20. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the reason, in the context of sustained public concern about lenient sentencing in CSAM cases, including statements by the Tánaiste calling for a more serious approach, he has indicated that he does not intend to change the current sentencing rules; whether he considers this position to be reconcilable with his obligations to ensure tha…
22. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the specific reasons the Government has not introduced mandatory minimum sentencing legislation for persons convicted of possession or distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), given the frequency with which such offenders receive suspended sentences; and whether he intends to bring forward such legislation before the end of t…
46. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration whether the Government's failure to introduce minimum sentencing for CSAM offences is connected in any way to concerns about prison overcrowding and capacity; whether he accepts the Tánaiste's statement that prison capacity must never be a factor in sentencing decisions; whether he agrees with the Tánaiste's statement that there are "to…
66. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if he has examined the sentencing frameworks for CSAM offences in comparable jurisdictions, such as Britain, or other EU member states; and whether Ireland's current legislative approach falls below international best practice. [20211/26]
98. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine whether he is satisfied that current enforcement of the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013 is adequate in light of repeated reports of severe equine mistreatment, abandonment, and euthanasia following welfare failures; and the immediate steps his Department is taking to strengthen inspections, seizures, and prosecutions in respect of horse…
195. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Transport whether his Department maintains a central dataset or reporting mechanism on the duration of Environmental Impact Assessment and Appropriate Assessment stages for major transport infrastructure projects; if not, whether he will introduce such a reporting framework to allow for systematic monitoring of project timelines; and if he will make a statement on the ma…
196. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Transport whether his Department has undertaken any analysis since 2015 of the average time taken to complete Environmental Impact Assessment and Appropriate Assessment stages for transport infrastructure projects with an estimated value exceeding €200 million; and if he will publish any such analysis or assessments carried out by his Department. [21170/26]
197. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Transport the baseline data, benchmarks or performance metrics his Department uses when assessing delays in the delivery of major transport infrastructure projects; and whether those benchmarks include the duration of environmental assessment and planning stages. [21171/26]
198. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Transport whether Transport Infrastructure Ireland and the National Transport Authority are required to report to his Department on the duration of Environmental Impact Assessment and Appropriate Assessment stages for major transport infrastructure projects; if so, the frequency and format of such reporting; and if he will publish the most recent reports received by his …
Ken O'Flynn
Written
19 Mar 2026 · to Public Expenditure
243. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation the number of times the Office of the Protected Disclosures Commissioner has exercised its powers under section 10 of the Protected Disclosures Act 2014 (as amended) since its establishment; and if those powers have not been exercised, the reasons for this. [20966/26]
Ken O'Flynn
Written
19 Mar 2026 · to Public Expenditure
245. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation whether the statutory functions of the Office of the Protected Disclosures Commissioner under the Protected Disclosures Act 2014 (as amended) are considered to be fully discharged once a disclosure has been transmitted to a prescribed person or public body; and whether the commissioner has any o…
Ken O'Flynn
Written
19 Mar 2026 · to Public Expenditure
246. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation the procedures that exist within the Office of the Protected Disclosures Commissioner to reconsider or review a decision identifying the appropriate person or body to receive a protected disclosure where the originally identified body indicates that the matter does not fall within its remit; and…
Ken O'Flynn
Written
19 Mar 2026 · to Public Expenditure
251. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation the number of public servants recruited since 2013 in fast accrual professions including the Defence Forces and Fire Services who are members of the Public Service Single Pension Scheme; the estimated income gap that arises between retirement age for these professions and the age of eligibility …
Ken O'Flynn
Written
19 Mar 2026 · to Public Expenditure
254. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation whether his Department maintains a central dataset tracking the duration of the planning, environmental impact assessment, appropriate assessment and judicial review stages for major infrastructure projects funded under the National Development Plan since 2015; if so, to provide the annual avera…
Ken O'Flynn
Written
19 Mar 2026 · to Public Expenditure
255. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation whether a baseline analysis of infrastructure project delivery timelines was undertaken prior to the publication of the Accelerating Infrastructure Action Plan; the evidence or datasets used to support the statement that development lifecycles have doubled compared with twenty years ago; and if …
Ken O'Flynn
Written
19 Mar 2026 · to Public Expenditure
256. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation whether his Department intends to establish a central reporting framework requiring sponsoring authorities of major infrastructure projects to report delays and additional costs arising from quashing orders or judicial review proceedings affecting environmental impact assessment or appropriate a…
Ken O'Flynn
Written
19 Mar 2026 · to Public Expenditure
257. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation whether quantified national time-reduction targets will be introduced under the Accelerating Infrastructure Action Plan for the planning, environmental assessment and approval stages of major infrastructure projects; and whether these targets will be published with measurable performance indicat…
310. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the date on which NewERA furnished advice to his Department regarding the proposed amendment to Regulation 20 of the RTÉ Superannuation Scheme; whether that advice was oral or written; whether it addressed trust law principles, pensions law, member protection, and potential conflicts of interest; and if he will make a statement on the ma…
311. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the specific criteria being applied by his Department in assessing RTÉ’s proposed amendment to Regulation 20 of the RTÉ Superannuation Scheme, including whether the Department is considering the interests of active members, deferred members and pensioners separately; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21162/26]
312. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport whether his Department has sought from RTÉ a detailed schedule of the categories of expenses proposed to be charged to scheme assets under the proposed amendment to Regulation 20; if so, the categories identified; whether any part of those proposed costs relate to historic, legacy, restructuring or dispute-related expenditure; and if he …
313. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport whether his Department has sought confirmation from RTÉ or the trustees as to whether any retrospective charging of costs to scheme assets is contemplated under the proposed amendment to Regulation 20; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21164/26]
314. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport whether his Department has considered seeking the views of the Pensions Authority on the proposed amendment to Regulation 20 of the RTÉ Superannuation Scheme; if not, the reason; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21165/26]
315. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport whether his Department has considered obtaining independent external legal advice on the proposed amendment to Regulation 20 of the RTÉ Superannuation Scheme since receipt of RTÉ’s request on 14 October 2025; if not, the reason; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21166/26]
316. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport whether the trustees of the RTÉ Superannuation Scheme have provided his Department with any legal opinion, actuarial note, governance memorandum, or member-impact assessment in support of the proposed amendment to Regulation 20; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21167/26]
317. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport whether any deadline, target date, or indicative timeframe has been set by his Department for determining RTÉ’s request of 14 October 2025 to amend Regulation 20 of the RTÉ Superannuation Scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21168/26]