Dáil Éireann

Written answers

Some recent written answers

Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (6 November 2025)

Michael Healy-Rae:

239. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if additional special education places will be provided in the Castleisland region to cater for those with additional needs (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60759/25]

Department of Defence: Departmental Bodies (4 November 2025)

Barry Ward:

237. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the number of employees in each of the agencies under his Department's remit; the number employed per year each year since 2015, by grade, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58507/25]

Department of Finance: Tax Code (4 November 2025)

Ruairí Ó Murchú:

522. To ask the Minister for Finance further to Parliamentary Question No. 32 of 22 October 2025, if non-medical aids and appliances for people with vision impairment would fall within Annex III of the EU VAT Directive, given the inclusion of goods essential to compensate and overcome disability; if assistive technology would fall within said category where it is not specifically constructed for people with vision impairment but could be reasonably treated as such; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60193/25]

Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (4 November 2025)

Grace Boland:

1028. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will publish the Housing Agency's report on defective concrete blocks in Fingal; if he will outline the findings relevant to an area (detail supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58427/25]

Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Architectural Heritage (4 November 2025)

Mattie McGrath:

547. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform further to Parliamentary Question No. 323 of 4 March 2025, when works at a public property in County Cork (details supplied) will be undertaken; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58676/25]

Department of Finance: Customs and Excise (4 November 2025)

Sorca Clarke:

465. To ask the Minister for Finance the basis on which import and customs fees are calculated for small consumer goods purchased from outside the EU; and how it can be considered proportionate or fair that, in some cases, the customs and import charges exceed the original purchase price of the goods (details supplied). [58305/25]

Department of Health: Healthcare Infrastructure Provision (6 November 2025)

Pa Daly:

475. To ask the Minister for Health the amount the HSE will be paying for the Killarney Community Hospital once the PPP is completed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60867/25]

Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Waste Management (6 November 2025)

Roderic O'Gorman:

98. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the steps the Government plans to take to support the move to reusable cups to reduce waste from disposable coffee cups; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60476/25]

Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Capital Expenditure Programme (5 November 2025)

Edward Timmins:

21. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will commit to long-term financial guarantees for infrastructure projects to facilitate longer-term planning; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60203/25]

Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Costs (4 November 2025)

Jen Cummins:

2122. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if it is still his plan to implement the major recommendations from the national review of State supports for PhD researchers, particularly around providing for additional financial supports other than stipends, and investigating whether certain cohorts of PhD researchers may benefit from employment status. [58623/25]

Department of Health: Health Service Executive (4 November 2025)

Marie Sherlock:

1675. To ask the Minister for Health the cost spend on medical claims by the HSE; and amount spent in legal fees on cases for the years 2020 to 2024 and to date in 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [58030/25]

Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (4 November 2025)

Eoghan Kenny:

1073. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government to provide updated national targets for social housing completions for 2025; and to detail if they will be met. [58982/25]

Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Solar Energy Guidelines (6 November 2025)

John Clendennen:

131. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the number of Government-owned buildings which have been retrofitted with solar panels; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60217/25]

Department of Finance: Banking Sector (5 November 2025)

Brendan Smith:

92. To ask the Minister for Finance in view of the proposed sale of Permanent TSB, if he will ensure that employment is protected in this bank and also the retention of the branch network, which is much needed and provides essential financial services in areas such as Cavan and Monaghan, where a range of banking services were lost over the years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60400/25]

Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Departmental Meetings (4 November 2025)

Ken O'Flynn:

966. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if his Department has held discussions with representative bodies such as IBEC and Fáilte Ireland regarding the need for targeted interventions to support experience economy operators ahead of 2026. [59630/25]

Department of Education and Skills: Revenue Commissioners (4 November 2025)

Aidan Farrelly:

2118. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his Department and bodies under its aegis have made tax settlements with the Revenue Commissioners in the past five years to date; and, if so, the amount in each case. [58458/25]

Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Funding (4 November 2025)

Ken O'Flynn:

2116. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills following the announcement of Ireland's associate membership of the European Organisation for Nuclear Research, CERN, the estimated level of additional funding and resource commitment Ireland will make over the next five years; the mechanisms by which regions outside Dublin for example, Munster-Cork will participate or bid for collaborative research funding; and the way in which he intends to translate high-end research membership into tangible local employment, innovation clusters and retention of talent in regions such as Cork. [58422/25]

Department of Justice and Equality: Visa Applications (4 November 2025)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire:

1265. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the status of visa applications (details supplied); when a decision will be made on same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58158/25]

Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Tolls (4 November 2025)

Barry Ward:

418. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the justification for the increase in tolls that has been announced for 1 January 2026 for a number of motorways in the national road network and the port tunnel; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59805/25]

Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Public Transport (4 November 2025)

Cian O'Callaghan:

249. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if there is a role for an organisation (details supplied) in addressing the lack of compensation available for persons injured in non-negligent accidents on public transport, in which liability cannot be assigned to any party; if he plans to legislate in this area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57696/25]