Ken O'Flynn
Written
13 Oct 2026 · to Public Expenditure
237. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation whether his Department has received representations since January 2025 regarding the meaning of "prima facie evidence" at initial assessment under the Protected Disclosures Act 2014; whether the Department intends to issue clarifying guidance to public bodies and prescribed persons ahead of the …
Ken O'Flynn
Written
13 Oct 2026 · to Public Expenditure
238. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation whether the Department collects data on the duration of initial assessments of protected disclosures by public bodies; the number of reports recorded as remaining at initial assessment at the end of each of the years 2023, 2024 and 2025, as reported under section 22 of the Protected Disclosures …
257. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment to name the Convention Bureau to which the conference bid was transferred in May 2025; the amount of State funding provided to that bureau in 2025 and 2026; whether any support for the conference has been provided or committed through it; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [72328/26]
258. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the grade or position of the Fáilte Ireland official who approved site inspection funding of €3,024.99 for the 12th International Conference on Degrowth; the written delegated authority and business events programme criteria relied upon; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [72326/26]
259. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment to identify Cork stakeholders that selected a conference as a case study for the Impact and Legacy Training Programme; the staff time and resources Fáilte Ireland committed to it; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [72333/26]
260. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment whether Fáilte Ireland or his Department will consider a subvention application for a conference before August 2027; the criteria that would apply; whether his Department was consulted at any stage; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [72331/26]
264. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the mechanisms in place to monitor the pricing of household waste collection services; the number of complaints received regarding household waste collection charges in County Cork in each of the years 2024, 2025 and to date in 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [72387/26]
326. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth if, given her confirmation that her Department does not monitor individual schools' implementation of Circular 0032/2017, she will explain how she can ensure compliance with its provisions that uniforms should be generic, available from multiple retailers and that exclusive supply arrangements should be regularly tendered; and, given her confirmation …
327. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth what constitutes “regularly” for the purposes of her Department's requirement that exclusive school uniform supply arrangements should be tendered regularly under Circular 0032/2017; the way in which her Department verifies that schools comply with this provision; and the number of schools that have been found not to comply since the circular was issu…
328. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth to detail which organisations representing parents are currently being consulted on the complaints procedures being developed under the Education (Student and Parent Charter) Bill 2019; and the way in which her Department will ensure that parents have an independent representative voice in the development of the new complaints procedures. [71896/26]
329. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she considers a book (details supplied) for third year junior cycle SPHE, to be appropriate and age-appropriate for students; and if her Department or the NCCA has reviewed its content for suitability for use in schools. [71895/26]
331. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether a principal, board of management or patron of a recognised school has any statutory authority to suspend, dissolve, restrict or prevent a parents’ association established under section 26 of the Education Act 1998 from exercising its functions; if so, to identify the precise statutory provision, regulation or departmental guidance which provid…
332. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether a parents’ association established under section 26 of the Education Act 1998 is an independent representative body of the parents of pupils in the school; whether a principal, board of management or school patron has any statutory authority to direct or control the views, advice, communications or activities of a parents’ association; whether…
333. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth to clarify the legal effect of section 26(2)(a) of the Education Act 1998, which provides that a parents’ association may advise the principal or board of management on any matter relating to the school and that the principal or board shall have regard to such advice; whether this requires the principal or board to formally consider advice submitted b…
335. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth to set out, specifically in relation to section 26 of the Education Act 1998, the statutory role and functions of a parents’ association in a recognised school; to clarify whether a parents’ association is intended to act as an independent representative body for the parents of pupils in the school; and to identify the matters on which a parents’ asso…
336. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth the functions the National Parents Council will perform following full implementation of the student and parent charter; and if she will provide a list of those functions. [71873/26]
337. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth to clarify the relationship between a parents association established under section 26 of the Education Act 1998 and an association (details supplied); whether the association has any statutory or departmental mandate to represent or support parents associations in disputes with principals, boards of management or patrons; and the formal mechanism tha…
338. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether her Department has assessed if the functions performed by the National Parents Council will duplicate functions provided for under the student and parent charter. [71874/26]
339. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth to clarify whether a parents association established under section 26 of the Education Act 1998 is accountable to the principal, board of management or patron of the school in respect of the views it expresses or advice it provides; if not, to whom the association is accountable in carrying out its statutory functions; and to clarify whether the schoo…
340. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth the total amount of State funding provided to the National Parents Council in each of the past five years; and the amount allocated for 2026, if available. [71875/26]
341. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether the National Parents Council has statutory functions under the student and parent charter; and, if so, to specify each such function. [71876/26]
342. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether the National Parents Council will have a role in monitoring schools’ compliance with student and parent charters; and, if so, to specify that role. [71877/26]
343. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth to clarify the obligation imposed on a board of management by section 26(3) of the Education Act 1998 to facilitate and give all reasonable assistance to parents who establish a parents association and to the association once established; to define the meaning of what constitutes “all reasonable assistance” for the purposes of this provision; and to i…
344. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth the functions relating to parent participation that are performed by the National Parents Council that are not performed by her Department’s parents and learners unit. [71878/26]
345. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether an organisation (details supplied) continues to be recognised by her Department as the national representative organisation for parents in primary and post primary education; whether its representative and policy development functions as described in Circular 24/91 remain part of her Department's current policy; and the body or mechanism that …