Paul Lawless

146. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Transport the status and projected timelines for national and regional road projects in County Mayo that have experienced delays; whether he accepts that continued delays are adversely affecting road safety and economic development in the county; the reasons for these delays; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2353/26]

175. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Transport the steps he is taking to address the persistent lack of reliable public transport services in County Mayo; whether he accepts that existing Local Link and regional bus services do not meet the needs of workers, students, older persons and people with disabilities; the funding allocated specifically to public transport services in County Mayo in 2024 and 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2354/26]

240. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Transport in line with the objectives of "Our Rural Future", the specific, measurable interventions his Department will implement in County Mayo over the next 12-months to support funding local transport solutions that connect outlying villages and townlands to essential public services. [68411/25]

338. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the reason Inland Fisheries Ireland has commenced selling 2026 salmon licences online and through distributors without providing anglers with the regulations booklet required under Section 69 of the Inland Fisheries Act 2010; and if he will confirm whether this constitutes administrative non compliance with statutory obligations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [74588/25]

339. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the reason Inland Fisheries Ireland has described the 2026 salmon licence as permitting harvest only between 1 June and 31 August on open rivers, despite this restriction still being under consultation until 20 December and not yet signed off by him; and if he will direct IFI to cease including unapproved restrictions in licences until consultations have concluded and ministerial approval has been lawfully granted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [74589/25]

340. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment if he accepts that selling licences without the regulations booklet, places anglers at risk of breaching rules they have not been provided with, while IFI itself fails to comply with its own statutory obligations; and the steps he will take to ensure anglers are not penalised for administrative failures by IFI; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [74590/25]

341. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the oversight mechanisms his Department has in place to prevent Inland Fisheries Ireland from implementing regulatory changes before consultation has closed and before ministerial approval has been granted; and if he will commit to ensuring that licence sales continue only on the basis of existing approved regulations, with no new restrictions applied until lawful approval is complete; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [74591/25]

342. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment if he will acknowledge that Inland Fisheries Ireland's premature licence sales undermine the credibility of the ongoing consultation process on salmon regulations; and if he will extend the consultation period and require IFI to reissue licences only once the regulations have been lawfully approved and published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [74592/25]

530. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Transport if he is aware of the coroner’s recommendation that the Windsor junction on the N5 outside Castlebar be designated an accident blackspot following the death of a 91-year-old man in December 2024; the immediate steps his Department will take to ensure that Mayo County Council and the NRDO implement safety measures at this location without further delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [74348/25]

531. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Transport the reason, despite repeated representations from elected representatives since 2021, and despite multiple serious accidents at the Windsor junction on the N5, no safety upgrades have been carried out; the reason this location has not been prioritised under HD15 network safety ranking despite clear evidence of risk to road users; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [74349/25]

532. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Transport his views that the Windsor junction on the N5 has now been formally identified by a coroner as a dangerous turning point; if he will commit to funding and directing Mayo County Council and the NRDO to install a slip lane, turning box, or other safety measures as a matter of urgency; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [74350/25]

533. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Transport if his Department has received the coroner’s report into a fatal accident at the Windsor junction on the N5; if so, the reason no public statement or commitment has yet been made to address the safety concerns raised by the coroner and local residents; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [74351/25]

534. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Transport the reason local residents continue to avoid using the Windsor junction on the N5 due to fear for their safety, the reason elected representatives have had to repeatedly raise this matter without any meaningful response from the NRDO or Mayo County Council; the timeline for action; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [74352/25]

535. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Transport if he will acknowledge that the Windsor junction on the N5 has now been the subject of multiple fatalities and serious accidents, repeated media coverage, and a coroner’s recommendation; whether he considers it acceptable that no safety measures have yet been implemented; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [74353/25]

553. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Transport the reason Irish citizens returning from abroad who previously held full Irish driving licences are required to wait months for licence reinstatement, leaving them unable to drive to work; whether he will introduce a fast-track process or interim driving entitlement to prevent undue hardship; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [74537/25]

554. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Transport his views that the current NDLS process treats returning emigrants as first-time applicants, despite their proven driving history; the reforms he will implement to ensure their competence and entitlement are recognised; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [74538/25]

555. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Transport the assessment which has been made of the impact of licence exchange delays on employment, mobility and rural community; whether he will commit to immediate reform of the system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [74539/25]

830. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance if he will direct the Central Bank to issue guidance requiring insurers to recognise documented foreign no-claims bonuses, given that some insurers already accept them; and whether he will ensure consistency across the industry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [74535/25]

831. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance his views on whether the refusal of insurers to honour foreign driving histories unfairly penalises returning emigrants and undermines Government policy to attract skilled workers home; the steps he will take to address this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [74536/25]

838. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance if his Department has calculated the impact of Budget 2026 on the disposable income of disabled households; if so, to provide those calculations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [75010/25]

897. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation the current status of Bunadobber Mill, County Mayo (details supplied); and the details of any plans or intended actions for its development and public access going forward. [74287/25]

907. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation the total fiscal savings to the Exchequer from not repeating the once-off supports provided in Budget 2025, including electricity credits, lump-sum payments and double-week bonuses; and how these savings were factored into Budget 2026 allocations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [75007/25]

908. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation if Budget 2026 was equality-proofed and disability-proofed, and to publish the assessments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [75008/25]

910. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation the safeguards which are in place to ensure the operational independence of the Ombudsman, the Information Commissioner, the Commissioner for Environmental Information and the Protected Disclosures Commissioner, given that these statutory roles are held by the same officeholder and supported by the same organisational structure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [75090/25]

911. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation the assessment his Department has made of potential conflicts of interest arising in cases where a member of the public may first engage with the Ombudsman regarding a complaint against a public body, and subsequently require an FOI appeal to the Information Commissioner relating to the same matter, given that both functions are exercised by the same individual; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [75091/25]