one-stop shop to more than 250 Government supports, including grants, loans and training. That is ably assisted by advisers, on-call assistants, live chat and agencies that are supported by Enterprise Ireland through our local enterprise offices. That was referenced by many Senators here.”
“I thank Senators Scahill, Crowe and Ryan for their valuable contributions. It is great for me to be here in the Seanad to discuss our departmental work across government but also to outline how we can continue to support and build resilience within our SMEs and retail sector. I appreciate the valuable contributions and the matters raised. Our Department plays a crucial role along with other Government agencies in supporting our SMEs, our retail sector and local trade enterprises. As many have said, they are the backbone of our urban and rural economy and account for over 69% of all employment throughout the country. The programme for Government is clear.”
“These forums allow us to engage on key issues that are relevant to their sectors. One of the issues frequently discussed is that of retail crime. The programme for Government contains a commitment to publish a retail crime strategy which targets actions to reduce retail crime but also supports effective businesses. Building the resilience of Ireland's small business and retail sector is essential in safeguarding Ireland's economic stability and vitality for our communities. These enterprises are the backbone of our local economies and provide vital employment and sustain our town centres in many areas. Strengthening their ability to withstand economic shocks, adapt to technology change and embrace sustainability are really important to ensure we grow to become more competitive in an uncertain global environment.”
“My Government colleagues and I recognise the serious challenges faced by local traders and the hospitality sector. Due to rising costs and other factors, we made a commitment in the programme for Government to bringing forward measures to support SMEs, particularly in the vulnerable sectors like retail and hospitality. In 2024, over €400 million was paid out to SMEs under the power-up and the increased cost of business, ICOB, grants. These grants were designed to help businesses with increased costs associated with running their business. In July, a reclassification appeals process was opened for businesses which misclassified their business supports when applying for the ICOB grant and the power-up grant. We also regularly engage with retailers and representative bodies, including the enterprise forum and the retail forum, which I chair.”
“In addition, the start-up entrepreneur programme, STEP, will deliver a better start-up journey for start-ups and entrepreneurs by strengthening ecosystem co-ordination while also enhancing national and international connectivity. Successful implementation of these work programmes will simplify and remove unnecessary administrative burdens, enhancing the competitiveness of Irish businesses, particularly small and microenterprises. With critical segments of our economy undergoing significant transformation, delivering public service excellence is critical in supporting Enterprise Ireland's long-term ambition regarding the export potential of Irish companies becoming the primary driver for our economy and simplifying enterprise grant applications will be a key part of this.”
“Work has also commenced on merging the application process for the digital business and green for business consultancies with the respective follow-on grants, namely the grow digital and the energy efficiency grant. This will result in businesses avoiding unnecessarily providing the same information on multiple occasions. Work on this simplification agenda will continue. Enterprise Ireland is also driving progress through a programme of work that includes two major initiatives. First, a service delivery transformation programme will introduce a new operating model with technological and data capabilities to drive the delivery of service excellence.”
“The Department is also working on how we can improve the national enterprise hub further by putting a greater emphasis on the simplification of processes for businesses. Since the unit was established, significant progress has been made in simplifying the application processes for enterprise grants, particularly those administered through the LEOs and Enterprise Ireland. Following instruction from my Department through the small business unit, the Enterprise Ireland LEO centre of excellence has completed a comprehensive review of application requirements for each of the LEO grants. This has resulted in an average reduction of 23% in the number of questions being posed in grant applications.”
“Business owners are also in contact with the team and can speak directly with advisers on phone email or via live chat. These advisers help to diagnose the needs of the individual businesses, directing them to the appropriate supports available and putting them in direct contact with the relevant agencies. The national enterprise hub also makes it easier to access Government supports on managing the costs of doing business, developing sustainability plans and enhancing productivity and efficiency, while also adopting new digital technology and ensuring new export markets. Since launching last year, the national enterprise hub has dealt with over 7,500 inquiries. It has more than 220,000 active online users, with volumes tracked each month and growing steadily since its introduction.”
“However, they are also about making supports more accessible to businesses across the country. The SME test will also help to ensure that any obligations that increase business costs are phased in and that there will be consideration of the broader implications of any decision affecting businesses across government. The small business unit will also oversee the simplification of information and access to grants and supports for businesses through the national enterprise hub. The service provided by the hub is open to all businesses in Ireland, and helps them to navigate and find the right Government supports for their businesses. The hub brings together information and resources on over 250 Government supports from 32 Departments and State agencies which can be accessed through its online portal.”
“The policy statement also outlined an agreed approach on how the work of the LEOs can be adapted to contribute to the implementation of five of the priorities in the White Paper on Enterprise, namely focusing on decarbonisation, digitalisation, increasing exports and enabling the local traded sector to thrive and stepping up enterprise innovation. The small business unit is focused on rigorous implementation of the SME test to ensure that the perspectives of small businesses are considered across government before new legislation or regulation is introduced. The SME test is designed to invite consideration of less stringent compliance requirements for smaller companies where appropriate and proportionate. These actions are about reducing red tape and improving efficiency.”
“This includes increasing the scope of firms eligible for LEO supports as well as increasing the depth of existing services provided to ensure the appropriate skills programme, enterprise supports and business advisory services are made available to assist as many Irish businesses as possible. The strategic framework outlined in the White Paper is specifically designed to strengthen the resilience and competitiveness of small businesses and the retail sector in Ireland. In 2024, my Department published the Local Enterprise Offices Policy Statement 2024-2030 to mark the tenth anniversary of the formation of the LEOs. This statement celebrated the LEOs' achievements over the previous decade. It also highlighted the key areas in which they need to improve.”
“LEOs play an important role at local level as part of supportive ecosystems by providing services directly to small businesses and promoting entrepreneurship within towns and communities. LEOs are the first stop for every small business, providing a range of training supports and information plus referrals to other relevant bodies. The White Paper on enterprise notes the significant role LEOs play in strengthening and ensuring our enterprise ecosystem across Ireland. It is a supporting mechanism. SMEs can be allowed and afforded the opportunity to prosper in all regions.”
“It recognises both the challenges and opportunities for Irish enterprises in the coming years and what needs to be done to prepare them for the future. Of the 40 key initiatives identified across several policy priorities, there is a clear focus on measures designed to help small businesses and retail to navigate future challenges and opportunities, particularly in the areas of the green and digital transitions. In May, the Minister announced the establishment of a dedicated small business unit based in the Department. This unit will give small businesses a dedicated focus in the Government and keep this agenda front and centre in our Department's priorities. The new unit will also ensure local enterprise offices continue to be properly resourced to help small businesses thrive.”
“The programme for Government recognises the importance of small businesses and retail and actively supports small businesses through a wide range of targeted interventions aimed at fostering growth, innovation and resilience. This includes a target to create 300,000 extra jobs by 2030 supported by strategic investment, supportive enterprise policies and a focus on fostering a vibrant economy. It recognises that our small business enterprises are the backbone of our economy and must be supported to adapt to new conditions, innovate their offerings and grow. Last year, the Minister, Deputy Peter Burke, launched the second updated report on the White Paper on enterprise implementation plan. This White Paper sets Ireland on a clear and ambitious path towards achieving a thriving, sustainable and resilient economy.”
“I thank the Members of the House for the opportunity to attend today to discuss the important work programme of the Department. I will speak about a matter of profound importance to our economy, communities and national resilience, which is the future of Ireland's small businesses and the retail sector. I will apprise the House of the work undertaken to ensure maximum possible resilience is afforded to Ireland's small businesses and the retail sector. As many Members already know, small and medium businesses are the cornerstone of our cities, towns and villages and the lifeblood of local economies. They employ over 69% of our workforce and represent over 99% of all active enterprises.”
“The Curragh Camp is very much to the fore in that regard. I thank the Senator for raising the matter. We will get a response back for her.”
“I again thank the Senator for raising these important matters. The Commencement matter submitted by the Senator did not reference anything regarding the conservation or preservation plan for the Curragh Camp. However, I will raise that with officials to try to get a detailed briefing note to the Senator. I know how important it is to her. The Tánaiste assured me that he will provide an updated implementation plan. It will be published imminently. I will seek to ensure that the House is kept informed. In regard to the importance of ensuring that areas under national conversation are protected, I listened to Senator very attentively. We have key agencies, such as the National Parks and Wildlife Service, which does tremendous work. That needs to be replicated in all areas of our country, not just in our national parks.”
“In addition to this, the extension of private secondary healthcare to enlisted ranks was implemented in September 2023. On recruitment, a number of initiatives have been progressed to counter staffing challenges to the Defence Forces. The Government agreed an increase in the minimum retirement age for permanent Defence Force personnel, to 62. This facilitated an increase in the maximum recruitment age, to 39, for those roles. Senator O'Loughlin referenced agency oversight. She also mentioned funding and the legislative programme that is required. I will certainly take these matters back to the Tánaiste, in order that she can get a detailed response to the questions she has raised.”
“This plan set out our ambitious programme of work to move from level of ambition 2, as well the significant and fundamental change for the Defence Forces that will be delivered under the following themes: strategic HR and cultural change; new command and control and joint structures to be established; services to be reformed and restructured; Reserve Defence Force to revitalised; and joint capability development to be implemented. Much work has been achieved since the commission's report was published, with the recommendations implemented to date having a significant impact on members of the Defence Forces. This includes changes made to the existing Naval Service allowance as a means of simplifying current structures by consolidating the daily allowance and the seagoing commitment scheme into one enhanced allowance.”
“This will result in the defence budget rising from €1.1 billion to €1.7 billion as per capital allocation under the national development plan, the largest increase in defence funding in the history of the State. This will allow for the required substantial transformation and investment in the recruitment and equipment that were identified by the commission. The development of a detailed implementation plan was a key early action and key output from the opening phase of the transformation programme. The detailed implementation plan for the report of the Commission on the Defence Forces was published on 21 November 2023.”
“There were 130 recommendations in total, comprising of 69 main recommendations and 61 further sub-recommendations. The commission recommended significant change to the Defence Forces and to the defence provision in Ireland. It covered high-level Defence Forces structures, defence capability, organisation, culture and human resources, the Reserve Defence Force and, most importantly, funding. Given the significant recommendations contained within the report, detailed consideration of these recommendations was undertaken, with a high-level action plan and a memo for Government brought and approved on 12 July 2022. This involved the approval of a move to level of ambition 2 by 2028, as set out in the capability framework devised by the Commission on the Defence Forces.”
“I thank Senator O'Loughlin for raising this really important matter and for her continued interest in the transformation of our Defence Forces. I am responding on behalf of the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence, who unfortunately cannot be here due to prior commitments. On his behalf, I welcome the opportunity to respond and I thank the Senator for bringing this matter to the forefront today. The Tánaiste is deeply committed to the transformation of our Defence Forces into a modern, fit-for-purpose organisation to defend the State and meet the challenges of today and the future. The Commission on the Defence Forces was established on foot of a commitment within the then programme for Government and its report was published on 9 February 2022.”
“While I do not hold direct responsibility in this area, I will raise the concerns the Senator has raised here today and bring them directly back to the Minister of State, Deputy Moynihan.”
“Such expansion would have a hugely positive impact on working families and rural communities such as the Senator's in Wexford and will provide young people with self-confidence and independence. It would also reduce our carbon emissions and traffic congestion. The recommendations are being pursued on a phased basis through pilots around the country and the intention is to advance these further in the years ahead. The continued growth of the school transport scheme is contingent on resources being made available and we would hope that budget 2026 will provide that opportunity. I know the Minister of State is committed to working to ensure funding is secured in each budget to fully fund these programme for Government commitments.”
“The Minister of State recognises that the school transport scheme is vital to families in certain areas to support them in bringing their children to school. The Minister of State also acknowledges that there is still work to do in the expansion of the school transport scheme as committed to in the programme for Government. This is supported by the analysis that has been undertaken as part of the school transport 2030 review, which demonstrates that school transport schemes play a really important role for many families. The review's recommendations detail how the provision of school transport can be expanded to over 260,000 children and young people with transport to and from school each day.”
“The number of children and young people using the service has grown from under 120,000 pupils in 2018 to almost 178,000 pupils in 2025, which is a significant increase in the investment by any measure. Notwithstanding this, as the Senator has mentioned, issues still arise where services are not in place. In this regard, and on specific issues raised by the Senator, Bus Éireann has advised that pupils residing in Wexford town are not eligible for school transport to Good Counsel College in New Ross as this would not be the nearest post-primary centre for the pupils concerned. Bus Éireann has further advised that there is no school transport scheme from Wexford town to the New Ross post-primary centre.”