254. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment if his Department has undertaken any research into the environmental impact of industrial scale seaweed harvesting on the environment, in particular on the pace of coastal erosion; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14910/26]
210. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the analysis her Department has undertaken into the environmental impact of the Mercosur trade agreement; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14909/26]
691. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht the programmes or funding that have been provided to support rural communities and Gaeltacht areas along the Wild Atlantic Way for sustainable tourism, cultural activities, and landscape/heritage protection; the details of the funding, projects supported, and expected outcomes for community development and conservation of local landscapes and heritage; how local communities and stakeholders are engaged in planning and delivering these projects; the measures being taken to ensure tourism growth benefits rural and Gaeltacht communities while protecting landscapes and heritage; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13731/26]
404. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage further to the release of the Coastal Change Management Strategy Report in 2023, to provide an update on the development of Ireland’s National Coastal Change Management Strategy; the current status of the Strategy, which is overdue; the expected timeline for its publication; the current position of the National Coastal Change Management Strategy Steering Group, including its membership, the number of times it has met since establishment, the issues it has considered, and the timeline for completing its work; to provide an update on each of the fifteen recommendations of the Interdepartmental Group on the National Coastal Change Management Strategy, indicating in each case whether a decision has been made regarding implementation, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13723/26]
403. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether reviews were undertaken at the end of phase one and phase two of the National Landscape Strategy 2015–2025; if so, to provide an update on Ireland’s ongoing obligations under the European Landscape Convention (ELC) and how these are being fulfilled following the conclusion of the National Landscape Strategy 2015–2025; his plans to prepare an updated National Landscape Strategy and implementation programme, including consultation with communities, stakeholders, local authorities, and committees who contributed to the 2015 document; to provide an update on the completion of the National Landscape Character Assessment and how it is being integrated into broader policies and frameworks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13722/26]
290. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment to provide an update on current and planned tourism investment along the Wild Atlantic Way, including Fáilte Ireland and Shared Island Fund support; to specify what funding has been allocated for protection, restoration, and enhancement of landscapes and natural heritage along the route; to outline the process for prioritising projects and how local communities and stakeholders are involved in decision-making; the measures being taken to ensure that tourism development along the Wild Atlantic Way is sustainable and benefits local communities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13730/26]
279. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation to provide an update on Ireland’s national assessment of areas at risk from sea-level rise over the next 20–50 years, including coastal counties and vulnerable communities; to specify what coastal adaptation or resilience measures (hard engineering, nature-based solutions, or managed retreat strategies) are planned or underway in these areas; to outline how the timeline for implementing these measures is being determined and monitored; to indicate whether funding for maintenance and monitoring of existing coastal defences has been allocated, and how these measures are being evaluated for effectiveness; to confirm how local authorities, communities, and stakeholders are being engaged in planning and implementing adaptation strategies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13729/26]
278. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation the list of all flood relief and flood risk management projects in County Mayo since 2020, by each project: the name and location of the project; the total approved budget and amount spent to date, including maintenance and ongoing operational costs; whether the project is in planning, under construction, or completed; the number of properties and key infrastructure protected or expected to be protected; whether any nature-based solutions have been included in the design, implementation, or evaluation including but not limited to natural water retention measures, wetland restoration, riparian planting, or sustainable urban drainage systems; the details of those measures the scale of investment in any nature-based solutions; how the effectiveness of any nature-based solutions in reducing flood risk is being evaluated, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13726/26]
202. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment in view of the Climate Advisory Council’s estimate that Ireland could face up to €26 billion in costs if 2030 climate targets are missed, whether his Department has carried out a cost–benefit analysis comparing the actual fines, penalties, and compliance costs the State has incurred to date under EU or international climate obligations; the projected fines, penalties, and compliance costs the State may face if targets are not met; the costs and benefits of using the same or equivalent funding for domestic climate mitigation and adaptation projects; to provide the findings of any such analysis; to provide a breakdown of annual actual and projected expenditure, including best-case and worst-case scenarios, for EU or international climate-related fines or penalties; carbon credit purchases or carbon market compliance costs; payments to international carbon offset schemes; any other payments directly tied to meeting Ireland’s climate obligations; annual Exchequer allocations to domestic climate adaptation projects over the same period; an explanation for any gap between projected fines and domestic climate spending, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13724/26]
201. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the way in which Ireland’s circular economy policy and legislation apply to the harvesting of seaweed as a finite biological resource, rather than a manufactured input; whether the circular economy framework recognises the importance of natural regeneration capacity, harvesting cycles, and ecological carrying capacity for seaweed species commonly harvested in Ireland; whether any national guidance, limits, or sustainability thresholds exist in respect of regeneration rates, harvesting intensity, or recovery periods for seaweed beds; and if not, whether he considers such limits necessary to distinguish genuinely circular use from extractive activity; whether circular economy policy requires that proposals for large-scale seaweed harvesting take account of regeneration cycles traditionally measured over multiple years, cumulative impacts, and the long-term ability of the resource to replenish itself; the way in which these principles are being applied, in practice, to the assessment of large-volume harvesting proposals, including foreshore licence application FS006108, which proposes harvesting at a scale of up to 40,000 tonnes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13721/26]
194. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment for an update on the Marine Protected Areas Bill; when the Bill will be published; whether Clew Bay, or areas within or adjacent to it, are being considered for designation as a marine protected area (MPA); to provide an update on any scientific assessments, surveys, or consultations that have been carried out to inform this designation; to outline the expected timeline for any proposed MPA designation and the process for public consultation; to clarify how local communities, including fishers and aquaculture operators, are being engaged in the process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13728/26]
154. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of childcare providers that have closed in County Mayo in each of the past ten years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12184/26]
151. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of foster parents or foster placements in County Mayo. [12185/26]
90. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the steps his Department is taking to increase the tourism potential of County Mayo; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12162/26]
24. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the employment rate in County Mayo; and if he will outline how this compares with other counties. [12161/26]
263. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health if she will address the fact that Mayo University Hospital is operating with only one CT scanner, leading to significant delays for patients, including those requiring urgent cancer-related imaging; and if she will outline the immediate steps that will be taken to increase scanning capacity and reduce waiting times; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12971/26]
255. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if children may be placed on waiting lists for guardian ad litem appointments under the new service; the way this aligns with the State’s obligation to protect vulnerable children involved in court proceedings; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13110/26]
254. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the way she intends to guarantee the independence of guardians ad litem under the new guardian ad litem national service, given that both Tusla and the new service will report to the same Minister; if she will outline the safeguards that will be put in place to ensure that advocacy for children in court proceedings is not restricted; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13109/26]
1245. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health the specific background checks, verification processes, and credential assessments carried out by the Health Service Executive and relevant regulatory bodies on foreign-trained nurses and doctors seeking employment within the HSE; the way in which their qualifications and clinical training are benchmarked against those required of Irish-trained health professionals and by which council; the robustness and consistency of these equivalency assessments; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12892/26]
1244. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health the average recruitment timeline for Health Service Executive nursing positions in County Mayo, from the point at which a vacancy is approved and advertised; to the issuing of a job offer; to the commencement date of the successful candidate; if the Minister will comment on the causes of delays occurring particularly between offer and start date, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12891/26]
1243. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health the reason the Health Service Executive continues to refuse legally compliant written references that confirm only dates of employment and job titles, the full extent of what many private employers are permitted to provide under their own governance and liability policies, and instead applies pressure on private companies to issue verbal or expanded written references that contravene those employers’ established reference policies; and if the Minister will outline the justification for this practice and the steps being taken to rectify the delays in this position starting. [12890/26]
1236. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health when the single point of access system for children's services will be fully operational; the way it will prevent families such as that of a child (details supplied) from being passed between primary care, disability services, and CAMHS; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12841/26]
1235. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health the basis on which CAMHS excludes a child (details supplied) whose behavioural and emotional needs fall outside the capacity of Primary Care; the mental health supports that are available for autistic children who do not meet CAMHS criteria; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12839/26]
1234. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health if she is satisfied that a five session primary care occupational therapy 'Episode of Care' is an adequate intervention for a child (details supplied) with a confirmed autism diagnosis and ongoing sensory, behavioural, and attention related needs; if she will review the appropriateness of limiting autistic children to short block interventions within primary care; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12837/26]
995. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the way in which the HSE ensures that children (details supplied) who receive an assessment of need diagnosis subsequently receive timely and appropriate interventions; if she is satisfied that current practice is meeting statutory obligations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12842/26]
994. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she is aware of cases in which families, including that of a child (details supplied), are repeatedly directed to apply to the CDNT despite previous referral forum decisions ruling them ineligible; the measures which are being taken to ensure families receive accurate and consistent guidance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12840/26]
993. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will direct the HSE to review the referral pathway decision for a child (details supplied) whose case has been refused by the Children's Disability Network Team on three occasions despite a completed assessment of need and general practitioner concerns; if she will ensure that the child's case is reconsidered in light of ongoing unmet needs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12838/26]
946. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration to outline residency and citizenship pathways for a non-Irish spouse of a returning Irish citizen, and processing timelines. [12786/26]
936. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if he will outline the measures his Department is taking to safeguard democratic oversight within Local Community Safety Partnerships; if he has assessed the risk that removing media access will erode transparency and weaken public accountability; and if he will commit to reviewing national guidance to restore public confidence in these forums. [12674/26]
935. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if he agrees that while there may be occasions where sensitive Garda or personal information requires a private session, imposing a blanket ban on media attendance at Local Community Safety Partnerships is neither necessary nor proportionate; if he will intervene to prevent such a blanket prohibition; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12673/26]
934. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration to clarify the precise guidance conveyed by his Department at the recent briefing for newly elected Chairs of Local Community Safety Partnerships in Dublin; if any recommendation was made to limit or prohibit media attendance; and if he will publish the formal terms of reference and national protocols issued to the Chairs. [12672/26]
933. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if he will direct Local Community Safety Partnership Chairs to hold meetings in public session as the default, in keeping with long established practice under the former Joint Policing Committees; if he will confirm that private sessions should be limited strictly to sensitive matters involving personal data or operational Garda information; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12671/26]
932. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if he acknowledges the vital role played by independent local media in scrutinising policing and community safety matters; if he has evaluated the impact of excluding journalists from Local Community Safety Partnership meetings on public information and oversight; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12670/26]
931. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if he recognises that public confidence in policing and community safety structures requires transparency; if he accepts that many of the issues raised at Local Community Safety Partnership meetings, such as crime trends, antisocial behaviour, and resource deployment, are clearly in the public interest; and if he will outline the way in which restricting media access aligns with the objective of strengthening accountability. [12669/26]
930. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if he will outline the reasons for the change in practice from the former Joint Policing Committees, which operated with full media access as standard, to the new Local Community Safety Partnerships where media attendance has been significantly restricted; if he will clarify whether this shift reflects a policy change by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12668/26]
929. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if he will clarify the guidance, advice, or direction his Department has issued to Local Community Safety Partnerships (LCSP) regarding media access to their meetings; if he will confirm whether the decision to exclude members of the press from the majority of meetings is a national policy, a matter for local discretion, or a recommendation conveyed to LCSP chairs at the recent briefing in Dublin; and if he will outline the rationale for any such guidance given the importance of transparency in community safety and policing oversight. [12667/26]
821. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when the proposed planning exemptions for modular units will be introduced; and if he will allow flexibility for side placement and generous square footage in constrained sites. [12788/26]
752. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport to provide dates (details supplied), in relation to the authorisation process for pension increases agreed by An Post and the trade unions over the period January 2021 – February 2026; the control he exercises over the discretion claimed by An Post around its pension scheme, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12884/26]
682. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will ensure that transition planning for autistic pupils is carried out in line with NCSE guidance, and that children are provided with placements appropriate to their assessed needs, sensory profiles and support requirements, rather than being offered any available place where no suitable provision exists; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12556/26]
681. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will outline the measures being taken to increase the number of autism class and special school places at post-primary level, in light of pupils completing primary autism classes who are unable to secure appropriate placements due to capacity shortages; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12555/26]
675. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether the NCCA has undertaken any analysis of the potential implications of multiple, divergent stakeholder interpretations of the term ‘social justice’ as used in its Strategic Plan and curriculum specifications, particularly in terms of how such divergence may affect the intelligibility of stated curriculum aims and principles for participants in public consultations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12493/26]
674. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth the working definition of the term ‘social justice’ as used by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment in its 2022-2025 Strategic Plan (details supplied); to detail how this definition is operationalised in curriculum design, including reference to any underlying theoretical frameworks, authors or academic traditions on which the NCCA relies; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12492/26]
502. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance to clarify tax obligations for a non-EU national working remotely in Ireland for a U.S. employer, including residency and income thresholds. [12787/26]
437. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Transport the reason an American driving licence cannot be exchanged for an Irish driving licence; if he will consider reviewing this policy for returning Irish citizens; and if he will clarify the legal position on driving in Ireland on a U.S. licence during transition. [12785/26]
390. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Transport the rationale for the current system under which penalty points are applied from the date on which they are formally processed and imposed by the national vehicle and driver file, rather than the date on which the motorist receives the fixed-charge notice; if he is aware that this results in penalty points remaining active for a period longer than the three years widely understood by motorists; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12181/26]
317. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment if he is aware of a proposed large-scale seaweed harvesting plan along the Galway and Mayo coastline by a Canadian company (details supplied) which owns an Irish company which is seeking permission to harvest 40,000 tonnes of seaweed wrack; if his Department has concerns in relation to the environmental impact of this proposal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12149/26]