247. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment if he will consider supporting and promoting a nationwide ‘Power Hour’ campaign, encouraging schools across Ireland to turn off all classroom lights for one hour each day at 12 pm with the aim of reducing electricity usage, cutting carbon emissions, and raising awareness of energy conservation and sustainability among students; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61640/25]
178. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the level of funding allocated in Budget 2026 to support the negotiation and implementation of a new early years employment regulation order; the timeline for communicating this allocation to the Early Years Joint Labour Committee; the steps being taken to ensure pay negotiations proceed without delay, given ongoing recruitment and retention challenges and the risk of missing the 1 September implementation date, as occurred previously; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61621/25]
2125. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number of apprentices registered each year from 2020 to 2024, by sector or industry, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58649/25]
1976. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Health the reason spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) has not yet been implemented in the national newborn heelprick screening programme, despite the decision announced in November 2023 to include SMA in that programme; if she will confirm the timeline for its implementation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [59477/25]
1621. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality in relation to overseas recruitment costings previously cited at €337,650 for special care centre employees, if she will confirm the specific timeframe to which this cost applies, given that the overseas recruits commenced in the summer, and that this figure therefore appears to cover approximately four months rather than an annual figure; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60096/25]
1620. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether Tusla, or her Department, has a contingency plan in place to maintain or increase special care bed capacity, as outlined in recent budget commitments, in light of the risk of staff departures associated with the restructuring process; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60095/25]
1619. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether Tusla, or her Department, has developed an organisational risk management plan in special care centres to address the potential loss of staff member, particularly at senior management, management and social care leader levels, arising from the restructuring; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60094/25]
1618. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if the “dedicated retention team,” referenced in previous correspondence, has met with special care employees regarding their concerns about the Tusla restructuring process; and if so, to provide details of when such meetings took place; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60093/25]
1617. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether Tusla has increased special care bed capacity since the commencement of its restructuring plan; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60092/25]
1616. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if Tusla has received feedback from a trade union (details supplied) in relation to its members’ views on the restructuring proposals for special care services; and if so, to outline the nature of this feedback; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60091/25]
1615. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of staff members across all grades that Tusla has managed to directly recruit since the launch of its recruitment campaign associated with the new structures of special care services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60090/25]
1614. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of staff members in special care centres who are currently engaged in the grievance procedure as a result of concerns regarding the impact of the restructuring process on their roles or conditions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60089/25]
1613. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of staff members in special care centres who have applied for transfers since the commencement of the restructuring process; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60088/25]
1612. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department or Tusla, are aware of any legal challenges being brought before the Workplace Relations Commission by staff members in relation to the impact that the current restructuring of special care services will have on their roles; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60087/25]
1357. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration when he intends to sign into effect the regulations on service charges and sinking funds, which were drafted in February 2022; and if he will ensure their introduction before the end of 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59911/25]
1017. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if there are any concrete timelines for implementation of the proposed exemptions to planning regarding detached cabins and modular homes, as referenced earlier this year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58169/25]
836. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she is aware of the survivors of industrial schools who are on hunger strike outside Leinster House; if she is aware that they have passed their 30th day of hunger strike; if she has met with this group about their demands; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [59412/25]
669. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Education and Youth the steps being taken to improve school transport services for students travelling from a location to a school (details supplied); if she will consider the inclusion of the school in the next phase of the school transport pilot scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [58094/25]
584. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment if he will consider establishing an advisory panel on AI and the Arts, comprising representatives from the arts, technology, and legal sectors, to guide policy development and promote ethical standards; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57916/25]
583. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment if his Department will consider providing targeted funding, training, or digital literacy supports to help Irish artists and creative professionals adapt to AI technologies while ensuring their rights and intellectual property remain protected; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57915/25]
582. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment if he has engaged with the European Commission or Creative Europe on developing harmonised EU standards for the ethical and transparent use of AI in cultural production and copyright protection; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57914/25]
581. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment if his Department plans to develop a national policy framework on the ethical use of artificial intelligence in the creative industries, to safeguard cultural workers and audiences against exploitation and misinformation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57913/25]
580. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment whether AI-related protections will be incorporated into future industry agreements and collective bargaining frameworks to protect writers, actors, and technical crew from having their work or likeness digitally replicated without consent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57912/25]
579. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment if he will ensure that public funding provided to screen and television productions through an agency (details supplied) or Section 481 tax relief includes clear safeguards preventing the unregulated use of AI-generated performers, voices, or scripts. [57911/25]
578. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the assessment which has been made of the impact of artificial intelligence on employment and workers' rights within Ireland's film, television, and performing arts industries; if his Department will commission a study on this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57910/25]
577. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the way in which his Department is engaging with representative bodies (details supplied) to ensure that developments in AI do not undermine employment opportunities, intellectual property rights, or creative integrity in the sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57909/25]
576. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment his plans to introduce specific legislation or regulations to safeguard creative professionals against the misuse of artificial intelligence technologies in the arts and entertainment industries, particularly in relation to consent, credit, and fair remuneration; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57908/25]
575. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the steps his Department is taking to protect Irish artists, writers, and performers from the unauthorised use of their work, likeness, or voice in artificial intelligence-generated content; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57907/25]
458. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Finance if he will consider the reintroduction of the 9% VAT rate for cinemas (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58096/25]
144. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she is aware that an organisation (details supplied) has been in receipt of funding from the HSE since 2008, with the first allocation amounting to €32,068, and the same allocation of funding from the HSE has been ongoing for the past 17 years; the additional steps which are required to secure enhanced support for their vital work; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57538/25]
127. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department has conducted, or plans to conduct, an assessment of the impact of avian influenza on non-avian species, including domestic animals; if there has been any evidence of transmission between species in Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57548/25]
910. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number of people accessing apprenticeships each year since 2020, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57351/25]
720. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Health if she will support a Fingal-based community group providing free first aid, CPR, and defibrillator training (details supplied). [56533/25]
671. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the minimum export weight for calves remains 40 kg; if there has been any change in policy; if not, the reason calves were under the minimum weight permitted to be exported; if the calves actually loaded on the date stated (details supplied); if not, the reason an incorrect journey log approved by a Departmental vet; the reason a revised journey log was not required when the port or date of departure changed; the immediate action his Department will take to ensure full compliance with export regulations and prevent further breaches that compromise animal welfare and Ireland’s export reputation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57361/25]
670. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the urgent steps he is taking to ensure that only fully weaned weanlings are entered in marts (details suppled); if his Department has conducted an investigation into the level of sickness and mortality among exported weanlings; if so, if he will publish the findings; the measures that will be put in place immediately to prevent the export of animals at risk due to improper weaning and stress-related illness; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57360/25]
523. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Social Protection if he considers it fair that parents are being penalised through reductions or exclusions from the fuel allowance and other social welfare supports as a result of the ongoing housing crisis, where many adult children are unable to secure independent accommodation and are continuing to live in the family home; if he will review these criteria so that the income of adult children living at home is disregarded in such assessments, given the unfair impact this is having on families; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56923/25]
512. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Social Protection to clarify the eligibility criteria for the new fuel allowance payment for those in receipt of the working family payment, announced in Budget 2026; the proposed income thresholds, and any other qualifying conditions that will apply, when the measure is introduced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56566/25]
508. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the status of the transfer of responsibility for the regulation of owners’ management companies from the Department of Justice to his Department; and if he will confirm that this transfer will be completed before the summer recess; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57416/25]
264. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Transport if there are plans to provide future interconnectivity between the DART+ North Project and the Metro once the Metro is operational, whether by rail or bus link; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57008/25]
382. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Health if funding will be made available to Fingal County Council to fund an initiative (details supplied) to support the provision of first responder training for members of the public and community organisations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56320/25]
381. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Health if she will report on the absence of a comprehensive, up-to-date, public register of automated external defibrillators (AED); if she has plans to develop or support the creation of a national AED register and mapping system, accessible to the public and emergency services, to enable faster emergency response; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56319/25]
380. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Health the number of defibrillators currently located in public buildings (details supplied), by county, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56318/25]
236. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Education and Youth for an update on the progress on a building project (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56360/25]
235. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will support an initiative to include CPR and defibrillator awareness training as part of the school curriculum to equip children with essential life-saving skills; if she will support a proposal for a non-uniform day on 13 February, through which schools will raise funds for local defibrillators, as part of an initiative being developed by an initiative (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56321/25]
149. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will address an urgent matter regarding school transport (details supplied); if she is aware that the bus transporting six children to the school is no longer operational; if she will outline what immediate measures can be taken to ensure these children have access to school transport while a replacement service is arranged; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55645/25]
116. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Finance if he will consider extending the recent reduction in VAT from 13.5% to 9% to include cinema admissions, in recognition of the similar economic pressures faced by the sector, including rising energy and wage costs, incomplete post-pandemic recovery and competition from global streaming platforms, and given the vital role that local and independent cinemas play in supporting employment, community activity and town centre footfall; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55888/25]
775. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to explain the reason for the decision by her Department not to approve the proposed increase in the “special care allowance” for staff working in Tusla’s special care centres (details supplied); if she will reconsider this decision given the acute staffing crisis and associated High Court implications; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54711/25]