453. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation his Department’s plans to work in cooperation with Donegal County Council and other local stakeholders to secure investment to enhance the tourism amenity that is An Grianán of Aileach, County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28026/26]
452. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation if his Department officials will engage with some homeowners at Lower Main Street, Buncrana to facilitate access for fuel deliveries to their homes through the lane to the right and the rear of the old Buncrana Garda Station, as was the case in the past.; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28025/26]
3490. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht if he will consider introducing a pilot scheme for community development volunteers similar to the basic income for the arts pilot scheme. [24614/26]
3408. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Health the reason a person considered to be a nurse specialist in Northern Ireland with ten years’ experience in Scotland and Northern Ireland is not considered to be a nurse specialist in alcohol and drugs addiction services in the Republic of Ireland, unless they are qualified to a level 9 postgraduate, master’s level. [27298/26]
2215. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the way in which he liaises with his counterparts in other EU Member States to ensure that they have an effective process for monitoring the KW days of their fleet, fishing in Ireland's EEZ; if he would further state the procedure which Ireland has for maintaining a record for kilowatt effort by these Member States in the Irish EEZ and when KW days are exceeded; the procedure that is followed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24848/26]
1931. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Social Protection to advise on a matter raised in correspondence (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26571/26]
1833. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the way in which the State can assist homeowners living in thatched cottages to continue to live in and sustain these heritage properties, considering the escalating cost of insurance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27243/26]
1832. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide an update on his Department’s plans to relocate families living in defective concrete block homes (details supplied) away from this dangerous flood plain; with clear timelines; and how those affected homeowners are to be included in the drafting of the plans. [27242/26]
976. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Health if she will report on her plans to introduce a renewed sustainability grant for men’s sheds across the State. [22193/26]
761. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will engage with an organisation (details supplied) to ensure that the hardship fund providing financial support to the sector is immediately released, in light of the significant financial pressures currently facing the sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21876/26]
380. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide a clause-by-clause schedule identifying each provision of the Island Fisheries (Heritage Licence) Bill 2017 to which the Department objects, specifying in each case whether the objection arises from EU law, domestic sea-fisheries licensing law, constitutional concerns, State-aid rules, or drafting issues; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21047/26]
290. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Education and Youth when she will respond to recent correspondence from the principal and chairperson of the board of management of a school (details supplied) inviting her to visit the school, and to see at first hand the urgent need to progress a new school, as her two immediate ministerial predecessors have done. [21198/26]
144. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to outline the Government’s plan to advance the demand from our fishing and seafood industry for fairness from the Common Fisheries Policy, and reform, during Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union. [20936/26]
96. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he and his Department will work with this Deputy to examine how the previously indicated legal issues with the Island Fisheries (Heritage Bill) 2017 can be overcome to advance the objectives of the Bill with new legislation, or amendments to existing legislation. [20935/26]
79. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will campaign for the reform of European beneficial ownership laws to ensure transparency and accountability on the ownership of fishing vessels and the allocation of fishing quota by states across the European Union and in quota transfer deals with third-party countries. [20934/26]
2290. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht when consideration of the review of CLÁR areas nationally, undertaken in 2021 using the 2016 Census of Population data, will be concluded and additional areas added; and if additional areas across County Donegal are being considered. [19400/26]
1716. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Health the current status of the assessment, pricing negotiations and potential reimbursement approval for Skyclarys (omaveloxolone) for the treatment of Friedreich's Ataxia (FA) in Ireland; when patients can expect a decision on access to this medicine; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18543/26]
1454. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to publish the report by a person (details supplied); the expected timeline for its publication; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19799/26]
1450. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of staff currently assigned to the aquaculture licensing division of his Department; whether additional resources or staffing are planned to address the backlog of aquaculture licence applications awaiting determination; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19414/26]
1449. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reasons for the significantly lower number of aquaculture licence determinations issued by his Department compared with forestry licence determinations, given that both involve environmental assessments, including appropriate assessment; the steps being taken to address the backlog of aquaculture licence applications awaiting determination; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19413/26]
887. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Education and Youth the reason urgent funding has not been provided from her Department to a school (details supplied) to replace two derelict prefab classrooms, in an already overcrowded school campus. [20455/26]
886. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Education and Youth the position regarding the progression of a sanctioned two classroom SEN extension to facilitate autism classes in a school (details supplied). [20454/26]
293. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Transport the preparation the Government has regarding the Clean Corporate Vehicles legislation; the supports that will be provided for impacted tourism and transport industry; if any exemptions will be sought; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19374/26]
586. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Health the reason 80 newly qualified paramedics who have completed a three year BSC in Paramedic Studies and all necessary examinations, placements and assessments will not move to permanent roles in the National Ambulance Service in what is a break from established practice. [18121/26]
470. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will designate Greencastle Harbour, County Donegal as a pelagic landing port for catches over ten tonnes. [18164/26]
163. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when he will advance the plans to relocate the families at a location (details supplied), living in defective concrete block homes, away from the dangerous flood plain they were built on. [17184/26]
159. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when he will request that the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland, SCSI, draft a follow-up report on construction costs for the defective concrete blocks grant scheme, considering that the last one was almost two years ago and costs have considerably increased in that period. [17183/26]
56. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Health if she will ensure that the Letterkenny University Hospital, model 3 hospital, clinical care plan is published at the earliest opportunity, and the recommendations urgently acted upon.; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17181/26]
13. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Health when the HSE will allow the home support service in Donegal to resume recruitment for healthcare assistants to address the growing waiting list for the service in the county.; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17182/26]
616. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the way in which he can assist older people who are eligible for the defective concrete block grant scheme but who are unable to uproot at this advanced stage of their lives; if he will consider allowing them to transfer their eligibility on to a beneficiary in their will, or to a purchaser who has paid the fair market price to them; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17131/26]
608. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the way in which the defective concrete blocks grant scheme complies with the State’s current building regulations and the EU’s revised Energy Performance of Buildings Directive in that the defective concrete blocks grant scheme only adheres to the 2007 Building Regulations for the purposes of eligible costs, incentivising fossil fuel boilers. [16872/26]
470. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Education and Youth to establish if transport escorts for adults with disabilities, attending services (details supplied) and employed under the umbrella of Transport for Ireland receive higher pay along with statutory holidays in comparison to school transport escorts paid through her Department’s special educational needs transport scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16825/26]
448. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of aquaculture licence determinations issued by the Department in 2022, 2023 and 2024 respectively; to provide a breakdown of how many of these were new licence applications or licence renewals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15665/26]
229. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the reasons for the omission of the Equality (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2025 from the Government Legislation Programme Spring 2026. [15386/26]
156. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when homeowners who have spent money since March 2024 under the defective concrete block grant scheme will be reimbursed up to the new maximum cap, following the passing of recent legislation. [15384/26]
831. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the level of monitoring and inspections that has taken place of the large EU and UK registered pelagic freezer trawlers operating off the Irish coast during January and early February of 2026 targeting horse mackerel and other species; and the landings made by these vessels including bycatches of boarfish [14841/26]
775. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of people who have been prosecuted under the Criminal Justice (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2023, which came into effect on 1 November 2023, and is designed to significantly toughen penalties for assaulting on-duty emergency workers, explicitly including hospital staff, nurses and doctors [14653/26]
282. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Transport to outline what he and his Department can do to assist more persons to obtain an able body seaman ticket and build a career in offshore fishing when they are struggling to acquire the necessary sea time records. [14446/26]
185. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she is aware of the lack of respite available to children with disabilities across County Donegal; and to outline her plans to address this serious shortfall. [3633/26]
238. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his Department’s current policy approach to the development of a sustainable seaweed sector in Ireland; his assessment of the Marine Institute’s socioeconomic study on seaweed harvesting funded under the EMFF Seafood Development Programme; if any policy or strategic measures are being considered in response; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12973/26]
61. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Education and Youth the status of an application for capital works submitted by a school (details supplied); if it will be progressed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12966/26]
52. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation his views on the impact to public expenditure on Border counties such as Donegal, Cavan, Sligo, Leitrim, and Monaghan, following confirmation from the European Commission that the designation of the wider northern and western region of Ireland is to be upgraded from a “transition region” to a “more developed region” even though the GDP per capita in those counties is 68% of the EU average, on a par with Eastern European regions classified as being “less developed”; and if he will assure the people of those Border counties that they will not lose out on key infrastructural projects due to the ensuing cut in EU co-financing. [12972/26]
1126. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Health the number of improvement notices that have been issued to her Department or the HSE by the Health and Safety Authority linked to incidents in hospitals, whether that is due to specific failings around an incident or about security and safety concerns more generally. [12108/26]
1125. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Health the amount paid out in compensation arising out of violent incidents in hospitals in the past three years. [12107/26]