124. Deputy Tony McCormack asked the Minister for Social Protection the steps being taken by his Department to improve access to training and upskilling opportunities for jobseekers, particularly those who have been long-term unemployed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61550/25]
35. Deputy Tony McCormack asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment if his Department has undertaken any recent analysis of the challenges and future prospects for the retail sector in Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61548/25]
12. Deputy Tony McCormack asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the measures being taken by his Department to support the retail sector; the initiatives in place to assist small and independent retailers facing cost pressures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61547/25]
171. Deputy Tony McCormack asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the measures being taken by her Department to address the shortage of children’s disability services in County Offaly; for an update on staffing levels within the children’s disability network teams serving the area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61543/25]
106. Deputy Tony McCormack asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the current average waiting time for assessments of need for children in County Offaly; the measures being taken by her Department to address delays in these assessments and ensure timely access to early intervention services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61544/25]
173. Deputy Tony McCormack asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the way in which the Defence Forces are developing their unmanned aerial systems capability; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60513/25]
172. Deputy Tony McCormack asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence when he expects local bargaining 1% adjustments to be approved and to commence in the defence sector (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60512/25]
96. Deputy Tony McCormack asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the means by which the national electricity grid is being upgraded to support increased renewable energy generation, greater electrification and future demand; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59350/25]
49. Deputy Tony McCormack asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the means by which the Naval Service is contributing to the protection of Ireland’s maritime territory and critical infrastructure, including subsea communication cables and offshore renewable energy installations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58781/25]
46. Deputy Tony McCormack asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence his plans to upgrade or expand the Naval Service fleet, particularly to strengthen Ireland’s capacity in maritime security, fisheries protection, and search and rescue operations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58780/25]
757. Deputy Tony McCormack asked the Minister for Education and Youth the status of the proposed new school building for a school (details supplied) in County Offaly; if her Department has acquired or intends to acquire the identified site for the project; the stage the project is currently at within the School Building Programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [58710/25]
93. Deputy Tony McCormack asked the Minister for Education and Youth Education for an update on the status of the proposed new school building for a school (details supplied); the steps her Department is taking to progress the project; and if she will commit to ensuring that the necessary timelines for site acquisition, planning, and construction are clarified and advanced as a matter of priority. [58778/25]
47. Deputy Tony McCormack asked the Minister for Education and Youth when Phase 2 of the building works at a school (details supplied) is scheduled to commence; if she will provide an update on the timeline for its completion; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [58779/25]
98. Deputy Tony McCormack asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will report on his Department’s engagement with employers and the SME sector in relation to the introduction of auto-enrolment in 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57552/25]
510. Deputy Tony McCormack asked the Minister for Social Protection the assistance or guidance his Department or agencies under the remit of his Department is providing to small business owners in relation to the introduction of auto-enrolment in 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57424/25]
200. Deputy Tony McCormack asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he has considered appointing a trade envoy to Ukraine to build relationships for the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56959/25]
199. Deputy Tony McCormack asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the discussions he has had with EU counterparts in regard to Russian cyberattacks, disinformation, and political subversion aimed at weakening democracies and dividing societies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56958/25]
172. Deputy Tony McCormack asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will provide an update on the expansion of Ireland’s diplomatic and consular network globally under the Global Ireland strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57061/25]
141. Deputy Tony McCormack asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the steps his Department and the diplomatic network are taking to support Irish small and medium enterprises seeking to enter new export markets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57060/25]
121. Deputy Tony McCormack asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his Department intends to exercise its powers to directly rezone land where local authorities fail to do so in line with national housing and planning objectives; the legislative basis for such intervention; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53757/25]
108. Deputy Tony McCormack asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the measures he intends to take to address the failure of some local authorities to implement national planning and rezoning recommendations in a timely and consistent manner; if he will publish details of the councils which are not complying; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53756/25]
608. Deputy Tony McCormack asked the Minister for Health the steps being taken to address the tuberculosis (TB) crisis in Ireland; if she will confirm funding for the National TB Centre and Clinical Team, and for the Irish Mycobacterial Reference Laboratory at St James's Hospital; the timeframe for implementing the Collaborative Tuberculosis Strategy for Ireland 2024-2030, in view of the 30% rise in TB incidence in 2024, the increase in multidrug-resistant cases, the rise in paediatric TB since 2017 (including incidence in children rising from 0.8 in 2023 to 1.3 in 2024), and the fact that TB cases in infants under one year in 2024 equalled the total from the previous ten years combined. [53194/25]
580. Deputy Tony McCormack asked the Minister for Health if the forthcoming Public Health (Tobacco Products and Nicotine-Inhaling Products) (Amendment) Bill will prohibit all e-liquid flavours, bar tobacco, or will other flavours be permitted under the new legislation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53040/25]
579. Deputy Tony McCormack asked the Minister for Health if legislation is being considered, similar to that set to be introduced in the UK, that will create a smoke-free generation by banning the sale of tobacco to anyone born on or after 1 January 2009; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53039/25]
167. Deputy Tony McCormack asked the Minister for Health if she is satisfied that current recruitment and retention strategies are sufficient to address staffing shortages across the health service; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52502/25]
138. Deputy Tony McCormack asked the Minister for Health if she is satisfied that the current ambulance dispatch system ensures timely and equitable emergency response across all regions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52501/25]
48. Deputy Tony McCormack asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport for an update on the progress of the national broadband plan in County Offaly, particularly in rural communities still experiencing inadequate coverage; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52517/25]
301. Deputy Tony McCormack asked the Minister for Transport to set out his policy on improving public transport in rural areas; and if he will outline any planned investments or service expansions. [37624/25]
180. Deputy Tony McCormack asked the Minister for Transport his plans to improve public transport services in County Offaly; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51420/25]
121. Deputy Tony McCormack asked the Minister for Transport the level of funding allocated to transport projects in County Offaly in 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51421/25]
249. Deputy Tony McCormack asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment to outline the Government’s strategy to support small and medium-sized businesses; and if he will provide details of any new financial or policy measures planned. [37625/25]
143. Deputy Tony McCormack asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans for increased flexibility in local community employment, TÚS, and rural social schemes to retain participants for longer when it benefits both the individual and the community. [50747/25]
114. Deputy Tony McCormack asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to increase the top-up payment for participants on CE, TÚS, and the rural social scheme, in recognition of the important work they do in local communities. [50748/25]
36. Deputy Tony McCormack asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the actions being taken by the IDA and Enterprise Ireland to promote County Offaly as a location for investment; if consideration will be given to strengthening infrastructure and supporting skills development to make the county more attractive to employers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50723/25]
8. Deputy Tony McCormack asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the steps he is taking to ensure that County Offaly does not fall further behind neighbouring counties in attracting IDA Ireland investment and securing employment opportunities; if his Department will commit to increasing the number of IDA Ireland site visits and targeted investment in Offaly; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50722/25]
40. Deputy Tony McCormack asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the current waiting times for children in County Offaly to access assessments of need and therapeutic supports through the children’s disability network teams; the actions being taken to ensure compliance with statutory assessment timelines; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50109/25]
18. Deputy Tony McCormack asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the measures being taken to address delays in accessing children’s disability services in County Offaly, in particular access to speech and language therapy and other interventions through the children’s disability network teams; if additional staffing or resources are planned to reduce waiting lists and ensure timely supports; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50108/25]
127. Deputy Tony McCormack asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment to provide an update on the work of the National Energy Affordability Taskforce. [48944/25]
73. Deputy Tony McCormack asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence if he will report on his attendance at the recent informal Meetings of EU Defence Ministers. [48982/25]
35. Deputy Tony McCormack asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence his response to the recent decision by the UN Security Council in relation to the UNIFIL Mandate. [48983/25]
1974. Deputy Tony McCormack asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the amount being paid by her Department to a facility (details supplied) for the provision of care to its clients; if her Department is aware of instances where clients of the facility have been arrested on several occasions while away from the facility and not under staff supervision; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46173/25]