210. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment if he is aware of the planned closure of a company (details supplied) affecting over 70 staff; the action he is taking to address the loss of Irish jobs and the apparent outsourcing to UK-based crews; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38640/25]
230. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Health if she is aware of any changes to medical evacuation requests as provided for by the Union Civil Protection Mechanism; if there are any attempts to expand or improve the scope of this mechanism in light of the worsening situation in areas such as Gaza; if this mechanism is under consideration of being paused; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38191/25]
135. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if he will outline the measures being taken to address the inconsistency and disruption in therapy services experienced by young people with disabilities when they turn 18 (details supplied); the plans in place to ensure continuity of care and a seamless transition between child and adult therapy services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38018/25]
134. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality in light of the ongoing delays in the provision of assessments of need and therapeutic supports, and the well-documented crisis in the disability sector, if he will consider establishing a dedicated purchase or reimbursement fund to support families who have been forced to pay privately for assessments and interventions due to prolonged wait times; the measures being taken to ensure that children are not disadvantaged or left without essential services while waiting for publicly funded assessments or therapies; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38017/25]
128. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he has plans to review the effectiveness of the new regulations introduced in respect of XL Bully dogs; if he is satisfied that the veterinary assessments and opinions underpinning these regulations are robust, consistent and appropriately informed by evidence; if he will outline the parameters currently guiding such assessments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38259/25]
127. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the arrangements currently in place for the procurement and delivery of veterinary services at dog shelters; if he will detail any recent changes to these arrangements; the guidance issued by his Department to ensure consistency and high standards across such facilities; if veterinarians assigned have experience in shelter medicine; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38258/25]
18. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Finance if he will consider amending the eligibility criteria for the home carer tax credit to extend entitlement to single individuals and non-jointly assessed carers (such as those who are unmarried, cohabiting, or single) who provide full time care to dependent persons; if a review or public consultation is planned in Budget 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38105/25]
928. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht the amount spent by his Department each year from 2020 to 2025 inclusive on the provision of personal alarms under the senior alert scheme; if these alarms continue to operate on copper broadband technology; if so, the measures his Department intend to take to ensure that these devices and the terms of this scheme are revised to ensure that they are compatible with modern broadband technology, including fibre to the home; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36993/25]
900. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will consider retaining the €1,000 college-fee reduction introduced as part of the cost-of-living measures, in light of the ongoing financial pressures facing families due to the high cost of food, utilities and housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36984/25]
835. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Health if there are any plans to expand funding streams for activities for adults in nursing homes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37502/25]
752. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if there are any plans to expand funding streams for activities for adults in nursing homes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37939/25]
644. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if he is aware of any changes that have been made to the process for renewing registration permission; if he can provide any explanation for these changes; if any additional assistance shall be provided in making applicants aware of these changes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37410/25]
470. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport if he is aware of the situation regarding an artificial playing surface development for a club (details supplied); when formal written approval will be given; if the costs regarding this development have changed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37266/25]
453. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport to outline if the conditions for copper switch-off have now been met for this process to begin; if not, when he expects this to happen; if he supports the switching off of his outdated broadband technology in favour of faster, more reliable fibre to the home broadband, which ComReg data indicated is now available to almost 90% of all premises; the plans that exist within his Department to support the process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37004/25]
361. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the initiatives currently undertaken or planned by his Department and agencies under his remit to encourage more businesses to adapt faster, more reliable fibre to the premise broadband over slower, outdated copper broadband; if he is concerned by Comreg data which indicates that only 10% of all business broadband connections currently are fibre to the premises connections; if his Department has undertaken any research on the impact of continuing to use outdated copper broadband on business productivity and efficiency and on the adaptation of digital technologies such as AI; the way in which his Department intends to address this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37078/25]
75. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine how he proposes to increase the tillage area, as outlined as a key desire in the programme for Government; when a tillage incentive scheme will be introduced to support tillage growers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36299/25]
249. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Health the number of children in Fingal west who attended an HSE dentist in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and to date in 2025, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36431/25]
201. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to his statement on 24 June 2025 that “Heydon gets approval from Cabinet to address current high levels of bovine TB”, to confirm the measures that were approved by Cabinet; when those proposals will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36435/25]
200. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 150 of 20 May 2025, how he intends to “reduce the impact of known high risk animals in spreading bTB”; if he is referring to badgers in this sentence; to outline those measures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36434/25]
199. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of badgers that have been culled to date in 2025; the number that have been vaccinated for bovine TB (bTB); of those culled, the number that tested positive for bTB; if he will provide similar figures for 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36433/25]
128. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport when the next opportunity for artists to be included in a universal basic income for artists project will be; if the project will be expanded to include all those eligible; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36369/25]
475. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the amount of funding allocated to the tenant in situ scheme in Fingal for the years 2023 and 2024; and the amount ring-fenced for 2025, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35738/25]
319. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Health if she will urgently review the case of a 48-year-old woman (details supplied) who has been waiting over two-and-a-half years for a complex hip revision procedure in Beaumont Hospital under the care of her orthopaedic consultant (details supplied); the supports available to patients with long-term, complex surgical needs who are in unrelenting pain and have exhausted all pain management options; if her Department will engage with the HSE and the hospital to ensure that this case is prioritised in light of the significant impact on the patient’s quality of life, physical mobility, and family caregiving responsibilities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35013/25]
273. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the actions he is taking in the short and medium-term to support the night-time economy through the creation and protection of cultural spaces through clearer planning definitions, promote creative partnership models to activate vacant properties, encourage regular engagement between the cultural, nightlife, and development sectors and ensure that planning and urban policy includes a protect and create principle to sustain cultural vibrancy and quality of life (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34872/25]
205. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Transport if he will urgently address the growing public safety concerns surrounding the widespread and largely unregulated use of electric scooters; if he is aware of the increasing number of serious accidents, including a recent hit and run incident involving an elderly woman in Dublin, and many similar cases across the country, resulting in serious injuries and, in some cases, fatalities; the regulations currently in place or planned to ensure the safe operation of these vehicles; if measures such as mandatory insurance, age limits, safety training or restricted zones will be introduced; if he accepts that, rather than providing benefit, the current unregulated use of e scooters has caused significant harm and distress to individuals and communities and that urgent action is required to restore safety on roads and footpaths; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35067/25]
171. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the timeline for the pension increases to come into effect for retired An Post workers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34876/25]
159. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport if he will support the Taxes Consolidation (Rights of Performers and Film Workers) (Amendment) Bill 2025, which seeks to link tax reliefs for film and television productions to compliance with the EU Copyright Directive and other basic protections for performers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34877/25]
155. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the steps being taken to fulfil the Programme for Government’s commitment to maintain funding for the Post Office network; if the Government intends to back this commitment with real and lasting investment to secure the future of the network and safeguard these essential community services in the long term; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34875/25]
146. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport when he expects to receive and publish the report on the independent review of the night-time economy pilots (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34878/25]
126. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport when he expects to receive the findings from the independent review of the night-time economy pilots; and if he anticipates these findings will recommend the appointment of night-time advisers across all local authorities. [35189/25]
39. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Transport if toilets will be provided on the new DART+ North trains being procured as part of the DART+ programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34802/25]
787. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Health if there are plans to change the timely access to the drug givinostat required to help treatment for persons with Duchenne muscular dystrophy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33827/25]
234. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence when the four-week public consultation on Ireland's first maritime security strategy, as recently announced, will formally commence; how this consultation will meaningfully shape policy given that a multi-million-euro contract for towed sonar capability has already been signed with a company (details supplied) prior to the consultation's start; how the process will ensure genuine public and cross-sectoral input into strategic maritime planning, including oversight of procurement decisions and the protection of critical sub-sea infrastructure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33704/25]
233. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the reason Galway port is being promoted as a potential location for a new Naval Service base on the western seaboard, particularly given that it is a commercial harbour and would likely involve leasing arrangements; if consideration has been given to more central and strategic locations; the reason the State is not prioritising one of the six fishery harbour centres, which are already in full State ownership, for such a development; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33703/25]
385. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Health if she will address the situation regarding the unavailability of phyllocontin and uniphyllin (theophylline) tablets, which were previously used to manage asthma and were covered under the medical card scheme; if uniphyllin continus PR, which is believed to be the replacement, will be made available under the medical card given its high monthly cost; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33234/25]
99. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage for an update on whether Fingal local authority will be included in the defective block scheme; the timeline as to when the decision will be signed off; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32913/25]
89. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she is aware of a primary school (details supplied) where due to a loss of a teacher, the school will be required to manage three or more class levels in a single classroom—such as arrangements where one teacher is responsible for junior infants, senior infants, and first class, or for second, third, and fourth class; the steps her Department is taking to address the educational and professional challenges this poses for teachers, and more importantly, the learning impact on students; if she will consider reviewing pupil-teacher ratio thresholds and resourcing models for small schools to ensure more equitable and effective classroom structures; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33209/25]
381. 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. [31392/25]
333. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Education and Youth to provide the timeline on the tendering process for the construction of a permanent building for a school (details supplied) now that planning permission has been granted; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31407/25]
108. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the current status of a proposed development (details supplied), originally announced in 2022 with an estimated investment of €300 million and the potential to create approximately 1,500 jobs; if he is aware of the reasons for the apparent delay or stalling of the project; whether any departmental engagement has taken place with the stakeholders involved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31174/25]
1432. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Health if she has any plans to remove the age restriction barriers to accessing life-saving medications (for example, spinraza) for adults with spinal muscular atrophy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29643/25]
1093. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide the costing and a detailed breakdown of the costing for the funding provided by his Department to the Irish Retired Greyhound Trust care centres in County Kildare and County Limerick; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29164/25]
948. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 291 of 28 May 2025, for an explanation of the numbers contained in the table; how the number of claims awarded and rejected each year exceeds the number of claims registered; whether there was a change in resources in 2021 that caused a rise in the average time to award; the reason it increased again; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30345/25]
716. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport if there is any existing or any upcoming plan for an indicative timeframe from his Department for the approval of the submitted documentation for the Capital Sports Grant for an applicant (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30090/25]
705. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport if the new State commemorations committee will include any member with experience of the labour or trade union movement or its history; if this was considered when appointing members; if not, whether he will rectify same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29485/25]
660. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Education and Youth the expected timeline for the tender process and the commencement and completion of construction works in respect of a project (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30192/25]
219. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment if he will consider reviewing the eligibility criteria for the solar panel grant scheme administered by the SEAI, in light of concerns that the grant is only available through registered solar companies (details supplied); if, given that an individual with professional experience in solar installation, who is capable of sourcing compliant equipment and engaging a certified solar electrician, cannot currently access the grant without going through an approved installer—resulting in significantly higher costs to the homeowner—he will consider expanding grant eligibility to include self-managed installations that meet all regulatory standards; if any review of this policy is planned; the rationale behind limiting grant access solely to installations carried out by registered companies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29210/25]