189. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his views on a matter concerning the Passport Service (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29685/25]
188. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the criteria necessary for an organisation (details supplied) to be ratified as the body for official translations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29684/25]
291. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will supply the number of carers allowance applications received in each years 2020 to 2024; the number of such applications that were approved on first examination; the number directed to review and changed on review; the number directed to appeal and changed on appeal; the average waiting time in each of those years for each stage of the process, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27961/25]
290. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Social Protection to outline the policy in relation to overpayments; if it is mandatory to repay all social welfare overpayments or if they are written off; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27960/25]
446. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Justice if he will provide an update on the naturalisation application of a family who submitted their application in January 2023 (details supplied) and have yet to receive a decision; if he is aware of the significant emotional and practical distress this delay is causing the family, including issues relating to employment, and travel; the steps being taken to address such prolonged delays in the naturalisation process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26705/25]
430. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of families who applied for the domiciliary care allowance for each years 2020 to 2024 and to date in 2025, indicating separately the number of applications granted, refused, and the number of refusals that were subsequently overturned on appeal, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27486/25]
375. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage regarding the forthcoming Short-Term Letting and Tourism (STLT) Bill 2025, if he will consider providing for phased implementation, over a period of two years, of any requirements under the Bill that oblige existing tourism-focused short-term letting operators to obtain additional planning permission or effect a change of use for their properties, in order to prevent an undue administrative burden on local authority planning departments and to mitigate the financial and operational impact on small business owners operating in the sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27090/25]
289. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Education and Youth the public annual cost to the State of funding an individual student in primary education; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27086/25]
288. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Education and Youth the annual cost to the State of funding an individual student in secondary education; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27085/25]
274. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Education and Youth when the ongoing review of the special needs assistant contract will be completed; if this review will include consideration of updated qualification and skills requirements for the role; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26819/25]
273. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will establish a clearer and more timely system of communication in respect of contract renewals for special needs assistants, as many SNAs report not receiving confirmation of continued employment until the commencement of the school summer holidays; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26818/25]
272. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will consider the removal of the cap on paid leave for special needs assistants, following incidents of assault, as outlined in Circular 0062/2017 (Scheme for Leave of Absence Following Assault for Special Needs Assistants in Recognised Primary and Post-Primary Schools); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26817/25]
271. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will commit to the introduction of a statutory entitlement to family illness leave for special needs assistants, in line with provisions available to other school staff; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26816/25]
270. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will ensure parity of health and safety leave entitlements between special needs assistants, SNAs, and teaching staff; to explain the rationale for the existing 21-day cap on such leave for pregnant SNAs, a restriction not applicable to teachers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26815/25]
269. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will commit to removing the obligation on special needs assistants to undertake an additional 72 hours of work annually, in light of widespread concerns raised regarding the implementation and potential misuse of this requirement, as documented by representative organisations (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26814/25]
227. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Education and Youth in light of the State’s obligations under the Constitution and under the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004, how the Department justifies the continued lack of access to a school place for a child with a disability, where over 180 public schools have been contacted without success, and no public school place has been provided; to outline the immediate measures being taken to address the needs of this child; the reason no state funding is being provided towards fees at a private school that has accepted the child, despite the availability of a home tuition grant intended to support children unable to access public education; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26569/25]
70. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if there is a national plan to expand the provision of public local swimming pools, in particular for the provision of a public swimming pool in Loughrea, County Galway (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26144/25]
712. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the Government's position on the principle that farmers impacted by GAEC 2 environmental requirements should be compensated based on the principle of income forgone; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25746/25]
521. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media regarding the current lack of clarity about the basic income for artists scheme’s future beyond its scheduled conclusion in August 2025, if he will provide an update on any plans to extend or build upon the scheme beyond its pilot phase; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25899/25]
175. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the specific measures being taken to support young farmers in accessing low-interest loans and land leasing opportunities, as outlined in the draft programme for Government 2025; if he will commit to implementing dedicated financial instruments tailored to the needs of young farmers, including installation aid and land mobility schemes that promote intergenerational land transfers and secure leasing arrangements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25699/25]
173. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the concrete measures he is taking to make farming a more attractive and sustainable career path for young people (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25744/25]
172. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on whether the introduction of social conditionality in the 2025 BISS scheme constitutes double jeopardy (details supplied); the steps his Department will take to review this policy and ensure that farmers are not unfairly penalised under multiple headings for a single infringement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25702/25]
150. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the specific new measures being considered or planned to address the current surge in bovine TB cases (details supplied); the expected timeline for the implementation of these measures; the way in which affected farmers be supported during the roll-out of these new measures; the consultation has taken place with farming organisations and veterinary experts regarding these upcoming actions; the way in which he plans to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of any new measures introduced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25700/25]
148. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the steps his Department is taking to develop and implement comprehensive apprenticeship and mentorship programmes, given the recognised need for structured knowledge transfer in the agricultural sector and the current limited availability of formal apprenticeship schemes tailored to farming; the way in which he plans to support intergenerational co-operation by pairing experienced farmers with young entrants to ensure practical skills development and effective farm succession planning; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25701/25]
110. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Ireland's position on the emerging proposals from the European Commission to allow payments for compliance with good agricultural and environmental condition, GAEC, 2, requirements under the CAP simplification package; if he will advocate for strong support measures for Irish farmers managing peatlands and wetlands; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25745/25]
218. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she is aware of the ongoing delay in funding approval for the refurbishment and establishment of ASD classes at a school (details supplied); if this funding will be expedited so that the school can proceed with the necessary preparations for September 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24907/25]
99. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if he will provide an update on the progress made under the Memorandum of Understanding between his Department and an organisation (details supplied) in relation to the reform of grassroots football league structures; if his Department has engaged with the organisation regarding the impact of league instability; the t supports being considered to ensure that children and teenagers, particularly in areas such as Fingal, continue to have access to viable and competitive local youth football leagues; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24545/25]
957. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will provide details on the percentage of early years providers accessing the Government’s core funding scheme that pay an hourly educator rate of €15 or above; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23476/25]
911. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Justice if steps are being taken to reform the licensing laws to support Ireland's night-time economy and cultural life, including the introduction of an annual night club licence, longer opening hours for cultural venues and transferring the licensing laws to the responsibility to the Department of Arts, Media, Communications and Sport to better support a vibrant and flexible arts and culture sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24467/25]
580. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she considers a class size of 39 pupils to be excessive for a single teacher; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23713/25]
387. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Transport if he will direct the NTA to improve the bus service in Fingal West with increased capacity and more frequent service, most notably the 33/33x and 101 bus routes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23649/25]
409. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Health if she will consider extending automatic medical card eligibility to adults with neurodiverse (e.g., with autism, ADHD) or related conditions, given the ongoing nature of their condition and the associated healthcare needs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22995/25]
360. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason when an artist with a disability receives a grant from the Arts Council, their disability allowance is reduced or withdrawn, despite the well-documented additional costs associated with living with a disability; and his views on whether support for artistic work should be seen as separate from the basic supports needed to cover the cost of disability. [22768/25]
297. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Finance the consideration his Department has given to introducing tax relief on sporting membership fees to improve affordability for individuals and families, and to reducing VAT on sport and exercise classes in order to encourage broader participation in physical activity and recreational sports. [22769/25]
105. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if he will consider more funding so that all local communities can have access to modern, fit-for-purpose sporting facilities. [22771/25]
92. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if he will consider establishing a night-time economy commission or advisory group in each major city to provide expert guidance and recommendations, informed by local research and consumer feedback. [22933/25]
64. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will enact legislation to enforce paying of royalties for musical artists whose compositions are used for training on artificial intelligence systems; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10142/25]
2505. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will acknowledge the disadvantage facing CAO applicants who are sitting their Leaving Certificate in 2025 compared to those who sat their Leaving Certificate in previous years; if his Department has plans to tackle this disadvantage; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19026/25]
2494. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if a student attending a school (details supplied) qualifies to apply to the CAO as a Gaeltacht applicant, in light of previous indications that students at boarding schools may not be eligible for this status; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18787/25]
2464. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Health if her Department will revise the current means testing system for medical cards to formally include the "cost of disability" as an allowable expense category in determining eligibility for the medical card. [21164/25]
2416. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Health if she will review the current HSE funding criteria for access to the weight management medication saxenda, in cases where it has been prescribed for clinically significant health reasons ; if she will consider allowing more compassionate and flexible discretion in individual cases, particularly where patients with serious chronic conditions such as COPD, asthma, and a history of cancer have demonstrated clear medical benefit from the treatment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20758/25]
2252. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Health when funding will be provided for a community neurorehabilitation team for central and north Dublin, as promised in 2019, and in line with the Programme for Government commitment and recent calls (details supplied), given the ongoing disadvantage faced by patients discharged from national centres who currently have no access to such a service locally; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19909/25]
1935. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the reason an eight-year-old child (details supplied) is still facing an 18-month wait for an initial speech and language assessment; the immediate steps that will be taken to address the excessive waiting times for children requiring essential developmental support; if the child will be given urgent access to speech and language therapy given their age and the fact no communication has been received from the HSE since the initial contact regarding Parliamentary Question No. 638 of 25 March 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20728/25]
1932. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if she is aware of the growing frustration among a union (details supplied) and early years educators due to the lack of progress on the new employment regulation order; if she has engaged with the employer representatives on the Joint Labour Committee to stress the urgency of concluding this process; the actions her Department is taking to protect the €45 million in ring-fenced funding for pay increases in the sector, particularly given that €860,000 per week—or €3.6 million per month—may be lost as a result of continued delays by employer groups; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20706/25]
1801. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will provide details of the average rates of pay for each grade or role within the early childhood education and care sector; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18791/25]