William Aird

728. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Social Protection the current waiting time for a decision on a social welfare payment appeal; the measures being made by his Department to streamline and improve the appeal process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15171/26]

729. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Social Protection for an update on a case (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15172/26]

730. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Social Protection the supports available to returning emigrants who do not meet the criteria for habitual residence condition; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15173/26]

828. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will engage with Coillte to ensure that its existing forest road network is used optimally by all forest owners, with a view to avoiding duplication, reducing resource wastage, and supporting best-practice forest management and timber mobilisation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14814/26]

308. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the targeted measures being prioritised to reduce energy hardship among low-income and vulnerable households; the timeframe for scaling these measures nationwide;; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12042/26]

309. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the way in which the Government is supporting community-led and farmer-owned renewable energy projects in rural Ireland, including access to grid, planning certainty, and fair compensation, and to address concerns regarding large-scale developments in rural communities;; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12045/26]

956. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of persons granted Irish citizenship by association under Section 16(1)(a) of the Citizenship Act 1956, for each year for the past ten years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12928/26]

1011. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the measures being taken to address extensive childcare waiting lists, particularly for children under three; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12036/26]

1012. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the specific measures the Government is taking to reduce child poverty in rural areas, such as County Laois, where deprivation may be underreported; the way in which Tusla and the Ombudsman monitor whether interventions are achieving long-term reductions in child poverty rather than providing only short-term relief; the guarantees that can be given that children in smaller counties receive equitable support compared to urban centres; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12037/26]

1013. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the way in which her Department is working with Tusla, the HSE, Cuan, and other relevant agencies to support coordinated access to community-based counselling and psychotherapy services for children, young people, and families, including those in rural or disadvantaged areas; whether engagement with an organisation (details supplied) forms part of this work; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12038/26]

1014. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the expected impact of the recently announced €1 million in funding for nine digital and assistive technology projects under the HSE CREATE III initiative; the way in which these projects will enhance participation and supports for people with sensory, cognitive, physical and intellectual disabilities; and the Minister’s plans to further strengthen the national assistive technology ecosystem; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12039/26]

1015. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department has examined the role of remote working in supporting parents with childcare responsibilities; whether this will inform future childcare policy or workforce participation strategies; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12040/26]

18. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation if his Department plans to implement a national river management strategy to mitigate the impact of future severe weather events given recent flooding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10275/26]

100. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation the specific projects under the National Development Plan that are currently behind schedule or over budget; the corrective actions being taken to ensure their timely delivery; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10647/26]

101. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation if approval has been given for the expenditure of funds for the Mountmellick flood relief scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10648/26]

102. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation if approval has been given for the expenditure of funds for the new Garda station at Portlaoise, County Laois; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10649/26]

420. Deputy William Aird asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance the outcome of his recent visit to California in respect of Ireland’s economic and financial relationship with the State; the discussions held on investment, job creation and engagement with multinational employers; whether any commitments or opportunities for further inward investment or expansion in Ireland arose; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10106/26]

421. Deputy William Aird asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance how fiscal policy will move beyond once-off supports to permanently reduce cost-of-living pressures for low and middle-income households; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10107/26]

422. Deputy William Aird asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance if he will consider increasing the threshold for help-to-buy applicants from €500,000 in Budget 2026 in view of the increase in housing and construction costs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10108/26]

423. Deputy William Aird asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance if he will consider broadening the scope of professions included in the guidelines for flat-rate expenses for self-supplied uniforms; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10109/26]

658. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Education and Youth when she expects to be in a position to outline plans for the inclusion of additional schools in the DEIS+ programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10425/26]

659. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Education and Youth the measures in place to protect and support small schools in rural areas; the way In which demographic change and enrolment thresholds are taken into account in education policy and school planning; the steps being taken to ensure the long-term sustainability of rural schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10428/26]

660. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Education and Youth the specific measures being taken to protect small schools in rural areas from closure or forced amalgamation; the way in which adjustments to enrolment thresholds and staffing schedules can be made to ensure the long-term sustainability of rural schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10429/26]

661. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will extend the newly announced wellbeing grant scheme to primary schools in County Laois; the criteria for inclusion in Strand Two of the Counselling and Mental Health Pilots in Primary Schools; if she will make provision for the establishment of education wellbeing teams to support school clusters in Laois in line with those currently operating in Cork, Carlow, and Dublin; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10430/26]

734. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Social Protection how effectively the Hot School Meals Programme reaches children in rural areas, such as County Laois, including those attending small schools; the gaps in coverage; the way in which food waste is minimised while ensuring nutritional quality; the way in which delivery is monitored; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10426/26]