Results 41-60 of 7,650 for speaker:Darren O'Rourke

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Public Transport (21 Oct 2025)

Darren O'Rourke: 242. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the measures he is taking to improve accessibility to public transport services such as busses and train services in Laytown/Bettystown. [56516/25]

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: An Garda Síochána (21 Oct 2025)

Darren O'Rourke: 344. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform further to Parliamentary Question No. 311 of 5 November 2024 and No. 427 of 10 June 2025, the progress made on the provision of a planned new Garda station in Laytown, County Meath; if he will provide a detailed update the development of a business case; the timeline for the completion of the project; and if he will make a statement...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (21 Oct 2025)

Darren O'Rourke: 374. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she is aware that school bus escorts were paid from the moment they began their working day and now they are not being paid until the moment a child gets on the bus despite many escorts being on the bus for up to an hour before hand; and if she will engage with the ETBs to resolve this issue. [56501/25]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (21 Oct 2025)

Darren O'Rourke: 399. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the reason the mainstream class teacher grant, which encompasses a furniture and ICT grant, has not been paid to schools yet, despite commitments that this would be paid on 8 September 2025; and the measures being taken to ensure schools are paid this grant as quickly as possible. [56969/25]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (21 Oct 2025)

Darren O'Rourke: 400. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the reason her Department has not contacted schools regarding the mainstream class teacher grant since 2 September 2025; if she will make contact to eligible schools informing them of any delays in payment; and measures being taken to ensure payment is made as quickly as possible. [56970/25]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Budget 2026 (21 Oct 2025)

Darren O'Rourke: 441. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to provide the Abridged Estimates Volume for Budget 2026 for Vote number 26, including the provisional sub head and programme level allocations. [57422/25]

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Naturalisation Applications (21 Oct 2025)

Darren O'Rourke: 561. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality for a general overview of the current average processing times for naturalisation applications; the specific measures being taken by the Department to address backlogs and delays, particularly for long-term residents with established family and professional ties in the State; and if he will make a statement on the matter....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Youth: Curriculum Reform at Senior Cycle: Discussion (16 Oct 2025)

Darren O'Rourke: I thank the witnesses. There is some concern that the minimum of 40% on the additional assessment components, AACs, is high and a suggestion that, at that level, there is a greater incentive to cheat. I will put it as bluntly as that. Whose decision was it to set the minimum at 40%, and what is the evidence base for it? What about the suggestions on the impulse to cheat?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Youth: Curriculum Reform at Senior Cycle: Discussion (16 Oct 2025)

Darren O'Rourke: I thank Mr. Kenny for his response. I want to pick up on the AI and AAC piece again with Ms Feeney. I take her point about the Internet and calculators. It feels to me as if generative AI is a different animal. The Internet is like an encyclopaedia, if you like, but generative AI has the ability to synthesise information and to present it. If I tell it to sound like a leaving cert...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Youth: Curriculum Reform at Senior Cycle: Discussion (16 Oct 2025)

Darren O'Rourke: I would make the point to the NCCA that the feedback I am getting from teachers, having attended some of the teacher conferences, is that participants in the SDGs feel like their contribution is not reflected. I know the witnesses have given examples of where the NCCA has listened and responded, but I would suggest it would be a worthwhile exercise to talk to previous and current members of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Youth: Curriculum Reform at Senior Cycle: Discussion (16 Oct 2025)

Darren O'Rourke: The nature of those things is that they are dynamic and so on. I would encourage that to be an ongoing process. It is in everyone's interest. While we will hear from a number of different stakeholders next week, I have heard clearly from science teachers – I have a background in science myself – about the need to continue a strong output of well-qualified scientists....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Artificial Intelligence (16 Oct 2025)

Darren O'Rourke: 27. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to outline his investment plan for research in the area of artificial intelligence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54274/25]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Boards (16 Oct 2025)

Darren O'Rourke: 67. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to provide an update on a new building for college (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54273/25]

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Rural Schemes (16 Oct 2025)

Darren O'Rourke: 109. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht when another round of category 1 funding for the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund will be announced; the criteria that will apply; the measures in place, to ensure a fair distribution of funds; the date on which applications will open and close; if projects which were previously unsuccessful will be allowed re-submit,...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Rural Schemes (16 Oct 2025)

Darren O'Rourke: 126. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the funding available through his Department for community festivals such as, for example, Dunshaughlin Harvest Festival in County Meath (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54276/25]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (16 Oct 2025)

Darren O'Rourke: 229. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she is aware that a school (details supplied) in Cork has a critically low level of SNA support and has reduced the timetable of children in the school to three and four days a week, which will greatly upset their heavily relied upon routine; and the measures she will take to ensure there is adequate SNA support available for the school to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (15 Oct 2025)

Darren O'Rourke: 186. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills further to the Budget 2026 commitment (details supplied) that ‘80 school buildings will progress to construction across 2026 & 2027 as part of 2-year rolling programme and progression of 300 school building projects currently in construction’, if she will provide a list of those schools, and the type and stage of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Management (15 Oct 2025)

Darren O'Rourke: 187. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to provide an update on a new IT system for school payroll systems; the scope and stage of development of this system and the anticipated cost; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56013/25]

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Inquiries (15 Oct 2025)

Darren O'Rourke: 229. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if a person in receipt of carers allowance and is working 18.5 hours is paid by their employer for their break times and are included as working hours; the measures her Department uses to ensure that the person is not subject to repayments or review when not physically working during their lunch break. [55877/25]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Laboratory Facilities (15 Oct 2025)

Darren O'Rourke: 354. To ask the Minister for Health to provide an update on the new laboratory IT system (details supplied) ; the length of time this system has been in development, the timeline for rollout, the cost of this project to date, and the expected total cost; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56012/25]