212. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the meetings that he or his officials held with the Law Society in respect of the criminal legal aid scheme since he took office and prior to the announcement of proposed changes to the fee structure under the scheme; whether any proposed meetings were cancelled or postponed by his Department; whether there are further meetings planned in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22934/26]
211. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the way in which the proposed changes to the criminal legal aid scheme align with commitments in the Programme for Government to restore criminal legal aid fees; the basis for any assertion that the proposals constitute a restoration rather than a reduction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22933/26]
210. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the consultation process undertaken in relation to the proposed changes to the criminal legal aid scheme; the stakeholders consulted; the nature of that consultation and the way in which feedback has informed the proposals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22932/26]
209. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of solicitors currently participating in the criminal legal aid scheme, the trends in participation in recent years; the workforce impact assessment conducted in relation to the proposed changes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22927/26]
208. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration whether any assessment has been made of the risk that the proposed changes to the criminal legal aid scheme could result in reduced participation by solicitors in criminal legal aid work; the implications of any such reduction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22926/26]
207. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the assessments that have been carried out on the potential impact of the proposed changes to the criminal legal aid scheme on access to legal representation and the constitutional right to a fair trial; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22925/26]
206. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration whether the proposed fee structure under the revised criminal legal aid scheme represents an increase or decrease in effective remuneration for solicitors undertaking criminal legal aid work, including any modelling carried out in that regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22924/26]
205. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the projected annual savings arising from the proposed changes to the criminal legal aid scheme; the details of any cost-benefit analysis undertaken, including potential downstream costs such as delays, appeals or retrials; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22923/26]
204. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the evidence he has received which supports the assertion that the current criminal legal aid scheme incentivises unnecessary adjournments or inefficiencies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22921/26]
203. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if he will publish the analysis and evidence underpinning the proposed changes to the criminal legal aid scheme, including any review of District Court cases used to inform the proposals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22920/26]
202. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration whether, under the proposed changes to the criminal legal aid scheme, fees payable to solicitors will vary based on case complexity, number of charges, number of accused persons or duration of proceedings, or any other consideration; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22919/26]
201. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration whether, as part of the proposed changes to the criminal legal aid scheme, it is intended to introduce a flat-fee model for District Court criminal legal aid work; and if so, the proposed level of that fee and the work it is intended to cover; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22918/26]
200. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the changes he proposes to bring to the criminal legal aid scheme, including all elements of the revised fee structure, whether any changes will require amendments to legislation or be enacted by regulation; the proposed timeframe for implementation of each change; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22917/26]
184. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of State pension (contributory) recipients who are in receipt of a reduced rate increase for a qualified adult due to the current €100 weekly means threshold; the number who do not qualify due to means exceeding €310; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22766/26]
183. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Social Protection the rationale for maintaining the weekly means limit of €100 for the increase for a qualified adult for State pension recipients at the same level since 2007, notwithstanding increases in wages, pensions and the cost of living over that period; whether any assessment has been carried out on the real-terms value of this threshold; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22765/26]
182. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Social Protection whether any proposals have been submitted to him, or are under consideration within his Department, to increase the weekly means limit of €100 for the increase for a qualified adult for recipients of the State pension; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22764/26]
181. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Social Protection if his Department has undertaken any analysis or costings in respect of increasing the weekly means limit of €100 for the increase for a qualified adult for recipients of the State pension; if so, the estimated full-year cost of increasing the limit to €120, €150 and €200 respectively; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22763/26]
180. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 194 of 11 June 2025, 179 of 19 November 2025 and 1543 of 13 January 2026, if the review of means testing in the social protection system has now been completed; when the review commenced and the expected completion date; whether the review has specifically examined the weekly means limit of €100 for the increase for a qualified adult in respect of State pension recipients; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22762/26]
17. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to outline the response to the provisional application of the Mercosur trade agreement. [20932/26]
6. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the status of the proposed EU-Australia trade agreement; whether there is provision for investor courts in the proposed agreement; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22611/26]
1051. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science further to Parliamentary Question No. 603 of 5 March 2026, the percentage and numbers of those studying within each discipline (in which these numbers are recorded) in higher education institutions in the State at present and in each year since 2020 who are Irish-based students, EU (other including GB) and non-EU students, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21972/26]
930. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE emergency department nurses based at Cavan General Hospital as of 16 March 2026; if there are plans to increase this number; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21859/26]
929. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE consultants in critical care medicine based at Cavan General Hospital as of 16 March 2026, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21858/26]
928. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE paediatric psychologists, by grade posts that were filled at primary care services within CHO1 as of 16 March 2026; the same figures as of 30 June 2023, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21857/26]
846. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 9 of 22 January 2026, the status of a new psychiatric unit at Cavan General Hospital; if that project is currently included in the HSE capital plan; the timeframe within which it is expected to be delivered; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21447/26]
697. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the ages of the current Garda prisoner transport truck fleet; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21856/26]
696. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the estimated full year cost if 1,400 new Gardaí were recruited; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21855/26]
683. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of Gardaí of the ranks of Assistant Commissioner, Chief Superintendent, Superintendent, Inspector and Sergeant currently within each Garda Division and the corresponding figures for the start of years 2024-2025, in tabular form [21513/26]
679. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the timeframe in which he intends to bring forward legislation in response to the Independent Review Group reports on the Offences Against the State Act; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21380/26]
146. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will outline the new obligations set to be introduced regarding the eradication of Bovine TB; and the date by which they will come into force. [20933/26]
136. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of hectares of land newly afforested in each of the years 2019 to 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20930/26]
68. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if it is his intention to initiate a full look back review regarding value for money and due diligence in respect of contracts for accommodation for international protection applicants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20787/26]
51. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the preparations that have taken place in his Department in advance of the ending of the Temporary Protection Directive in March 2027; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20784/26]
41. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration when he expects new powers to enable him to ask the Judicial Council to draw up sentencing guidelines for a particular crime area within a certain timeframe to be in place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20785/26]
29. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the actions he intends to take to address the extent of court delays as highlighted in the recently published Justice Indicators report produced by the Law Society; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20783/26]
17. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if he intends to introduce legislation which will ensure that responsibility for the prosecution of offences will be removed from the Gardaí so that all court proceedings will be conducted by legal professionals, as recommended in the report on the operation of bail in Ireland prepared by a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20786/26]
4. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if he will establish a historical investigations unit, as proposed by the Irish Council for Civil Liberties and the Committee on the Administration of Justice, to allow for independent police investigations into unresolved deaths and incidents of torture or ill-treatment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20734/26]
2. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the position regarding all discussions he has held with British authorities on the implementation of the EU migration and asylum pact and its impact on the common travel area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20733/26]
1. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of gardaí who attested in 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20732/26]
1661. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Health whether she will review the current position to ensure that patients who are prescribed obesity medication such as Ozempic by their GPs can access it through the medical card or drug payment scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18264/26]
1479. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the status of the proposed family resource centre in Carrickmacross; the likely timeframe for when the centre will become operational; the services that will be provided upon commencement; the initial staffing allocation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18245/26]
1408. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the total sum spent on IPAS accommodation in 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20904/26]
1403. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of Stamp 2 permissions issued which were renewals in each of the years since 2018 to 2025 and to date in 2026, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20760/26]
1402. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of Stamp 2 permissions issued per year since 2018 by duration of validity, less than six months, between six months and 12 months, between one-two years, two-three years, three-four years, longer than four years, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20759/26]
1334. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of persons granted a stamp 2 permission who presented a letter of enrolment from an ILEP listed school in each year since 2018, by year, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19893/26]
1333. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of stamp 2 permissions granted regarding study at an institute of higher education in each year since 2018, by year, by renewal status as applicable, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19892/26]
1332. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of stamp 2 permissions granted regarding study at an English language school in each year since 2018, by year, by renewal status (first time permission, first renewal, second renewal), in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19891/26]
1277. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration further to Parliamentary Question No. 664 of 3 March 2026 regarding the designation of Britain as a safe third country, given that section 220 of the International Protection Bill 2026 requires the Minister to be satisfied that any proposed safe third country fully meets EU law standards, particularly in relation to non refoulement, access to a functioning asylum system and adequate protection guarantees, if he will outline what assessments have been carried out by his Department on the current prospects of Britain meeting these criteria; in the event that Britain does not meet the statutory and EU law requirements, the alternative arrangements or contingency measures he intends to put in place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18822/26]
1269. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if the Troubles Legacy Liaison Unit will provide family reports; and if so, if they will be subject to an applicable response period for families, those named, and the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18671/26]