774. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to outline the engagement that has taken place between her Department, Tusla, and a union (details supplied) to address ongoing staff retention issues in special care; if she will ensure that the restructuring plan is paused pending meaningful consultation with affected staff; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54710/25]
773. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will provide details of any proposals submitted by Tusla to increase the “special care allowance” to improve recruitment and retention; whether her Department supports these measures; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54709/25]
772. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will clarify whether Tusla’s previous “agency incentive scheme” was approved by her Department; the cost implications of this scheme; the safeguards now in place to prevent pay disparities between agency and directly employed staff (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54708/25]
771. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to outline the outcome of Tusla’s recent overseas recruitment campaign for special care staff; the total cost of this initiative, including accommodation and relocation supports; whether it has delivered measurable improvements in staffing levels; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54707/25]
770. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will address concerns that the proposed amalgamation of the social care leader and social care worker grades into a single “special care worker” grade will erode the supervisory and support structures essential for safe service delivery in special care centres (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54706/25]
769. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if an equality or risk assessment has been undertaken on the proposed restructuring of Tusla’s special care services, given widespread staff concerns that the changes could result in centre closures (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54705/25]
768. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if an updated job specification has been issued for new and revised roles under the proposed restructuring of facilities (details supplied); if not, when these documents will be provided to staff; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54704/25]
767. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she has considered the impact of the proposed restructuring on the regulatory responsibilities of persons in charge; if HIQA has been consulted regarding the potential implications for the registration of special care centres (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54703/25]
766. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the rationale for the proposed restructuring of Tusla’s special care services of a facility (details supplied); whether a full consultation with staff and their representative union took place; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54702/25]
765. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she is aware that only 15 of the 26 High Court-directed special care beds in the State are currently operational due to ongoing staffing shortages; the steps being taken to ensure full capacity is restored; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54701/25]
651. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Social Protection if under the successor scheme to the basic income for arts announced in Budget 2026, for individuals who are in receipt of social welfare payments, including disability allowance and carers allowance will be permitted to retain those payments while participating in the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55097/25]
575. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if Fingal local authority will be included in the defective block scheme; the timeline for when the decision will be signed off on; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54699/25]
549. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport if participants currently in receipt of the basic income for the arts pilot scheme will be retained under the new successor scheme announced in Budget 2026; If so, the duration they will continue to receive the payment; if there will be a defined cut-off point for current participants; if they will be eligible to reapply under the new scheme; the way in which the new intake of recipients will be selected and awarded places under the revised scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55096/25]
462. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she is aware that the pupils in an autism class (details supplied) are presenting with highly complex needs, including PICA, self-injurious behaviours and high levels of dysregulation; the steps her Department and the NCSE are taking to ensure that schools are not left without adequate resources to provide for these children’s right to an appropriate and inclusive education; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55114/25]
461. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will urgently review a case where a school-led above SERC review was conducted on 22 May 2025 (details supplied) in respect of an autism specific class; the reason after almost five months, no decision has been communicated to the school regarding its application for additional SNA support; if she will ensure that the findings of that review, along with the observations of both the SENO and the NCSE autism advisor are acted upon without further delay given the escalating safety and care needs of the pupils and staff in the class; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55113/25]
372. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation the process by which his Department assesses proposals from Tusla or the Department of Children, Disability and Equality to adjust allowances for high-risk or high-intensity services such as special care (details supplied); whether staff retention and service continuity are factored into such decisions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54712/25]
339. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Finance if homeowners in the Fingal west area whose properties have been affected by defective blocks, and who have not yet received compensation under the defective concrete blocks scheme, may apply to have their local property tax (LPT) liability reassessed; if he will make provision for such homeowners to have their LPT valuation reviewed given the significant loss of resale value and structural integrity of their homes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54700/25]
129. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will acknowledge recent ESRI research showing that farmers are just as concerned about climate change as urban dwellers (details supplied); and the steps his Department is taking to support and engage with farmers who are already adapting to the realities of climate change, including the challenges of working through increasingly frequent major weather warnings and unpredictable conditions. [55122/25]
109. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will introduce a dedicated funding stream or expand grant supports for domestic fruit and vegetable growers, given Ireland's heavy reliance on imports in these sectors, a situation that is unsustainable in the long term; the measures being taken to strengthen local horticultural production and national food security through Food Vision 2030; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55120/25]
103. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will outline the measures being taken to strengthen existing animal welfare laws and enforcement mechanisms; if his Department intends to engage with campaign representatives to progress the aims of Stout's law (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55118/25]
101. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will acknowledge the increasing impact of the climate crisis on Irish farmers (details supplied); the measures being taken to support small and family farms facing growing challenges; if he will consider rebalancing supports to promote local and sustainable food systems, ensuring that farmers can make a fair living while supplying their own communities rather than being forced into an export-driven model; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55121/25]
99. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will commit to developing an integrated national food security strategy that strengthens local production, addresses food poverty and ensures that our food system is both environmentally and socially sustainable (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55119/25]
89. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will commit to developing and implementing a comprehensive resilience and recovery plan now to ensure that rural and agricultural communities are protected when the next major storm occurs (details supplied). [55112/25]
339. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Health if consideration will be given to making certain medications for the treatment of cystitis and urinary tract infections available without prescription, in recognition of the impact of recurrent infections on women’s health and in order to ease the current pressure on GP services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54420/25]
517. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she is aware of the difficulties in transitioning from paediatric disability services and adult disability services, particularly the lack of transition planning; if she has any plans to implement an automatic referral scheme for people transitioning from paediatric to adult disability services; if there are any plans to provide a comprehensive outreach service to disabled persons and persons with additional needs, particularly in Balbriggan; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53141/25]
119. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Transport if he will address the ongoing capacity issues on the 101x commuter bus service, which is frequently full before reaching the final stops in Balbriggan, and often bypasses Balrothery without stopping, leaving commuters unable to board; if he will consider increasing the frequency of the service or providing additional capacity to ensure that residents in Balbriggan and Balrothery have reliable access to public transport during peak times; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53764/25]
392. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will prioritise the provision of community based, not-for-profit early education and school age childcare services in public buildings, such as schools, over corporate, for-profit providers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52672/25]
308. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the steps his Department is taking to ensure that all State-funded sporting bodies have robust safeguarding protocols in place; that all bodies are fully accountable to the Oireachtas; and that all bodies operate with transparent compliance timelines, in light of recent controversies at the Football Association of Ireland. [52488/25]
229. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence if he will confirm whether all reservists who were not paid in full in late 2024 have since been paid in full; the timeframe for outstanding payments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52680/25]
228. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence if he has considered adjusting the categorisation or employment status of reservists, including PRSI or other employment rights, to recognise the levels of service reservists provide, which appear to exceed the statutory or budgeted number of days; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52679/25]
227. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the steps his Department is taking to ensure that recruitment surges do not lead to budget shortfalls; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52678/25]
226. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the additional funding which has been allocated, or is planned to be allocated, in budget 2026 or via other mechanisms to ensure reservists are paid in a timely manner even during periods of unexpected recruitment growth; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52677/25]
225. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the estimates of the full-cost implications of recruitment, including increases in medicals, induction, training, support and pay for the remainder of 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52676/25]
224. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence given that the budget for reserve training and support days was €3.01 million and exhausted during 2024, and supplementary funds assigned earlier in the year proved inadequate, will he provide for the reasons the supplementary funds were insufficient; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52675/25]
223. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence if his Department is satisfied that sufficient budgetary foresight was applied when barriers to recruitment for the Reserve Defence Forces were removed, given that internal documents show that, by November 2024, the existing budget was already insufficient to pay reservists for the remainder of the year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52674/25]
68. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport for an update on the work of the night-time economy adviser; if consideration is being given to expanding the role or appointing regional night-time economy co-ordinators; the means by which the Department intends to support the development of a vibrant and safe night-time economy nationwide; if he will indicate a timeline for when such an expansion might be resourced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52425/25]
66. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport if he will outline the steps his Department is taking, in conjunction with the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, to support the reactivation of the nightclub sector; if he will address the sharp decline in the number of operating nightclubs from 522 in 2000 to just 83 today; if he will consider measures around licensing hours, insurance, and running costs, to help revitalise the night-time economy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52426/25]
50. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport if he will engage with the Minister for Finance in advance of budget 2026 to introduce targeted fiscal measures to improve affordability and participation in sport, including tax relief on sporting membership fees and a reduced VAT rate on sport and exercise classes, in order to encourage greater participation across all age groups and communities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52424/25]
9. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the measures he is adopting to ensure that independent radio and broadcasters have fair access to funding in budget 2026, particularly in underserved or rural areas; the means by which he plans to support current affairs and local news provision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52422/25]
2. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport if he will consider transferring certain State services, such as voter registration, motor tax payments, or cash collection, to An Post with a view to supporting its long-term viability, preventing further post office closures, reducing pressure on other public services and allowing people with lower levels of digital literacy skills to still have a place they can do their business. [52487/25]
344. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Health if she is aware of the difficulties in transitioning from paediatric disability services and adult disability services, particularly the lack of transition planning; if she has any plans to implement an automatic referral scheme for people transitioning from paediatric to adult disability services; her plans to provide a comprehensive outreach service to disabled people and people with additional needs, particularly in the area (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50969/25]
327. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she is aware of the case of a person (details supplied); if she is aware of the complications surrounding the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015 in circumstances like this; if she will intervene in this case to help the individual involved; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50987/25]
148. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the disclosure of liabilities, governance issues, and regulator findings provided by an organisation to an organisation’s stakeholders (details supplied) in advance of the merger agreement; and if his Department is satisfied that all stakeholders had a clear and transparent picture before the merger was signed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50631/25]
147. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department commissioned, or reviewed, independent due-diligence reports on an organisation (details supplied) before supporting the merger; if he will publish that assessment; if any other governance or management issues emerged from August 2024 onwards; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50630/25]
146. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will request that the charities regulator publish the report in full before the merger (details supplied) formally proceeds; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50629/25]
145. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the charities regulator report into an organisation (details supplied) that is fully completed, has yet to be reviewed by his Department: the reason it continues to remain unpublished; the point at which the public interest and transparency will be served with full or partial publication; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50628/25]
144. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he is satisfied the advance funding in 2024 was used for agreed purposes and none of the advance funding provided to an organisation (details supplied) in 2024 was applied towards legal settlements, redundancy payments, or merger costs without prior Departmental approval; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50627/25]
143. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to publish the sanction letter and conditions attached to the €200,000 advance payment made to an organisation (details supplied) in August 2024, together with the balance paid in November 2024; the way in which his Department has verified compliance with those conditions; if there was a connection between this exceptional payment and the resignation of the CEO in November 2024; if he is satisfied that his Department’s funding was used for its stated purposes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50626/25]