168. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of additional bus drivers who have entered or re-entered the workforce as a result of the decision to increase the maximum age limit for bus drivers from 70 to 72 years; the number currently availing of the extended age limit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [66677/26]
187. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Transport following the conclusion of legal proceedings relating to the N52 Ardee bypass, if he will confirm that full construction funding will be provided to allow works to commence at the earliest opportunity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [75101/26]
158. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Education and Youth for an update on the pilot expansion of the home school community liaison scheme to high-need non-DEIS schools; whether consideration is being given to making the scheme permanent and extending it to further schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [74928/26]
114. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will review the rate of the electricity allowance payable under the household benefits package in light of ongoing increases in household energy costs; whether any increase in the allowance is under consideration; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [74940/26]
141. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Health the current status of the proposed 36-bed specialist palliative care unit in Drogheda; the expected timeline for the commencement of construction and the opening of the facility to patients; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [71733/26]
733. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Health the arrangements in place for the follow-up care, monitoring and management of patients who undergo surgical procedures abroad under the cross-border directive; the supports available to patients who subsequently develop complications following their return to Ireland; the person or body responsible for co-ordinating their ongoing care; whether data is collected on complications and adverse outcomes arising from procedures undertaken under the directive; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [71491/26]
35. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will consider extending any existing or future fuel support schemes to include hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO), noting that while reliefs have been provided in respect of petrol and diesel, many tractors and agricultural machinery are capable of operating on HVO; whether he has examined the potential environmental and economic benefits of supporting the use of HVO in the agricultural sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66678/26]
43. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if he will provide an update on the progress of sentencing reform legislation contained in the programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [70020/26]
390. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will review the eligibility criteria for the fuel allowance scheme for people aged 66 and over (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [69886/26]
115. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will consider introducing legislation or regulations to make it mandatory for all new residential developments comprising of more than ten units to include solar energy systems, or alternative renewable energy technologies, together with battery storage facilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [69272/26]
238. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Transport his plans to expand the rural link bus services nationwide; the measures being taken to improve service frequency, extend operating hours and introduce additional routes in rural communities; if he will provide details of any planned service enhancements for County Louth; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66676/26]
165. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Transport if he will consider extending the proposed DART+ network northwards beyond Drogheda to include Dunleer, County Louth; if his Department has undertaken or plans to undertake any assessment of the feasibility; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66675/26]
143. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Transport if his Department will undertake a feasibility study on the development of a north Drogheda railway station and a new railway station in mid-Louth; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66673/26]
107. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Social Protection the process used by his Department to identify and investigate suspected social welfare fraud; the number of cases of social welfare fraud detected and confirmed in each of the past three years; the value of any overpayments identified and recovered during that period; the measures currently in place to prevent fraud and abuse of the social welfare system; any additional measures being considered to strengthen fraud detection and compliance activities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66706/26]
46. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Social Protection if, in light of the extension of Fuel Allowance eligibility to recipients of the Working Family Payment from 1 January 2026, he will review the eligibility criteria for Fuel Allowance for persons in receipt of Carer's Allowance; whether he acknowledges that some carers with household incomes comparable to those of Working Family Payment recipients are excluded from Fuel Allowance due to the means test; if he will consider introducing equivalent eligibility arrangements for carers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66648/26]
38. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will consider, as part of Budget 2027, extending eligibility for Illness Benefit to self-employed workers who are unable to work due to illness; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66646/26]
5. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Social Protection the changes he proposes to introduce to support women of older generations who are not eligible for a contributory State pension despite having made PRSI contributions through employment during their working lives but who do not have a sufficient contribution record to qualify for a pension at pensionable age; whether he is considering any further measures to recognise periods spent out of the workforce due to caring or family responsibilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [67756/26]
212. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the reason poultry farm worker roles remain on the list of ineligible categories of employment when exemptions and quotas have been established for other agri-food sectors experiencing labour shortages (details supplied); whether his Department has undertaken an evidence-based assessment demonstrating that recruitment challenges in the poultry sector differ from those experienced in these sectors; if not, whether he will commit to reviewing the eligibility of poultry farm worker roles for employment permits as part of the next occupations list review. [66394/26]
50. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment if he will review the exclusion of poultry farm worker roles under SOC Code 9111 (Farm Workers) from eligibility for employment permits; the rationale for permitting employment permits for dairy farm assistants, pig farm assistants, horticulture operatives, meat processor operatives and butchers, while excluding poultry farm workers despite similar recruitment difficulties; whether consideration will be given to introducing a specific permit category or quota for poultry farm assistants at the next review of the occupations lists; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66667/26]
689. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science his proposals in conjunction with the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, to support employers and workers through training, retraining and upskilling initiatives in response to the rapidly changing nature of work; the measures being considered to address skills shortages and future workforce needs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66671/26]
573. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Health if she is aware of delays in progressing the National Ambulance Service Student Paramedic Apprenticeship competition (NRS14980), which opened in September 2025; the reasons aptitude tests and interviews have not yet commenced; whether training places in affiliated colleges risk remaining vacant as a result; the impact on National Ambulance Service workforce planning and staffing levels; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [66590/26]
502. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the role of occupational therapists, speech and language therapists, psychologists and physiotherapists working within Children's Disability Network Teams; the proportion of clinician time allocated to direct therapeutic intervention, assessment and administrative duties respectively; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [66385/26]
501. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children currently attending children’s disability network teams in County Louth; the number awaiting access to occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, psychology and physiotherapy services respectively; the average waiting time for each service; the number of children with an assigned key worker; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [66387/26]
226. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment his proposals to assist small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in addressing the rising costs of fuel and energy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66670/26]
225. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the measures he plans to introduce to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in managing rising labour costs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66669/26]
128. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Transport the current status of the proposal agreed between CIÉ management and trade unions regarding the future of CIÉ pension schemes; to provide a timeline for the completion of each remaining stage of the approval process, including consideration by his Department, consideration by the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation; the statutory consultation process, and final implementation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66753/26]
36. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment under the implementation of the Government's tourism strategy and tourism development plans, if he will consider introducing specific supports for marine and maritime tourism enterprises to enhance and develop coastal tourism; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66668/26]
829. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if he will provide a current update on the proposed new Dublin Family Courts complex at Hammond Lane, Smithfield; the present status of the project; the current stage of procurement; the anticipated contract award date; the confirmed or anticipated date for construction to commence; and the estimated completion and opening date; and the current estimated total cost. [64422/26]
828. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the measures being incorporated to ensure victims and survivors of domestic violence have safe, private, trauma-informed and appropriately separated facilities, including secure waiting areas so that victims are not required to wait in close proximity to alleged perpetrators in the new Dublin Family Courts; the dedicated facilities and supports that will be provided for victims of domestic violence and their children; and the consultation that has taken place directly with victims and survivors in the design and planned operation of the new complex. [64423/26]
827. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if he will provide measurable evidence demonstrating the actual changes for a victim of domestic violence seeking immediate protection and support in Ireland today as a direct consequence of the establishment of Cuan. [64424/26]
227. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Transport if his Department will undertake a feasibility study on the development of a North Drogheda railway station and a new railway station in Mid-Louth; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [64685/26]
3300. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Health if she is aware of the reported increase in cases of shingles among younger adults; whether she will consider introducing a free shingles vaccination programme for those deemed at risk; whether consideration has been given to providing financial support for the shingles vaccine through the drugs payment scheme or other reimbursement mechanisms to reduce the cost burden on patients; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [59798/26]
3161. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Health the arrangements in place for the follow-up care, monitoring and management of patients who undergo surgical procedures abroad under the Cross Border Directive; the supports available to patients who subsequently develop complications following their return to Ireland; who is responsible for coordinating their ongoing care; whether data is collected on complications and adverse outcomes arising from procedures undertaken under the Directive; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60131/26]
3160. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Health if she will consider introducing an automatic renewal process for services medical cards held by qualifying organisations and service providers; if she is aware of the case of an organisation (details supplied) whose service medical card expired in November and despite seeking renewal, was still awaiting a decision as of last week, resulting in the organisation having to cover healthcare costs from its own resources; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60126/26]
3159. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Health if she will consider establishing a dedicated women's health unit at Louth County Hospital, Dundalk, incorporating services such as a sexual assault treatment unit, BreastCheck services and menopause clinics, in order to improve access to women's healthcare services in the north-east region; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60123/26]
3157. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Health if she will consider extending the drugs payment scheme to include essential self-care products, including incontinence wear and personal sanitary products, for persons who do not hold a medical card; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60119/26]
3155. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Health if she will consider introducing automatic entitlement to a free medical card for all persons aged over 75 years-of-age, and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60116/26]
3152. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Health the policy of her Department regarding reducing reliance on private nursing homes; the measures being taken to increase the availability of community-led nursing homes and home care services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60051/26]
3151. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Health for an update on the proposed statutory home care scheme; if consideration is being given to developing a scheme similar to the nursing home support scheme (fair deal) to support people to receive care in their own homes; the timeline for its introduction; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60048/26]
3149. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Health if she will introduce a mandatory system whereby reviews of residents' medical notes are required as part of all nursing home audits and inspections; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60042/26]
3148. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Health if she will introduce new regulations obliging all nursing homes, both public and private, to maintain a minimum staff-to-resident ratio; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60040/26]
3131. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Health if she will consider extending the upper age limit for BreastCheck screening beyond 69 years of age, in view of increasing life expectancy, the incidence of breast cancer among older women, and the potential benefits of early detection; whether a review of the current age eligibility criteria is planned, and if the Minister will make a statement on the matter. [59756/26]
2203. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if he will commit to implementing ask 2 of a framework (details supplied) by ensuring that bereaved families in manslaughter cases are entitled to receive a written explanation of sentencing decisions upon request, as operates in England and Wales; whether this could be achieved through amendment to the Criminal Justice (Victims of Crime) Act 2017 or through a direction to the DPP; and the proposed timeline for implementation. [59780/26]