Paul Lawless
Written
2 Dec 2025 · to Further and Higher Education
717. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he is pursuing any strategy to ring fence funding to attract skilled workers back from abroad to fill the shortfall in skills needed to meet the housing demand; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [67933/25]
68. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his Department's most recent assessment of the public health risks posed by the EU-Mercosur agreement, specifically in relation to the importation of agricultural products produced using pesticides and growth hormones banned in the EU; and the immediate verifiable audit and inspection protocols which will be put in place before ratification to g…
87. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the specific, legally-binding mechanisms Ireland is demanding be added to the EU-Mercosur agreement to ensure that imported agricultural products, particularly beef and soy, are demonstrably deforestation-free and meet the same high EU climate standards as Irish-produced goods, in order to resolve the current crisis of climate hypocrisy at the h…
23. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the plan for a new disability unit in his Department. [63529/25]
67. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet Committee on Housing will next meet. [61888/25]
221. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of individuals with disabilities currently in employment in County Mayo. [66628/25]
54. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of individuals currently in receipt of HAP and RAS Payments; and the cost of each of these payments to the State. [65849/25]
108. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of derelict and vacant properties, to include houses, apartments and flats nationwide, that are across the State; the steps that are being taken to bring these homes back into use; and the estimated timeline for same. [65848/25]
600. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons on jobseeker's benefit in each of the past five years, in tabular form. [65698/25]
664. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration whether his Department has any plans for IPAS accommodation at a location (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [65863/25]
665. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration for details of any agreements or contractual arrangements entered into with a developer in relation to a proposed housing development (detail supplied), specifically regarding its potential use as temporary accommodation for international protection applicants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [65864/25]
711. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the scientific basis for statements in the CAP Strategic Plan 2023–2027 (details supplied); and if these claims were based on his Department’s funded research or internal analyses by organisations given low scrapie prevalence and limited demonstrated performance differences. [65506/25]
712. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his Department's process for updating SIS policy where scientific evidence, including evidence derived from datasets (details supplied) or his Department's funded research, has been contradicted or superseded; and the way in which independence is ensured. [65507/25]
713. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine whether the minimum requirements or participation conditions set an organisation (details supplied) for genomic services or involvement in its breeding-related activities comply with breeders' rights under Articles 13 and 14 of Regulation (EU) 2016/1012, including the breeder's right to participate in and contribute to the breeding progr…
714. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine whether the secondary use or linkage of farmers' genomic, performance and flockbook/pedigree data (details supplied) has been assessed for compliance with EU agricultural data-governance guidance, including the EU Code of Conduct on Agricultural Data Sharing and DG AGRI principles on purpose limitation and originator control; and whether…
715. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department has assessed whether linking eligibility for SIS or other supports to the use of a single operator (details supplied) restricts competition or limits breeder rights under Articles 13 and 14. [65510/25]
716. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason no records exist regarding the inclusion of the genotyped ram task in the sheep improvement scheme, despite its central role in the CAP Strategic Plan; and whether this indicates a failure in documentation or oversight. [65511/25]
717. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the recourse available to breeders who have been excluded from services (details supplied); and the way in which such exclusions are monitored to ensure compliance with Articles 13, 14, and 41 of Regulation (EU) 2016/1012. [65512/25]
718. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to provide any formal documentation or statutory basis for the designation of an organisation (details supplied) as a national breeding programme operator; and to clarify the scope and legal authority of this designation. [65513/25]
719. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to provide, in respect of each Department official who currently serves or has served as secretary, director or governance officer of organisations (details supplied) under Regulation (EU) 2016/1012; their Department grade, job title, division or section, remit relating to breeding programme approvals, official controls and policy; the d…
720. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the way in which his Department complies with Article 41(b) of Regulation (EU) 2016/1012, which requires that officials performing official controls remain free from conflicts of interest, where Department staff hold governance roles in organisations (details supplied). [65523/25]
721. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the way in which his Department fulfils Article 41 as the competent authority, including impartiality procedures, conflict-of-interest safeguards, staffing, documentation, legal authority, access to operator data, and audit systems. [65524/25]
722. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department carries out independent conflict-of-interest risk assessments, separate from SLA declarations, as required by Article 8(4)(b), before approving organisations (details supplied) as third-party operators; and to provide copies of such assessments since 2021. [65525/25]
723. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason his Department relies solely on SLA declarations of no conflict between a breed society and a third party, when Article 8(4)(b) requires the competent authority to assess potential conflicts between the third party (details supplied) and the economic activities of breeders themselves. [65526/25]
724. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the monitoring, audit or review procedures have been conducted since 2021 to ensure organisations (details supplied) remain compliant with Article 8(4)(b). [65527/25]