634. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the changes his Department plans to implement in its contracting and accommodation selection processes to prevent the State entering into legally vulnerable agreements in the future. [65369/25]
633. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the projected cost to the State arising from the quashing of the Section 5 decision, including contract payments already made, termination or compensation costs, legal fees, and any other liabilities. [65368/25]
632. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the timeframe of engagement, negotiation and contractual agreement between his Department or IPAS and the owners or operators of a facility (details supplied) including dates of contract signing, commencement, review, and any termination or variation clauses that can be invoked following the High Court ruling. [65367/25]
631. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration when his Department notified Tipperary County Council and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage of its plans to contract for accommodation use at a location (details supplied); and if planning vulnerabilities were raised in any correspondence. [65366/25]
630. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if his Department or IPAS had authority to enter into any binding contract or agreement prior to the planning status being definitively established (details supplied). [65365/25]
629. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if the procurement process used by IPAS in relation to a facility (details supplied) complied fully with national and EU procurement rules; and if his Department carried out due diligence on planning status before entering into any contract. [65364/25]
628. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the legal status and validity of any IPAS contract or accommodation agreement connected with a location (details supplied) in view of the High Court’s decision to quash the Section 5 process; and if his Department is now exposed to termination penalties, compensation, or other financial liabilities. [65363/25]
627. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the legal basis upon which his Department or the International Protection Accommodation Service entered into a contractual arrangement relating to the use of a location (details supplied); and if his Department sought legal advice on the enforceability of such a contract in circumstances where the Section 5 determination has now been quashed by the High Court. [65362/25]
626. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if a socio-economic impact assessment was conducted prior to the establishment of an IPAS centre at a location (details supplied); if he is aware that the contract has directly precipitated the closure of the hotel, golf course, and leisure facilities with the loss of 48 local jobs, removing a vital economic driver and community hub; and the steps his Department will take to mitigate the degradation of the 300-year-old manor house, a protected structure which is currently facing dereliction due to the cessation of commercial operations at the site. [65361/25]
625. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the status of the IPAS contract for a facility (details supplied); his views that the High Court order quashing the Section 5 Declaration renders the current use of the site as unauthorised development under the Planning and Development Acts; and if he will instruct his Department to terminate the contract immediately given the facility no longer possesses the requisite planning permission to operate as an IPAS accommodation centre. [65360/25]
401. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will undertake a review of the NCSE eligibility process, including timelines and communication practices, to ensure it operates in a fair, transparent, and child-centred manner. [65652/25]
400. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she is satisfied with the level of communication provided to families regarding the new NCSE notification deadlines, required documentation, and approved assessors’ list; and if she will commit to publishing clear, accessible guidance for future application cycles. [65651/25]
399. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Youth her assessment of the impact that refusing additional letters of eligibility will have on the ability of children with complex needs to access appropriate school placements for September 2026 where some families were only weeks outside the October 1 deadline, particularly in cases where school enrolment windows extend into early next year. [65650/25]
398. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Youth if transitional arrangements were put in place for the first year of the revised NCSE application timeline; the considerations taken to ensure families were not disadvantaged by the abrupt change; and whether she will instruct the NCSE to reconsider applications where reports were delayed through no fault of the family. [65649/25]
397. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Youth the rationale for the NCSE policy of refusing to issue letters of eligibility where parents submitted notifications on time but were unable to obtain the required professional reports until later in October; and if flexibility will be introduced in light of capacity constraints within assessment services. [65648/25]
396. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she is satisfied that the decision of the NCSE to introduce a significantly earlier closing date of 1 October for the submission of parental notifications and supporting reports has been implemented in a fair and reasonable manner; and the measures her Department is taking to ensure that families who were unable to secure assessment reports within this abridged window are not unfairly penalised, in particular families that submitted their notifications and reports before the end of October. [65647/25]
395. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will direct the NCSE to issue additional letters of eligibility where assessments were completed shortly after the 1 October deadline and where it is clear that delays resulted from systemic or service-capacity issues rather than any failure on the part of families. [65646/25]
250. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Transport if he will provide a detailed explanation of the factors driving the projected per-kilometre cost of the MetroLink project; if he will publish the international benchmarking used to assess value for money, including comparisons with major European metro projects such as the Madrid Metro expansion; the steps his Department is taking to ensure cost efficiency in delivery; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66237/25]
121. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage for a progress update on the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58898/25]
113. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will review and increase the social housing income limits for counties such as Tipperary, which currently stands at €30,000 per annum, given that the national minimum wage is set to rise to €14.15 per hour from 1 January 2026, bringing annual earnings for a 40-hour week to approximately €29,432, considering the fact that this leaves minimum-wage workers on the verge of exceeding the social housing income threshold; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62010/25]
555. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her Department's long-term vision for childcare sector reform, including the way in which she plans to balance affordability for parents with sustainability for providers; if further structural changes to the funding model are under consideration; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [65059/25]
554. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department has carried out any impact assessment of the core funding model since its introduction; if her Department plans to review or revise the model in view of recent provider withdrawals and operational challenges; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [65058/25]
553. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will provide data on regional disparities in childcare availability, including areas where supply is failing to meet demand; the targeted interventions which are being developed to alleviate childcare shortages in those areas; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [65057/25]
552. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the measures being taken to address recruitment and retention challenges in the early learning and care sector; if her Department plans to introduce additional supports to improve pay, conditions and career pathways for educators; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [65056/25]
551. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will address concerns that the current funding model does not adequately reflect the higher staffing ratios and operating costs associated with infant and wobbler care; and if she will consider adjusting the funding to prevent further contraction of places in this age cohort; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [65055/25]
550. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will review the administrative and compliance obligations associated with the core funding model, which providers have described as onerous and disproportionate; the planned reforms to reduce the reporting burden; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [65054/25]
549. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she has met with representative bodies for private childcare providers in recent months to discuss concerns regarding staffing costs, administrative burden, and funding adequacy under the core funding scheme; the outcomes of those engagements; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [65053/25]
548. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the contingency measures which are in place to support families who lose childcare places as a result of providers withdrawing from core funding or ceasing operations; the extent to which her Department is tracking the emerging capacity gap at local and regional level; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [65052/25]
182. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Health for an update on the new community nursing unit in Clonmel; the handover date and progress on registration with the relevant regulatory bodies; if she will provide an update on the recruitment of staff for the new unit; when she expects patients from the existing St. Anthony’s unit to be transferred; when the unit will be at full capacity; and the number of level 3 palliative care beds that will be provided in the new unit. [57764/25]
164. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Health if she will provide a detailed update on the recent targeted recruitment campaign for healthcare assistants in south Tipperary; the number of applications received; the number of candidates interviewed; the number of successful candidates offered positions; the number now in post; if any further recruitment campaigns are planned for the remainder of 2025 and early 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [59589/25]
334. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Health for an urgent update on the case of a vulnerable young woman with complex mental health needs (details supplied), whose clinical team recently advised that she requires 24-hour care and is not capable of living independently, but who is now being considered for discharge to temporary independent accommodation with limited home-support hours; the clinical basis on which this change in care plan has been made; whether a full multidisciplinary risk assessment has been carried out; to outline the long-term residential or high-support placements that have been explored; the reason an appropriate placement has not yet been secured despite repeated representations and previous assurances from the HSE; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [64051/25]
25. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the work of the shared island unit in quantifying the economic and social dimensions of greater North-South integration (details supplied). [62809/25]
1087. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Health if her Department has undertaken any review or assessment of home support demand and capacity in the Clonmel area; and the strategic workforce planning measures in place to ensure adequate staffing levels and service provision in South Tipperary over the next 12 months. [63417/25]
1086. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Health to provide a comparative breakdown of home support waiting lists and staffing levels across all areas of South Tipperary, including Clonmel, Cahir, Cashel, Fethard, and Carrick-on-Suir; and the areas which currently face the longest waiting times and most severe staffing shortages. [63416/25]
1085. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Health the impact of current staffing shortages and the recruitment embargo on the delivery of home support services in Clonmel; the number of approved posts currently unfilled in the Clonmel area; and whether any derogations have been sought to address urgent local needs. [63415/25]
1084. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Health the reason the recent home support recruitment campaigns held in the southeast of the country did not include Clonmel or its environs; if there are plans to conduct a targeted recruitment drive for home support staff in Clonmel; and the expected timeline for such recruitment to commence. [63414/25]
1083. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Health if she will provide a detailed breakdown of the 52 clients currently awaiting home support services in the Clonmel area; the category of need for each client; the average and longest waiting times currently experienced; and the specific measures being taken to reduce waiting times for home support in Clonmel and across South Tipperary. [63413/25]
739. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the name of each charity which benefited from court poor box donations in penalty point offence cases each year since 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62887/25]
108. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Transport his plans to address the current loophole in the licensing system which allows learner drivers to repeatedly renew their learner permits without ever sitting a driving test; if he plans to legislate to require learner drivers to sit a test after their third permit, as recommended by PARC road safety group, and raised before the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Transport and Communications on 8 October 2025; the timeline for the introduction of such legislation in order to close this loophole and strengthen road safety compliance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60927/25]
497. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Health if his Department has reviewed potential models for enhanced North–South cooperation in healthcare delivery, including cross-Border hospital and emergency care arrangements. [62637/25]
223. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Transport if his Department has conducted any studies on aligning transport and infrastructure planning on an all-island basis, particularly in relation to rail connectivity and strategic corridors. [62636/25]
808. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to clarify whether any interim supports will be provided to the tillage sector in 2025 ahead of the introduction of the new 2026 package; and the timeline for finalising scheme design and issuing guidelines to farmers and stakeholders. [61699/25]
807. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the way the €50 million in funding for the tillage sector in 2026 will be allocated between the protein aid scheme, straw incorporation measure and tillage support scheme; and whether he intends to refine eligibility criteria or payment rates to better support dedicated grain growers and other specialised tillage producers. [61698/25]
806. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when consultations will commence with tillage and farming organisations regarding the design of the proposed €50 million tillage support package for 2026; the process through which stakeholder input will inform the targeting of supports by crop type and farm type; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61697/25]
244. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Climate; Energy and the Environment the current service level for responding to applicant queries and updating expected timelines; if the SEAI provides proactive monthly status updates to applicants waiting longer than six months; and the plans to improve communications. [61312/25]
243. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Climate; Energy and the Environment the allocated budget, profiled spend, actual spend, and units completed for the warmer homes scheme in each of the past three years; the carryover or underspend; and projections for the current year, by county where available. [61311/25]
242. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment if a fast-track pathway operates for households identified by HSE, public health nurses or local authorities as at immediate risk from cold or damp; the number of such fast-tracked cases by county; and the average time to completion. [61310/25]
241. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Climate; Energy and the Environment the criteria used to prioritise vulnerable households (details supplied); the number of priority cases, by county; and the target timeline for priority cases relative to standard cases. [61309/25]
240. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Climate; Energy and the Environment if he will expand or reopen the contractor/surveyor frameworks to address delays; the planned timetables for expansion; and the measures to rebalance capacity across counties with the longest waits. [61308/25]
239. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Climate; Energy and the Environment the number of active framework contractors and accredited surveyors engaged on the warmer homes scheme, by county; their combined monthly capacity (surveys and completions); and how this compares with monthly inflow of applications in each county. [61307/25]