Dáil Éireann

Written answers

Some recent written answers

Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (17 July 2025)

Erin McGreehan:

129. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the actions underway in primary schools to ensure that children have adequate digital literacy skills. [40002/25]

Department of Health: Healthcare Policy (16 July 2025)

Jennifer Whitmore:

280. To ask the Minister for Health if she has issued health advisory guidelines to schools related to nicotine pouches in response to calls from an organisation (details supplied); if not, whether she intends to; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40018/25]

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Trade Agreements (10 July 2025)

Matt Carthy:

17. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will report on his engagements regarding the Mercosur Trade Agreement. [37569/25]

Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (17 July 2025)

Pa Daly:

141. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if the Government will address the shortage of early intervention classes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40139/25]

Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Tolls (15 July 2025)

Séamus McGrath:

294. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will request that the barrier tolls on the M7 and M8 be waived on Sunday, 20 July 2025, the day of the all-Ireland hurling final; if waiving of the fees is not possible, if he would recommend a system of online self-declaration and barrier-free travel on that day; and if it is intended to introduce barrier-free tolling on a permanent basis on the M7 and M8 in the future. [39051/25]

Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Bus Services (17 July 2025)

Mark Ward:

202. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the waiting times across the State for the walkaround test to complete a driver certificate of professional competence for bus drivers, in tabular form; the steps being taken to reduce this waiting time; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40277/25]

Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Expenditure (10 July 2025)

Paul Murphy:

226. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the details and the current year funding allocated or paid out for Departmental employees for legal study programmes including EU law in the past three years, detailing the course title, the course provider, the course fees, grade of employee supported, whether course was in person or online and name of the scheme providing the support; if employees received any other supports such as time off; if so, the details of same, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38543/25]

Department of Finance: Departmental Expenditure (10 July 2025)

Paul Murphy:

197. To ask the Minister for Finance the details and the current year funding allocated or paid out for Departmental employees for legal study programmes including EU law in the past three years, detailing the course title, the course provider, the course fees, grade of employee supported, whether course was in person or online and name of the scheme providing the support; if employees received any other supports such as time off; if so, the details of same, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38545/25]

Department of Health: Medicinal Products (17 July 2025)

Pádraig O'Sullivan:

532. To ask the Minister for Health to outline details of any programmes under which the HSE may facilitate access to medicines in emergency circumstances for medicines not on the reimbursement list; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40320/25]

Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Disabilities Assessments (17 July 2025)

Michael Cahill:

493. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the urgent actions her Department will take to address the backlog of over 14,000 overdue assessments of need for children requiring disability services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40431/25]

Department of Health: Health Services Staff (10 July 2025)

Darren O'Rourke:

316. To ask the Minister for Health the number of psychiatric wards or units there are in Meath. [38328/25]

Department of Health: General Practitioner Services (17 July 2025)

Naoise Ó Muirí:

517. To ask the Minister for Health the entitlements available to general practitioners under the general medical scheme (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40254/25]

Department of Defence: Public Private Partnerships (17 July 2025)

Albert Dolan:

192. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence to provide a list of all Public-Private Partnership projects under his remit, including project name, contract value, and start/end date since 2010; and to confirm whether any projects have been subject to cost overruns, renegotiation or early termination since 2010. [40411/25]

Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (17 July 2025)

Conor McGuinness:

339. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the amount of funding given to each county as part of the minor works grant in each of the years 2014 to 2024, and to date in 2025, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40507/25]

Department of Health: Departmental Inquiries (15 July 2025)

John Lahart:

978. To ask the Minister for Health if she has considered, in the context of a ban on sun beds, those who suffer from psoriasis who have found that occasional use of sunbeds is one of the few things that genuinely helps manage their flare-ups, and when their skin is bad, they frequently feel too self-conscious to go out, socialise, or take part in everyday activities and that sunbeds provide relief-not just physically, but mentally (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39514/25]

Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Transport Costs (17 July 2025)

Emer Currie:

207. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the projected cost of a transport development (details supplied); the services envisaged to operate from this facility; the timeline for the commencement and completion of works; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40342/25]

Department of Health: Hospital Appointments Status (15 July 2025)

Michael Cahill:

932. To ask the Minister for Health if treatment will be expedited for a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39156/25]

Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Policies (15 July 2025)

Cathal Crowe:

381. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the main policy achievements of his Department since 23 January 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38760/25]

Department of Justice and Equality: Courts Service (15 July 2025)

Matt Carthy:

724. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality with regard to District Court waiting processing times the reason for a 491-week processing time for juvenile charge sheets in the Criminal Courts of Justice as outlined in the Courts Service Annual Report for 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39255/25]

Department of Justice and Equality: Peace Commissioners (15 July 2025)

Conor McGuinness:

712. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the timelines for the processing of a peace commissioner application for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39152/25]