730. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Social Protection the supports available to returning emigrants who do not meet the criteria for habitual residence condition; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15173/26]
729. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Social Protection for an update on a case (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15172/26]
728. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Social Protection the current waiting time for a decision on a social welfare payment appeal; the measures being made by his Department to streamline and improve the appeal process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15171/26]
727. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of social welfare payment appeals being processed by his Department for the years 2024, 2025 and to date in 2026, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15170/26]
681. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will consider implementing a localised weather warning system, given the recent severe weather events; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14816/26]
247. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment to confirm that there are sufficient staff in place to process applications for the new and expanded retrofitting measures; the expected timeframe from application to completion of a project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14819/26]
246. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the current waiting times for BER assessments associated with SEAI grants for County Laois; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14818/26]
1015. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department has examined the role of remote working in supporting parents with childcare responsibilities; whether this will inform future childcare policy or workforce participation strategies; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12040/26]
1014. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the expected impact of the recently announced €1 million in funding for nine digital and assistive technology projects under the HSE CREATE III initiative; the way in which these projects will enhance participation and supports for people with sensory, cognitive, physical and intellectual disabilities; and the Minister’s plans to further strengthen the national assistive technology ecosystem; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12039/26]
1013. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the way in which her Department is working with Tusla, the HSE, Cuan, and other relevant agencies to support coordinated access to community-based counselling and psychotherapy services for children, young people, and families, including those in rural or disadvantaged areas; whether engagement with an organisation (details supplied) forms part of this work; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12038/26]
1012. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the specific measures the Government is taking to reduce child poverty in rural areas, such as County Laois, where deprivation may be underreported; the way in which Tusla and the Ombudsman monitor whether interventions are achieving long-term reductions in child poverty rather than providing only short-term relief; the guarantees that can be given that children in smaller counties receive equitable support compared to urban centres; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12037/26]
1011. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the measures being taken to address extensive childcare waiting lists, particularly for children under three; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12036/26]
956. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of persons granted Irish citizenship by association under Section 16(1)(a) of the Citizenship Act 1956, for each year for the past ten years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12928/26]
309. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the way in which the Government is supporting community-led and farmer-owned renewable energy projects in rural Ireland, including access to grid, planning certainty, and fair compensation, and to address concerns regarding large-scale developments in rural communities;; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12045/26]
308. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the targeted measures being prioritised to reduce energy hardship among low-income and vulnerable households; the timeframe for scaling these measures nationwide;; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12042/26]
18. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation if his Department plans to implement a national river management strategy to mitigate the impact of future severe weather events given recent flooding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10275/26]
102. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation if approval has been given for the expenditure of funds for the new Garda station at Portlaoise, County Laois; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10649/26]
101. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation if approval has been given for the expenditure of funds for the Mountmellick flood relief scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10648/26]
100. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation the specific projects under the National Development Plan that are currently behind schedule or over budget; the corrective actions being taken to ensure their timely delivery; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10647/26]
973. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 551 of 11 July 2025, when children’s eye clinic services will resume in Portlaoise; if the recruitment process has concluded; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9193/26]
781. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration to provide an update on the application for citizenship for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9177/26]
735. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Social Protection the measures in place to monitor and ensure the nutritional quality of food provided under the Hot School Meals Programme; the way in which compliance checks are carried out on suppliers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10427/26]
734. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Social Protection how effectively the Hot School Meals Programme reaches children in rural areas, such as County Laois, including those attending small schools; the gaps in coverage; the way in which food waste is minimised while ensuring nutritional quality; the way in which delivery is monitored; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10426/26]
661. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will extend the newly announced wellbeing grant scheme to primary schools in County Laois; the criteria for inclusion in Strand Two of the Counselling and Mental Health Pilots in Primary Schools; if she will make provision for the establishment of education wellbeing teams to support school clusters in Laois in line with those currently operating in Cork, Carlow, and Dublin; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10430/26]
660. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Education and Youth the specific measures being taken to protect small schools in rural areas from closure or forced amalgamation; the way in which adjustments to enrolment thresholds and staffing schedules can be made to ensure the long-term sustainability of rural schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10429/26]
659. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Education and Youth the measures in place to protect and support small schools in rural areas; the way In which demographic change and enrolment thresholds are taken into account in education policy and school planning; the steps being taken to ensure the long-term sustainability of rural schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10428/26]
658. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Education and Youth when she expects to be in a position to outline plans for the inclusion of additional schools in the DEIS+ programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10425/26]
423. Deputy William Aird asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance if he will consider broadening the scope of professions included in the guidelines for flat-rate expenses for self-supplied uniforms; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10109/26]
422. Deputy William Aird asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance if he will consider increasing the threshold for help-to-buy applicants from €500,000 in Budget 2026 in view of the increase in housing and construction costs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10108/26]
421. Deputy William Aird asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance how fiscal policy will move beyond once-off supports to permanently reduce cost-of-living pressures for low and middle-income households; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10107/26]
420. Deputy William Aird asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance the outcome of his recent visit to California in respect of Ireland’s economic and financial relationship with the State; the discussions held on investment, job creation and engagement with multinational employers; whether any commitments or opportunities for further inward investment or expansion in Ireland arose; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10106/26]
109. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science for an update on supports to be provided to graduate medicine students who receive no SUSI grant, no Government support, and no access to student loans; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6395/26]
78. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he accepts that the current compensation limits for cattle removed from TB-restricted herds fall significantly below prevailing market prices, thereby imposing substantial financial losses on affected farmers; the specific timeframe within which he plans to introduce revised compensation rates that accurately reflect current market valuations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6625/26]
48. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will provide an update on the expected timeline for commencement of construction of the new school building (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6671/26]
1170. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the commitments his Department will give to increasing investment in research, supporting early-career researchers, and ensuring Ireland remains competitive in EU and global innovation programmes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6246/26]
1169. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science for an update on the uptake of apprenticeships across the country in 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6245/26]
1168. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the concrete steps being taken to ensure equity of access in further and higher education, including support for students with disabilities, care leavers, and low-income backgrounds; the way progress will be measured and reported; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6244/26]
1167. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the way his Department plans to scale up apprenticeships and further education opportunities to address skills shortages, including outcomes targets for literacy, digital skills, and green skills training over the next three years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6243/26]
1166. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the way in which investments such as the National Challenge Fund and COALESCE programme will measurably impact pressing societal issue including climate adaptation, flood risk, and social wellbeing beyond academic outputs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6242/26]
1165. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the way in which the €65.8million Targeted Enhancement Fund will be allocated to technological universities and specialist colleges, particularly in under-resourced regions, to recruit staff, expand research capacity, and support local economic development; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6241/26]
1164. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the specific timelines, accountability measures, and monitoring mechanisms which are in place to ensure the €4.55 billion Tertiary Sector Capital Investment Plan 2026–2030 is delivered on schedule and addresses existing capacity and infrastructure deficits across Ireland’s higher and further education system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6240/26]
822. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his Department’s plans to support and reward farmers who generate renewable energy for their own use or sell surplus energy to the grid, in line with the Programme for Government commitments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6620/26]
821. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to provide an update on the review of the agri-climate rural environment scheme; when this review is expected to be completed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6619/26]
820. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason the 2025 budget for the forgotten farmer scheme has been reduced from €5 million to €2.25 million in the supplementary estimates; whether the unspent money will be reallocated to the suckler or sheep welfare schemes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6618/26]
819. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Ireland’s position on the European Commission’s proposals to restructure the Common Agricultural Policy post-2027 into a single National and Regional Partnerships fund; if Ireland will oppose any dilution of ring-fenced supports for young farmers, including the Complementary Income Support for Young Farmers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6617/26]
818. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the immediate actions his Department is taking to strengthen Ireland’s biosecurity and import-control regime in view of evidence of serious grass-weed contamination including blackgrass, brome and wild oats in imported straw and in cover-crop seed placed on the market; the action being taken to prevent further introduction of herbicide-resistant grass weeds that threaten domestic tillage production; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6616/26]
817. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the way the Government plans to respond to the proposed 20–24% reduction in Ireland’s CAP Post-2027 allocation; the engagement which is taking place at EU level to protect Ireland’s CAP budget; the reason the proposals do not include ring-fenced funding for young farmers; when the National Strategy for Generational Renewal required under Article 15 will be published; the concrete measures which will be implemented to increase support for farmers under 35 years, reconcile reduced funding with generational renewal objectives, and ensure meaningful growth in young farmer participation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6615/26]