288. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will consider ring-fencing a proportion of CAO places in 2025 for students who are sitting the Leaving Certificate in that year, so they are not in direct competition with applicants from previous years whose grades reflect higher levels of grade inflation; if he will consider applying proportional grade deflation to previous year applicants in order to address the disparity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17766/25]
285. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will work with the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to develop national guidelines for schools and universities to help staff identify signs of cult recruitment and coercive indoctrination on campus; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17767/25]
284. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if his Department has carried out any assessment of cult influence or high-control group activity within educational settings, particularly in relation to the recruitment of vulnerable students; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17763/25]
283. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will consider introducing a statutory obligation for schools and third-level institutions to report suspected recruitment or coercive activity by ideological groups to the relevant authorities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17762/25]
265. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Health if she will examine the practice of vape shops advertising e-cigarettes and confectionery side by side in shop windows, particularly where such businesses are located close to schools; if she will consider restrictions to prevent the targeting of children and teenagers through these displays; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17796/25]
232. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of children in postal districts Dublin 1, 3, 7, and 9 who are currently on a waiting list for an assessment of need; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17761/25]
231. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if her Department has assessed the risks posed by coercive ideological groups targeting young people; if the current child protection frameworks are sufficient to respond to this form of exploitation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17760/25]
230. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if she will consider strengthening Tusla’s statutory powers to intervene in cases where minors or vulnerable adults are being subjected to psychological coercion or recruited into high-control groups or cults; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17759/25]
192. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Justice the supports available for Gardaí who have been injured in the line of duty and diagnosed with PTSD, including access to rehabilitation, mental health supports, and clear retirement pathways; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17900/25]
191. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Justice the role of Garda occupational health in the assessment and approval of ill health retirements; if there is an appeal mechanism or oversight when reports or decisions are withheld from the applicant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17899/25]
190. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Justice if his Department will explore the introduction of legal prohibitions preventing individuals convicted of coercive or abusive practices from establishing or leading new organisations within the State; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17896/25]
189. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Justice if he will consider amending the Criminal Justice Act 2006 to enable the courts to dissolve groups found to be operating illegally or engaging in systematic psychological manipulation of members; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17895/25]
188. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Justice if his Department has examined the legal frameworks used in other jurisdictions, such as France, which permit the dissolution of cults involved in criminal activity; and if so, whether similar powers could be introduced here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17894/25]
187. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Justice if he will consider introducing legislation to allow the High Court to issue dissolution orders for organisations, including cults, found to be engaging in coercion, fraud, hate speech or psychological abuse; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17893/25]
186. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Justice if his Department will consider establishing a new criminal offence targeting organisations that use psychological coercion to recruit and control members, in order to fill the current legislative gap between domestic coercive control and broader forms of psychological abuse; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17892/25]
185. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Justice if current legislation addresses cases where individuals are recruited into high control groups through manipulative tactics (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17891/25]
184. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Justice if his Department has considered introducing a specific offence of coercive indoctrination or psychological subjugation, similar to France’s law criminalising mental manipulation by cults; if any assessment has been carried out of such a legislative approach; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17890/25]
183. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Justice if he will consider expanding the scope of the Domestic Violence Act 2018 (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17889/25]
173. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Justice if his attention has been drawn to a growing trend where vape shops advertise vaping products alongside confectionery in shop windows, including in close proximity to secondary schools; his views on whether legislative or regulatory measures are needed to restrict this form of advertising, particularly where it may be seen as targeting or enticing children and young people; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17901/25]
169. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will commit to amending the Irish Sign Language Act 2017 to provide a statutory basis for a complaints mechanism and a code of conduct for Irish Sign Language interpreters, as originally envisaged under section 9 of the 2017 Act; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17795/25]
168. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will apologise to the deaf community for the failure to deliver the promised complaints mechanism and standards enforcement through the Register of Irish Sign Language Interpreters (RISLI), which had been developed over several years with the input of stakeholders, legal experts and public bodies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17794/25]
167. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Social Protection the role his Department and the Citizens Information Board played in the development, oversight, and approval of the Register of Irish Sign Language Interpreters (RISLI) policies, including its complaints procedure and code of conduct; the reason the legal limitations of RISLI’s authority were not addressed earlier in the process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17793/25]
166. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Social Protection the current status of the complaints mechanism and code of conduct for Irish Sign Language interpreters under the Register of Irish Sign Language Interpreters (RISLI), in light of reports that RISLI does not have the legal authority to receive complaints or enforce a code of conduct; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17792/25]
107. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education the number of children in Dublin postal districts 1, 3, 7, and 9 who are currently on a waiting list for a place in a special school for the 2025–2026 academic year; the number of special school places currently available in these districts for September 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17768/25]
106. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education the total number of SNA positions currently filled, given the allocation of 1,600 additional SNA posts in Budget 2025, bringing the total to 23,179 SNAs for NCSE to operate under; to provide a breakdown of these positions by school type (mainstream primary, mainstream post-primary, special classes, and special schools); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17765/25]
105. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education if she can confirm whether the special educational needs organiser assigned to the Dublin central area will contact all crèches and early years settings to ensure that all children that may require a special education place are identified and accounted for; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17764/25]
85. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of complaints received by the Workplace Relations Commission regarding late or non-payment of wages in the English language teaching sector in the past 12 months; and if any investigations are underway in relation to a school (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17786/25]
84. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the recourse available to employees of private language schools when their employer refuses to engage with their union, and engages in practices such as changing contractual terms unilaterally or penalising workers for non-compliance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17784/25]
83. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he is aware of concerns that new teachers at a school (details supplied) are being hired on contracts below a living wage; the measures the Government is taking to address low pay and precarious employment in the English language teaching sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17782/25]
82. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he is aware of reports of alleged improper redundancies and contract downgrading at a language school in Dublin 1 (details supplied); the enforcement mechanisms available to ensure that redundancies are not used to circumvent employment law or union engagement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17780/25]
76. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform his views on whether the current fast accrual pension scheme adequately reflects the acknowledged shorter healthy working lifespan of uniformed public servants; and if he will consider reforms to ensure pension equity for those required to retire before State pension age; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17779/25]
75. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform if he will clarify the Government’s position on a supplementary pension benefit for uniformed public servants, in light of previous commitments in 2019 by a Government Minister that post-2013 entrants would not be left worse off; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17778/25]
74. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform if his Department has engaged with trade unions or staff associations representing Gardaí, firefighters, prison officers, and Defence Forces members regarding the restoration or introduction of a supplementary pension benefit for fast accrual pension scheme members; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17777/25]
73. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform if he has assessed the impact of the current pension arrangements for post-2013 uniformed public service recruits on long-term recruitment and retention within An Garda Síochána, the Defence Forces, the Fire Service and the Prison Service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17776/25]
72. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform the estimated financial gap in annual pension income for fast accrual pension scheme members between the age of 55 and the State pension age; the Department’s response to concerns that this gap is forcing members into post-retirement work despite health issues arising from their service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17775/25]
71. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform if he will review the fast accrual (uniformed) single public service pension scheme for members recruited post-2013 in An Garda Síochána, the Defence Forces, Fire Service and Prison Service, in light of the fact that the scheme does not include a supplementary pension to bridge the gap between early retirement and the State pension age, as was the case under previous schemes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17774/25]
70. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform if funding has been allocated to implement the recommendations of the Dublin City Centre Taskforce report; if so, to provide details of the specific allocations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17773/25]
Bill entitled an Act to provide for the suspension of the powers, responsibilities and entitlements of guardianship in certain circumstances and for that purpose to amend the Guardianship of Infants Act 1964 and to provide for related matters.
38. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Finance the evidence framework that was used in deciding not to increase the tax on derelict properties as a means of alleviating the housing crisis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12890/25]
250. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if her Department has assessed the long-term impact of recent media reports that the Government has reversed the decisions to locate emergency accommodation in areas that have been subject to intimidation, local protest and/or arson on the integrity of Ireland’s international protection system; the assurances that can be given that future site selections will not be influenced by such intimidation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16117/25]
249. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth following the publication of the brief on Ireland’s National Implementation Plan for the EU Migration and Asylum Pact, the measures in place to ensure that private operators or NGOs running reception centres are not incentivised to quietly withdraw from contentious locations, thereby undermining the State’s legal obligations and community integration efforts; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16115/25]
248. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth following the publication of the brief on Ireland’s National Implementation Plan for the EU Migration and Asylum Pact, to outline specific resources being allocated to local authorities and community safety partnerships to manage tensions and support integration where new reception centres are planned; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16114/25]
247. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth following the publication of the brief on Ireland’s National Implementation Plan for the EU Migration and Asylum Pact, if it is the intention of her Department to introduce a formal community consultation protocol in advance of opening the new State-run reception and future emergency accommodation centres, in order to counter misinformation and ensure local services are supported; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16113/25]
246. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if her Department is concerned that withdrawing from certain areas in response to intimidation risks setting a precedent where illegal activity can influence or veto State policy on the placement of accommodation for international protection applicants; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16057/25]
245. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth following the publication of the brief on Ireland's National Implementation Plan for the EU Migration and Asylum Pact, if, in light of recent reports that the Government has shelved plans for emergency accommodation centres in areas where arson attacks or threats have occurred, she will clarify the criteria now being used to determine the suitability of locations for international protection accommodation and the new State reception centres; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16056/25]
244. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth following the publication of the brief on Ireland's National Implementation Plan for the EU Migration and Asylum Pact, to outline the factors being used to determine the suitability of these locations, including access to health, education and public transport; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16055/25]
243. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth following the publication of the brief on Ireland's National Implementation Plan for the EU Migration and Asylum Pact, when her Department intends to publish the list of proposed or approved locations for the new State-run international protection reception centres; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16054/25]