William Aird

334. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation if additional funding will be made available for urgent infrastructure projects in County Laois that have been overlooked; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [69554/25]

349. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation the way in which his Department is advancing digitalisation of public services; the specific supports being provided to ensure rural communities in Laois have equitable access to online government services, given ongoing broadband challenges; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [70342/25]

350. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation the way in which his Department is ensuring value-for-money in capital and current expenditure across all Departments, given inflationary pressures and rising construction costs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [70343/25]

351. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation the steps his Department is taking to address escalating capital project costs under the National Development Plan, particularly in education and transport infrastructure; the way in which cost-control and procurement reforms are being implemented to ensure value-for-money for the taxpayer; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [70344/25]

352. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation to provide an update on the implementation of the Digital Ireland Framework; the timelines for the expansion of digital ID, online public services, and cyber-security readiness across Government departments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [70345/25]

454. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Education and Youth if her Department will publish a single, transparent national dataset (details supplied) on teacher recruitment and retention; and the way in which her Department will respond concretely to evidence from organisations that current measures are failing to reduce vacancies or reliance on unqualified personnel; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [70328/25]

455. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Education and Youth the specific, costed measure on pay progression, contract security, workload, housing and location supports; if her Department will introduce in the course of this Government to make teaching a viable long-term career and especially in high-cost areas; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [70329/25]

456. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Education and Youth the way in which her Department will provide targeted recruitment and retention incentives and mechanisms to ensure that no school is forced to drop subjects or redeploy special education staff in ways that undermine equity of access for students; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [70330/25]

457. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Education and Youth the date that she and her Departmental officials will visit a school site (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [70331/25]

458. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of pupils enrolled in junior infants in primary schools in County Laois for the school years 2021-2022 to 2025-2026 inclusive, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [70332/25]

459. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Education and Youth her plans to give public sector status to all secretaries and caretakers working in schools, to be given access to the same rights, the same certainty of a pension on retirement and salaries as the teachers and SNAs that they work alongside; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [70334/25]

460. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Education and Youth the status of the implementation of the ‘Opportunities for Youth: National Strategy for Youth Work and Related Services 2024-2028’; which of the 18 priority actions have been commenced; the budgetary allocation; the way in which youth services are being increased in underserved/rural areas; the way in which young people are being engaged in shaping delivery; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [70335/25]

461. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Education and Youth the way in which her Department is tracking progress on the more than 100 actions in Education Plan 2025, particularly those involving the Education Therapy Service and strengthening school transport; the benchmarks which are being used; whether there have been delays; the way in which her Department plans to ensure that resource constraints do not hinder delivery; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [70336/25]

462. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Education and Youth the measures her Department is taking to address the current shortage of qualified teachers, particularly in DEIS, special education, and Gaeltacht schools; the incentives or supports which are under consideration to improve teacher retention; when her Department expects to see a reduction in unfilled teaching positions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [70337/25]

464. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Education and Youth the reforms being introduced to address staffing shortages and recruitment bottlenecks in frontline public services for education; the way in which these reforms will improve service delivery in counties such as Laois; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [70965/25]

824. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Health the reforms being introduced to address staffing shortages and recruitment bottlenecks in frontline public services for health; the way in which these reforms will improve service delivery in counties such as Laois; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [70341/25]

1086. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the measures being taken to expand apprenticeship and further education opportunities in Laois, particularly through Laois–Offaly Education and Training Board; if she will ensure young people have pathways into skilled employment locally; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [70333/25]

263. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment if his Department will prioritise work permit applications for the diary sector given the time sensitive nature of the sector's labour needs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [68562/25]

441. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the steps he is taking to reduce the processing time for Join Family Visa applications, which are currently reported to take in excess of 12 months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [68151/25]

442. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the steps he is taking to implement the Private Security Authority Strategic Plan 2026-2028, including ensuring sufficient resources, expanding licensing, enforcing compliance against unlicensed providers, and raising public awareness; and if his Department will commit to publishing regular updates so the public can track progress; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [68154/25]

443. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration whether the Private Security Authority has sufficient staffing, financial, and technological resources to meet the objectives of its Private Security Authority Strategic Plan 2026-2028; if additional resources will be allocated; and the way in which his Department plans to support the PSA in modernising and streamlining regulatory functions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [68155/25]

444. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the specific strategies being developed to raise public awareness of the risks posed by unlicensed private security providers; how the Private Security Authority will measure the effectiveness of its communications strategy; the enforcement actions planned to ensure compliance with licensing requirements over the next three years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [68156/25]

445. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the way in which the Private Security Authority plans to engage with private security industry stakeholders to strengthen professional standards; the mechanisms that will be in place to ensure industry cooperation in compliance initiatives; the way in which this collaboration will contribute to improved public safety outcomes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [68157/25]

446. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration whether the Department or the PSA will publish periodic reports on the implementation of the Strategic Plan; the key performance indicators will be used to assess success; and how members of the public will be kept informed of progress in licensing, compliance, and regulatory improvements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [68158/25]

710. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the supports to be provided to graduate medicine students who receive no SUSI grant, no Government support, and no access to student loans; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [67819/25]