Paul Lawless
Written
10 Feb 2026 · to Further and Higher Education
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.…
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 dere…
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 …
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 ov…
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 …
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 ma…
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…
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 af…
680. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether local authority Housing Delivery Action Plans are required to include specific affordable housing targets; the way in which compliance with those plans is monitored; whether any local authority has been formally challenged by his Department for failure to progress affordable housing schemes; if he will strengthen these plan…
681. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the specific affordable housing delivery objectives his Department has for large regional towns in County Mayo; whether the designation of a town as “eligible” for an affordable housing scheme carries any obligation to deliver homes within a defined timeframe; the number of affordable homes he expects to see delivered over the next…
682. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the way national affordable housing targets are translated into binding local authority delivery expectations; whether he accepts that national figures without local allocations make accountability impossible; if he will commit to publishing county-by-county affordable housing targets on an annual basis; and if he will make a state…
683. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the way in which current housing output compares to the Government’s election commitment to deliver up to 60,000 homes per year; the projected delivery figure for 2026; the specific measures being taken to close the gap; and whether the absence of binding local authority targets is undermining delivery; and if he will make a statem…
684. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether he will publish quarterly affordable housing delivery data on a county-by-county basis, including commencements, completions and pipeline schemes; whether such data is currently compiled internally; if he will commit to making this information publicly available to ensure transparency and accountability; and if he will make…
844. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if there are plans to amend S.I. No. 307/2006 to extend mandatory country-of-origin labelling to poultry, pork and lamb in the hospitality and catering sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7351/26]
845. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to detail the steps his Department is taking to ensure that processed meat products, such as chicken Kievs or pre-prepared meals, cannot use ‘Product of Ireland’ branding if the primary meat ingredient was hatched, reared or slaughtered in a non-EU country; and if he will address the impact of ‘substantial transformation’ rules on consum…
846. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine If he will review the governance structure of Bord Bia to include a statutory ‘conflict of interest’ clause that prohibits any board member from having a commercial interest in the importation of meat products from third countries that do not meet Irish production standards; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7353/26]
938. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health the number of ambulances, EMTs, paramedics, and advanced paramedics that were rostered, operational, and available in County Mayo on a date (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7365/26]
939. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health the precise deployment locations of all National Ambulance Service units assigned to County Mayo between 10pm on 10 January 2026 and 1am on 11 January 2026, including which units were on call; which were responding to other incidents; which were unavailable; the reasons for any unavailability; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7366/26]
940. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health the decision-making process undertaken by the National Ambulance Service control centre when an emergency call concerning a person (details supplied) was received including the units which were considered; the units which were rejected; the reasons for any delay in dispatch; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7367/26]
941. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health to provide the real-time tracking data, including timestamps, for all ambulances assigned to County Mayo between 10pm on 10 January 2026 and 1am on 11 January 2026, indicating their movements, dispatch times, and any periods spent awaiting assignment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7368/26]