427. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Transport if provision will be made within the fuel rebate scheme to accommodate newly established businesses that do not have a prior fuel consumption record for eligibility purposes (details supplied); if consideration will be given to introducing alternative qualifying criteria for such businesses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42245/26]
161. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Defence if she is exploring options for a forward operating base on the west coast for the Naval Service in line with the Natonal Maritime Security Strategy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42812/26]
129. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Defence the plans in place for an expanded Naval Reserve presence in Galway as supported by the report of the Commission on the Defence Forces; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42813/26]
381. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage for an update on the development of national planning statements for critical infrastructure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40392/26]
362. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Education and Youth for an update on the establishment of the taskforce on models of provision for Irish-Medium Education; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41132/26]
229. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Transport if Irish Rail has plans to increase capacity on peak morning services between Oranmore and Galway city; specifically, the 8am service, in light of reported overcrowding; whether additional carriages will be provided; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40984/26]
228. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Transport if Leap card ticketing will be extended to the Oranmore–Galway rail service; the reason this service is not currently included in the Leap card system, in contrast to similar commuter routes in Dublin and Cork; his plans to introduce integrated ticketing on this route; the timeline for same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40983/26]
227. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Transport the timeline for delivery of the Bus Connects Galway Network Redesign; when the proposed Oranmore–Galway bus service will be introduced; whether a direct service from Oranmore village to Galway city centre will be provided rather than routing via Parkmore; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40982/26]
165. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Education and Youth for an update on the publication of the new DEIS Strategy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40344/26]
102. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Education and Youth for an update on the commitment included in the Programme for Government to introduce a new national small schools project; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40345/26]
71. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation which projects within County Galway have been discussed by the Accelerating Infrastructure Taskforce under the Sectoral Delivery item on the agenda of the Accelerating Infrastructure Taskforce Meetings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40391/26]
229. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Health the steps being taken to ensure compliance by the HSE with the statutory requirement (details supplied) under the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013 to make reimbursement decisions within 180 days of receiving an application; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40477/26]
10. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to outline the efforts the Government has made to suspend the EU-Israeli Association Trade Agreement since January 2024; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40650/26]
1477. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Health the rationale behind the reduction in funding to an organisation (details supplied); the process by which this funding decision was made; whether an assessment was carried out of the impact such reductions would have on service provision and supports for individuals with foetal alcohol spectrum disorder; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40188/26]
617. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Education and Youth the proportion of primary school students being taught through the medium of Irish; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39898/26]
511. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation the number of public servants currently enduring pension abatement due to their re-employed status within the public sector; the full saving to the Exchequer as a result of this level of pension abatement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40093/26]
473. Deputy John Connolly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance whether his Department has undertaken, or intends to undertake, a review of the capital acquisitions tax lifetime tax free thresholds, with particular reference to the group B threshold applicable to nieces and nephews (details supplied); and if he will consider any adjustments to ensure that the thresholds remain appropriate in the current context. [39995/26]
404. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Transport the position regarding the development of a new 'Connecting Ireland, Rural Mobility Plan'; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39902/26]
403. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Transport the position regarding the budget for public transport operations provided to the National Transport Authority for 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39901/26]
402. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Transport the position regarding the specific measures taken to date towards the implementation of the new Galway bus network; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39900/26]
401. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Transport the position regarding the commencement of the review of the Galway Metropolitan Transport Strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39899/26]
273. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the number of child passport applications processed by the passport service in each of the past five years; the number and proportion of these applications which required additional documentation beyond standard parental consent, including sole guardian affidavits (AFF1 or equivalent), cases involving a deceased parent, and cases involving court orders relating to guardianship, in each of the past five years; whether the passport service records or can provide data on applications involving testamentary guardians (that is, guardians appointed by will); and if so, the number of such cases in each of the past five years; if such data is not currently recorded in a disaggregated format; if his Department intends to introduce reporting on different guardianship categories within child passport applications (details supplied), in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40020/26]
213. Deputy John Connolly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance when he will make a recommendation with regard to any further extension of the tax and excise changes introduced as a consequence of the Iran war; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39658/26]
197. Deputy John Connolly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance if he is planning any new tax changes in light of enhanced energy prices; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39659/26]
267. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will review the current eligibility criteria for postal voting in elections, particularly in cases where registered electors are unable to vote in person due to pre-arranged personal travel; whether consideration is being given to expanding access to postal or alternative voting methods to ensure greater participation in elections (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38517/26]
676. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Social Protection the rationale for the requirement that a person must have at least 26 paid PRSI contributions in each of the governing contribution years to qualify for treatment benefit, regardless of a substantial lifetime contribution record; whether consideration has been given to alternative qualifying conditions that better recognise long-term contributors who temporarily leave and later return to the workforce (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37175/26]
582. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the data collected as part of the administration and evaluation of the basic income for the arts scheme relating to survey questions on whether the provision of venues and facilities in the place in which recipients live and work impacts on their artistic practice, disaggregated by county (details supplied); if he is able to share the data collected by scheme recipients in Galway city and environs, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37624/26]
397. Deputy John Connolly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance whether his Department or the Revenue Commissioners maintain aggregate data, or will estimate, the total amount of income tax recouped by the Exchequer from carer's allowance and carer's benefit payments since the introduction of real time data sharing and PAYE collection with the Department of Social Protection on 1 January 2026; to clarify the administrative or technical barriers that prevent the compilation of such figures if they are not currently available (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37246/26]
239. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the Exchequer funding provided under the first home scheme in each year since its launch; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37341/26]
206. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of first-time buyers in Galway that have benefitted from the first home scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37340/26]
539. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Health the steps her Department is taking to address the need for increased ambulance services in County Galway; whether her Department currently has proposals to expand or enhance ambulance capacity in the county; and if so, to provide the details of any such proposals, including timelines, resource allocations, and planned service improvements; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35905/26]
194. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Defence the number of retired Defence Force personnel who currently have their pension entitlement abated due to being employed in other sectors of the public sector; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35906/26]
16. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration given that the prison estate is currently operating at 120% to 125% capacity, the work he is doing to reduce overcrowding within our prisons. [35603/26]
1204. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Health the supports currently available from her Department and the HSE to organisations that raise public awareness of serious illnesses, including meningitis, and that provide information and support including aftercare services to individuals and families affected by such illnesses; whether any recurring or sustainable funding pathways are available to such organisations where existing funding streams have closed (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35159/26]
505. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the supports currently available to tourism businesses experiencing sharp increases in fuel costs; whether marine tourism operators, including boat tour providers operating in rural and coastal areas, are eligible for assistance under the Government's fuel support schemes; if he has given consideration to the introduction of targeted measures for fuel dependent tourism businesses excluded from existing schemes (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34110/26]
275. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment if he will detail the scientific advice and evidence underpinning the decision to reduce the allowable catch under the recreational pollock fishing scheme through the introduction of a three fish daily bag limit; whether this decision is subject to review in light of concerns raised regarding barotrauma and the effectiveness of the measure as a conservation tool; whether recreational and charter fishing vessels have been considered or could be considered for inclusion in any national or EU decommissioning schemes; the financial, mitigation or transitional supports, if any, that are available or proposed for the recreational fishing and charter boat sector, which operators state has received no dedicated assistance to date (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34932/26]
186. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the role his Department is playing in ensuring we meet the objective of 20% of recruits to the public sector being competent in Irish by 2030, as set out in the Official Languages (Amendment) Act 2021. [34709/26]
179. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the improvements he has made to student financial supports and SUSI for eligible students; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34708/26]