Ciarán Ahern

293. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she can provide the rationale for the current system where a certain Teastas Eorpach na Gaeilge (TEG) level is an entry requirement for State-funded teacher training colleges, but not privately run colleges; if she will consider implementing a standardised TEG level requirement for all teacher training colleges; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [68099/25]

294. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she can provide the rationale for the current system where a certain Teastas Eorpach na Gaeilge (TEG) level is an entry requirement for State-funded teacher training colleges, but not privately run colleges; if she will consider implementing a standardised TEG level requirement for all teacher training colleges; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [68100/25]

369. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Social Protection the approximate cost of extending child benefit for a period of six months and one year respectively, in the event of the death of a qualifying child based on available data from 2024, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [67583/25]

467. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to provide an update on a complaint regarding the breach of core funding rules by a service provider (details supplied); the length of time this complaint took to be concluded at Stage 1 and Stage 2; the length of time the complaint has been at Stage 3; the timeline for the full resolution of the complaint; the precise steps that will be taken to ensure that parents are refunded the monies they are owed in the event that the complaint is upheld; to specifically confirm the steps that will be taken to ensure that parents are refunded in the event that the service provider refuses to repay them itself and does not do so within the prescribed timeframe; the resources currently allocated to resolving this complaint including the number of staff members considering it and the hours spent reviewing it; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [67277/25]

489. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to examine the case of a child (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [67557/25]

506. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the expected publication date for the annual mother and baby institutions payment scheme report; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [68019/25]

26. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade for an update on Ireland’s contribution to international climate finance post-2025; if Ireland’s commitment to achieving €225 million in contributions annually will be met; if post-2025 targets will be updated to more accurately reflect Ireland’s fair-share contribution of around €1.5 billion by 2030; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60500/25]

166. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment for an update on the Marine Protected Areas Bill; when the Bill will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [65898/25]

338. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she is aware that a school (details supplied) has been forced to drop science as a mandatory subject for first year students due to a shortage of teachers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [65138/25]

223. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Transport the steps he is taking to ensure the enforcement of regulations banning the use of e-scooters by children under the age of 16 on public roads; the means by which he intends on preventing the sale of e-scooters to adults for use by children under 16; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [64721/25]

106. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Transport when he expects the proposed transport security taskforce to be established; to commit to the inclusion of trade unions representing transport workers on the taskforce; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [64172/25]

278. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Transport if he is aware of recurring issues such as cancellations, delays, break-downs and ‘ghost buses’ on the S8 route operated by a provider (details supplied); if the operator is complying with their service level obligations in respect of this route; if he will instruct the NTA to conduct a review of the operator’s performance on this route given these issues have been persistent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63185/25]

279. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Transport his engagements with the NTA concerning the awarding of a new contract to a public transport service operator (details supplied) for service provision in the outer Dublin metropolitan area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63186/25]

280. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Transport to provide a copy of the contract awarded to a public transport service operator (details supplied). [63187/25]

307. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Transport the amount of funding he plans to allocate to new and enhanced services under the BusConnects, Connecting Ireland and Towns Services programmes in 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63686/25]

310. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Transport the reason his Department has decided to ignore the provisions of the Road Traffic Act 2024 in relation to a default 30 km/h speed limit in built-up areas; the reason his Department is instructing local authorities to implement 30 km/h speed limits by means of designating roads as special speed limit zones instead of introducing a national default 30 km/h speed limit in built-up areas as provided for in the legislation; the reason his Department has delayed the implementation of a default 30 km/h speed limit in the 85 currently defined built-up areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63721/25]

311. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Transport the estimated percentage reduction in fatalities and serious injuries on the roads by changing default speed limits in built-up areas from 50km/h to 30km/h, based on available data; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63722/25]

370. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Finance if he is satisfied that Ireland’s aviation sector enjoys multiple tax exemptions despite rising carbon emissions; if he is aware that research suggests that the introduction of an air travel levy modelled on the UK’s air passenger duty could generate €6.3 billion in revenue over five years; if he will consider introducing such a levy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63731/25]

460. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Education and Youth for an update on the application by a school (details supplied) to open a second autism class; if she will ensure that this application is promptly approved so that the class can open in the next school year without delay; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [63169/25]

492. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she is aware of difficulties parents in Dublin south-west are having in securing places for their children in local secondary schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [63598/25]

493. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Education and Youth to examine a case for a person (details supplied) regarding a school place; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [63599/25]

519. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport if he would consider expanding access to the basic income for the arts scheme to include luthiers and instrument makers in recognition of their vital role in the arts sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62935/25]

701. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Social Protection to consider extending children’s allowance payments to a full year following the death of a child; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62860/25]

735. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the reason an addiction support service (details supplied) has been refused funding under the Community Safety Fund despite having previously been awarded two years of funding to support families experiencing Drive Related Intimidation (DRI); if he will direct his Department to reconsider this refusal given that without this funding there is no alternative way for the service to support these families, deliver DRI training for frontline staff or participate in the Drug Related Intimidation and Violence Engagement Programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62760/25]

956. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Health the reason for the decision not to set aside any dedicated resources under the drugs budget for the Drugs Related Intimidation and Violence Engagement project; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [62762/25]