Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit chuig an Seanad. I congratulate my colleagues on both sides of the House for their initiative in the previous Commencement matter, especially on a day when another woman has been murdered. Anything that we can do to support women and children in these violent circumstances is very much to be welcomed.

I am sorry that the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Calleary, is not here but this is something that, perhaps, the Minister of State could relay to him. I visited Cluain Training Centre in Clonmel. It is located in what used to be an old boot factory in Clonmel. It provides the most amazing resources for disabled people and people with mental health challenges. As is often the case in Ireland, it is kind of a patchwork quilt of services and supports. It was originally set up as a voluntary intervention by the Tipperary mental health and voluntary housing association back in 1993 but the building has now passed into the possession of the State.

Unfortunately, due to an anomaly, students wishing to undertake what is called a special training programme or specialist training provision have to complete an administrative process whereby they must fill out a DA103 entitlement form and have their disability allowance, invalidity payments or social welfare payments transferred over to Cluain Training Centre for the period of their training. In turn, it has the administrative burden of paying those sums over to those students.

There are a couple of anomalies in this regard. First, it creates an extra administrative burden for the Department of Social Protection staff, whom I believe are located in Longford. Second, and most importantly, for people with mental health issues, who may be nervous or concerned about their payments, it has a chilling effect on their ability and willingness to participate in the courses. Many of them do not take up the course because they are terrified of transferring their payments over to another agency. It is difficult for many of our disabled citizens to carry out this completely anomalous and unnecessary administrative burden.

We are asking the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Calleary, to please join the dots and end this anomalous practice because the Tipperary Education and Training Board is providing services for between 60 and 70 adults in the Clonmel area. It is the only service in south Tipperary, and this is really having a negative impact on its ability to do its work.

I visited the centre and I pay tribute to the great work Patricia O'Meara is doing there. She is a former student of mine. There is such a lovely sense of community there and I saw all of these young adults and older citizens involved in all sorts of very therapeutic, stimulating and constructive activities. As a parent and a carer to a young man who is disabled, I have seen some of the day service opportunities around the State and some of them are in very anonymous buildings in industrial estates away from the community. This is at the beating heart of the community in Clonmel. It is a beautiful thing, and it troubles me to think that something like this, a small administrative matter, is getting in the way of the incredible work Tipperary Education and Training Board is doing and the solace it brings to all of those 70 families, in addition to the service users.

Will the Minister talk to the Minister for Health, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, to see if the HSE could contribute some funding for the renovation of this beautiful old building to allow the service to continue using it?

I thank Senator Clonan. There are a number of asks there. He is obviously talking about the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Calleary, but it seems that the Departments conferred on this Commencement matter and decided it fell within the remit of the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science.

The Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science places a high priority on inclusion across further and higher education. This work is closely aligned with the programme for Government, the national human rights strategy for disabled people and the forthcoming further education and training, FET, strategy.

Let us deal with the two issues the Senator raised, the disability allowance and the invalidity pension. For those in receipt of disability allowance, what happens is, as the Senator said, an administrative change. When they start a FET course, their disability allowance is paused and they are paid a FET training allowance instead. This is usually €254 per week or the same amount as their disability allowance if that is higher. When the learner leaves or completes the course and the Department of Social Protection is informed, the disability allowance is then automatically reinstated, but it is important to say there is no loss of either the allowance or the services provided.

The Senator is really speaking about the payment arrangements. They are arranged between the Department of Social Protection and SOLAS nationally and have been place since 2001, 25 years ago. The Department of Social Protection has advised that the suspension of disability allowance payments while on full-time FET training is a fundamental element of the agreed national funding model and ensures consistency in payment structures across all education and training boards and training providers. I reiterate that there is no financial loss to anybody involved here.

Those in receipt of the invalidity pension must apply to the Department of Social Protection for an exemption before starting the course. When approval is given, the learner stays on invalidity pension throughout the training and continues to be paid as normal.

As I have said, there is no loss to anybody who is on this course. As well as that, there are a number of other key supports for students with disabilities. We have the fund for students with disabilities, which enables education and training boards to put vital supports in place in order that learners can participate on an equal footing with their peers. In 2024 alone, over 3,500 learners benefited from these supports and there was a further commitment in budget 2026, with an extra €2 million being secured. This new, dedicated funding also includes transport supports for learners with intellectual disabilities.

That helps to remove a barrier to participation. In addition, there is a real emphasis on capability across the system to help mainstream FET programmes and make sure they are accessible to people with disabilities. The whole idea of universal design and reasonable accommodations is very much to the fore.

SOLAS has advised that in 2025 almost €45 million was allocated to specialist training providers, and that includes Cluain, in Tipperary. It is part of that. Approximately €18 million of this funding goes to training allowances for learners. I will, as the Senator asked, speak to the Ministers in question. I am interested to hear the Senator's further response.

I thank the Minister of State for actually addressing me and addressing the question as opposed to reading out some script written by a public servant, which generally fails to address the underlying issue.

I hear what the Minister of State says. It is an historical arrangement and an agreement that goes back 25 years, but asserting that does not make it the right thing to do. This should be client focused and person focused, and should not preserve an administrative system that is simply anachronistic. I cannot see any reason it would benefit the State, the person or the service by transferring this money by way of an anomalous requirement that was set out 23 years ago. That we have just always done it this way is not a compelling argument for keeping it that way. I am mindful that they have their own local representatives down there. There are Senators in this Chamber who live in that constituency. They are so much in extremis and in such difficulty that they have reached out to me to raise this issue. I have seen the work they do. It is not a big ask. It will not cost the State anything. In fact, it will save the State money because they will not have to do this bureaucratic administrative process which is completely unnecessary and is having a negative impact on the very people who might benefit from these courses. I appreciate the Minister of State's sincerity.

It says here that the suspension of disability allowance payments while on full-time FET is a fundamental element of the agreed national funding model. It goes on to say that it ensures consistency in payment structures across all ETBs and training providers, and that would include Cluain in Tipperary. I will certainly go to the Department, but it does seem that while what the Senator asks could be of benefit, maybe the impact of it on the systems that are already in place might be substantial. I cannot really answer because it is not within my area of expertise, but I understand what he says, especially that it can be offputting when people with disabilities are faced with extra forms to fill. It is my understanding that the providers in question provide a lot of support to those people, but I will try to find out a little more on that specific issue.