Noel McCarthy

697. Deputy Noel McCarthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the process involved in the approval of new pesticide products for agricultural use; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7160/25]

698. Deputy Noel McCarthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if there is a reasonable and fair turnaround time recognised by his Department for the adjudication of applications for new pesticide products; if early decisions on licensing applications for new pesticide products should be the guiding policy of his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7162/25]

155. Deputy Noel McCarthy asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if an extension of the Eircode system is being considered to allow farm buildings to be assigned an individual Eircode; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6118/25]

268. Deputy Noel McCarthy asked the Minister for Finance the actions being taken by his Department to prevent the advertisement and sale of illicit tobacco products online; his Department’s engagement to date with social media companies to detect and prevent such activity; if measures such as the removal of social media profiles engaged in such activity are being considered; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6111/25]

269. Deputy Noel McCarthy asked the Minister for Finance to provide an update on the work of the Joint Agency Task Force in tackling excise fraud; the key enforcement actions undertaken by the task force in the past 12 months; the number of investigations into organised crime groups involved in excise fraud initiated through the task force in each respective year from 2020 to 2024, inclusive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6112/25]

270. Deputy Noel McCarthy asked the Minister for Finance if he has considered the Funds Sector 2030 report recommendations on the taxation of investment funds and life assurance policies; if so, if he is considering any suggested taxation changes in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6144/25]

835. Deputy Noel McCarthy asked the Minister for Health to provide an update on the development of a building (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6371/25]

71. Deputy Noel McCarthy asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform to provide an update on flood prevention measures being undertaken in Rathcormac, County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5074/25]

101. Deputy Noel McCarthy asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform to provide an update on flood relief measures in Castlemartyr, Mogeely and Killeagh, east Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5075/25]

16. Deputy Noel McCarthy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the staff numbers employed by the passport service in each of the years from 2020 to 2024, inclusive; the steps being taken by his Department to reduce the turnaround times for a decision on first-time and renewal passport applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4446/25]

23. Deputy Noel McCarthy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of first-time and renewal passport applications received in each of the years from 2020 to 2024, inclusive; the number of applications approved and passports issued over the same period, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4449/25]

164. Deputy Noel McCarthy asked the Minister for Transport when he expects the remaining local road speed limit reductions to come into effect nationally; if it is envisaged that urban routes will see these proposed reductions before those on national secondary roads; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4673/25]

617. Deputy Noel McCarthy asked the Minister for Health if she is considering any changes to the annual retailers licensing fees for those selling tobacco products or nicotine-inhaling products; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4203/25]

87. Deputy Noel McCarthy asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the efforts being made by the ESB to ensure that the electricity network is more robust to withstanding disruptions to supply caused by severe weather-related events; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2943/25]

209. Deputy Noel McCarthy asked the Minister for Transport the current situation with respect to planning permission for the installation of EV chargers in public places; the efforts being made by his Department to ensure that property owners with only direct public street access can install EV chargers outside of their properties; if his Department has considered the installation of footpath ducting in such cases to allow charging cables to pass underfoot of public areas, such as those in use in other jurisdictions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3076/25]

247. Deputy Noel McCarthy asked the Minister for Finance to outline the measures his Department is taking to tackle the importation and sale of illegal tobacco products in the State; the number of fines issued by the courts for offences related to tobacco smuggling and its illicit sale in 2023 and 2024 respectively; the number of fines that were paid and remain unpaid from the same period; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3231/25]

273. Deputy Noel McCarthy asked the Minister for Finance his plans, if any, to increase the inheritance tax threshold for those who are single and without children; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2904/25]

292. Deputy Noel McCarthy asked the Minister for Finance if he will consider the establishment of a VAT refund on the purchase of bottled water for domestic households who continue to be affected by prolonged boil water notices, possibly by notifying the Revenue Commissioners directly of the affected Eircode; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3089/25]

304. Deputy Noel McCarthy asked the Minister for Finance the measures his Department is taking to counteract the cross-border smuggling and illegal trade of tobacco products within the State, such as cigarettes and vapes; if he is considering additional measures to combat such activity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3232/25]

305. Deputy Noel McCarthy asked the Minister for Finance the number of customs checks that were carried out in relation to illegal tobacco products; the number of fines issued for tobacco related offences; the number of fines paid; the number of seizures conducted by customs officials on duty free tobacco products which exceeded the personal limits in all airports and ports; the number of reported illegal factories producing counterfeit tobacco products in the State in each of the years from 2020 to 2024, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3233/25]

327. Deputy Noel McCarthy asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform further to Parliamentary Question No. 389 of 22 January 2025, the number of individual property protection applications received under the scheme; the number of applications received for the retrospective funding for previously installed flood barriers in the area; if he is considering increasing this retrospective funding element of the scheme to ensure that those who have already installed barriers are reimbursed for the full cost of their flood defences; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2878/25]

391. Deputy Noel McCarthy asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the reason privately owned post offices are ineligible to receive his Department’s increased cost of business and Power Up grants; if he has any plans to make changes in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3106/25]

557. Deputy Noel McCarthy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to outline the work of his Department in progressing national guidelines for the development of solar farms; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2901/25]

724. Deputy Noel McCarthy asked the Minister for Social Protection if he is considering any changes to the back-to-education allowance to allow PhD students or those studying a course that is not under the EU Erasmus programme to receive a disability allowance payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3135/25]

384. Deputy Noel McCarthy asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform to provide an update on proposed funding and works for a project (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1113/25]