Louise O'Reilly

1775. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason for social welfare payment delays on 7 and 14 July 2025; the way in which the issue was rectified; the measures taken to prevent a recurrence; if both delays were caused by the same issue or by different issues; the steps that have been taken to prevent these issues from reoccurring; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41412/25]

2082. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if he is aware that a person born in Ireland after 2004 to non-Irish parents (one of whom is now a citizen) has to apply for citizenship to obtain a passport; if he can provide details of any supports that are in place to help with the financial cost of obtaining citizenship; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43052/25]

369. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his Department is working on updating or rewriting the Wildlife Act 1976; if he will provide details of the stage this process is at; if there will be a public-consultation element to this process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40284/25]

45. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Transport if he is aware that the recent fare changes have resulted in increased costs for passengers living in Skerries and Balbriggan and that this increase in fares is serving to heap further costs on hard pressed commuters in the middle of a cost of living crisis; if he will review this decision and allow Skerries and Balbriggan into the same zone as the rest of Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40099/25]

126. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Education and Youth in the context of the protection of schoolchildren, all school staff, teachers, support staff and caretakers, and their health and safety, if he is aware of serious harms being caused (and escalating) for several years now by high density, breeding gull colonies in many schools around the country; if she has noted the recent very stark warnings in respect of Avian Flu (in which gulls are heavily implicated) issued by the Department of Health, the Health Surveillance Protection Centre, the Health and Safety Executive, the Department of Agriculture, and indeed by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage/National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) which urge that the public avoid contact with seabirds and their faecal waste; and if she is aware, can she inform the Deputy as to what advices, instructions and resource provisions have been or will be issued by her Department to all schools impacted by the urban gull issue and the warnings issued by the above mention State bodies; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40106/25]

148. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to set out in detail the specific "threats to public health and safety" that underpinned the legal justifications of the derogation for removal of nests and eggs of specified gull species in Balbriggan and its districts each of the years 2017 to 2023 inclusive, including i) such threats as were recognised by successive Departments and Ministers in the annual derogations 2017-2023, ii) such threats as were formally recognised in the Report and Recommendations of his predecessor's Consultative Committee on urban gulls 2019-20, and such threats as were formally recognised (as justification for derogations) in external legal advices acquired by the Department in 2020-2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40101/25]

149. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage in the context of his Department's advice to his Ministerial predecessor which resulted in the revocation of the Balbriggan derogation (2017-2023, originally granted due to "a threat to public health and safety") for removal of nests and eggs of specified gull species, will the Minister inform the deputy as to whether the Department's official advice to revoke the derogation referred in any way to the existing and legally recognised threat to public health and safety (2017-2023), and in recommending revocation of the derogation to his predecessor, whether that advice explained how or why that legally recognised threat suddenly disappeared, and if that advice did not refer to the legally recognised threat to public health and safety (2017-2023) or explain how this threat had suddenly disappeared, thus enabling revocation; if he will i) explain the situation to the Deputy and ii) instruct his Department/NPWS to reinstate the derogation immediately in order to mitigate the legally recognised threat to public health and safety; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40102/25]

150. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage given that he is no doubt aware that the State's Courts have consistently emphasised that protection of the health and safety of citizens is a paramount duty of the State within our legal framework, if he accepts, and if he will ensure, that protection of citizens' health and safety is, therefore, assuredly paramount across his entire Department's priorities, policies and programmes, thus reflecting application of the principle of 'citizens first' across all Government services and activities; if he does not so accept, or will not so ensure, will he explain his reasons; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40103/25]

151. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage with reference to the book entitled 'Seabirds Count' a census of breeding seabirds in Britain and Ireland (2015-2021), ISBN 9788416728602, (pub. Nov. 2023), and recurring acknowledgements in that book of the 'Lead Partner' role played by his Department/National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) in the conduct of the census over six years and its publication, will he provide the Deputy with a year on year breakdown, over the duration of the census, the total costs to his Department, itemising internal resource costs, all funds disbursed to identified external organisations, and details of the financial management, audit, control and accounting procedures, in tabular form; if he will provide copies of documents managed and operated by his Department/NPWS) to ensure that all such externally disbursed funds were expended totally and solely on the purpose(s) for which they were intended, that any unused disbursements for the census work were returned, and that all such expenditure was fully accounted for in his Department's budget; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40104/25]

152. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage with reference to the published book entitled 'Seabirds Count' a census of breeding seabirds in Britain and Ireland (2015-2021), which deals with 25 species of seabirds, has the Minister noted that 70+ pages out of 484 pages in the book are given over to the escalating proliferation of high density urban-breeding gull colonies (including in many schools, hospitals etc.) compared to the Seabird 2000 census in which urban gull colonies were hardly mentioned - surely a red flag in itself, if he has also noted the recent stark warnings in respect of Avian Flu (in which gulls are heavily implicated) issued by the Department of Health, the Health Surveillance Protection Centre, the Health and Safety Executive, the Department of Agriculture, and indeed by his own Department/NPWS, and Local Authorities - in particular warnings that people should avoid any contact with seabirds - and their faecal waste - which can "harbour the H5N1 virus for very long periods"; if he shares the Deputy's concerns in such regards, and if he agree with the Deputy that the 'Balbriggan Derogation' (granted by successive Ministers in the period 2017-2023 to address a recognised legally threat to public health and safety - a threshold materially higher than the EU's legal threshold) needs to be reinstated immediately - given the proven very high density gull breeding colonies in Balbriggan - and extended to all urban areas impacted by urban gull colonies, as was recommended by the Consultative Committee (CC) on urban gulls in its 2020 Report to the Minister, and as affirmed by independent legal advice acquired by his Department via the CC in 2020/2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40105/25]

193. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine in the context of the recent and annually recurring very stark warnings in respect of Avian Flu issued by his Department, the Department of Health, the Health Surveillance Protection Centre, the Health and Safety Executive, and indeed by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage/National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), and Local Authorities, warnings which urge the general public to avoid contact with seabirds and their faecal waste, and in the context of the explicit and thorough biosecurity measures promulgated by his Department, does he share the Deputy's concerns about the rapid proliferation in recent years of high density urban breeding gull colonies, gulls being a species heavily implicated in the dispersal of the H5N1 virus, (ref 'Seabirds Count' a census of breeding seabirds in Britain and Ireland (2015-2021)), ISBN 9788416728602, and if he does share the Deputy's concern, does he agree with the Deputy that e.g. children/people in schools, hospitals and residential areas, especially though not exclusively immune-compromised people, where dense gull breeding colonies exist and now live all year round, are at significantly higher risks of infection compared to swathes of the general population who may have no or very limited exposure to breeding gull colonies and their detritus over the breeding season April through September each year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40107/25]

194. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine in the context of his Department's annually recurring stark warnings to the general public with regard to Avian Flu and appropriate safety precautions and avoidance measures vis. a vis. seabirds, sick/dead birds and faecal waste and nest detritus of wild birds, and the necessary and thorough zonal biosecurity protocols promulgated by his Department, can he advise the Deputy whether any specific advice has been published and/or provided to employers with regard to the appropriate protection of workers who may encounter high volume concentrations of wild bird detritus in the course of their work, and who may have roles/duties that bring them into close contact with such detritus e.g. construction workers, janitors, cleaners, school and hospital caretakers et al, and personal protective equipment and decontamination procedures for ensuring that such workers who may have close familial connections e.g. with farming families, food production etc. do not inadvertently undermine or threaten the efficacy of essential biosecurity measures, and in preparing his reply to the deputy, will he confer with other Government colleagues if such is necessary towards a comprehensive reply; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40108/25]

300. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health if she is aware of ongoing delays in processing blind welfare allowance applications throughout the Midlands and Western regions; if she will review this matter and establish the role of the Department of Social Protection in any such delay; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40097/25]

721. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the average length of time for processing an appeal against a decision of the Garda Vetting Bureau; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39202/25]

79. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht if he has considered the establishment of a community wealth-building fund within his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33194/25]

86. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if, given that his Department previously advised that it was unable to locate the policy files for S.I. No. 254/1986 - European Communities (Wildlife Act 1976) (Amendment) Regulations, 1986, and was/is therefore legally non-compliant with the National Archives Act 1986 (the ’30-year rule’) in these regards, his Department has complied with the terms of the National Archives Act 1986, by providing all files–including policy files–pertaining to the Wildlife Act 1976–viz. primary legislation–to the National Archives Office under the ’30-year rule’; and if it transpires that his Department, in addition to its non-compliance vis-à-vis the 1986 Regulations, is also non-compliant with regard to the files on the Wildlife Act 1976; the reason for his Department’s non-compliance; the directions he will give to his Department/NPWS to achieve and sustain legal compliance in respect of both sets of files; if he will make immediate and convenient arrangements in his Department/NPWS for public scrutiny of all of the pertinent files on the 1976 Act, as is legally required of his Department/NPWS under the terms of the National Archives Act 1986; if he will provide a complete copy of the Memorandum of Understanding(MOU)–including all relevant background notes and files pertinent to the MOU–that was provided by the Department of the day to the Oireachtas Committee(s) to inform the Committee(s)’ members during the passage of the Bill; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37968/25]

503. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he is aware of the considerable expense that homeowners have to incur to be admitted to the pyrite remediation scheme; if he will provide details of any supports available for homeowners; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37120/25]

741. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will provide information on access to full-time residential care for a person (details supplied); if she will provide details of the estimated time to secure this full-time residential accommodation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37673/25]

770. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 663 of 14 May 2024, has the position of CHO DNCC changed regarding plans to develop phlebotomy, x-ray or diagnostic services in Balbriggan CHN; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37177/25]

154. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection the first-year and full-year cost of increasing community employment, Tús and rural social scheme payments by €1 per week, each year for three years. [36569/25]

155. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection the first-year and full-year cost of doubling the monthly child benefit payment for a year for all recipients of the one family payment and the working family payment. [36570/25]

156. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection the first-year and full-year cost of doubling the monthly child benefit payment for a year for all households with medical card holders. [36571/25]

157. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection the first-year and full-year cost of abolishing the means test applied to foster parents in receipt of the child benefit payment. [36572/25]

158. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection the first-year and full-year cost of increasing the State pension by €1 per week per person. [36573/25]

159. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection the first-year and full-year cost of increasing all working-age social welfare payments (recipients aged 18-65 inclusive) to bring them in line with the minimum essential standards of living. [36574/25]