Paul Lawless

172. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance his plans to increase competition in the retail banking sector following the withdrawal of several major banking institutions in recent years; the steps he is taking to ensure consumers, particularly in rural areas, have adequate access to banking services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10070/26]

229. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance the further measures he intends to introduce in 2026 to support households facing significant increases in mortgage repayments due to interest rate hikes; if he will consider expanding or extending the existing mortgage interest relief scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10069/26]

596. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth the reason no schools in County Mayo were included in the most recent list of school building projects progressing to tender and construction for 2026–2027, given the significant and well-documented accommodation pressures in the county, particularly in relation to special education provision; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9851/26]

597. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth when a decision will issue on the accommodation plans submitted by a school (details supplied) which have been with her Department for ten months without an update, despite repeated follow-up by the board of management; the status and expected timeline for review; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9852/26]

603. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether Youthreach experience as a resource person is counted for incremental credit when moving into a post-primary teaching role; if so, the reason the same experience is not uniformly recognised for those remaining in Youthreach; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9890/26]

631. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will review the recent decision by the State Examinations Commission to provide only 10 minutes of additional time per examination for students accessing RACE accommodations, including students with dyslexia, dyspraxia and other specific learning difficulties; and if she will outline the evidence base used to determine this allocation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10225/26]

632. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will consider increasing the additional time available to students accessing RACE accommodations to a minimum of 10 minutes per hour, in line with international practice and the supports already provided at third level, to ensure that affected students are not placed at a disadvantage during State examinations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10226/26]

1086. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health the basis on which consultant staffing levels and specialist resources are allocated between University Hospital Galway and Mayo University Hospital. [9765/26]

1087. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health the reason Mayo University Hospital has significantly fewer orthopaedic surgeons, radiologists and no full-time permanent oncologist despite comparable activity levels and a catchment area that includes parts of Roscommon and Sligo. [9766/26]

1088. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health the steps her Department is taking to ensure equitable distribution of consultants and resources across the Saolta Hospital Group. [9767/26]

1089. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health if she will examine whether resources originally intended for Mayo are being diverted to Galway. [9768/26]

1237. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science his Department's policy on recognising degrees, higher diplomas in Education, and Teaching Council registration for Youthreach resource persons; whether such qualifications should attract allowances or recognition comparable to Youthreach teacher grades; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9888/26]

1238. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the policy basis for recognising or not recognising teaching experience gained in Government-funded State post-primary schools outside the European Union for Youthreach resource persons; the rationale for any differential treatment versus post-primary teachers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9889/26]

29. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht the number properties have been purchased nationally to date under the town and village renewal scheme’s building and land acquisition measure, which allows local authorities to purchase vacant or derelict buildings for regeneration; and the number of these acquisitions that have taken place in County Mayo. [8715/26]

34. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht given the continued presence of derelict buildings in towns and villages across County Mayo, if the Minister will outline the funding Mayo County Council has received under recent rounds of the town and village renewal scheme and the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund for the purpose of acquiring or refurbishing derelict properties; and the further supports that will be made available in 2026. [8716/26]

91. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade given that Ireland contributed over €150 million to global humanitarian crises in 2024, including responses in Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan, Yemen, and Afghanistan; the way in which it is planned to safeguard and prioritise humanitarian funding in Budget 2026; and the assessment that has been made of the risks to Irish strategic interests should global crises continue to expand. [8701/26]

102. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade in light of the record number of consular assistance cases handled by her Department in 2025, including deaths abroad, mental-health-related emergencies, and complex long-running cases, the additional staffing, resources, or operational changes that are being introduced to strengthen Ireland’s consular capacity and ensure that Irish citizens overseas continue to receive timely and effective support. [8700/26]

103. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to outline any projected economic return on Ireland’s investment in hosting President Zelenskyy, including the strategic value of enhanced bilateral trade, Ireland–Ukraine economic forum initiatives, foreign direct investment and potential exports or reconstruction contracts, relative to the public funds expended. [73042/25]

128. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade how it will be ensured that trade agreements, including the EU–Mercosur deal, do not undermine our climate objectives; and whether the Government will seek binding environmental clauses to prevent imports linked to deforestation and biodiversity loss. [73013/25]

13. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Taoiseach for an update on the programme for Government. [5990/26]

388. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance if he is aware that the Revenue Commissioners phone line for the disabled drivers and disabled passengers scheme (01 7383671) is extremely difficult to access, with the line restricted to 9.30am-1.30pm; if he will provide current call handling statistics; the steps he will take to ensure that applicants receive timely support under this scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7841/26]

416. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation whether he has examined the potential for perceived or actual conflicts of interest in cases where a person who has exhausted a hospital’s internal complaints process is directed to the Ombudsman, and may subsequently require an FOI appeal to the Information Commissioner relating to the same matter, given that both decisions are made by the same office holder; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8015/26]

677. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether his Department has set any affordable housing delivery targets for each local authority, including Mayo County Council; if so, to provide the target figures for 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026; if not, the reason local authorities are not being given clear, quantified affordable housing delivery targets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8397/26]

678. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether Mayo County Council currently has any Department-approved affordable housing delivery targets; in the absence of such targets, the steps he will take to ensure Mayo receive clear, measurable affordable housing objectives per each town; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8398/26]

679. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the key performance indicators (KPIs), delivery benchmarks or performance frameworks which currently exist for local authorities in respect of affordable housing delivery; whether any sanctions, corrective measures or funding consequences apply where delivery is weak or absent; if he will commit to introducing mandatory KPIs for affordable housing on a county-by-county basis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8399/26]