223. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the timeline for the implementation of the Programme for Government commitment to provide investment in sorting technology in Ireland’s materials recovery facility (MRF) network to improve recycling processes and rates; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25327/25]
222. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the timeline for the publication and implementation of the second Whole of Government Circular Economy Strategy; if this strategy will include collection and sorting targets for specific packaging materials; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25326/25]
222. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Education and Youth for an update regarding the proposed expansion of an autism class in a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24951/25]
90. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Education and Youth if a decision can be reversed to remove a teacher from the allocation to a school (details supplied), which is forcing the school to merge two classes, with a resultant class size of more than 30 students, including children with autism, which is significantly higher than the stated aim of this Government to reduce the pupil teacher ratio to 19:1; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24675/25]
81. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Education and Youth the status of an application for the emergency works grant by a school (details supplied), that plans to open a new autism class in September 2025 which is contingent on the success of the application; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24532/25]
16. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications when he intends to publish the revised Energy Poverty Action Plan, for which a public consultation was held in 2024 in recognition of the increased cost of energy for low-income households in 2023 and 2024; the measures he proposes to take in 2025 to implement the European Commission’s Recommendation (EU) 2023/2407 of 20 October 2023 on energy poverty; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24626/25]
465. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Finance if he is aware that Irish-based financial institutions hold more than €31 billion in investments in fossil fuel industries; if he will consider imposing sanctions on such institutions and withdrawing favourable tax arrangements they currently enjoy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23581/25]
337. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he is aware that Irish-based financial institutions hold more than €31 billion in investments in fossil fuel industries; how he intends on encouraging such institutions to divest from polluting industries, given both national and global emissions reduction targets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24339/25]
331. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications his response to the European Commission's decision to open an infringement procedure against Ireland (INFR(2025)2005) for failing to correctly transpose the Landfill Directive (Directive 1999/31/EC as amended by Directive 2011/97/EU and Directive (EU) 2018/850) which sets standards for landfills to prevent adverse effects on human health, water, soil and air; the corrective actions he will take to ensure that the Directive is correctly transposed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24225/25]
292. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he has reversed previous Governments’ policy which banned fracked gas in Ireland; if it is now Government policy to allow the importation and use of fracked gas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23169/25]
249. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Taoiseach for an update on the work of the Housing for All Conveyancing and Probate Implementation Group and when he expects all of the recommendations of the group to be actioned and complete. [22340/25]
285. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Finance if he will expand eligibility for the disabled drivers and passenger’s scheme to include people living with scoliosis and recipients of corrective spinal fusion surgery who have been left with permanent impairments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23065/25]
245. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Transport the timeline for the roll-out of the proposed transport police force; and if he will make a statement on the matter.; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23104/25]
67. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Transport the corrective actions he will take to ensure that the transport sector meets its emissions reductions targets by 2030 and does not exceed the sectoral emissions ceilings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18068/25]
2. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Transport when he intends to bring forward a new national aviation policy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23103/25]
482. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE consultant general surgeons with a special interest in colorectal surgery based at Tallaght University Hospital in 2023, 2024 and to-date in 2025, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22348/25]
481. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Health the number of staff in each public PrEP service in 2024 and to-date in 2025; the number of vacancies in each of those PrEP services, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22347/25]
480. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE stroke clinical nurse specialists based at Tallaght University Hospital in 2023, 2024 and to-date in 2025, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22346/25]
327. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Justice if he will provide an update on the visa application of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22399/25]
323. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Justice the estimated full-year costs to recruit an additional 300 prison officers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22345/25]
322. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Justice the number of Gardaí based in the Garda Mounted Unit, by rank, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22344/25]
222. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the capital budget allocation for Tourism Ireland in 2023, 2024 and 2025, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22349/25]
177. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Education and Youth the measures her Department is taking to ensure that children in publicly funded schools are not required to attend religious instruction against the wishes of their parents, in line with the constitutional right to freedom of conscience and Article 44.2.4 of the Constitution; if she supports children's constitutional rights not to attend said religious instruction; if her Department includes sacramental preparation under the definition of "religious instruction"; what specific action her Department will take during the current communion season to ensure that children who opt-out of religious instruction's rights are upheld; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22352/25]
84. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Transport the budget allocation for Iarnród Éireann security personnel at stations in 2024 and 2025, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22342/25]
83. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Transport the number of EV charging points in each Irish Rail car park, in tabular form; if there are plans to increase this number; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22341/25]
306. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Justice if he is aware of the recent increase in anti-social behaviour and the consequential public safety concerns at a location (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21853/25]
177. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the reason there is still no assignment of unallocated emissions or a sectoral emissions ceiling for the land use, land use-change and forestry sector given the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act 2015 was adopted four years ago; the steps his Department is taking to rectify the issues preventing these from being adopted for the land use, land use-change and forestry sector; and when he expects that they will be in place. [21830/25]
2080. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Health if she is aware that the sensory room in a healthcare facility (details supplied) is reserved for the sole use of the primary care centre and cannot be used by the local CDNT; the rationale for excluding the CDNT from use of the sensory room; if it relates to its status as a section 39 organisation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19145/25]
1973. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Health if she is aware that the sensory room in a healthcare facility (details supplied) is reserved for the sole use of the primary care centre and cannot be used by the local CDNT; the rationale for excluding the CDNT from use of the sensory room; if it relates to its status as a section 39 organisation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19145/25]
1872. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth for an update on the new National Disability Strategy; a timeline on when it is expected to be finalised and implemented; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19926/25]
825. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Education if she will consider an emergency utility grant for schools that are unable to afford to pay their utility bills having exhausted other options such as liaising with the FSSU. [19001/25]
654. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform when the public consultation on the next review of the National Development Plan will commence. [20093/25]
631. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform if he is aware that the Whitechurch flood alleviation scheme being undertaken by the OPW has been ordered by Inland Fisheries Ireland to cease works until June due to offending materials in the river which were intended to be mitigation measures, but are causing pollution; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19077/25]
455. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Transport if he is aware of concerns regarding the false certification of palm oil as waste vegetable oil which is contained in biofuels such as hydrotreated vegetable oil sold on the Irish market; if he will consider ceasing recognition of biofuels which come from outside the EU where there is no supervision of the certification process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18065/25]
409. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Transport the details of any engagement he has had with trade unions or other transport worker representative organisations with respect to the proposed introduction of a transport police service,; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19413/25]
408. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Transport for an update on the work undertaken by his Department regarding the introduction of a dedicated transport police service as proposed in the Programme for Government; when he expects the necessary legislation underpinning the establishment of a dedicated transport police service to be published; if he anticipates that the transport police will have powers of arrest; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19412/25]
327. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will grant a contract extension of three months to those projects funded by his Department under the community climate action programme from the end of September 2025 to the end of December 2025, in order to enhance the impact of the projects without altering the financial framework established in the original agreements after delays were experienced in commencing the projects as a result of the impact of Covid-19; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21186/25]
271. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications further to Parliamentary Question 2 of 10 April 2025, if he accepts that given An Bord Pleanála’s requirement to ‘have regard’ to Government policy, his decision to overturn the moratorium on LNG introduced in 2021 has been the primary impetus behind Shannon LNG receiving planning approval to construct a permanent terminal after initially being refused on the basis of said moratorium, and that as a result of his plans to develop a State-led temporary floating LNG terminal he is actually locking Ireland into fossil fuel use for decades to come, noting that Paragraph 169 of the High Court judgment in Shannon LNG v. An Bord Pleanála states that “the new Government approved a plan to develop a State-led LNG terminal and terminated the former fracking policy in doing so” and that this was the basis for granting planning approval to Shannon LNG; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19523/25]
251. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications his views on the analysis of the UK’s North Sea Transition Authority to the effect that the additional energy requirements associated with LNG relative to natural gas supplies, including the additional energy expended on liquification, transport and regasification, mean that LNG imports are on average over double the emission intensity of domestic gas and pipeline gas imports with a correspondingly increased adverse impact on decarbonisation targets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19003/25]
250. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will ban imported fracked gas in Ireland, given the fact that in the High Court judgment [2024] IEHC 555 concerning the planning application for Shannon LNG it is noted that “the Proposed Development does not depend on fracked gas and the Applicant is confident it can source gas from non-fracked sources; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19002/25]
170. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Taoiseach if he will provide an update on the progress of work undertaken by his Department to implement the ten recommendations contained in the report of the Dublin City Taskforce launched in October 2024. [19044/25]
123. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Transport the corrective actions he will take to ensure that the transport sector meets its emissions reductions targets by 2030 and does not exceed the sectoral emissions ceilings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18316/25]
70. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will provide an update regarding Ireland’s post-2030 wind energy strategy; if work is underway to develop a policy document in this regard; when he expects that work to be complete and a policy document published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18066/25]
61. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if his Department has undertaken a review electricity costs and the current market design to determine the cause of high prices in Ireland when compared to other EU Member States; if so, whether his Department will publish that review; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18067/25]
42. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will provide an update on the Climate Action Plan 2026; when he expects the plan to be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18069/25]
2. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will intervene to stop the construction of the Shannon LNG terminal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18315/25]
535. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Education for an update on the expansion of the autism class in a school (details supplied); when the expanded class is expected to be operational; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17414/25]
252. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the timeframe for the public consultation on the national building renovation plan, required under the energy performance in buildings directive by December 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17413/25]
279. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Health for an update on the free HRT scheme announced in Budget 2025; when the scheme will commence for qualifying patients; if she will arrange for women who should have benefited from the scheme since 1 January 2025 to be reimbursed any expenses accrued up to the formal commencement of the scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15887/25]
101. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform when the updated guidelines for flexitime arrangements for public and civil service workers will be published; if he intends resuming flexi-time arrangements for public sector workers that were in place prior to the temporary suspension introduced during the pandemic; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15888/25]