Robert O'Donoghue

549. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport if participants currently in receipt of the basic income for the arts pilot scheme will be retained under the new successor scheme announced in Budget 2026; If so, the duration they will continue to receive the payment; if there will be a defined cut-off point for current participants; if they will be eligible to reapply under the new scheme; the way in which the new intake of recipients will be selected and awarded places under the revised scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55096/25]

575. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if Fingal local authority will be included in the defective block scheme; the timeline for when the decision will be signed off on; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54699/25]

651. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Social Protection if under the successor scheme to the basic income for arts announced in Budget 2026, for individuals who are in receipt of social welfare payments, including disability allowance and carers allowance will be permitted to retain those payments while participating in the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55097/25]

765. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she is aware that only 15 of the 26 High Court-directed special care beds in the State are currently operational due to ongoing staffing shortages; the steps being taken to ensure full capacity is restored; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54701/25]

766. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the rationale for the proposed restructuring of Tusla’s special care services of a facility (details supplied); whether a full consultation with staff and their representative union took place; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54702/25]

767. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she has considered the impact of the proposed restructuring on the regulatory responsibilities of persons in charge; if HIQA has been consulted regarding the potential implications for the registration of special care centres (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54703/25]

768. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if an updated job specification has been issued for new and revised roles under the proposed restructuring of facilities (details supplied); if not, when these documents will be provided to staff; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54704/25]

769. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if an equality or risk assessment has been undertaken on the proposed restructuring of Tusla’s special care services, given widespread staff concerns that the changes could result in centre closures (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54705/25]

770. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will address concerns that the proposed amalgamation of the social care leader and social care worker grades into a single “special care worker” grade will erode the supervisory and support structures essential for safe service delivery in special care centres (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54706/25]

771. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to outline the outcome of Tusla’s recent overseas recruitment campaign for special care staff; the total cost of this initiative, including accommodation and relocation supports; whether it has delivered measurable improvements in staffing levels; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54707/25]

772. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will clarify whether Tusla’s previous “agency incentive scheme” was approved by her Department; the cost implications of this scheme; the safeguards now in place to prevent pay disparities between agency and directly employed staff (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54708/25]

773. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will provide details of any proposals submitted by Tusla to increase the “special care allowance” to improve recruitment and retention; whether her Department supports these measures; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54709/25]

774. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to outline the engagement that has taken place between her Department, Tusla, and a union (details supplied) to address ongoing staff retention issues in special care; if she will ensure that the restructuring plan is paused pending meaningful consultation with affected staff; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54710/25]

775. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to explain the reason for the decision by her Department not to approve the proposed increase in the “special care allowance” for staff working in Tusla’s special care centres (details supplied); if she will reconsider this decision given the acute staffing crisis and associated High Court implications; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54711/25]

339. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Health if consideration will be given to making certain medications for the treatment of cystitis and urinary tract infections available without prescription, in recognition of the impact of recurrent infections on women’s health and in order to ease the current pressure on GP services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54420/25]

119. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Transport if he will address the ongoing capacity issues on the 101x commuter bus service, which is frequently full before reaching the final stops in Balbriggan, and often bypasses Balrothery without stopping, leaving commuters unable to board; if he will consider increasing the frequency of the service or providing additional capacity to ensure that residents in Balbriggan and Balrothery have reliable access to public transport during peak times; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53764/25]

517. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she is aware of the difficulties in transitioning from paediatric disability services and adult disability services, particularly the lack of transition planning; if she has any plans to implement an automatic referral scheme for people transitioning from paediatric to adult disability services; if there are any plans to provide a comprehensive outreach service to disabled persons and persons with additional needs, particularly in Balbriggan; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53141/25]

2. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport if he will consider transferring certain State services, such as voter registration, motor tax payments, or cash collection, to An Post with a view to supporting its long-term viability, preventing further post office closures, reducing pressure on other public services and allowing people with lower levels of digital literacy skills to still have a place they can do their business. [52487/25]

9. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the measures he is adopting to ensure that independent radio and broadcasters have fair access to funding in budget 2026, particularly in underserved or rural areas; the means by which he plans to support current affairs and local news provision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52422/25]

50. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport if he will engage with the Minister for Finance in advance of budget 2026 to introduce targeted fiscal measures to improve affordability and participation in sport, including tax relief on sporting membership fees and a reduced VAT rate on sport and exercise classes, in order to encourage greater participation across all age groups and communities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52424/25]

66. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport if he will outline the steps his Department is taking, in conjunction with the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, to support the reactivation of the nightclub sector; if he will address the sharp decline in the number of operating nightclubs from 522 in 2000 to just 83 today; if he will consider measures around licensing hours, insurance, and running costs, to help revitalise the night-time economy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52426/25]

68. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport for an update on the work of the night-time economy adviser; if consideration is being given to expanding the role or appointing regional night-time economy co-ordinators; the means by which the Department intends to support the development of a vibrant and safe night-time economy nationwide; if he will indicate a timeline for when such an expansion might be resourced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52425/25]

223. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence if his Department is satisfied that sufficient budgetary foresight was applied when barriers to recruitment for the Reserve Defence Forces were removed, given that internal documents show that, by November 2024, the existing budget was already insufficient to pay reservists for the remainder of the year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52674/25]

224. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence given that the budget for reserve training and support days was €3.01 million and exhausted during 2024, and supplementary funds assigned earlier in the year proved inadequate, will he provide for the reasons the supplementary funds were insufficient; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52675/25]

225. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the estimates of the full-cost implications of recruitment, including increases in medicals, induction, training, support and pay for the remainder of 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52676/25]