835. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance if he is aware of concerns that the 70 per cent mortgage requirement under the help to buy scheme may incentivise applicants to borrow more than is necessary in order to qualify for support; whether this matter has been examined by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59172/26]
834. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance if consideration is being given to amending the help to buy scheme eligibility criteria to allow first-time buyers who have substantial savings or family support to qualify for the scheme where they otherwise meet all eligibility requirements but do not satisfy the 70 per cent mortgage threshold; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59171/26]
833. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance whether his Department has conducted an assessment of the impact of the 70 per cent mortgage requirement under the help to buy scheme on single applicants, self-builders and applicants in rural areas; and if he will publish the findings of such an assessment. [59170/26]
832. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance the number of applicants in Galway who were deemed ineligible for the help to buy scheme in each of the past five years due to not meeting the requirement that the mortgage constitute at least 70 per cent of the purchase price or approved valuation of the property; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59169/26]
831. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance if he will outline the policy rationale for the requirement under the help to buy scheme that a first-time buyer's mortgage must be at least 70 per cent of the purchase price or approved valuation of a qualifying property; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59168/26]
830. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance whether his Department has considered additional taxation measures for family farms, including amendments to agricultural relief and retirement relief, to support farm succession in counties such as Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59167/26]
829. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance what measures his department is considering to reduce the tax burden on small and medium-sized enterprises in towns such as Tuam, Athenry, Gort, and Loughrea that continue to face increasing operating costs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59166/26]
828. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance if he will review the help to buy scheme to reflect rising house prices in counties such as Galway, where the median asking price has increased substantially over the past year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59165/26]
664. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance if consideration has been given to removing actively farmed land from residential zoned land tax; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59100/26]
663. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance whether consideration is being given to proposals that would ensure that applicants constructing homes in rural areas are not excluded from the help to buy scheme solely because the valuation of the completed dwelling exceeds the actual construction cost; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59050/26]
662. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance if he will assess the impact that the current help to buy scheme eligibility criteria are having on the delivery of one-off rural housing by first-time buyers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59049/26]
634. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Transport to provide an update on the western rail corridor project, including the status of the Athenry to Claremorris section, the expected timeline for delivery of the project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59036/26]
633. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Transport for an update on progress made to date on the western rail corridor; the status of all planned phases of the project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59035/26]
632. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Transport the position regarding the western rail corridor works; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59034/26]
631. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Transport how annual regional and local road funding allocations to local authorities are calculated; whether the scale of County Galway's road network and infrastructure maintenance responsibilities are adequately reflected in the current funding model; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59033/26]
630. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Transport the number of applications for emergency funding relating to regional and local road infrastructure received from Galway County Council in each of the past five years; the number approved; the value of each application and approval; the average processing time for such applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59032/26]
629. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Transport whether a dedicated emergency funding scheme exists to support local authorities in carrying out urgent or emergency repairs to damaged road and bridge infrastructure; the funding allocated under such a scheme in each of the past five years, by local authority in Connaught; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59031/26]
628. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Transport if plans are in progress to resume catering services on the Galway to Dublin train line; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59030/26]
627. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Transport the position regarding plans to expand the national network of electric vehicle charging infrastructure to improve accessibility and reliability for motorists; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59029/26]
626. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Transport if consideration is being given to introducing specific regulations or public awareness measures in relation to high-powered e-bike conversion kits that exceed the legal specifications for electrically assisted pedal cycles, including engagement with An Garda Síochána and the Road Safety Authority regarding enforcement and public education; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59028/26]
345. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Transport the measures being taken by Government to increase the number of electric buses in operation across the State; the proportion of the public bus fleet currently powered by electricity; and the plans to increase charging facilities for same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59061/26]
344. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Transport for an update on future levels of grant assistance available for the purchase of electric vehicles; the plans to expand the national network of electric vehicle charging infrastructure to improve accessibility and reliability for motorists; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59060/26]
343. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Transport whether a dedicated emergency response fund exists to support local authorities where isolated infrastructure failures, including road collapses, bridge damage, drainage failures or other unforeseen events, require immediate intervention outside the normal roads programme; the amount allocated under such a fund in each of the past five years by local authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59056/26]
302. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Defence the extent to which the Defence Forces are incorporating artificial intelligence technologies into operational planning, intelligence analysis and cybersecurity activities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [59141/26]
301. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Defence the measures being taken by her Department to protect critical subsea infrastructure, including undersea communications cables and energy interconnectors, within Ireland's maritime area; any additional capabilities planned; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [59137/26]
300. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Defence for an update on the implementation of the Strategic Framework for the Transformation of the Defence Forces; the measures completed to date; those currently underway; the expected timeline for the remaining measures; the impact of the programme on Defence Forces operational capability; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [59136/26]
244. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment whether he will review the current SEAI grant supports for rooftop solar installations with a view to introducing multi-year funding certainty and increasing grant levels for larger rooftop projects, particularly on farm buildings, warehouses, shopping centres and supermarkets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59062/26]
95. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the number and location of Irish embassies, consulates and other diplomatic missions currently in operation; the number of staff employed at each mission, broken down by diplomatic, administrative and locally engaged staff; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [59135/26]
94. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Affairs the amount of official development assistance allocated to programmes in 2025 and 2026, by country and programme where available; the proportion this represents of Ireland's total official development assistance budget; the additional assistance planned for the remainder of 2026 and in 2027; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [59134/26]
27. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Taoiseach whether the Central Statistics Office has engaged with disability representative organisations, the HSE or relevant Government departments regarding the adequacy of census data on people with intellectual disabilities for long-term service planning; whether any review of the disability questions is planned ahead of the next census. [58776/26]
26. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Taoiseach whether consideration is being given, as part of preparations for future census questionnaires, to expanding the information collected in relation to intellectual disability in order to provide more robust anonymised data to support strategic planning across Government departments, including the HSE, the Department of Education and Youth, the Department of Social Protection and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. [58775/26]
127. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Defence the defence and security priorities she intends to advance during Ireland’s EU Presidency; the initiatives Ireland expects to lead or support in the areas of European security, defence cooperation, resilience and military mobility; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54026/26]
20. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Education and Youth the measures being taken to provide certainty to families in advance of the commencement of the 2026-2027 school year regarding school transport allocations and charges; the steps being taken to ensure that families receive timely confirmation of school bus placements; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53983/26]
16. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Education and Youth the measures being taken to ensure school bus tickets are issued in advance of the commencement of the 2026-27 school year; the steps being taken to avoid a recurrence of the delays and capacity issues experienced last year, which resulted in eligible children being left without transport or unable to access existing routes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53982/26]
35. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht if his Department has considered establishing a dedicated community project support officer within each local authority whose role would be to assist voluntary community organisations in identifying suitable funding opportunities, preparing grant applications, managing procurement requirements, completing drawdown documentation and ensuring compliance with Departmental funding conditions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53197/26]
358. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of vacant posts within Children's Disability Network Teams nationally and by health region; the average time taken to fill these vacancies; whether consideration is being given to streamlining the recruitment approval process to reduce delays in services for children with disabilities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51551/26]
107. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Health if her Department is aware of circumstances in which elderly couples residing together and both in receipt of approved home support hours may experience unmet care needs due to home support staff restrictions on carrying out tasks solely for the individual to whom a particular visit is allocated; whether her Department will examine a more person-centred and household-based approach to the delivery of home support services in such cases; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51552/26]
75. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine for an update on his Department's support to young farmers or to promote farming as an industry to increase the number of young farmers in the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51550/26]
64. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine for an update on programmes to highlight and promote female farmers and the vital role they play in the industry; to provide an update on EU funding drawdown for female farmers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51549/26]
908. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht the number of applications relating to pedestrian infrastructure or footpath projects submitted under CLÁR in each of the past five years in County Galway; the outcome of those applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51167/26]
907. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht whether consideration has been given to reintroducing support for footpath infrastructure under the CLÁR programme, particularly in rural villages and settlements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51166/26]
906. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht whether footpath construction and footpath improvement works are eligible for funding under the CLÁR programme; if he will provide details of changes made to eligibility criteria in recent years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51165/26]
512. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Social Protection if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the €18,000 postgraduate stipend disregard used in disability allowance assessments has not kept pace with current PhD funding levels given that many publicly funded PhD stipends are now €22,000 per annum or higher (details supplied); whether he will raise this issue with the Minister for Social Protection and seek a review of the current threshold; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51143/26]
504. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Social Protection whether his Department has given consideration to lowering the age of eligibility for free travel passes for SEN students entering post primary schools to avail of public transport, in the event of travel without a primary carer (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50839/26]
356. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number and location of reading classes currently in operation nationwide; the number of children currently on waiting lists for placement in such classes, by county, in tabular form; whether there are plans to increase the number of reading classes available to children with severe dyslexia; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51146/26]
355. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she is aware that 14 children have been left without a place in the reading class attached to a school in Renmore, County Galway, which is the only reading class serving the Connacht region; if consideration has been given to establishing a second reading class in light of the current waiting list and the principal's reported readiness to accommodate an additional class; if her Department has assessed the adequacy of current reading class provision for children with severe dyslexia in Galway and the wider Connacht area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51145/26]