555. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the steps being taken to ensure that capital investment in sports facilities is reaching grassroots and community clubs in a timely manner; the measurable targets in place to address reported funding shortfalls and facility backlogs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16887/26]
556. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the way his Department balances funding allocations between elite sport and grassroots participation programmes; and the proportion of overall sports funding allocated to each in the most recent financial year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16888/26]
557. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the oversight and compliance mechanisms that are in place to ensure that sporting bodies in receipt of public funding adhere to governance, transparency and safeguarding standards; and if he will provide details of any sanctions applied in cases of non-compliance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16889/26]
558. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the specific measures being taken to ensure that funding for arts and cultural organisations, particularly in rural and regional areas, is distributed equitably; and if he will provide details of any delays or funding shortfalls reported in the current financial year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16890/26]
559. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the oversight mechanisms that exist to ensure that public funding for major cultural and heritage projects is spent efficiently and transparently; and if he will provide details of any projects where governance or accountability issues have been identified; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16891/26]
33. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Transport if he plans to carry out a review of the current Certificate of Professional Competence for HGV drivers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15256/26]
34. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Transport the current waiting time for driving tests in County Laois, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15257/26]
35. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Transport the measures being taken to reduce current waiting times for those waiting for driving tests; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15258/26]
36. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Transport the current waiting time for tests in NCT test centres nationwide, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15259/26]
37. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Transport the way in which his Department is preparing transport networks to maintain safety and reliability during extreme weather events, such as flooding or storms; the early-warning systems which are in place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15260/26]
38. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Transport the recent measures introduced to reduce road fatalities and serious injuries; the way in which their effectiveness is being monitored; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15261/26]
246. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the current waiting times for BER assessments associated with SEAI grants for County Laois; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14818/26]
247. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment to confirm that there are sufficient staff in place to process applications for the new and expanded retrofitting measures; the expected timeframe from application to completion of a project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14819/26]
681. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will consider implementing a localised weather warning system, given the recent severe weather events; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14816/26]
727. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of social welfare payment appeals being processed by his Department for the years 2024, 2025 and to date in 2026, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15170/26]
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…
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) f…