Jerry Buttimer
Cork South-Central · Fine Gael · Ireland
“Its priority is to provide scheduled public transport services on the TFI network. It works with event organisers, operators, local authorities and An Garda Síochána to provide additional transport supports where it is possible to do so.”
“I commit to relaying the points the Senator has made on the floor of the House, and has conveyed to me in private, to the Department of Transport. To be fair to the Senator, it was not only this morning that he has articulated this. The travelling supporters of Kerry and Mayo deserve additional transport.”
“I understand from the company that the Expressway team is currently examining whether additional services on route 22 will be added on the morning of Sunday, 26 July.”
“In this case, for Kerry and Mayo, as the Senator rightly said, it will see a high demand for scheduled and additional services. The Senator has outlined the volume of tickets sales. This is the busiest time for scheduled intercity services anyway, given that it is peak summer time, and that is a priority.”
“I understand from speaking to Irish Rail that it hopes to be in a position to confirm the number of additional services later this week - I am hoping this will be today or tomorrow - and it will advise customers as soon as these services are available to book.”
“The Senator mentioned Sneem and Ventry. He and I will remember our great friends, the late, great John Egan and Paudie O'Shea, as well as the Senator's brother Tim. I get emotional because they were great GAA people. Cork and Kerry have the best supporters of the GAA.”
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“It emphasises the importance of adequate infrastructure to avail of remote working opportunities, both at home and in hubs, to ensure that the economic, social and environmental benefits of remote working are maximised. The strategy also commits to creating a conducive environment for remote working and building a remote work policy and guidance framework. The importance of remote working is also strongly recognised in the national rural development policy, Our Rural Future, as the Senator has said. A key focus of Our Rural Future is to optimise digital connectivity to support vibrant, sustainable rural communities, ensuring equality of access to digital services. One of the key commitments set out in the policy in this regard was the establishment of a key network of 400 remote working hubs throughout the country by the end of this year.”
“I am pleased to confirm that the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht continues to support the roll-out of remote working facilities throughout the country. From a policy point of view, this Government's commitment to remote working is set out in our national remote working strategy, Making Remote Work. This policy was published by the then Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment four years ago and seeks to ensure that remote working is a permanent feature in the Irish workplace in a way that maximises economic, social and environmental benefits, as the Senator has articulated quite eloquently this morning.”
“We are committed to working collaboratively with all stakeholders, including Members of the House, to ensure our grocery sector remains competitive, transparent and fair for all. The Government will continue to monitor developments closely, adapt our approach as needed and ensure that the interests of consumers remain at the heart of our economic and social policy.”
“These actions reflect a balanced and proactive strategy which addresses the root causes of concern while preserving the integrity and independence of our regulatory institutions. They also demonstrate the Government's commitment to continuous improvement, accountability and responsiveness to the evolving needs of the Irish consumer. While we appreciate the intent behind the Private Members' motion and genuinely understand and hear the frustration of people - despite some of the commentary, we are not living in ivory towers and are not aloof; we live among and in our communities - we believe the Government's current and planned measures represent a more effective and proportionate response.”
“To that end, the Government is advancing a number of targeted actions, including strengthening the powers of the CCPC; ensuring it has the necessary tools and resources to be able to investigate and address anti-competitive practices effectively; levering the CCPC state of competition analysis, which provides a robust evidence base for identifying market trends, potential distortions and areas requiring intervention; updating the CCPC's 2023 high-level analysis of the Irish grocery retail sector to reflect current market dynamics and inform future policy decisions; supporting consumer empowerment measures, including initiatives to improve price transparency, promote informed purchasing decisions and enhance public awareness of consumer rights.”
“Rather than adopting broad or duplicate powers, the Government recommends a more focused and data-driven approach to strengthening transparency and competition in our grocery sector. This approach is not only more sustainable, it is also more likely to yield tangible benefits for consumers in the short and long term.”
“This includes leveraging the expertise of the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, which plays a central role in safeguarding consumer interests and ensuring markets operate fairly and efficiently. In light of the existing regulatory framework, the active enforcement of consumer protection law and the significant reforms already under way, the Government does not believe the additional powers proposed in the Private Members' motion are necessary or proportionate at this time. While we share the objective of protecting consumers and ensuring fair pricing, we must also ensure that any new measures are evidence-based, targeted and capable of delivering real impact without any unintended consequences.”
“We are actively progressing a comprehensive suite of targeted measures designed to support consumers, enhance market transparency and strengthen regulatory oversight in the grocery sector. These actions are grounded in evidence, informed by expert analysis and aligned with our broader commitment to fairness and competition in the marketplace. We recognise that food inflation has been a persistent concern. While recent trends show some easing, we remain vigilant. I have heard the concerns of Members this morning. I myself shop, despite some of the comments earlier, and there is a genuine concern among everybody about the cost of shopping and the grocery bill and other issues as well. The Government has already taken significant steps to monitor and respond to developments in the grocery sector.”
“I am responding on the motion on behalf of the Minister of State, Deputy Dillon. I thank the members of the Social Democrats for their contributions this morning and thank all Members of the House for their varied and interesting comments. I begin by reiterating that the Government fully acknowledges the concerns raised in this Private Members' motion regarding the rising cost of groceries and the financial strain and burden it places on households, families and people throughout the country. We understand the pressures that families, people and vulnerable groups are facing and we are committed to addressing these challenges in a meaningful and effective way. It is important to emphasise that the Government is not standing still on the issue.”
“It is about making sure people are able to commute and access different parts of Galway, rather than being stuck in gridlock. As I said - I am repeating myself - having experienced it at first hand a few weeks ago, I certainly have a better understanding this morning for having been there. I thank the Deputy for raising the matter and I will bring his concerns back to the Minister.”
“Galway City Council's Western Distributor Road scheme, which is at planning stage, has a primary aim of allowing residents of the Knocknacarra area of Galway city to utilise more sustainable transport modes, such as walking, cycling and wheeling, which would provide safer and more sustainable options for children and vulnerable users to travel to school, nearby shops and community facilities. The active travel project is envisioned to provide these safer, segregated wheeling and cycling facilities in the short term, targeting construction completion by 2026 or early 2027. I will take the points the Deputy made back to the Department and the NTA. He made valid points about the issue of the Western Distributor interchange as regards the retail park and about the use of bus lanes.”
“I again thank Deputy John Connolly for his remarks and contribution. He is right that there is a need for co-ordination between all the different agencies and stakeholders to ensure we deliver for citizens and residents. I thank him for raising the matter, which is of huge importance to him, the people of Galway and the wider community. It has an impact on life and impinges on the quality of business and how people operate and on the quality of life. The Government is committed to active travel and putting in place a network under BusConnects to make it easier for people to get around and to meet our climate action and sustainability plan requirements.”
“Accordingly, it is intended to proceed with the provision of a high standard of pedestrian, cycling and wheeling facilities along this section of the route. The design also entails the construction of safer segregated cycle, pedestrian and wheeling facilities at the Ballymoneen, Clybaun Road, Bóthar Stiofáin, An Logán Estate and Deane roundabouts. I will take back the concerns the Deputy expressed. I very much hear his frustration and those of the residents of Galway, because it is a city that needs to be freed up, whether that is by more active travel, more buses or a different road network. It is congested. I fully understand the frustration and thank Deputy Connolly for raising the matter this morning.”
“The NTA has advised that rapid-build measures, namely, the installation of bollards along existing cycle lanes, would be preferred for the three easternmost road links of the route, between Clybaun Road roundabout and Deane roundabout. This is to cater for the future redesign of the bus network along the route where bus lanes are to be added, where required, at a later date. Therefore, active travel improvements for these road links are measures that are less permanent in nature and will be easier and more cost effective to upgrade at a future date. Between the Cappagh roundabout and the Clybaun Road roundabout, the future redesigned BusConnects network does not include a frequency of bus service which warrants dedicated bus lanes.”
“Hence, along these sections only minimal cycling and wheeling interventions are proposed at this stage. Along the section of the Western Distributor Road between Cappagh roundabout and Clybaun Road roundabout, the new BusConnects network envisages only a single route, route 9A, operating along this section. This route is planned to operate at a 20-minute frequency, representing three buses in each direction per hour. This frequency level does not warrant the same level of continuous bus priority as the eastern sections. Accordingly, as further development of bus lanes is not proposed along this section west of Clybaun roundabout, it is intended to proceed with the provision of a high standard of pedestrian, cycling and wheeling facilities along the section of the route between Cappagh roundabout and Clybaun Road roundabout.”
“The new BusConnects network designed for Galway city envisages different levels of bus services running along the different sections of the Western Distributor Road. To the east of the Clybaun roundabout, a minimum of nine buses an hour will be operating on the road in each direction, namely, routes 3, 9A and 9B, and this increases to a minimum of 15 buses an hour operating on the road in each direction along the section from the retail park to the junction with Bishop O’Donnell Road, namely, routes 1, 9, 10B and 424. The level of service along these sections of the Western Distributor Road from the junction with Clybaun Road to the junction with Bishop O’Donnell Road warrant and require continuous bus priority to be provided. This will be delivered under a separate future BusConnects project.”
“As the Deputy knows, a significant increase in funding has been allocated by the Department of Transport to walking and cycling infrastructure projects in recent years, following a commitment of approximately €360 million per annum in the previous programme for Government across that Government’s lifetime. The NTA’s active travel programme receives most of this funding each year, with around €290 million allocated through that agency across all local authorities this year. Galway City Council has received a funding allocation of €8 million this year, of which €390,000 has been allocated to the Western Distributor Road active travel scheme. The Western Distributor Road cycle scheme is cognisant of the Galway bus network redesign implementation by providing new bus stops along the corridor.”
“I thank Deputy Connolly for raising this very important matter. I am taking it on behalf of the Minister for Transport. The Department of Transport has responsibility for the provision of funding and setting of policy in relation to transport issues, including active travel. The NTA has responsibility for the allocation of funding to projects at local authority level and works with local authorities to ensure delivery of same. I thank Deputy Connolly for his very insightful and in-depth diagnosis of the issues involved. The Deputy is right; congestion is choking up Galway. Recently, I was struck by the level of congestion as I approached Galway coming from the Cork side.”
“I reiterate my remarks to the Senator that it is an important course and I thank her for raising the matter. It is not a solace to the Senator but it is a matter for each individual board to take into account allocated budgets and engage with the different stakeholders. The Minister has no direct responsibility. I will bring the Senator's concerns to the Minister and the Department and ask them to reflect on the comments she has made this morning. It is an important course. There is significant investment by the Government in higher and continuing education. As a former director of adult education, I very much appreciate the remarks the Senator has made this morning about ensuring that learners get access to the course and are properly educated and trained. I will bring the Senator's concerns back to the Minister.”
“This investment supports approximately 60,000 unique learners across a range of programmes. Since 2020, the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science has significantly increased investment in the FET sector by 33%. I thank the Senator again for raising the matter this morning.”
“In year two, learners can obtain a BET higher national diploma in music artist development, comparable to the higher certificate NFQ level 6. Some 139 learners have participated in this course since 2017 and to date 102 learners have achieved a higher national diploma level 6, while 20 have achieved a higher national certificate level 5. It is understood that practitioners and musicians value this programme due to its cultural significance, as the Senator has rightly articulated, as well as specialist skills development and contribution to Ireland's living heritage and culture. The City of Dublin ETB has advised the Department officials that due to the exceptionality in terms of the high costs associated with delivering this programme, it has taken a decision to move the programme to a two-year cycle.”
“I thank the Senator for raising this important matter. I am taking it on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Lawless, who sends his apologies. In 2011, Na Píobairí Uileann established PipeCraft, a dedicated training facility for musical instrument making. In 2017 they developed a partnership with Ballyfermot College of Further Education for a new programme called Irish traditional music performance and traineeship in instrument making, repair and maintenance. This programme is managed and funded through the City of Dublin ETB. The two-year programme is targeted at traditional musicians and singers who wish to develop their practical skills and musicianship. Learners can obtain a BTEC higher national certificate in music general award after year one, which is comparable to the NFQ level 5 certificate.”
“Funding for rural transport programmes increased from €16 million in 2022 to €25 million last year and 150 new or enhanced services have been rolled out under the Connecting Ireland programme since 2022. This roll-out has been successful and, under the plan, 240 new towns and villages have been connected to the public transport network. Some 61 new connections have been established to healthcare facilities and a further 41 new connections have been made to higher educational facilities. The services introduced to date have, as the Senator said, increased exponentially. In excess of 330,000 weekly vehicle kilometres have been added to the TFI public transport network. Passenger numbers have seen a fivefold increase since the roll-out of Connecting Ireland began in 2022, with a record number of passengers.”
“The statutory responsibility for securing the provision of public passenger transport services nationally rests with the NTA. It works with the public transport operators to deliver the services and has responsibility for day-to-day operational matters. That said, the Government is strongly committed to providing all citizens with reliable and realistic sustainable mobility options and public transport plays a key role in the delivery of this goal. In the new programme for Government, Securing Ireland's Future, the Government has committed to increasing Local Link services in rural areas to better connect villages, towns and cities. The Senator rightly made reference to travel for health and social care issues.”
“The ambition to improve rural transport services was further strengthened by the national sustainability policy and the related action plan, which covers the years 2022 to 2025. The policy, which was published in April 2022, is a cornerstone of Ireland's strategy to transform how people move around the country. As we approach the end of the current action plan and reflect on the progress made in three short years, I confirm that my Department is now developing a successor plan that will outline what can be achieved between 2026 and 2030. My Department has responsibility for policy and overall funding for public transport but neither the Minister nor his officials are involved in the day-to-day operation of public transport services.”
“Further enhancements are planned for the corridors between Glencolumbkille and Donegal town and between An Clochán Liath and Donegal town. Further enhancements are planned for the east Donegal area. I will specifically address the matters raised by the Senator. The Ardara to Glenties corridor is currently connected to Donegal town by Bus Éireann route 492. We can talk again about the need to provide further connectivity. The National Transport Authority, NTA, is in discussions with Bus Éireann to enhance the frequency of this route under the Connecting Ireland programme, subject to funding and resources. Ardara is also connected to Killybegs by route 991, which is operated by McGeehan Coaches.”
“I thank Senator Boyle for raising the matter and for his ongoing advocacy on behalf of the people of Donegal regarding transport and specific routes, including the areas he mentioned. It is a beautiful part of Donegal from Ardara to Glenties to Portnoo. I hear the Senator about the gaps and I look forward to going to Donegal in July to visit with the Senator. I hope we can meet some of the people involved. A number of Connecting Ireland proposals on the Inishowen Peninsula, Fanad Peninsula and north-west Donegal were implemented last year. We are currently in year four of a five-year Connecting Ireland rural mobility plan with further new and enhanced routes planned over the coming years, including ones in County Donegal.”
“I hear the Senator's frustration and understand her annoyance, given that there is a lot of voluntary work being done by people that is not being appreciated in this instance. I know the Senator is not happy with the reply but there is an independence. The Department has no involvement. For the Senator's information, the Department provides annual funding to IBAL towards the cost of its annual business against litter campaign but there is that line of separation. I believe the An Taisce methodology involved attributing a cleanliness rating to each town or city based on a number of sites assessed. The Senator knows best with regard to Tallaght; I have not got that information.”
“Where mortgage rates had in the past increased in line with ECB increases, they should now in the new interest rate environment also appropriately adjust downwards. The Central Bank will continue to liaise with regulated entities on this matter.”
“If consumers are still not satisfied with the response, then there is an option to go to the independent financial services office provided for in law to adjudicate on complaints consumers have with regulated financial services providers. Again, recent Central Bank data indicates that the average interest rate on outstanding mortgages held by bank and non-bank regulated entities has declined over recent years. Deputy McGrath is right to raise this matter. We cannot be complacent. We have an obligation to ensure we advocate on behalf of and work for our constituents and people we know well. The decline in this regard is a welcome one and, from a general perspective, the ECB is reducing official interest rates and the Government expects all mortgage creditors to keep their lending rates under review.”
“These codes are not voluntary and there can be no question of regulated loan owners not following them. The failure to do so can result in the Central Bank of Ireland using its range of powers to ensure adherence to codes, including its administrative sanctions, procedures or legal actions where appropriate. In addition to the protections available to consumers under the financial legislation and regulatory framework, a consumer also has recourse to the Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman, FSPO. If consumers are not satisfied with how a regulated firm is dealing with them in relation to the handling of their mortgage or believe a regulated firm is not following the requirements of the Central Bank codes and regulations under financial services law, they should make a complaint directly to the regulated firm.”
“The Deputy is right to raise the matter. It is an issue vexing many of our neighbours and friends. The Government is acutely aware of the impact of the rising interest rate environment and the strain it has caused for some borrowers, and has responded with various initiatives to assist those affected. Following engagement with the then Minister for Finance in 2023, the mortgage industry put in place several measures to assist their customers experiencing difficulties to provide enhanced clarity on eligibility criteria for switching mortgages. I emphasise that all regulated entities, including banks, other regulated mortgage lenders and loan owners and services, are required as a matter of law to follow the statutory Central Bank code of conduct, including the code of conduct on mortgage arrears and the consumer protection code.”
“Furthermore, established and relatively new mortgage lenders are increasing the range of their mortgage offerings and a wide range of mortgage types, with different types of interest rate product, LTV products and green mortgages now available. While interest rates increased in the period 2022 to 2023 and were challenging for the mortgage market, the most recent reduction in mortgage rates in the past 12 months will help many borrowers. Despite the inflation rate fluctuations, the mortgage market has remained resilient over this period. New residential mortgage lending amounted to almost €12.6 billion in 2024, compared with €8.4 billion in 2020. I have a substantial further contribution to provide to Deputy McGrath and I am happy to give it to him later. I thank him for raising this matter.”
“However, the national interest rate on mortgages with non-banks was higher, at 4%. In relation to variable mortgage rates, options are also available for some borrowers, in particular creditworthy variable rate mortgage borrowers who have now built up equity in their home, to look at alternative mortgage options to reduce their mortgage costs. In this context, new lenders have entered the market. This is providing more competition and, in turn, may provide better value to consumers. Other lenders are also enhancing their presence in the market, including one particular entity that is now moving to provide a fuller range of banking services to Irish financial consumers.”
“While acknowledging that the euro area average rate is somewhat lower than in Ireland, it is worth pointing out that the vast majority of new Irish mortgages, some 81%, are now at a fixed rate, up from 70% in April 2024. This will protect borrowers in the event of a rise in official and market interest rates, at least for the period the interest rate is fixed. In addition, the weighted average interest rate on a new fixed-rate mortgage agreement was 3.55% in April 2025, three basis points lower than in March this year and 58 basis points than in April 2024, which also makes for encouraging news for borrowers. Regarding interest rates on an outstanding mortgage, Deputy McGrath may wish to note that at the end of March 2025 the average mortgage interest rate with banks was 3.5%.”
“Accordingly, the determination of the initial interest rate and the contractual positions for the subsequent adjustment of the interest rate in non-tracker mortgages is a business and contractual matter for the individual lender. In the case of a fixed-rate mortgage, the contractual terms will provide that the interest rate will not adjust during the period the interest rate is fixed. The latest publicly available data on retail mortgage interest rates, published last week by the Central Bank of Ireland, is for April 2025 and indicates that, overall, the average interest rate on new mortgages in Ireland was 3.72%. This represents a reduction of five basis points, from 3.77% in March, and is 52 basis points lower in annual terms and demonstrates a sustained reduction. The equivalent euro area average increased slightly last month to 3.34%.”
“However, other economic and business specific factors, such as the cost of funding, market conditions and contractual frameworks, will also influence the retail rates charged by individual lenders. Therefore, in a market economy, the determination of retail and business lending rates are commercial decisions for individual creditors. The Minister for Finance has no specific function or role in such decision-making matters by credit institutions or other mortgage entities, except in the case of most tracker mortgages, where the contractual terms of the mortgage provide that the interest rate will adjust in line with changes in the main ECB lending rate. The contractual provisions of other types of mortgages usually afford a greater degree of flexibility to the mortgage provider in the adjustment of interest rates.”
“I thank Deputy McGrath for raising this very important issue. I am taking the matter on behalf of the Minister. As Deputy McGrath will know, the formulation and implementation of monetary policy is an independent matter for the European Central Bank, ECB. As it sought to combat excessive inflation, the ECB increased official interest rates on ten occasions, to 4.5%, in the period 2022 to 2023. However, since last summer, the ECB has reduced its official rates on eight occasions and, together with a change to the way it implements its monetary policy, this has had the effect of reducing its main official lending rate by 2.35 percentage points, to 2.15%. Official interest rates influence the level of interest rates in the wider economy.”
“PR6 will see the CRU approve by year end the investment in the grid spanning the four-year period 2026 to 2030. ESB Networks, as part of the PR6 process, has requested a baseline investment in the onshore grid of €10.1 billion, with the potential to grow to €13.4 billion. This is an increase from the €4.4 billion approved under PR5. In conclusion, PR6 will assist in Ireland maintaining a reliable and resilient electricity network to meet the needs of customers and society, delivering additional network capacity at all voltage levels.”
“The Commission for Regulation of Utilities is currently reviewing the results of the recent public consultation on a new proposed data centre connection policy. While in the near term already-contracted data centres will be accommodated in the grid, for the medium term, the Government is committed to developing a plan that will, inter alia , guide the development of plan-led data centre infrastructure to provide a certainty to the sector over the medium term. The programme for Government commits to scale up investment in critical infrastructure, including electricity, and this is key to facilitating the delivery of future demand growth. I expect the Commission for Regulation of Utilities to shortly publish its minded-to decision on price review 6.”
“I thank Deputy Burke for his contribution and comments, and I will take his remarks back to the Minister. As I said earlier, next month the Minister will bring a policy document on private wires to Cabinet. However, private wires alone will not solve the issues currently facing the data centre sector in Ireland. To date, Ireland has attracted the best data centre and tech companies in the world, which is an important relationship, and Government continues to work with the sector towards a secure and decarbonised energy future. Data centre electricity demand is a global challenge for companies and governments. In Ireland, there are current and real network constraints in facilitating new data centre connections, particularly in Dublin.”
“Data centres, while playing an important role in our economic prosperity, are just an aspect of many businesses, both indigenous and foreign, based in Ireland. As part of developing a private wires policy, the Department undertook a detailed public consultation during 2023, the results of which were published along with the wider policy principles in 2024. As part of the public consultation, the views of numerous stakeholders representing various parts of the economy, including data centres, were sought and considered by officials.”
“The intention is that private wires will accelerate investment in new electricity infrastructure, including renewable generation and storage, in a manner consistent with the guiding principles of the private wires policy, thereby increasing the availability of power within the wider electricity system. An example of a private wire which may be seen in the future is where a manufacturing plant builds a private connection directly to a new renewable generator. Once introduced, this policy will require primary legislation, along with increased powers and staffing for the Commission for Regulation of Utilities, which this Government will move to implement as a priority. While the Deputy has asked about data centres, it is worth noting that the private wires policy will be broader than just data centres.”
“The principles, while not making immediate changes, are to guide any changes which are to come and provide guidance to the public and industry as to the direction of travel in respect of this key area while reiterating the central role the national electricity grid will continue to play in our electricity system. Developing a private wires policy is of importance to this Government and an action was included in the programme for Government to expedite the delivery of this policy. It is the Minister's intention to bring a policy document on private wires to Cabinet next month. The private wires policy will, among other things, aim to unlock private sector resources to build new electricity infrastructure by expanding the rights of private undertakings to connect supply directly with demand.”
“As the Irish energy sector evolves further with a move towards renewables and a zero-carbon economy, there are opportunities to alter the environment in which electricity supply takes place. Private wires provide one such opportunity and, on a basic level, refer to private individuals or undertakings running their own electricity cables in order to transfer electricity from one site to another. Having received Government approval on 4 July, the Department published a set of guiding principles for the development of a policy on private wires.”
“The current legal position in Ireland is that, other than in limited circumstances, only the ESB can own an electricity distribution or transmission system and, as such, the supply of electricity from generation site to demand user takes place on the ESB-owned national electricity grid. Deputy Burke may be interested to know that this position has its roots back to the early years of the State and the establishment of the ESB in 1927. Following its establishment, the ESB set about creating a standardised national electricity network and have owned what we now know as our national electricity grid ever since. The current electricity market and environment is very different now, with a liberalised and interconnected market in operation.”
“I thank Deputy Burke for raising this very important matter. He is right to highlight the relationship between data centres and electricity demand, which is a global challenge. There is the additional demand for energy by data centres and the need to ensure we are competitive. I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment. I will first set out the work this Government is doing on private wires, which is the policy area that will allow for demand users to connect directly to generators, and I will then set out the work we are undertaking in respect of data centres.”
“There can be significant overlap and duplicate applications throughout areas and schools. While some applications may not yet have received an offer for a school place for 2025 to 2026, families can be assured that all children who require a school place will be provided with one. I will take the Deputy's remarks back and I hear his concerns most definitely.”
“I thank Deputy Smith for raising the issue and I hear his remarks and concerns regarding the provision of school places at primary level in Portmarnock. The Department uses data from a range of sources, including child benefit data, enrolments and information on new residential developments to plan for school placement needs. I will take the points Deputy Smith has made back, and I ask him to provide the information to me so that I can give it to the Minister and the Department. There has been significant investment in school infrastructure since 2020. The Department is continually planning for, and investing in, existing and new schools throughout the country. The nature of the admission process is considerable and quite complex as offers and acceptance continue to transact.”
“The Department will continue to keep school place requirements in the Portmarnock school planning area, as with all other areas, under review.”