Ken O'Flynn

651. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport whether the Government has considered alternative and less privacy-invasive measures for protecting children online, including the mandatory disabling of social media algorithms by default, the commencement of Section 30 of the Data Protection Act 2018 which has never been brought into force and would prohibit the targeting of children with advertising and algorithms, and the meaningful regulation of online advertising; the reason these measures have not been prioritised ahead of a mass digital identification scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30140/26]

652. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport if he will provide a full account of the data architecture of the proposed “digital wallet” social media verification scheme; specifically, whether social media platforms will receive or retain any data from a user’s government identity; whether An Garda Síochána or any other State body will have the legal power to access identity data generated through the scheme; whether the State intends to log, record, or audit which social media platforms a citizen accesses using their “digital wallet” or rather “digital ID” under the auspices of simply protecting children from negative content and to facilitate the use of public services for Irish citizens; his views on the implications of the Government holding this data which the citizen has always considered private or at least anonymous on the internet without government supervision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30141/26]

653. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport whether he is aware of the joint statement issued in December 2025 by the Irish Council for Civil Liberties and an organisation (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30142/26]

691. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he is aware that a plot of land adjacent to and including a part of a rare alluvial woodland in Rathcoole, County Dublin is being considered for a new housing development; his views that this important woodland ecosystem would be better left undisturbed for the sake of recreational use by local residents and to protect the flora and fauna living there; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30136/26]

760. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection the date on which the current rates and structure of the electricity allowance and natural gas allowance under the household benefits package were last formally reviewed or revised; and the outcome of that review. [29796/26]

761. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether any cost-of-living, inflation or domestic energy price benchmarking formed part of the most recent review of the electricity allowance and natural gas allowance; and if so, to provide details of the methodology used. [29797/26]

762. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection the current weekly and daily equivalent monetary value of the electricity allowance and natural gas allowance; and the basis on which these rates were determined. [29798/26]

763. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection the equivalent value in today's terms of the electricity and natural gas allowance at the time of the last substantive review when adjusted for inflation and energy price increases; and if she will provide the data sources used for this calculation. [29799/26]

764. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether her Department has conducted any assessment of the adequacy of the electricity allowance and natural gas allowance in meeting current household energy costs; and if so, to provide details of that assessment [29800/26]

765. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated proportion of an average household electricity or gas bill currently covered by the electricity allowance and natural gas allowance; and how this compares to the proportion covered at the time of the last review. [29801/26]

766. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether consideration has been given to revising the structure of the electricity and natural gas allowance to reflect seasonal usage patterns, including higher consumption during winter months; and if so, to outline any proposals. [29802/26]

767. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection if her Department has examined the previous unit-based system of energy support, including winter and non-winter allocations; and whether any comparative analysis has been undertaken with the current allowance structure. [29803/26]

768. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection the total annual expenditure on the electricity allowance and natural gas allowance for each of the past five years; and the projected expenditure for the current year. [29804/26]

769. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether a further review of the electricity allowance and natural gas allowance is planned in advance of Budget 2027; and if so, the timeline and scope of that review. [29805/26]

802. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the average cost per applicant of legal aid services provided to persons seeking international protection, in each year from 2019 to 2025, broken down by application stage and appeals stage; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29651/26]

803. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the total number of applicants for international protection who received legal aid services in each year from 2019 to 2025; the corresponding total expenditure, in order to establish the average cost per case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29652/26]

804. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number and proportion of international protection applications supported by Legal Aid Board services that resulted in a grant of protection; a refusal; and a successful appeal, in each of the past five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29653/26]

805. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration whether his Department or the Legal Aid Board has conducted any value-for-money or efficiency assessment of legal aid expenditure in respect of international protection applicants since 2019; if so, to provide details; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29654/26]

806. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration whether any expenditure ceiling, budgetary control mechanism, or forecasting model is in place in respect of legal aid services for international protection applicants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29655/26]

807. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration whether Ireland's expenditure per capita on legal aid services for international protection applicants has been benchmarked against other EU Member States; if so, to provide the findings of such benchmarking; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29659/26]

808. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration whether consideration has been given to expanding access to legal representation for Irish citizens in areas currently excluded or limited, including housing disputes and tribunal-based matters; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29660/26]

813. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration further to Parliamentary Question No. 474 of 12 February 2026, the number of investigations commenced in respect of the reported animal cruelty incidents recorded from Quarter 3 of 2024 to Quarter 4 of 2025; and for a breakdown of those incidents by status, including ongoing investigation, investigation concluded without prosecution, and investigation resulting in criminal proceedings. [29817/26]

814. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of files relating to alleged animal cruelty incidents recorded from Quarter 3 of 2024 to Quarter 4 of 2025 that have been submitted by An Garda Síochána to the Director of Public Prosecutions; and if he will provide the number submitted in each quarter concerned. [29818/26]

815. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration further to the confirmation that 23 proceedings by way of charge or summons had been initiated in association with the relevant incidents as of 10 March 2026; if he will provide a breakdown of those proceedings by offence type, quarter, and present status. [29819/26]

816. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of animal cruelty-related proceedings arising from incidents recorded since Quarter 3 of 2024 which have, to date, resulted in conviction, acquittal, dismissal, strike-out, withdrawal, or remain pending, in tabular form. [29820/26]