Ken O'Flynn

775. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether her Department intends to undertake a formal national review into exclusionary educational practices affecting neurodivergent children, including repeated suspensions, prolonged reduced timetables, and informal school removals; and if not, the reason no such review has been initiated. [41682/26]

776. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether guidance issued to schools regarding reduced timetables and exclusionary practices specifically addresses students with autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, sensory regulation difficulties, trauma-related presentations, or co-occurring neurodevelopmental conditions; and if so, to provide details of such guidance. [41683/26]

816. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether schools continue to receive the full capitation grant and all associated per-pupil funding in respect of pupils who are formally enrolled, but are either placed on reduced school hours or reduced timetables, or not attending school for extended periods while remaining on the school roll; and whether schools are required to make formal returns to her Department in respect of such reduced attendance, absences or reduced timetables; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42144/26]

968. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether her Department has undertaken, or plans to undertake, a review of special needs assistant employment contracts to examine whether separate contractual arrangements are warranted for primary, post-primary and special school settings, having regard to differences in working hours, school calendars and duties; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44076/26]

980. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport to outline any public consultations that his Department expects to launch before the end of 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41746/26]

981. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport to outline his Department’s planned priorities for Ireland’s upcoming Presidency of the Council of the European Union; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41753/26]

1119. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of housing allocations provided to care leavers under the Capital Assistance Scheme care-leaver category in each year since 2017, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43193/26]

1127. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether the review of the 2017 Policy and Procedural Guidance for Housing Authorities in relation to assisting victims of domestic violence, committed to under the Third National Strategy on Domestic, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence 2022–2026, has been completed; whether recommendations arising from the review have been finalised; the specific recommendations proposed; the timeline for implementation; the date on which revised guidance will issue to local authorities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43633/26]

1128. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether their Department has issued any guidance, circular, policy direction, interpretation note or advice to local authorities regarding the treatment, for social housing eligibility and housing need assessment purposes, of proceeds received by applicants following the sale, transfer, buyout or settlement of a family home arising from a separation, divorce or departure from an abusive relationship; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43634/26]

1129. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether their Department has undertaken any assessment, review, consultation or examination of the consistency with which local authorities apply social housing eligibility and housing need rules in cases involving victims of domestic abuse who have received proceeds from the sale, transfer or settlement of a family home; whether any variations in practice between local authorities have been identified; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43635/26]

1130. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether, in advance of the next National Inspection Plan for Domestic Waste Water Treatment Systems taking effect in 2027, their Department will require local authorities and the EPA to provide a consolidated national dataset on septic tank inspection failures, advisory notices, unresolved notices, enforcement actions and prosecutions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43642/26]

1131. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether their Department has assessed the public health and water-quality risk arising from the absence of a central national database identifying failed domestic wastewater treatment systems located near private drinking-water wells, groundwater sources, rivers or public water catchment areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43643/26]

1132. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether their Department will review the adequacy of the Domestic Waste Water Treatment Systems Grant Scheme, including the maximum grant of €12,000, eligibility criteria, drawdown barriers and whether the scheme reflects actual remediation costs faced by rural households; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43644/26]

1133. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether their Department has received any reports, correspondence, briefings, notifications, risk assessments or other communications since 1 January 2024 concerning manganese exceedances in Cork City drinking water supplies; whether any concerns regarding recurring exceedances, treatment performance, public health implications, regulatory compliance or infrastructure deficiencies were raised in such communications; whether the Department considered requesting a review, assessment or additional oversight by the Environmental Protection Agency or any other body; whether the Department is satisfied that the causes of the exceedances have been fully identified and addressed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43655/26]

1165. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when the review of the 2017 policy and procedural guidance for housing authorities assisting victims of domestic violence was completed; the recommendations arising from that review; when revised guidance will issue to local authorities; and whether the forthcoming protocol will allow victims fleeing domestic, sexual or gender-based violence to retain time already spent on a social housing waiting list when moving between local authority areas. [44061/26]

1189. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons who received publicly funded driving lesson, learner driver or driving test supports through employment activation or social inclusion programmes in each of the past five years; and the number of such recipients recorded as Irish citizens, EU nationals, non-EEA nationals, or persons with international protection status, where such data is held. [42368/26]

1190. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection the eligibility criteria applicable to publicly funded driving lesson, learner permit, driving test and driver training supports provided through schemes operated by his Department or bodies under its remit; and whether such supports are available to Irish citizens, EU nationals, persons with international protection status, applicants for international protection with labour market access permission, and other legally resident non-EEA nationals. [42369/26]

1191. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection the total amount expended, directly or indirectly, on driving lessons, learner permits, driving tests, vehicle hire for driving tests, and related driver training supports for persons participating in employment activation or social inclusion programmes in each of the past five years, broken down by scheme and by county. [42370/26]

1192. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether recipients of publicly funded driving lesson, driving test or driver training supports are subject to any repayment conditions, clawback provisions or financial recovery mechanisms where they subsequently cease employment, fail to take up employment, or discontinue participation in an activation programme; and if he will provide details of the circumstances in which such provisions apply. [42371/26]

1193. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether his Department has undertaken any review, assessment or evaluation of publicly funded driving lesson or driving test support schemes linked to employment activation, rural transport accessibility, or social inclusion objectives; and if he will provide details of any such reviews, including expenditure, eligibility criteria and reported outcomes. [42373/26]

1243. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection if he accepts that where a State-funded programme operates on a permanent and ongoing basis within schools, but significant numbers of workers engaged in delivering that programme are employed on insecure, term-time, or seasonal arrangements vulnerable to disruption upon changes in catering providers, issues arise concerning workforce stability, equality obligations, and the adequacy of protections attached to publicly funded service delivery; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43236/26]

1244. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether his Department has undertaken any assessment of the number of persons whose employment arises wholly or predominantly from publicly funded school meals provision and who may be classified as educational seasonal workers for the purposes of social welfare entitlements; whether his Department maintains any data in respect of such workers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43237/26]

1245. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether his Department has examined the extent to which employment supported through the Hot School Meals Scheme gives rise to seasonal or interrupted employment patterns during school closure periods; the estimated number of workers affected; and the measures available to such workers during periods where schools are closed. [43238/26]

1246. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether he intends to introduce a system for recording the sector or business activity of enterprises approved under the Back to Work Enterprise Allowance scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43250/26]

1247. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether any assessment has been undertaken of the survival rate of businesses established under the Back to Work Enterprise Allowance scheme after one year, three years and five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43251/26]