Barry Heneghan

924. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the supports in place to help apprentices and employers make the most of apprenticeship programmes as a route into skilled trades; if he has plans to improve apprenticeship pay to boost retention; how his Department is working to ensure apprenticeships are valued on a par with academic qualifications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33158/25]

20. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if the community response team in an area (detailed supplied) is being considered for permanent status; if he will provide data on arrests and incidents since its establishment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36633/25]

33. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if he will provide data on the number of seizures, arrests and prosecutions related to the illegal use of electric bikes and mopeds over the past 12 months; and if he will outline whether Operation Meacan or similar initiatives are active in the Dublin metropolitan region north; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36634/25]

84. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide a breakdown of funding uptake and participation levels by scheme under Ireland's Common Agricultural Policy strategic plan to date; how these supports are being geographically distributed and monitored for environmental impact; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36636/25]

99. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide an update on the specific climate action measures implemented under mission 1 of Food Vision 2030 to date; if he will outline the key performance indicators being used to track progress toward the 2030 targets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36635/25]

70. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Finance if he will examine the tax exemption on adapted disability which has remained unchanged for twenty years despite increased costs of vehicles, VAT, and VRT (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36553/25]

91. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Education and Youth the circumstances in which a school (details supplied) is disposing of its premises for a reported €5 million and is to be accommodated in a publicly owned education building at another location; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36312/25]

171. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if he is satisfied with the current approach to the possession of knives in public places; if he will review sentencing guidelines and enforcement practices to ensure a tougher stance on knife crime; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36306/25]

172. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the measures being taken to strengthen the enforcement of section 9 of the Firearms and Offensive Weapons Act 1990, particularly regarding the possession of knives in public without lawful excuse; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36307/25]

173. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if his Department will consider developing a dedicated strategy to address knife crime, drawing on examples from other jurisdictions such as London, where rising knife-related incidents have led to targeted policy responses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36309/25]

208. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the immediate and long-term measures being taken to address the severe shortage of childcare places; how the Government is planning to reform the national childcare scheme to better support working families and promote flexible working arrangements; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36311/25]

238. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Health if she will provide an update on the progress of the Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Bill 2022, including the establishment of the Assisted Human Reproduction Regulatory Authority, and the regulation of domestic and international surrogacy arrangements; if she will outline the expected timeline for the remaining legislative stages and implementation of the Bill; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36310/25]

35. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide data on the average time between planning permission being granted and construction commencing for residential developments in Dublin Bay North over the past three years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35794/25]

213. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Transport if he will consider extending the eligibility criteria for the young adult Leap card to include all individuals under the age of 30, given the ongoing cost of living pressures facing this age group; if he has assessed the affordability and impact of such a measure in advance of Budget 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35385/25]

214. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Transport if he will consider introducing an allowance or subsidy for disabled individuals to help cover the rising costs of taxi services, given that taxi fares have increased by 21% since September 2022, and recognizing the additional challenges faced by disabled individuals in accessing public transportation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35386/25]

251. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Finance the timeline for the housing measures promised (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36220/25]

256. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Finance if the freezing of a Post Office Savings Bank account (details supplied) that forms part of the Ireland State Savings range of products offered by the National Treasury Management Agency constitutes a default, including a temporary default, of Government debt; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35390/25]

281. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Finance if he will review the current vehicle registration tax and VAT exemption limits for vehicles adapted for individuals with disabilities, given the €16,000 cap has remained unchanged for over two decades despite rising vehicle costs and taxes; if he will consider introducing index-linking to ensure these exemptions keep pace with inflation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36181/25]

347. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of students taught Braille by the Visiting Teacher Service in each of the past ten years, broken down by primary and post-primary level and by year of education, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35387/25]

348. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will provide an update on the proposed renovation of the science laboratory at a school (details supplied); the reasons for the delay since funding approval was granted approximately six years ago; and if she will confirm when the works are expected to commence; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35389/25]

371. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Education and Youth for an urgent update regarding a school merge (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35684/25]

372. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Education and Youth if her Department will provide an urgent update regarding a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35685/25]

481. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the timelines for the publication of the Gaeltacht planning guidelines; if each Gaeltacht language planning area will be supported to develop its own local housing strategy aligned with these guidelines; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34982/25]

637. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will provide an update on her Department’s consideration of including socioeconomic background as a ground for discrimination under the Equality Acts; if she will outline the policy basis informing this review and the expected timeline for any proposed changes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35384/25]

857. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Health her response to the request by an organisation (details supplied) for a €9 million investment in dementia-specific supports in budget 2026, including community daycare, home support, and dementia advisory services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36182/25]