Ken O'Flynn

302. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation whether, following the removal of ministerial approval at Approval Gate 2 under the revised Infrastructure Guidelines, his Department has introduced or will introduce enhanced reporting requirements to Ministers or to Dáil Éireann in respect of material scope changes, procurement strategy alterations, or emerging cost pressures arising between Approval Gate 1 and Approval Gate 3; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15908/26]

303. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation whether his Department conducted any analysis of cost escalation occurring between Approval Gate 2 and Approval Gate 3 under the previous approval framework; the average percentage increase in estimated project costs at that stage over the past five years; and whether that analysis informed the decision to remove ministerial approval at Gate 2. [15909/26]

304. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation whether the advice provided by the Major Projects Advisory Group in 2025 concerning the removal of ministerial approval at Approval Gate 2 will be published; and if not, the reason for that decision. [15910/26]

305. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation whether his Department has conducted any time-based analysis of the duration between, submission of major infrastructure project proposals to a Minister or Cabinet committee and, formal ministerial or Cabinet decision; if so, to provide the average, median and range of decision intervals for the years 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025; and if no such analysis has been undertaken, whether he will commit to conducting one in 2026. [15911/26]

306. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation whether the July 2025 Stakeholder Engagement and Emerging Themes Report or any related departmental analysis included quantitative modelling attributing proportions of overall project delay to, statutory planning processes, judicial review, procurement procedures, departmental appraisal and approval stages, and ministerial or Cabinet decision-making; and to provide any such breakdown. [15912/26]

307. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation the average duration of each stage of the Public Spending Code appraisal and approval process for major capital projects exceeding €100 million for the years 2022 to 2025 inclusive; and to indicate which stage accounted for the longest cumulative delay across projects during that period. [15913/26]

308. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation whether his Department has assessed the impact of Cabinet committee scheduling frequency on the progression of major infrastructure projects requiring political approval; whether any backlog or queuing analysis has been undertaken; and if he will provide details of such analysis. [15914/26]

309. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation the number of major infrastructure projects which had completed statutory planning consent were, at any point during 2022 to 2025 inclusive, awaiting ministerial or Cabinet approval for funding or progression; and to provide the average duration of such waiting periods. [15915/26]

310. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation whether his Department has benchmarked Ireland’s ministerial and central approval timelines for major infrastructure projects against comparable EU member states; and to provide the findings of any such benchmarking. [15916/26]

338. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth to publish in full the current national criteria, weighting factors, assessment instruments and decision thresholds used by the National Council for Special Education in determining annual Special Needs Assistant allocations to primary schools; and to confirm whether any amendments, recalibrations or procedural changes were introduced for the 2026/27 review cycle. [15925/26]

339. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of primary schools notified of a reduction of two or more Special Needs Assistant posts for the 2026/27 school year prior to the decision to pause the review process; and to provide a county-by-county breakdown of same. [15926/26]

340. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth the total whole-time equivalent Special Needs Assistant allocation to primary schools in County Cork for the 2024/25, 2025/26 and 2026/27 school years respectively; and to confirm whether the 2026/27 figure reflects the position before or after the pause of the review process. [15927/26]

341. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether a formal impact assessment, equality screening, child rights assessment, financial analysis or cost modelling exercise was conducted prior to issuing Special Needs Assistant reduction notifications for the 2026/27 school year; and, if so, to provide the title, date of completion and authoring body of each such assessment. [15928/26]

358. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport whether, in light of the proposal by RTÉ to amend regulation 20 of the RTÉ superannuation scheme to permit scheme and trustee expenses to be met from scheme assets, he will now seek independent legal advice regarding the compatibility of such an amendment with trust law principles, pensions legislation and her statutory oversight role under section 91 of the Broadcasting Act 2009; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15883/26]

359. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the estimated annual financial impact, as advised to her Department or by NewERA, of the proposed amendment to regulation 20 of the RTÉ superannuation scheme; the categories of expenditure envisaged; whether any retrospective charging of costs to scheme assets has been proposed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15884/26]

360. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport whether the proposal to amend regulation 20 of the RTÉ superannuation scheme has been formally submitted to the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation for consent; if not, the stage currently reached in the statutory approval process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15885/26]

361. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport whether, as part of his oversight responsibilities in respect of RTÉ superannuation schemes, his Department has engaged with or received any correspondence from the Pensions Authority concerning the proposed amendment to regulation 20 of the RTÉ superannuation scheme in the past five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15886/26]

362. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport whether his Department has issued, or intends to issue, any policy guidance to RTÉ regarding the protection of pension scheme assets from being used, directly or indirectly, to offset operational or legacy costs of the broadcaster; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15887/26]

368. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether, prior to the commencement of the Room for a Student – Local Authority Tenancies Scheme on 1 December 2023, his Department prepared any policy modelling, capacity assessment or impact analysis of potential participation levels among local authority tenants; whether such analysis informed Cabinet approval; and whether he will provide the aggregate findings [16002/26]

391. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the total number of applications received, approved and paid under the vacant property refurbishment grant scheme since its commencement; the total amount of public expenditure disbursed under the scheme to date. [15809/26]

392. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage in respect of approved and paid applications under the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant Scheme the number and percentage of recipients who were Irish citizens; the number and percentage of recipients who were citizens of another EU Member State; the number and percentage of recipients who were non-EU citizens; whether the Department or local authorities collect data on the length of legal residence in the State of grant recipients at the time of application; whether the Department collects or verifies information on prior income tax or PRSI contributions in the State as part of the eligibility or compliance process; whether tax clearance certification is required prior to approval or payment;(g) whether any assessment is carried out regarding an applicant’s previous contribution to the Exchequer before public monies are disbursed; and if the information requested is not centrally collated, the data that is available and whether consideration has been given to enhancing reporting transparency in respect of the scheme. [15810/26]

397. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether his Department has undertaken any formal governance review of the Room for a Student – Local Authority Tenancies Scheme since its commencement on 1 December 2023; whether any briefing was prepared by his Department regarding scheme performance relative to projected uptake; and whether any policy modifications are under consideration arising from that review. [15968/26]

409. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of clients classified as beneficiaries of temporary protection who were referred to the National Employment Service and Local Area Employment Services in each of the years 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 and to date in 2026; the number of such clients who secured employment; the number who sustained employment for at least 6 months and 12 months respectively; and the corresponding figures for all other clients referred during the same period [15833/26]

410. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection the total actual expenditure incurred in respect of all clients referred to the National Employment Service and Local Area Employment Services in each of the years 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 and to date in 2026; and the proportion of that expenditure attributable to beneficiaries of temporary protection in each year [15834/26]

411. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection the average actual cost per client referred to the National Employment Service and Local Area Employment Services in each of the years 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 and to date in 2026; the average cost per client classified as a beneficiary of temporary protection; and the average cost per client not so classified. [15835/26]