Christopher O'Sullivan
Cork South-West · Fianna Fáil · Ireland
“The aim of the hierarchy of the plan-making, as set out in the Act of 2024, is to improve scope for the various tiers of the planning system to more closely relate to one another, therefore providing greater clarity and consistency for all involved, from individual citizens and residents' groups to landowners and developers and ultimately…”
“My understanding is that a ten-year modernisation programme has already been undertaken by the Courts Service and significant progress has been made in improving the availability and use of court data.”
“Under the Act of 2024, the national planning framework continues to spearhead and explicate the planning agenda and sits at the pinnacle of the plan-led system and structure, whereby all tiers of planning from regional to local align with strategic objectives set out in the national planning framework.”
“The Senator has suggested that such plans would identify strategic development priorities, including settlement hierarchy, infrastructure corridors, climate adaptation measures and areas for regeneration; set out indicative phasing for major infrastructure and public investment; include spatial mapping of long-term development objectives;…”
“The Bill also facilitates the completion of the work of the Valuation Tribunal and the facility for the local authority to issue the levy demand and, where necessary, for An Coimisiún Pleanála to deal with any appeals to the demand that may arise in those existing cases currently with the tribunal.”
“As the system of plan-making in the State has just been revised and is being implemented for the first time, the introduction of another layer of plan-making could undermine the new hierarchy that was carefully arranged and agreed following extensive engagement with a range of stakeholders, including the Office of the Attorney General, an…”
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“It allows us to continue the incredible work we have been doing on species recovery, such as the corncrake, which we brought back from the brink with Corncrake LIFE, and through the breeding waders European Innovation Partnership, EIP, where we have seen species like curlew and other breeding waders come back from the brink. The plan allows us to do that on a larger scale. It also allows us to deal with invasive species such as the Asian hornet, which gained so many headlines over the summer. It allows us to put in place management and control plans to ensure that these invasive species cannot get hold in Ireland. It also allows us to deal with things like rhododendron, which is a plague along our western seaboard. The possibilities that this historic budget for nature allows us to do are incredible.”
“This is also massive the context of what we have coming down the line from a nature restoration point of view. The nature restoration plan will be published in the middle of 2026. That is going to have some significant challenges. It means we have to restore significant sections of our habitats across the country. It is all about large-scale habitat restoration. It allows us to acquire land, expand our national parks and improve wildlife, nature and biodiversity within those national parks. It allows us to manage our many designated areas or SACs and SPAs.”
“I get to speak today on investment in our nature and built heritage. The exciting news is that, for the first time ever, funding for nature and heritage exceeds a quarter of a billion. That is extraordinary and something we could not have thought possible a number of years ago. Now, for the first time, we exceed that figure. To put it into context, that represents a 15% increase for nature and heritage in general and brings funding for the sector to €256 million. It is about a two and half-fold increase from 2021, for example, when funding was under €100 million. It also represents a 20% increase for the National Parks and Wildlife Service. This is significant because, for the first time ever, funding for the National Parks and Wildlife Service exceeds €100 million.”
“Fair play to Deputy O'Shea for taking this opportunity to raise the issue. We cannot rest on our laurels. There is a lot more work to be done. There are still plenty of people in Cork county who need social homes. There is a huge demand for affordable homes so we absolutely need to accelerate that delivery. The Deputy is right in saying that when Cork County Council got the go ahead to deliver affordable homes, it was not long in putting schemes into place. It has also been strong with croí cónaithe, as well as with the first home scheme. There is a variety of opportunities there to provide housing solutions for people. I appreciate the Deputy asking this question. If there are any other specifics then the Department can come back to the Deputy on the affordable housing schemes or the social housing schemes.”
“Even in the Deputy's area of Cork North-West he can see that Cork County Council is really accelerating and progressing the rate of delivery of social housing, which is impressive. We just need to keep pushing on and making sure that they are supported by us to do that.”
“If all local authorities were able to match the rate of delivery of Cork county then the rate of delivery of social housing and affordable housing right across the board would be much stronger. I commend the work of the councillors and the local authority there, of which the Deputy was recently a member. There are some specifics in relation to Cork North-West, if the Deputy is interested. The Deputy mentioned Macroom. There are 16 units in An Clós in Macroom that are substantially complete. There are two units at Mill Road in Kanturk, which are on site. Percival Street in Kanturk has six units and the builders are on site there as well. It is the same with Market Place in Kanturk. Dr. Croke Place in Kanturk has one unit. In Macroom there are 23 units at Clós an tSuláin, as well as 48 units on the Kilmallock Road in Charleville.”
“We saw the budget decisions yesterday, with 10,200 social homes budgeted for in 2026, and a €3 billion budget for affordable homes. The State contribution towards the provision of housing has gone from €6.9 billion with a significant increase up to €9 billion. The Deputy will know, as a former Cork county councillor, that the delivery in Cork county, in particular, is very strong and must be commended.”
“On affordable housing, under Housing For All the affordable housing delivery target for 2025 is 6,400 and a very strong pipeline is in place across the delivery partners. Since the launch, over 14,500 affordable housing supports have been delivered by various delivery partners. This includes 2,000 in Cork. Building on this progress my Department will continue to engage with all delivery partners to further develop the affordable housing delivery pipeline for 2025 and beyond, which will be supported by the largest ever investment in social and affordable housing in the State with a budget of €4.16 billion available for 2026. Further to that, the target for all homes over the period of the new plan will be 300,000 homes.”
“Cork City Council has a target to deliver 592 new build social homes in 2025. The social housing construction status report, CSR, shows that there were 1,084 homes on site at various stages of design and procurement in Cork city at the end of Q1 of 2025. Cork county has a target of 683 new-build social homes this year. The CSR shows that there are 1,203 homes on site at various stages of design and procurement in Cork county. The CSR also shows that 308 new social homes were added to the pipeline across both local authorities in Q1. The number of social homes already in the pipeline, and the addition of new construction schemes to the pipeline, shows the strength of the Cork City Council and Cork County Council social housing build programmes.”
“According to action No. 4, in terms of participation and those who are supposed to be consulted it says that included in this are relevant statutory, bodies, leading industry representations and academic or interest groups and representatives of the public. I suppose the interpretation of that needs to be delved into further. What covers representatives of the public? Surely, one would imagine, that would include a broader or more inclusive discussion with the public. That is certainly feedback I will bring back to the Minister. We have a fine balance to reach here. We do need renewable energy. I still believe that onshore wind, as controversial as that may be, plays a part in that as does solar and, of course, electricity storage. However, as I said, we need to bring the community with us.”
“This will mean urban and rural parts of Ireland will play their part in delivering wind, solar, etc. In order to reach our emissions reduction and renewable energy targets, we need to bring rural communities with us. Bypassing them in the initial stages will have an impact on that. I would like to hear more about the experience in the Senator's communities and how they feel impacted by that.”
“The aim of the project group is to ensure the necessary programmes and elements of electricity storage from across the four stakeholders’ remits are delivered in a timely manner. This working group meets bimonthly and has had nine meetings to date. The response refers to actions Nos. 5, 6, 7 and so on but I think action No. 4 is the relevant action in this case, which is adequate community stakeholder engagement. The report is available on the Department's website in terms of the processes and outcomes of the stakeholder meetings. I think the Senator is highlighting that smaller communities in rural Ireland feel they are overlooked or bypassed when it comes to these discussions. I hope we all agree there is an urgent need for delivery of renewables, which the Senator outlined.”
“2 of the policy framework actions the creation of a sandbox project to advance both system operators’ technological knowledge of emerging electricity storage systems. The Department has engaged on the sandbox with both of the system operators through the joint system operator programme, JSOP. Further work towards the sandbox can be expected in quarter 1 of 2026. Action No. 3 of the policy framework convenes an electricity storage and system services working group under the accelerating renewable electricity task force. The work is comprised of the four main statutory institutions responsible for the incorporation of electricity storage into the grid network - CRU, ESB Networks, EirGrid and the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment.”
“4, which is to convene an electricity storage stakeholder forum. This action recognises the importance of a co-ordinated approach by all relevant stakeholders in ensuring that electricity storage systems play their role in the energy transition. The forum was successfully held in quarter 4 2024 and brought together participants with various perspectives on the topic of electricity storage. This included relevant statutory bodies, leading industry representatives, academic or interest groups, and representatives of the public. Community engagement and messaging were two topics discussed at the forum. A full report of the forum that outlines its participants, context, content and outcomes can be found on the Department’s website. The policy framework contains other important actions. Action No.”
“I will read out a detailed and lengthy reply. If the Senator wants to collaborate more, please request that at the end. In line with the climate action plan actions, the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment published the electricity storage policy framework for Ireland in July 2024. The policy framework, through ten Government actions, supports the incorporation of electricity storage systems into the grid network. The policy framework recognises that electricity storage systems of different types, strengths, durations, emission limits and technological make-up are required to be incorporated into the grid system. In line with this, as per action No. 1, the framework and all associated actions are technology neutral. The most relevant action to the topic at hand is No.”
“If there is a chink of light for the Senator and people in Ballincollig in the response, it would be that upon receipt of all statutory approvals including planning permission, the Department will review and advise the patron and school authorities as to whether phase 2 will be included as part of the current project. It is not ruling out that they will progress together. I agree with the Senator. We have to learn from errors in the past. Another example is in Clonakilty. A fantastic new extension to the community college was built but the case was always made that more should be built because the population was growing so much. Within a couple of years, it was again at capacity and a further extension was required. The obvious thing would have been to go bigger the first time. All of these points will be relayed to the Minister.”
“The Senator made a concrete point - the demand is there. We all know Ballincollig has a growing population. Why wait until a second stage to progress to the 16 classrooms? It makes more sense to deliver a project in full in the first effort.”
“The overall master planning of the campus site will include a potential phase 2 for Gaelscoil an Chaisleáin to expand to an overall 16-classroom plus four SEN classes primary school. Upon receipt of all statutory approvals, including planning permission, the Department will review and advise the patron and school authorities as to whether phase 2 will be included as part of the current project. As this campus project is at the initial stage of architectural planning, it is not possible to provide a timeframe for construction currently. School stakeholders will be updated by the programme manager and the Department during the stages of architectural planning. That outlines the process, plan and pathway for getting from design to delivery. There is an opportunity in the meeting with stakeholders.”
“Stage 1 is when a site and current building assessment is carried out and initial design sketch schemes are created. Currently, the programme manager and the IPT anticipate that the stage 1 submission will be available to the Department for review at the end of quarter 4 of 2025. At that stage, a stakeholders meeting will be scheduled for early quarter 1 2026. I hope that will be an opportunity where stakeholders, including parents, teachers and principals, can underline the need for more classrooms and teachers as the Senator outlined. The brief for the project for Gaelscoil an Chaisleáin is the delivery of a new eight-classroom primary school. The school will be part of a shared educational campus in Ballincollig, County Cork. This campus will also include a new 1,000-pupil post-primary school.”
“Considering the demand the Senator outlined, that information might be disputed. The project will be delivered under the Department of Education and Youth’s ADAPT 4 programme, entitled "Programme Innovate". This programme will be led by integrated project teams consisting of highly skilled and experienced design professionals, architects, engineers, project managers, quantity surveyors and various other consultants to deliver the projects. The Department has appointed a programme manager to oversee the programme, including the procurement and appointment of the integrated project teams. The IPT procurement process for phase 1, Programme Innovate, which includes the major project for Gaelscoil an Chaisleáin, is almost fully concluded. Upon appointment, the integrated project team began the initial stage of architectural planning.”
“Gabhaim buíochas leis an Seanadóir for advocating for the people and students of Ballincollig and those who wish to send their children to a multidenominational school to be educated as Gaeilge. I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister, Deputy McEntee, who could not attend. I will try to outline where the process lies and where there might be opportunities to engage and make the points the Senator has already made. As he said, Gaelscoil an Chaisleáin is a multidenominational school under the patronage of An Fóras Pátrúnachta. Gaelscoil an Chaisleáin is currently located in interim modular accommodation on the Ballincollig Rugby Football Club's grounds. I am informed that the school has sufficient accommodation at this location, pending the delivery of permanent accommodation.”
“First, it is not defined as an entity. Then we have to think about the ramifications. There are contractors involved right across everything to do with the delivery of housing. Does what is being suggested refer to subcontractors such as, for example, those who bring plant onto a site or carpenters? Where does it end? I could see a situation where the introduction of a requirement for additional onerous paperwork would completely stall the delivery of housing at scale. For all of those reasons, the Government will be opposing this legislation.”
“It goes to the buyer in order to facilitate the purchase of a home; it does not go directly to the developer. In this House, we constantly hear about barriers to delivery in housing. One of those barriers is red tape. Members talk about the onerous red tape that all sectors are required to deal with and we are constantly called on to reduce that red tape. Another level of onerous accounting or reporting would disincentivise the uptake and use of the first home scheme which we absolutely do not want to see. As already stated, there is a requirement for larger developers to publish their accounts with the Companies Registration Office. As a result, the transparency that is being called for is already there. Deputy Hearne suggested that we could simply consult with the Attorney General about contractors.”
“I will now address some of the comments of Deputies during the course of the debate. In response to Deputy Rice, we see the exact same challenges in Cork South-West. We understand the difficulties with affordability and access to housing. We are not turning a blind eye to those issues. We are completely aware of them, which is why we are trying to deliver at scale. Deputy Sherlock seems to think that it is only those on the Opposition benches who believe that the State should lead on the supply of housing, but that is absolutely not the case. The Government is by far the biggest investor in the delivery of housing in this State, with up to €7 billion spent. The Bill misinterprets the purpose of the first home scheme. We must remember that this is a support that goes directly to the buyer.”
“Putting in place barriers to the private sector engaging in these schemes would be totally counter to the goal of these supports, which is to increase the supply of affordable housing for sale or rent. In any event, a company registered under the Companies Act 2014 is obliged to submit an annual return and financial statement to the Companies Registration Office, CRO. These financial statements are available through the CRO's open data portal free of charge. Most developers of scale are likely to fall under the Act's definition of a company. The Government's longer term ambition is to create an environment for housing supply where greater affordability arises naturally from a greater supply of housing and greater efficiency in the development of that housing.”
“As I outlined earlier, the Government has put several measures in place to support access to affordable housing and assist those aspiring to buy their own homes. On the ownership side, much of what is happening involves providing financial support directly to prospective home buyers through a payment or by means of the State taking an equity stake in the property that can be redeemed by the buyer in the future. This support can be coupled with a home buyer's deposit and mortgage to enable them to achieve the price of their new home. On the rental side, these measures are about addressing the viability challenges of producing developments which can provide cost rental accommodation and rents below the market value. In the programme for Government, we committed to embedding cost rental as a permanent fixture in the housing system.”
“I also welcome Deputy Hearne's family to the Public Gallery, although I am not sure if they are still up there. I had a sense that he was a lot more measured in his approach today. He was a lot more tempered. Usually, he does not hold back and gives it both barrels. He is clearly on his best behaviour, although I had better not speak too soon. I appreciate that this is his first time introducing legislation in the House. It is an important day for him in that regard. I welcome everyone who is in the Gallery. I thank all Members for their contributions. Housing is a cross-sectoral societal challenge that has a real impact on people's lives. Solving this challenge is one of the Government's top priorities. Within that, we are placing a special emphasis on supporting home ownership and affordability for those seeking to buy or rent homes.”
“It makes no sense in the context of promoting the use of the first home scheme by first-time buyers and other eligible households to support them in the purchase of a home. Creating barriers to the private sector’s engagement with such schemes would be detrimental to the supply of new housing and to the interests of those seeking to purchase or rent it.”
“The recently announced changes to apartment guidelines will help to reduce the delivery cost for apartments, which are a strategically critical component for the private rental sector. The rental sector reforms announced earlier this year are envisaged to stimulate investment as well as extending protections for renters. The upcoming national housing plan will present the renewed environment for housing delivery which the Government is putting in place, including additional supports to complement the ones I have mentioned today. This will be the environment in which all stakeholders will then work towards delivering the step change in housing supply which the country needs over the next period. I therefore urge colleagues from across the House to oppose this Bill.”
“Over time, an improved environment and healthy competition should result in improved affordability in the private market for renters and owner-occupiers. There is substantial activity already under way aiming to improve the environment for housing delivery. The revised national housing plan set out the increase in zoned land necessary to support the increased housing targets. The ongoing implementation of the Planning and Development Act 2024 will ensure delays currently constraining supply will be reduced and more timely decisions on planning applications. The housing activation office will bring a critical focus to the provision of enabling infrastructure while the national development plan has provided significant additional funding for infrastructure investment to unlock more housing supply.”
“It involves the supply of zoned serviced land, an efficient planning system, the timely delivery of infrastructure, the availability of adequate development funding at a reasonable price, the cost of construction and the adoption of the most efficient technologies and practices, and the additional charges levied by the State on the activity. Improving the environment for the development of new houses has benefits for both the delivery of public and private housing in terms of costs, efficiency and output. For the private sector to deliver, it needs to have a viable product where dwellings can be delivered at a cost in line with what people can afford with the expectation of a reasonable profit for the developer.”
“Government is acutely aware of the need to build on this progress and act urgently to create the conditions to more than double this output to 300,000 over the next five years. We have been clear that, while the State will continue to direct unprecedented levels of public resources at housing, it is also essential that the right environment is created for greater levels of private investment to flow to support the step change in housing supply which this country needs. The environment for the private sector to invest in and efficiently deliver new housing is complex. It requires certainty, stability and predictability.”
“It allows for a subsidy of up to €120,000 per apartment or €144,000 in certain cases in regional cities where lower market prices results in a larger viability gap. These subsidies render the development viable and the subsidy is then passed on to the purchaser in the form of fair market price for the apartment. With apartments already being delivered with the support of the scheme, and more apartments approved for support in construction, the Minister, Deputy Browne, issued a new call for applications in June of this year. The Government has committed to continuing the scheme to support the construction of apartments for owner-occupiers. We have made a lot of progress in the past five years with the delivery of some 140,000 new homes since July 2020.”
“More than 122,800 first-time buyer mortgages have been drawn down in the five years to end quarter 2 of 2025. Some 6,488 first-time buyer mortgages were drawn down in quarter 2 of 2025, up 3% year-on-year, while rolling 12-month drawdowns for first-time buyers increased almost 6% year-on-year to almost 26,900. Our programme for Government commitment to deliver an average of 15,000 starter homes per year will be reflected in the upcoming national housing plan and will further drive the availability of affordable housing options for first-time buyers. The croí cónaithe cities scheme supports the building of apartments for sale to owner-occupiers. It aims to bridge the current viability gap between the cost of building apartments and the market sale price in Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway and Waterford.”
“The scheme refunds income tax and deposit interest retention tax paid by first-time new house purchasers with up to €30,000 payable to support the accumulation of a deposit and the purchase of a new home. Local authorities are delivering affordable homes with funding of €560 million from the affordable housing fund to support the delivery of more than 6,200 affordable purchase and cost rental homes by 22 local authorities. The affordable purchase scheme is based on an equity share model, similar to the first home scheme. The local authority held stake can be brought back at any point over a 40 year period after purchase or redeemed on sale if the property is sold. The impact of these supports on first-time buyers can be observed in the data.”
“Under this scheme, more than 7,600 buyers have been approved, and nearly 3,700 homes have been bought to the end of quarter 2 of 2025. In May of this year, Government approved an additional €30 million State commitment to the scheme, extending it to June 2027, bringing the total State commitment to the scheme to €370 million, matched 50:50 by the participating banks. The total commitment across all participants is, as such, €740 million. There is a programme for Government commitment to work with the participating banks to extend the scheme to 2030. The scheme will be key in supporting the ambitious delivery target of an average of 15,000 starter home supports per year over the next five years. The help to buy scheme has seen more than 58,800 claims approved since the scheme began in 2017.”
“As with the first home scheme, creating barriers to the private sector’s engagement with Government schemes which aim to increase the supply of affordable homes or increase the viability of apartments for sale would be detrimental to the supply of new housing and to the interests of those seeking to purchase or rent it. Homeownership is very clearly positioned in Housing for All as being at the heart of Government’s housing policy. That plan included a comprehensive suite of measures which are both legislatively underpinned and fully funded, to better support first-time buyers to purchase homes on the private market more affordably, two of which are the help to buy and the first home scheme. Use of the first home scheme has been growing steadily after the initial bedding in period.”
“Government also opposes the principle of mandating new financial reporting requirements for developers who are drawing on an array of Government supports aiming to stimulate the supply of housing. We remain fully committed to the successful implementation of the suite of housing measures and reforms set out in the programme for Government and under Housing for All. The forthcoming national housing plan will reaffirm and strengthen this commitment. Many developers producing housing at scale are likely companies registered under the Companies Act 2014. Such companies are already obliged to submit annual financial data to the Companies Registration Office, and Deputy Hearne alluded to that. These financial statements are publicly available through the Companies Registration Office open data platform free of charge.”
“While these specific types of entities are defined in legislation for purposes such as tax, financial reporting and so on, there is no such definition for a contractor. Creating such a legal definition would be extremely challenging and difficult to implement. Third, there is already adequate provision under company law regarding the financial information that companies are required to disclose on an annual basis. While some "contractors" may not be legally classified as companies which are obliged to provide financial information, there is a good reason these onerous financial reporting requirements have not been applied to other smaller enterprises in our economy. So far, I have referred to the application of the Bill to the first home scheme, to which the proposed amendment would apply in practice.”
“Seeking to track developers who sell new homes to home buyers availing of the first home scheme, and mandating these developers to publish annual financial information in order to be allowed to sell homes to users of the scheme, makes no sense. In addition, this could disincentivise developers from selling homes to users of the first home scheme to avoid triggering onerous additional reporting requirements. The Government is in the business of promoting the use of the first home scheme to support the delivery of affordable housing - not putting in place new barriers to its use. Second, the proposed Bill would be extremely complex to legislate for and implement. The Bill refers to a "contractor" which is not currently a specific legal entity. A contractor could be a sole trader, a small private company or a large public company.”
“The value of the payment is up to 30% of the value of the new home or 20% if used in conjunction with help to buy. There are maximum price ceilings of between €350,000 and €500,000, depending on the dwelling type and location, with the aim of targeting the support at the most suitable dwellings. The first home scheme is also available for self-builds and for tenant-in-situ properties where the tenant has received a notice of termination because the landlord is putting the property on the market. The equity payment is paid directly to the home buyer to pool with their deposit, their mortgage, and the use of the help to buy scheme, if applicable, to pay the seller of the new home. The scheme does not make a direct payment to the developer but rather supports the home buyer in the purchase of the house on the private market.”
“Section 41 provides the statutory basis for the Minister for housing to contribute funds to this special purpose vehicle for the purpose of operating and administering the equity scheme. The scheme aims to bridge the gap for first-time buyers and other eligible households between their deposit and mortgage and the price of a new home. It does so by providing an equity share payment directly to the eligible household to support their purchase of a home in exchange for a percentage ownership in the property. This equity share can then be purchased by the household based on their preferences for buying back the equity share over time. The first home scheme holds a stake in the home until the home buyer buys it back or the home is sold.”
“The description of the Bill refers to property developers who are in receipt of State subsidies, while the proposed amendment to the legislation refers specifically to the first home scheme. It remains unclear whether the intention is to apply the reporting requirements to developers who sell new homes to home buyers availing of the first home scheme, or to the wider array of State supports, but I think Deputy Hearne clarified that it would start with the first home scheme and the intention is to broaden it to the wider affordable housing scope. Either way, the Government strongly opposes the Bill for several reasons. First, the Bill seems to misunderstand the nature of the first home scheme. The first home scheme is a commercial and independent designated activity company.”
“The Government will oppose this Bill, but I welcome the opportunity to speak about the role of Government measures to support access to affordable housing and assist those aspiring to buy their own home. We continue to deliver the first affordable homes in a generation and are supporting increasing supply in this area. Quarter 1 of 2025 has seen the continued strong performance of the various affordable housing pathways, with affordable delivery increasing by over 49% over levels achieved in the same quarter of 2024. This Bill proposes to put additional financial reporting requirements in place for contractors who receive funds from the first home scheme by amending section 41 of the Affordable Housing Act 2021.”
“We will get clarity on whether it will be a review or a brand-new policy. The Deputy mentioned some good examples. He has been an advocate for all of the organisations he mentioned. We know he has been championing the highlighting of rare diseases, especially among children, over this term and the previous term. I refer again to Cancer Connect. A number of years ago it received no funding from the State, and now it does. He mentioned Marymount, which is now completely funded by the State. All of these are going in the right direction. The current funding for LauraLynn is €3.3 million. The ask is €5.3 million. It is a significant increase, but the amazing comfort, care and attention it gives to families and children who find themselves in these situations is extraordinary.”
“If there is positivity to be taken from that response, it is that the Deputy has seen how the spending profile has gone year on year. It has increased significantly year on year as per that response. The submission LauraLynn has made this year is being taken seriously and is being considered. I would be pushing with the Minister for Health that it would get all it is asking for, with the hope it would get a significant increase in funding again.”
“The Department of Health is also commissioning an evaluation of the 2009 national policy on children’s palliative care. The evaluation will review and assess the implementation of the 2019 children’s palliative care policy and identify the areas of progress along with any gaps which may need to be considered in future policy development. Findings from both these studies will inform evidence-based policy decisions in the development of the national children’s palliative care policy and assist with national service planning. The Deputy has highlighted what the LauraLynn hospice does. It is an incredible foundation and organisation. It provides a service that can never be replaced, certainly on behalf of the State, to families and children right across Ireland.”
“It has increased LauraLynn's hospice in the home service across Leinster, Munster and Connacht. LauraLynn’s pre-budget submission request is to be funded to the tune of €5.3 million, or 50% of its total operational costs, in 2026. This request will be considered as part of the overall budgetary and Estimates process. LauraLynn plays a significant role in the overall delivery of children’s palliative care services nationally. The Department of Health, HSE, and LauraLynn children’s hospice have all worked together to develop children’s palliative care services in accordance with the national children’s palliative care policy. The Department of Health and the HSE are both project sponsors of work currently under way in Trinity College Dublin on enhancing children’s palliative care in Ireland.”
“Some 78 children received specialist palliative care in Children’s Health Ireland at Crumlin and Temple Street each month and 49 children were admitted each month to LauraLynn children’s hospice. LauraLynn receives core funding from the Health Service Executive under a section 39 service agreement. Recurring core statutory funding for LauraLynn children’s hospice was allocated for the first time in budget 2021. In 2022, an additional €800,000 was provided in once-off funding. In 2023, €800,000 was provided in additional recurrent funding to LauraLynn, increasing its base funding to €2.3 million per year. In 2025, State funding increased further to €3.3 million, representing over 30% of LauraLynn’s total operating costs. This funding has been used to provide a sustainable financial base to the organisation.”
“A key enabler of this model of care is the remote support provided by the consultants in paediatric palliative medicine at Children’s Health Ireland at Crumlin and Temple Street. The voluntary sector, including organisations such as LauraLynn children’s hospice and the Jack and Jill Foundation, provides essential support to the statutory services with additional in-home nursing and respite supports for families. LauraLynn also provides inpatient hospice care at its eight-bed facility in Leopardstown, south County Dublin, along with a bereavement service. In 2024, 340 children were supported at home by clinical nurse co-ordinators for children with life-limiting conditions each month.”