Written answers
Thursday, 16 October 2025
- Department of Education and Skills
- Student Accommodation
14. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of units of student accommodation that are owned by the universities at present in the State; the number that are planned to be...
- Third Level Fees
17. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when the student contribution fee will be abolished; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55507/25]
- Capital Expenditure Programme
18. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the major capital projects that will be progressed in 2026 in the further education sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55938/25]
- Further and Higher Education
19. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to provide an update on the work being carried out to create a single application process for apprenticeships, further and higher education; and...
- Apprenticeship Programmes
20. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the reason a disparity in pay exists in the way in which some craft apprentices are supported during their off-the-job phases of training, that...
- Irish Language
21. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will consider setting out a target for the level students studying through the medium of Irish language at third level, considering the very...
- Further and Higher Education
22. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding the Mitchell Scholarship and the funding for it; if he is supportive of the aims and continuation of this fund; and if he...
- Apprenticeship Programmes
24. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if it is possible to ensure apprentices are offered taught phases in facilities close to their home as often as possible. [55307/25]
- Further and Higher Education
26. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he plans to provide further and higher education counselling through his Department for young adults seeking to progress into further...
- Artificial Intelligence
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]
- Budget 2026
28. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the supports available for students with disabilities in further education and training under Budget 2026.; and if he will make a statement on the...
- Further and Higher Education
29. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the measures being taken by his Department to ensure ease of access to third level education for those with a disability and that the number of...
- Third Level Costs
30. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the details of additional funding being provided under the Student Assistance Fund; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55995/25]
- Further and Higher Education
31. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills for an update on the delivery of a university campus on the northside of Cork city. [55306/25]
- Gender Balance
33. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his Department is working with the Department of Education and Youth to improve gender balance in STEM subject uptake at second level, with a...
- Apprenticeship Programmes
34. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills for an update on the implementation of the Public Service Apprenticeship Plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55561/25]
- Adult Education Provision
35. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding the provision of a new building for an adult education centre (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the...
- Apprenticeship Programmes
36. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the engagements he has had with a union (details supplied) representing apprentices since becoming Minister in 2024; and if he will make a...
- Student Accommodation
37. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the details on the missed targets in the last accommodation strategy; the reason this occurred; the reason there was no mention of this in Budget...
- Equality Issues
38. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the specific measures being taken to address the underrepresentation of women in certain STEM fields, particularly engineering, computer science...
- Further and Higher Education
39. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the progress that has been made to date in increasing the number of places for Irish students in dentistry colleges in Cork and Dublin; and if he...
- Apprenticeship Programmes
41. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if there are plans to introduce apprenticeships into further business sectors similar to the existing apprenticeship in insurance; and if he will...
- Grant Payments
42. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of third level students who will benefit from increasing the SUSI income threshold from €115,000 to €120,000; and if he...
- Apprenticeship Programmes
43. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the steps he is taking to encourage more uptake in apprenticeships in skills necessary for the green transition; and if he will make a statement...
- Grant Payments
46. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to provide an update on the work his Department is carrying out to assist independent students who have become estranged from their families after...
- Education and Training Provision
47. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when the FET strategy for 2025-2029 will be published and implemented. [56016/25]
- Apprenticeship Programmes
48. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if there are plans to introduce apprenticeships into further business sectors similar to the existing apprenticeship in insurance; and if he will...
- Student Accommodation
50. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the engagement he has had with the Residential Tenancies Board with regard to the student housing crisis since becoming Minister in 2024; and if...
- Education and Training Provision
51. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the progress that has been made in the setting up of a hospitality education college at a site (details supplied) at Upper Park Road, Killarney;...
- Third Level Fees
52. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will carry out a full review of affordability of third level fees for students who come from median household income; and if he will make a...
- Community Training Centres
53. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to bring community training centre staff into public sector pay grades and pay and conditions; and if he will make a statement on the...
- Apprenticeship Programmes
54. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide an update on the progress towards the PfG target of 12,500 annual apprenticeship registrations; and if he will make a statement...
- Cross-Border Co-operation
56. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when the recommendation from Universities Ireland, which was agreed by individual universities, to drop the requirement for four A-levels from...
- Student Accommodation
57. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to provide an update on the work his Department has taken to advance the provision of purpose-built student accommodation at third-level...
- Oideachas trí Ghaeilge
58. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills cé na bearta atá sé chun a dhéanamh chun tabhairt faoina laghad cúrsaí tríú leibhéal trí...
- Third Level Costs
59. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will review the current SUSI income threshold and related grant supports for students from low and middle-income families in rural...
- An Teanga Gaeilge
60. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills cén plean atá aige chun a chinntiú go mbeidh dóthain céimithe inniúlacha a bhfuil Gaeilge acu ann chun gur...
- Third Level Costs
61. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the engagements he has had with an organisation (details supplied) since August 2025 with regard to Budget 2026; and if he will make a statement...
- Mental Health Services
62. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the extensive waiting lists for mental health supports in third level institutions; the actions he will take to...
- Further and Higher Education
63. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills for further detail on the new 1,100 course places being provided under Budget 2026 in key health and social care professions; and if he will make...
- Oideachas Tríú Leibhéal
64. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills cad iad na bearta atá á nglacadh ag a roinn chun cúrsaí tríú leibhéal trí Ghaeilge a leathnú i...
- Further and Higher Education
65. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if funding has been allocated in Budget 2026 for the review into how students with disabilities are accommodated at third level; when the review...
- Grant Payments
66. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he plans to review the operation of the student grant scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55562/25]
- Education and Training Boards
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]
- Education and Training Provision
68. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills for an update on the Kilkenny further education and training centre. [56028/25]
- Education and Training Boards
69. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to provide an update on any progress being made on the funding issues at SOLAS and ETBs’ apprenticeship training programmes; and if he will...
- Research Funding
70. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the proportion of his Department’s research budget which is allocated for new research versus earmarked or pre-committed to existing...
- Apprenticeship Programmes
71. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills for an update on the uptake of apprenticeships across the country in 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56029/25]
- Student Accommodation
72. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the national student accommodation strategy, which was due to be updated in 2024, and if he could provide a...
- Education and Training Provision
73. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide clarification in relation to Local Training Initiative Operating Guidelines (details supplied); if this policy means that LTIs...
- Apprenticeship Programmes
74. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of people currently employed to provide training to apprentices, by apprenticeship programme; and if he will make a statement on the...
- Grant Payments
76. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of students who were awarded SUSI grants in the current academic year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55461/25]
- Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht
- Tidy Towns
78. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if additional funding will be provided in Budget 2026 under the Tidy Town grant scheme; and if he will make a statement on the...
- Broadband Infrastructure
83. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if he will provide an update on plans to expand the provision of free-to-use wireless internet connectivity in rural areas; and if...
- Regional Development
88. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the steps his Department is taking to ensure equitable investment in towns such as Ballinasloe that experience multiple forms of...
- Library Services
92. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if new funding has been allocated to the development of additional public libraries as part of Budget 2026; and if he will make a...
- Flexible Work Practices
94. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht when the delayed national hub network strategy is expected to be published; the reason for the delays to its publication; and if he...
- Rural Schemes
95. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the funding has been given to areas in Louth under the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund; and if he will make a statement on...
- Sport and Recreational Development
97. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if he will provide an update on the actions taken under Embracing Ireland’s Outdoors - National Outdoor Recreation Strategy...
- Departmental Meetings
98. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht when the next meeting is scheduled between his Department, the Department of Health and representatives of Women’s Sheds...
- Regional Development
99. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if he will provide an update on the implementation of the town and village renewal scheme; the way in which the impact of this...
- Planning Issues
100. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if his attention has been drawn to the absence of updated language planning guidelines; and the timeline for the publication of...
- Community Development Projects
101. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht when the Community Centre Investment Fund will be open to applications; and if funding for new builds is being considered such as...
- Meals-on-Wheels Services
102. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if CLÁR funding is available from Budget 2026 to be allocated to meals-on-wheels providers outside of designated areas; and...
- Gaeltacht Policy
103. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if he is aware of the urgency in allocating funding to the Gaeltacht through Scéim na mBóithre Áise; when funding...
- Foras na Gaeilge
105. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if he will provide an update on progress in relation to updating the North South funding structure for Foras na Gaeilge; and if he...
- Rural Schemes
106. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht when the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund will re-open for applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter....
- Regional Development
108. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht for a list of projects in Kildare allocated funding by his Department in each of the past three years, in tabular form; and if he...
- Rural Schemes
111. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the funding allocation for rural development schemes under his Department for Budget 2026 and Budget 2025; and if he will make a...
- Regeneration Projects
112. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the funding provided under Budget 2026 for the town centres first policy; if this is additional funding; and the number of...
- Rural Schemes
113. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the average annual allocation to LEADER, by programme; since 2007. [54971/25]
- Community Development Projects
114. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht his Department’s plans for the publishing of the next round of the community centre fund; and if he will make a statement...
- Departmental Schemes
115. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if there has been an increase in funding for SICAP in Budget 2026 compared to the previous year; and if he will make a statement...
- Departmental Policies
116. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if he will report on the operation of Government's rural proofing policy, and the metrics against which its adherence is measured....
- Rural Schemes
117. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht when Scéim na mBóithre Áise will be re-established; the amount of funding that will be allocated for 2026; and if...
- Community Development Projects
119. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the measures being taken by his Department to support rural town and village communities to establish community centres or hubs...
- Irish Language
120. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the funding available to communities that wish to encourage the Irish language, particularly in the east coast’s lost...
- Departmental Funding
121. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if consideration will be given to providing additional funding for community and voluntary organisations to assist with running...
- Social Isolation
122. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht for an update on his Department’s efforts dealing with rural isolation and loneliness; and if he will make a statement on...
- Rural Schemes
123. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if a rural regeneration and development fund (RRDF) application (details supplied) will be expedited; when he expects to announce...
- Departmental Funding
124. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht for a list of projects in Longford allocated funding by his Department in each of the past three years, in tabular form; and if he...
- Regeneration Projects
125. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht when allocation funding under the town and village renewal scheme will be announced; and if he will make a statement on the...
- Rural Schemes
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...
- Water Safety
130. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the Budget 2026 allocation for Water Safety Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55408/25]
- Rural Schemes
131. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if additional funding will be provided in Budget 2026 for the local improvement scheme in order to improve non-public rural roads...
- Irish Language
133. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht for an update on the proposal submitted to Roinn na Gaeltachta (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter....
- Community Welfare Services
135. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the position regarding supports provided at a local level in community centres targeted at addressing social exclusion; if he will...
- An Teanga Gaeilge
137. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht cén dul chun cinn atá déanta maidir le pleanáil teanga, agus na bailte seirbhíse go háirithe; agus...
- Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
- Middle East
138. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade whether any expenditure incurred by the Department of Foreign Affairs in repatriating or assisting Irish citizens detained by Israeli...
- Foreign Birth Registration
139. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade for an update on an application for a foreign births registration (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56065/25]
- Trade Relations
140. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to outline Ireland's trading relationship with Malaysia; and the steps that are being taken to improve this relationship. [56066/25]
- Budget 2026
141. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to provide a breakdown of the allocation towards international climate finance in Budget 2026; the pledged amounts from other Government...
- European Union
144. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his plans to communicate to the EU Commission under Article 259 TFEU to ask if they will act to enforce EU Law against Hungary in the...
- EU Funding
145. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the EU funding opportunities that will be open for application for schemes under his Department and at agencies under his aegis in the next...
- Department of Environment, Community and Local Government
- Recycling Policy
146. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government whether his Department or the Revenue Commissioners have reviewed the remuneration and benefit structure of Re-Turn...
- Department of Defence
- EU Funding
172. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the EU funding opportunities that will be open for application for schemes under his Department and at agencies under his aegis in the next six...
- Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport
- Legislative Measures
173. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the current status of the railway safety (amendment) Bill; and when this Bill will move to the next phase. [56072/25]
- Córas Iompair Éireann
174. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if CIÉ plans to let out the vacant retail units on the concourse area of Connolly Station; and when each of those vacant units...
- Driver Test
175. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the waiting list for driving test applications; the number of driving testers; the waiting list for HGV tests; the number of driving...
- Bus Services
176. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if public toilet facilities (details supplied) will be made available at Killarney bus station; and if he will make a statement on the...
- Driver Licences
177. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the number of disqualified drivers in court in 2024; the number of disqualified drivers who surrendered their licences in court; the...
- Rail Network
180. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he or his Department are aware of the lack of carriages on commuter trains to Heuston; his discussions with TFI regarding this; and if...
- Service Level Agreements
185. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the breakdown of the fines charged to each bus operator for not meeting their service level agreements; the reasons for the value of each...
- Rail Network
186. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the discussions he has had with Irish Rail and the NTA in relation to opening up catering services on additional routes; the progress...
- Road Projects
187. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport to urgently provide funding to upgrade one of Ireland’s premier tourist routes, the Tralee to Dingle road in County Kerry; and if...
- Road Traffic Accidents
188. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the reason the RSA refuses to release detailed crash data to local councils and road planners (details supplied); and if he will make a...
- EU Funding
189. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the EU funding opportunities that will be open for application for schemes under his Department and at agencies under his aegis in the...
- Department of Finance
- Budget 2026
190. To ask the Minister for Finance in relation to the reduction in VAT on apartment sales announced as part of Budget 2026, if these reductions will be passed on to approved housing bodies...
- Medical Aids and Appliances
193. To ask the Minister for Finance if the purchase of a machine (details supplied), and its ongoing running costs, are covered under the scheme to claim relief on the cost of health expenses....
- Tax Code
194. To ask the Minister for Finance if cinemas can be included in the VAT reduction for the hospitality sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56120/25]
- Tax Rebates
195. To ask the Minister for Finance if he has given consideration to a draught excise rebate proposal (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56138/25]
- Tax Code
196. To ask the Minister for Finance his plans to amend the deemed disposal rule; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56147/25]
- Revenue Commissioners
198. To ask the Minister for Finance to provide a breakdown of all costs incurred by the Revenue Commissioners in relation to the seized vessel MV Matthew since 2023, including storage, security,...
- Recycling Policy
199. To ask the Minister for Finance if Re-Turn Ireland CLG has been assessed by the Revenue Commissioners for corporation tax, VAT, or any other applicable tax liabilities arising from its...
- Housing Schemes
205. To ask the Minister for Finance the number of help-to-buy claims approved since 1 July 2020, by county; the number of applicants associated with these claims; the number of claims by...
- Tax Credits
206. To ask the Minister for Finance the total number of rent tax credit claims made in 2023, 2024 and to date in 2025, by county, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter....
- Redundancy Payments
207. To ask the Minister for Finance to consider removing taxation on redundancy payments, given that it can be a particularly difficult time for people; and if he will make a statement on the...
- Pension Provisions
208. To ask the Minister for Finance the details of the tax changes in relation to auto-enrolment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56417/25]
- Tax Reliefs
209. To ask the Minister for Finance the total number of employers and employees that will benefit from the Special Assignee Relief Programme in 2026; and if he will make a statement on the...
- EU Funding
210. To ask the Minister for Finance the EU funding opportunities that will be open for application for schemes under his Department and at agencies under his aegis in the next six months and in...
- Department of Public Expenditure and Reform
- Departmental Expenditure
211. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the amount that has been spent by his Department to conduct tendering processes for public infrastructure projects in 2020, 2021, 2022,...
- Budget 2026
212. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the total amount of additional current spending above the ‘Revised Starting Point’ specified in the Budget 2026...
- Revenue Commissioners
216. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the controls in place across all Departments for monitoring and approving exceptional or unplanned operational expenditures, such as the...
- Brexit Supports
217. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform to release in full the details of the final submission made by the Government with regard to its Brexit Adjustment Reserve spend; and if...
- Budget 2026
218. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the actual and potential loss to the State from changes made to the EU Budget in February 2024 involving the reduction in the Brexit...
- EU Funding
219. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the EU funding opportunities that will be open for application for schemes under his Department and at agencies under his aegis in the...
- Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment
- Foreign Direct Investment
220. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will provide a list of Florida headquartered companies with operations in Ireland, maintained by the IDA. [56074/25]
- EU Funding
221. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the EU funding opportunities that will be open for application for schemes under his Department and at agencies under his aegis in...
- Department of Education and Skills
- Budget 2026
222. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the breakdown of the funding allocated to youth work in Budget 2026; the levels of funding that will be directed towards Balgaddy, Lucan, County...
- Teaching Council of Ireland
223. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the next steps for a person (details supplied) who cannot provide relevant information to register with the Teaching Council of Ireland; and if...
- Special Educational Needs
224. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if special needs assistants will be urgently provided to a special school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter....
- Schools Building Projects
226. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide an update on the progress of a development at a secondary school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the...
- School Enrolments
228. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the total number of pupils enrolled in primary and post-primary schools, by county over the past ten years, in tabular form; and if she will make...
- Special Educational Needs
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...
- Schools Building Projects
230. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills for an update on the new build for a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56140/25]
- School Admissions
231. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will address the case of a person and their daughter (details supplied); if she will intervene to assist in identifying a suitable school...
- Special Educational Needs
232. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills for an update on the number of special needs assistants in a school (details supplied); if a review can be carried out by her Department for the...
- School Staff
233. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to urgently review and allow an appeal by a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56237/25]
- Special Educational Needs
234. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the breakdown of the number of early intervention class places available broken down, by county in each of the years 2020-2025. [56255/25]
- School Curriculum
235. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will support an initiative to include CPR and defibrillator awareness training as part of the school curriculum to equip children with...
- Schools Building Projects
236. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills for an update on the progress on a building project (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56360/25]
- Residential Institutions
239. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she has engaged with the industrial school survivors who are on hunger strike; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56394/25]
- Schools Building Projects
240. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to address serious concerns around delays to a planning application by a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the...
- EU Funding
241. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the EU funding opportunities that will be open for application for schemes under her Department and at agencies under her aegis in the next six...
- Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment
- Departmental Staff
242. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the number of WTE staff, by grade and gender working in the major events unit of his Department as of 7 October 2025,...
- Budget 2026
243. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment further to Budget 2026, if the player welfare grants available to inter-county players will be increased in line with...
- Television Licence Fee
244. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the number of prosecutions initiated, convictions secured and cases struck out for non-payment of the television...
- EU Funding
247. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the EU funding opportunities that will be open for application for schemes under his Department and at agencies under...
- Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government
- Housing Schemes
249. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will consider removing the working family payment from consideration on social housing income thresholds; and if he will...
- Budget 2026
251. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if funding announced in Budget 2026 for second-hand acquisitions includes the tenant-in-situ scheme; and if he will make a...
- Rental Sector
252. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of housing assistance payment applications submitted in County Kildare from 2022 to 2025, in tabular form; and if...
- Housing Provision
254. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government his views on if the office of the planning regulator is holding back housing supply in certain local authorities; if so, to...
- Budget 2026
255. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the abridged estimates volume for Budget 2026 for Vote 34 including the provisional sub head and programme level allocations....
- Rental Sector
256. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if his Department has undertaken any impact assessment, economic analysis, or consultation with stakeholders regarding the...
- EU Funding
257. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the EU funding opportunities that will be open for application for schemes under his Department and at agencies under his...
- Defective Building Materials
258. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government further to Parliamentary Question No. 283 of 25 September 2025, in which he stated that the Housing Agency has confirmed to...
- Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection
- Social Welfare Benefits
259. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of applications his Department received for the living alone allowance in 2024 and to date in 2025; the number of...
- Cost of Living Issues
260. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection his plans to increase all income thresholds annually in line with increases in the cost-of-living; and if he will make a...
- Social Welfare Benefits
261. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection his plans to review the guidelines for carer's allowance (that is, needing partial care rather than full care); if his...
- Gender Recognition
262. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the way in which the client identity services area operates and processes applications relative to the Gender Recognition Act...
- Social Welfare Benefits
263. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection to provide an update on a section 317 review of a person (details supplied); if it will be completed before his illness...
- Budget 2026
264. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if his attention has been drawn to carers who did not benefit from changes to income thresholds in Budget 2026; the actions...
- Social Welfare Benefits
265. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if he will consider including verified disability-related expenses and private care costs as allowable deductions when...
- Budget 2026
270. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection his views on the ESRI’s assessment that measures in Budget 2026 will reduce average household disposable income by...
- Social Welfare Benefits
271. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when a decision will be made on an application for the fuel allowance by a person (details supplied), who is in receipt of a...
- EU Funding
275. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the EU funding opportunities that will be open for application for schemes under his Department and at agencies under his...
- Social Welfare Appeals
276. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of applicants for disability allowance appeals; and the number rejected over the past three years, in tabular...
- Department of Justice and Equality
- An Garda Síochána
277. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the amount that An Garda Síochána spent on purchasing anti-spit hoods in 2024 and to date in 2025, in tabular form....
- Budget 2026
279. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if funding allocated to his Department in Budget 2026 has been ringfenced for the second phase of the Stardust redress scheme;...
- Departmental Policies
280. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if he can provide an update on an ‘apparent lacuna in law’ relating to a case (details supplied); if he has...
- An Garda Síochána
281. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the timeframe for members of An Garda Síochána to be in a position to issue fixed charge notices from their mobility...
- Alcohol Sales
282. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality when the Sale of Alcohol Bill 2022 will be progressed. [56149/25]
- International Protection
284. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the total number of international protection applicants currently residing in IPAS accommodation centres in County Offaly; and...
- Human Rights
285. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality to provide an update on the work carried out to date to enable the establishment of a new Independent Human Rights Monitoring...
- An Garda Síochána
286. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of times An Garda Síochána have been deployed for protest management at Leinster House in 2024 and to date...
- International Protection
287. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the resources needed by his Department to implement the EU Migration and Asylum Pact in June 2026; the total estimated cost of...
- Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence
288. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if his Department intends to allocate any funding to establish a domestic and gender-based violence refuge exclusively for male...
- Departmental Policies
289. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality to clarify precisely what the Minister of State in his Department meant when he stated during a recent Dáil debate that...
- Court Judgments
291. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 1622 of 8 September 2025, if a temporary permission (stamp 1) will be granted including...
- EU Agreements
292. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the specific oversight role he personally exercises in relation to Ireland’s engagement with the EU Entry/Exit System...
- EU Bodies
297. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality pursuant to the commitment in the Programme for Government, the date he plans to bring the general scheme of legislation before...
- Departmental Data
300. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if her Department collects, maintains, or has access to data relating to the number and percentage of persons of non-Irish...
- EU Funding
310. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the EU funding opportunities that will be open for application for schemes under his Department and at agencies under his aegis...
- Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
- Budget 2026
311. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to provide a breakdown of the allocation for new measures in Budget 2026, by heading (a,b,c etc). [56205/25]
- Water Quality
312. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to his commitment to strengthen pollution laws and introduce a coordinated incident response system after the mass fish...
- EU Funding
313. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the EU funding opportunities that will be open for application for schemes under his Department and at agencies under his aegis in...
- Department of Children, Disability and Equality
- Parental Leave
314. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to address concerns in relation to the need for parental leave entitlements to be extended in the case of multiple births in the...
- Detention Centres
315. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the nature of refurbishment works that were carried out at Oberstown detention campus in 2024 and to date in 2025; and if each...
- Disability Services
316. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if all vacancies within CDNTs in CHO7 in 2024 and to date in 2025 due to maternity leave have been backfilled; and if not, the...
- Social Welfare Benefits
317. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will examine the feasibility of introducing a national scheme, similar to the mobility scheme in the United Kingdom, that...
- Early Childhood Care and Education
318. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the plans her Department has to progressively reduce the cost of early learning and childcare to €200 per month per child...
- Budget 2026
319. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality of the additional 35,000 children anticipated to be supported in 2026 by the national childcare scheme, the portion which results...
- Childcare Services
320. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the first and full-year cost, in terms of additional core funding required, to deliver on the €295 per week maximum fee cap...
- Budget 2026
321. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the amount of funding allocated to her Department in Budget 2026 for the purpose of reducing the maximum fee cap from its current...
- Family Resource Centres
322. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the amount that will go specifically towards family resource centres; the rationale for this decision; and if she will make a...
- Childcare Services
323. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children in Kildare on a waiting list for childcare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56132/25]
- Budget 2026
325. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the amount of funding allocated to her Department in Budget 2026 for the purpose of reducing the maximum fee cap from its current...
- Child and Family Agency
326. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the total number of times the Child and Family Agency have applied to the courts for orders to remove children where it has been...
- Childcare Services
327. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her views on concerns around the privatization of childcare providers in Fingal (details supplied) and initiatives her Department is...
- EU Funding
328. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the EU funding opportunities that will be open for application for schemes under her Department and at agencies under her aegis in...
- Department of Health
- Hospital Services
329. To ask the Minister for Health if Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda no longer accepts histopathology samples from general practitioners (GPs) in the catchment area for patients without...
- Medicinal Products
330. To ask the Minister for Health if she is aware of changes to blister packed medication (details supplied) that will cause difficulties for older persons; and if she will make a statement on...
- Emergency Departments
331. To ask the Minister for Health the rates of referral from emergency department to acute assessment units for all model 4 hospitals, for 2023, 2024 and to date in 2025, in tabular form; and...
- Nursing Homes
333. To ask the Minister for Health if the Fair Deal payment that a person has to make in respect of their family contribution and public care in a nursing home can be reviewed (details...
- Mental Health Services
371. To ask the Minister for Health to set out the average waiting time for a first appointment with a psychologist under HSE mental health services; and to detail how the 2026 funding aims to...
- Departmental Programmes
378. To ask the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 650 of 23 September 2025, the reason the expected completion date for the HSE Service Improvement Programme’s...
- Hospital Facilities
379. To ask the Minister for Health the specific winter contingency measures being put in place for hospitals in Cork City and County ahead of the 2025–2026 winter season, including...
- Defibrillators Provision
380. To ask the Minister for Health the number of defibrillators currently located in public buildings (details supplied), by county, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the...
- Health Service Executive
383. To ask the Minister for Health the amount the HSE spent on taxis for patients in 2023, 2024 and to date in 2025. [56398/25]
- Emergency Departments
390. To ask the Minister for Health the average and longest waiting times for admission from emergency departments (ED) across every ED in the country. [56412/25]
- Patient Transport
391. To ask the Minister for Health if she is aware of the difficulties in making contact with a service (details supplied), with repeated phone calls and emails from members of the public and...
- EU Funding
396. To ask the Minister for Health the EU funding opportunities that will be open for application for schemes under her Department and at agencies under her aegis in the next six months and in...
- Health Strategies
397. To ask the Minister for Health the breakdown, by location of each CR hub and its corresponding dedicated CR WTE allocation (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter....
- Department of Education and Skills
- Technological Universities
400. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the current situation on the new SETU; the reason for the delay; when construction of the South East Technical University will commence; and if...
- Apprenticeship Programmes
401. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when his department WILL publish a renewed strategy to replace the Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021-2025; and if he will make a statement on...
- Further and Higher Education
402. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her Department’s plans to improve pathways for Senior cycle students into higher and further education; and if he will make a statement on...
- Student Accommodation
404. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the projected number of shared bedroom student accommodation to commence construction over the lifetime of this Dáil; and if he will make a...
- Third Level Fees
406. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the timeline for reimbursement of overpaid student contribution fees to students and their families for 2025-2026; and if he will make a...
- Traveller Community
407. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the steps he is taking to deliver increased access to further and higher education for members of the Traveller community; and if he will make a...
- Third Level Admissions
408. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his plans for a more equitable lottery system with minimum points for CAO entry to third level education; and if he will make a statement on the...
- EU Funding
409. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the EU funding opportunities that will be open for application for schemes under his Department and at agencies under his aegis in the next six...
- Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht
- Rural Schemes
410. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the amount allocated to Monaghan County Council under the local improvement scheme in 2025; and the amount ring-fenced for any...
- Budget 2026
411. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the level of funding available for community groups for improvements to community centres in Budget 2026; if funding will be made...
- Childcare Services
413. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht to specify what the €3 million allocated to community centres will be used for; the amount that will be used for the...
- Budget 2026
414. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the reason funding to the LEADER programme has been cut year-on-year in the 2024, 2025 and 2026 Budgets; which aspects of the...
- Men's Sheds
415. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the amount that will be allocated to Men’s and Women’s Sheds; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56126/25]
- Mental Health Services
416. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the reason a national loneliness strategy was not considered in Budget 2026; if he is aware that rural isolation is a public...
- EU Funding
417. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the EU funding opportunities that will be open for application for schemes under his Department and at agencies under his aegis in...
- Charitable and Voluntary Organisations
418. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if he will consider bringing forward an amendment to the Charities Act 2009, as amended by the Charities (Amendment) Act 2024, to...
