Dáil Éireann

Written answers

Some recent written answers

Department of Health: Medical Qualifications (12 November 2025)

Paul Lawless:

994. To ask the Minister for Health to intervene and pause the board’s decision to adopt the proposed standards and criteria for counsellors and psychotherapists by the counsellors and psychotherapists registration board of CORU, pending a full review to ensure that the process is lawful, proportionate, and transparent, and that it aligns with appropriate regulatory oversight; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61359/25]

Department of Education and Skills: Construction Industry (12 November 2025)

Barry Heneghan:

1151. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will consider the introduction of a national trade licensing system for construction workers and contractors, similar to the model used in Australia, to enhance accountability, safety, and quality assurance across the building industry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61777/25]

Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Planning Issues (6 November 2025)

Ken O'Flynn:

210. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform further to reports of proposed emergency planning powers for critical national infrastructure, the specific statutory provisions under consideration; the criteria by which a project would qualify; the proposed oversight and reporting arrangements to the Houses of the Oireachtas; the independent environmental and cost-benefit appraisal that would still be required; if a sunset clause and post-project review mechanism will apply; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60764/25]

Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Feedstuffs (6 November 2025)

Erin McGreehan:

329. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his Department's role in supporting farmers' participation in the biomethane supply chain, including feedstock provision and digestate management. [60666/25]

Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Community Development Projects (12 November 2025)

Conor Sheehan:

603. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government when a decision will be made on an application for a community centre (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61254/25]

Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Parental Leave (6 November 2025)

Emer Currie:

365. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the measures being considered to ensure that children in single-parent families have access to the same amount of parental leave as those in two-parent families. [60807/25]

Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Qualifications (12 November 2025)

Ann Graves:

555. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if her Department has put in place a pathway for those qualified as primary school teachers with a recognised British teaching qualification, who have not completed the two-year induction period in that jurisdiction, to allow them to complete their induction in Ireland. [62112/25]

Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Departmental Funding (12 November 2025)

Aengus Ó Snodaigh:

249. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the funding available for a voluntary led community park in Carlow (Tinryland Park, Tinryland, County Carlow) to assist with the ongoing operating costs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61691/25]

Department of Health: Health Screening Programmes (12 November 2025)

Martin Daly:

923. To ask the Minister for Health if she will provide an update on the implementation of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) screening in the National Newborn Bloodspot Screening Programme; if she will confirm the expected timeline for the commencement of routine SMA screening for newborns; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60986/25]

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Departmental Expenditure (12 November 2025)

Ken O'Flynn:

193. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the amount his Department has spent on rent regarding premises (details supplied). [61004/25]

Department of Justice and Equality: Protected Disclosures (13 November 2025)

Gillian Toole:

389. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the status of the examination of a protected disclosure (details supplied) circulated to senior Cabinet members in July 2025 and asked as a Leader’s Questions on 22 October 2025; and if correspondences will be issued; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62716/25]

Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Public Procurement Contracts (12 November 2025)

Albert Dolan:

647. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number and value of contracts that underwent post-award variations; the net value change as a percentage of original awards, by CPV/category; and the three most common drivers of variation identified, for 2022–2024. [60949/25]

Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Public Procurement Contracts (12 November 2025)

Albert Dolan:

225. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the number and value of contracts that underwent post-award variations; the net value change as a percentage of original awards, by CPV/category; and the three most common drivers of variation identified, for 2022 to 2024. [60936/25]

Department of Health: Hospital Staff (12 November 2025)

Barry Heneghan:

1093. To ask the Minister for Health if she will provide an update on current staffing levels at a hospital (details supplied), including whole-time equivalent posts by staff category and department; if she will confirm whether a full review of workforce capacity and resourcing needs has been undertaken, given the ongoing reports of overstretched staff and increased service demand; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61940/25]

Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Departmental Functions (12 November 2025)

Malcolm Byrne:

330. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the level of foresight or future planning that operates within his Department; who is responsible for long-term planning; the input these individuals or teams have into Departmental policy and practice; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61671/25]

Department of Health: Health Services Staff (13 November 2025)

Gillian Toole:

484. To ask the Minister for Health the results of recruitment campaigns by the Health Service Executive and National Council for Special Education for healthcare professional roles (details supplied), in tabular form. [62588/25]

Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: School Meals Programme (13 November 2025)

Louis O'Hara:

145. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if he has concerns about the quality of meals being provided under the hot school meals scheme; if he has concerns about the amount of food provided under the scheme being binned due to these issues; if he has engaged with meal providers regarding this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61450/25]

Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Emergency Planning (6 November 2025)

Pa Daly:

132. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he is aware of annual review recently published by the Climate Change Advisory Council (details supplied) that Ireland is not sufficiently resilient to extreme weather events; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60262/25]

Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Dublin Bus (12 November 2025)

Paul Donnelly:

274. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the additional improvements to services that will occur in 2026 for Dublin Bus arising from Budget 2026. [60972/25]

Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Artificial Intelligence (13 November 2025)

Aindrias Moynihan:

30. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment for the artificial intelligence adoption accelerator available through Enterprise Ireland digital discovery grant to be expanded from the current specific criteria (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62012/25]