Ciarán Ahern

483. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Social Protection the steps he will take to address the amount of food waste and single-use disposable plastic packaging under the Hot School Meals programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13319/25]

315. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Education the number primary and secondary schools in Tallaght that have expressed an interest in opening a specialist class in the 2024/2025 academic year; the number of these applications that were accepted and refused; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13105/25]

316. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Education the number of schools in Tallaght that were approached by the National Council for Special Education to open a specialist class; the percentage of those schools that declined; and if her Department can provide insight into the reasons given for these refusals. [13106/25]

437. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Health if the commitments made in the 2020 Programme for Government regarding the implementation of an informed consent model of care for hormone replacement therapy, simplifying the process for 16 and 17 year old trans people to acquire a gender recognition certificate, and ensuring that Government bodies use a trans or non-binary individual’s correct pronouns remain the policy and ambition of the current Government; if the current Government has watered down its commitments towards trans and non-binary people given the lack of attention they are paid in the 2025 Programme for Government when compared with the 2020 Programme for Government; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12966/25]

144. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the projected total capital cost of the strategic gas reserve; the estimated annual operating cost; to outline the future mechanism for recouping the costs of the facility; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10928/25]

145. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the projected annual additional cost on a domestic natural gas bill to fund the provision of a strategic gas reserve; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10929/25]

146. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he has been provided with estimates of the amount by which the standing charge for a domestic natural gas bill will increase in order to fund the provision of a strategic gas reserve; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10930/25]

147. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the total volume of natural gas used in Ireland in each year since 2016, in tabular form; to provide a breakdown of the volume used for electricity generation, household and business use; the projected volume requirement for each of the next five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10931/25]

148. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the estimated additional volume requirement of natural gas for electricity generation and data centres for each of the next ten years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10932/25]

149. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications when he will identify the location for a floating strategic gas reserve; the agency that will be responsible for securing planning permission and operating the facility; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10933/25]

150. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the conditions he intends to apply to the source of the natural gas stored in any strategic gas reserve; if it will be filled from the existing network through the interconnector or use an LNG carrier to refuel/refill the facility; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10934/25]

166. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications how many electricity and gas customers were in arrears on their energy bills based on the most recently available figures; if he will outline what reporting his Department receives on those in arrears; how the most recent figures compare to those from the same date in 2024 and 2023 respectively; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11237/25]

167. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications when he projects the first new offshore renewable wind energy to become available on the grid; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11239/25]

168. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications how much new gas-fired electricity generation will be added to the grid in 2025; how much was added in 2024 and if he will provide a breakdown by project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11240/25]

169. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications how much natural gas was used respectively by data centres and large industrial processes respectively in 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11241/25]

170. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the amount of electricity storage available on the grid; the plan to add more over the next five years; if he will confirm if pumped hydro storage is included; to outline the current location of electricity storage facilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11242/25]

220. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications to list the functions, roles and services that were carried out and delivered by civil service or State agency workers; the cost to the State of each contract since the implementation of the Building Momentum public service agreement, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12440/25]

224. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will engage with Electric Ireland on poor communication levels with businesses regarding power outage; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12744/25]

225. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will engage with Uisce Éireann on poor communication levels with businesses regarding water outages; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12745/25]

264. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Transport if he is satisfied that the price of a train ticket from Cork to Dublin is double that of a train ticket from Galway to Dublin, despite there only being a difference of around 40 km in the length of the journey; if an assessment of train fares has recently been carried out by his Department; if that assessment will be made available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10606/25]

265. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Transport for an update regarding pension increases for retired CIÉ workers under the 1951 scheme who have received no increases to their pension since 2008; if he intends to discuss the matter with the CIÉ board; if he will meet with the retired CIÉ workers representative organisation [details supplied]; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10607/25]

362. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Transport to list the functions, roles and services carried out and delivered by Civil Service or State agency workers; the cost to the State of each contract since the implementation of the Building Momentum public service agreement, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12451/25]

367. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Transport the properties owned by Córas Iompair Éireann; their current use status, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12747/25]

368. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Transport the amount paid in consultancy fees to date by his Department, Transport Infrastructure Ireland, the Sustainable Energy Authority Ireland and the National Transport Authority for the Zero Emissions Vehicles Ireland initiative; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12748/25]

369. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Transport if he is satisfied that the National Transport Authority is sufficiently staffed to deliver on the numerous transport projects that are deemed necessary for Ireland to meet its transport emissions reduction targets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12749/25]