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Results 61-80 of 408 for speaker:William Aird

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Budget 2026 (15 Jul 2025)

William Aird: 346. To ask the Minister for Finance if he will consider introducing tax reliefs, credits, or allowances in Budget 2026 for separated or divorced parents who are active in their children's lives and who contribute financially and personally to their upbringing, but currently receive no tax recognition despite having their children part-time and incurring substantial expenses including...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (15 Jul 2025)

William Aird: 551. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will increase the allocation to Laois County Council, for the housing adaptation grant scheme for older people and people with disabilities, in view of significant demand, increasing costs, and the essential role these grants plays in enabling people to live safely and independently in their homes; and if he will make...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (15 Jul 2025)

William Aird: 613. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if he will consider extending eligibility for the State pension (Contributory) to long-serving public servants, including teachers and local authority workers, who paid class D PRSI for decades but now find themselves excluded from receiving the State pension; if he acknowledges the financial hardship faced by many of these...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: School Transport (15 Jul 2025)

William Aird: 614. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if he will commit to introducing a fair and standardised system of income support for part-time school bus drivers during school closures (details supplied); if he will work with the Department of Education and the Department of Transport to develop an advance or automatic payment mechanism that recognises school closures...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Newborn Saving's Account (15 Jul 2025)

William Aird: 801. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the steps her Department is taking towards the establishment of a managed savings account for newborns, as promised in the Programme for Government 2025, Securing Our Future; if the scheme will allow parents to save up to €2,000 per annum and earn interest on those savings; and if she will make a statement on the matter....

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Childcare Services (15 Jul 2025)

William Aird: 845. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will address the current shortage of childcare places for infants under 12 months; if consideration has been given to extending financial supports or childcare leave entitlements to parents who face a gap between the end of paid maternity and parental leave and the availability of childcare; and the way in which she plans...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Childcare Services (15 Jul 2025)

William Aird: 846. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she is considering measures to expand access to after-school child care services in primary schools, particularly for children finishing school at 2 pm; if the impact of limited childcare options on mothers' participation in the workforce has been assessed; if supports will be introduced to make aftercare more accessible and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Provision (15 Jul 2025)

William Aird: 1014. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the rationale for excluding the BA (Hons) in psychology course at the National College of Ireland from eligibility under the free fees initiative (FFI), given that all other undergraduate courses at the institution are deemed eligible and that the psychology degree is accredited by the Psychological Society of Ireland; and if he will consider...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Rural Schemes (10 Jul 2025)

William Aird: 118. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht to provide an update on funding to help local authorities carry out improvement works on private and non-publicly maintained roads, given the importance of rural infrastructure and connectivity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38239/25]

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Health Services (9 Jul 2025)

William Aird: I thank the Minister of State for her response. However, it is important that I stress again that I am not asking for extras for County Laois. I am asking for the basics, that is, access to a doctor, reasonable wait times, and care delivered in our towns and villages. Rural Laois deserves the same healthcare rights as any other part of this country. People have paid into the system for...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Health Services (9 Jul 2025)

William Aird: We do not.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Health Services (9 Jul 2025)

William Aird: That is what was said 12 months ago.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Health Services (9 Jul 2025)

William Aird: I draw the Minister of State's attention to an escalating crisis in rural County Laois in the form of the chronic shortage of GPs and the lack of fully developed primary care services. We all accept that primary care is the front line of the health service. It is where early diagnoses happen, chronic conditions are managed and preventative care should take place, easing pressure on our...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Farm Safety: Discussion (9 Jul 2025)

William Aird: I welcome all our guests today and especially welcome Ms Rohan. I know Brian would have loved to be here today as well. You are from Laois the same as I am. I remember well getting a phone call about Brian's father Liam. I was young at the time. I clearly remember saying it could not be him because he was so safe. He was so tidy on his farm. He was just one of that type of people and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Farmer Mental Health and Well-being: Discussion (9 Jul 2025)

William Aird: I welcome John, David, Alice, Teresa and Claire. I do not have a question for the IFA from the point of view of what it does because it does great work and if it was not for the IFA we would be in a lot poorer place than we are in at the moment. The IFA has monthly meetings and engages with farmers to try to encourage them to go in and we did the same in Macra. I started off in Macra and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Scrutiny of EU Legislative Proposals (9 Jul 2025)

William Aird: I thank the witnesses for coming in. There are 20,000 farmers in Ireland with less than 10 ha. Those 20,000 farmers are in those schemes. If those 20,000 farmers were offered something else, the money would have to come out of it. We will leave that as it is. Ms McPhillips can answer that question in a moment. I would like to ask Mr. McGann a question. He is out there on the front...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Scrutiny of EU Legislative Proposals (9 Jul 2025)

William Aird: I will just say that it is agreed with caution. That is all I will say.

Joint Committee on Social Protection, Rural and Community Development: Engagement on Matters Relating to Pre-Budget Submissions: Discussion (9 Jul 2025)

William Aird: I have a question about the housing situation. I was a member of a local authority for many years. It introduced a scheme whereby if a person was renting a house and it was put up for sale, the council would buy it and leave him or her in the house. I thought it was an excellent scheme. I agree with the witnesses; it is a pity that it has not been continued. The fact was that they felt...

Joint Committee on Social Protection, Rural and Community Development: Engagement on Matters Relating to Pre-Budget Submissions: Discussion (9 Jul 2025)

William Aird: I thank everybody for coming here today. I have used this analogy all of my political life. Sinead is not alone. There are thousands of Sineads and Johns out there providing full-time care. I always say it is like pushing water up a hill. I still have to use that analogy, which I have been using for nearly 40 years now. I hope I am still a public representative on the day I am able to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (8 Jul 2025)

William Aird: 126. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the third level fee supports that are available for graduate medicine students; if he will outline future plans for this if none are currently in place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37571/25]

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