381. Deputy Charles Ward asked the Minister for Education if she will make changes to the school transport rules which will allow students doing a PLC course in their local secondary school to access school transport (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15099/25]
272. Deputy Charles Ward asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media how Donegal will benefit from the newly restored scéim na mbóithre áise; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14863/25]
238. Deputy Charles Ward asked the Minister for Education how retired teachers who previously worked as teachers in Donegal can register for the Donegal Education Centre AGM (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14788/25]
237. Deputy Charles Ward asked the Minister for Education how SNAs who work in Donegal can register for the Donegal Education Centre AGM (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14787/25]
77. Deputy Charles Ward asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the number of applications for the local improvement scheme in Donegal since 2020; the number of outstanding local improvement scheme roads in Donegal; if he will allocate a major increase in local improvement scheme funding for the Glenties and Inishowen municipal districts given the demand; whether he will review the local improvement scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14862/25]
1879. Deputy Charles Ward asked the Minister for Health her plans to address the considerable need for occupational therapy appointments in Donegal (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12610/25]
1878. Deputy Charles Ward asked the Minister for Health which of the eight vacancies specifically in primary care service in Donegal which have been vacant as of December 2023, will not be considered for funding going forward (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12609/25]
1877. Deputy Charles Ward asked the Minister for Health which of the eight vacancies currently in primary care in Donegal which were vacant as of December 2023, will be considered for funding going forward (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12608/25]
1876. Deputy Charles Ward asked the Minister for Health when the three vacancies currently in social care in Donegal will be considered for funding and advertised (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12607/25]
1875. Deputy Charles Ward asked the Minister for Health if funding and recruitment is approved or currently advertised for all the 11 vacant occupational therapy posts in Donegal (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12606/25]
1135. Deputy Charles Ward asked the Minister for Justice the status and timelines of the exceptionality phase of the redress scheme for survivors of the Stardust tragedy, as committed to by the Department of the Taoiseach in 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11551/25]
620. Deputy Charles Ward asked the Minister for Education if Post Graduate Certificate in Education graduates from the UK are eligible to register as a newly qualified teacher in Ireland; when changes to the eligibility criteria in relation to this took place; if she intends on making changes to the eligibility criteria in the future; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11276/25]
309. Deputy Charles Ward asked the Minister for Transport whether he would consider introducing free public transport to people under the age of 18; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11287/25]
429. Deputy Charles Ward asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his Department is considering retrospective adjustments for early applicants under the enhanced defective concrete block scheme who met the grant cap whose engineering fees were deducted from the €420,000 cap; the measures being taken to insure that early movers are not penalised as previously stated by the then Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage; the reason a homeowner who does not meet the cap has fees reimbursed but a homeowner that meets the cap does not; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9006/25]
211. Deputy Charles Ward asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications to liaise with a service provider (details supplied) to expedite the return of telephone and internet services to an area in Donegal (details supplied) where a business in this area cannot exist without proper communications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9223/25]
285. Deputy Charles Ward asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will examine the case of a person (details supplied) requiring exceptional approval; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8879/25]
201. Deputy Charles Ward asked the Minister for Transport whether his contract with a company (details supplied) regarding search-and-rescue (SAR) services will meet the contract’s original commitment of all-weather, 24-hour SAR coverage, 365 days a year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8883/25]
200. Deputy Charles Ward asked the Minister for Transport what contingency plans are in place to ensure uninterrupted search-and-rescue (SAR) coverage, particularly for islands and rural coastal areas, while the transition of SAR services from one company to another (details supplied) takes place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8882/25]
199. Deputy Charles Ward asked the Minister for Transport the reason the transition of search-and-rescue services from one company (details supplied) to another has not been communicated to crews and communities; whether crews and communities will be informed in the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8881/25]
198. Deputy Charles Ward asked the Minister for Transport whether Rescue 118 will maintain its 24-hour coverage once transferred to a company (details supplied), or whether it will be reduced to a 12-hour service as seen in Shannon; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8880/25]
348. Deputy Charles Ward asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the status of each individual project approved under the town and village renewal scheme in Donegal, in 2024; the grant approved for each project, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8195/25]
347. Deputy Charles Ward asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the status of each project approved under measures 1, 2 and 3 of the outdoor recreation infrastructure scheme in Donegal, in 2024; the grant approved for each project; the current status of each project; the completion date for each project, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8193/25]
286. Deputy Charles Ward asked the Minister for Health when a community hospital (details supplied) will re-open for admissions and return to normal service; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8358/25]
265. Deputy Charles Ward asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE nurses based in Letterkenny University Hospital in each of the years of 2023, 2024 and to date in 2025, in tabular form; if this number will be further increased in 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8211/25]
264. Deputy Charles Ward asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE consultant radiologists based at Letterkenny University Hospital in each the years of 2023, 2024 and to date in 2025, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8210/25]
236. Deputy Charles Ward asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of respite beds available to disability services in Donegal in 2023, 2024 and to date in 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8190/25]
174. Deputy Charles Ward asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if retrospective payments for homeowners will be included in the remediation of dwellings damaged under the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks (Amendment) Act 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8217/25]
173. Deputy Charles Ward asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when the text for the Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks (Amendment) Bill will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8214/25]
125. Deputy Charles Ward asked the Minister for Education the number of WTE educational welfare officers based in Donegal in 2023, 2024 and to-date in 2025, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8208/25]
124. Deputy Charles Ward asked the Minister for Education if a new recruitment campaign for Irish sign language specialist classroom support will be launched in quarter 2 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8205/25]
826. Deputy Charles Ward asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of WTE speech and language therapists attached to Inishowen children's disability network team in 2023, 2024 and to date in 2025, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8189/25]
825. Deputy Charles Ward asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the funding provided for residential respite for children's disability services within CHO1 in the years of 2023, 2024 and 2025, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8182/25]
511. Deputy Charles Ward asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the reason solar panels were not installed on any of the new housing at a location (details supplied); if there are any plans for new builds to be required to have a minimum number of solar panels in the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7449/25]
305. Deputy Charles Ward asked the Minister for Finance if he will amend the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997, to exempt emergency response drivers from benefit-in-kind in cases where such drivers take their vehicles home; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7426/25]
233. Deputy Charles Ward asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if the Housing Agency records the internal dimensions of rooms only and does not consider the areas occupied by internal partition walls under the enhanced defective concrete block scheme; if the entire floor area including floor area occupied by internal walls should be calculated for grant allocation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6884/25]
438. Deputy Charles Ward asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if the increased rates and cap under the defective concrete blocks scheme will be applied retrospectively to homeowners who have already completed their rebuild or remediation works before the relevant legislation is passed; if not, the rationale for this decision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5832/25]
107. Deputy Charles Ward asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform if urgent consideration will be given by the OPW to addressing the flooding situation in Elm Park, Buncrana, where nine properties were built on a floodplain and have been severely impacted by both defective concrete and previous flooding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5218/25]
67. Deputy Charles Ward asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform if the he will engage with the Department of Housing, the OPW and Donegal County Council to explore a viable alternative solution for affected homeowners in Elm Park, Buncrana, including the option of providing grant funding for the purchase of alternative homes rather than rebuilding on an unsuitable site; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5217/25]
65. Deputy Charles Ward asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform the way the OPW ensures that buildings they are responsible for are using blocks that are free from deleterious materials in construction projects in County Donegal; if they have checked existing buildings for the presence of same. [6116/25]
358. Deputy Charles Ward asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when legislation will be changed in order to facilitate the retrospective payment of the rate and cap increases to participants in the ‘enhanced defective concrete block scheme’; if the increases will be applied to the small number of houses that have completed works; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4149/25]
357. Deputy Charles Ward asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether his Department is considering changes to the ‘enhanced defective concrete block scheme’ regarding extensions to the accommodation allowance due to delays that are outside the control of the homeowner; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4147/25]
139. Deputy Charles Ward asked the Minister for Transport to provide an update on the proposed extension to the Letterkenny town bus service; the anticipated timeline for implementation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4148/25]
583. Deputy Charles Ward asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if consideration is being given to extending the enhanced defective concrete block scheme to Northern Ireland or exploring a cross-Border approach; if discussions are being held with counterparts in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2383/25]
582. Deputy Charles Ward asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether his Department is considering special considerations to the enhanced defective concrete block scheme such as 'side-by-side' building, to facilitate the most vulnerable homeowners; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2378/25]
833. Deputy Charles Ward asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether the increases to the cap and square foot rates of the enhanced defective concrete blocks grant scheme have been fully implemented; and whether retrospective payments for homeowners currently in the scheme have been processed. [2102/25]