William Aird

711. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the uptake of apprenticeships across the country in 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [67820/25]

712. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the commitments his Department can give to increasing investment in research, supporting early-career researchers, and ensuring Ireland remains competitive in EU and global innovation programmes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [67821/25]

90. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the plans to expand or restructure Ireland's diplomatic and trade missions abroad, particularly in emerging markets, including the budget allocated, the timeline for implementation, and expected benefits for trade and diplomatic engagement; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [66318/25]

91. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the measures in place to support Irish emigrants wishing to return to Ireland; whether an economic and social assessment of barriers to return has been completed and acted upon; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [66319/25]

155. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the contingency measures her Department has put in place to protect Irish exporters and jobs in the event of new tariffs being imposed by the United States on EU goods, including pharmaceuticals, agrifood, and technology sectors; the assessment that has been made of the potential economic impact on these sectors; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66317/25]

196. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of social homes which have been delivered in Laois since 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66320/25]

197. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to outline details of new affordable housing schemes being supported by his Department; to provide details of submissions received from Laois County Council for the development of such schemes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66321/25]

198. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of properties in each county that have been completed under the vacant and derelict homes grants; the number of properties in each county that have been supported by these grants that are now registered with the RTB, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66322/25]

199. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of applications from County Laois under the Historic Structures Fund 2026; the total value of grant-aid awarded; the supports available to ensure rural historic properties in County Laois can access the fund; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66323/25]

200. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the supports in place to help owners of historic structures in rural parts of County Laois apply for the Historic Structures Fund 2026; the number of such projects in the county that have been approved to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66324/25]

201. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether any funding under the Historic Structures Fund 2026 has been allocated to Emo Court in Laois; the criteria applied to prioritise such nationally significant historic sites; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66325/25]

202. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the total number of applications received from County Laois under the Historic Structures Fund 2026; the total grant-aid awarded; whether any barriers to access in the county have been identified; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66326/25]

203. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the steps his Department is taking to deliver the extra funding identified by local authorities, his Department and Uisce Éireann, necessary to deliver the measure A8 rural water programme; when that funding will be provided; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66327/25]

250. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason public consultation for the Irish whiskey technical file has not yet opened; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66328/25]

251. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason the Irish whiskey technical file does not currently require the use of Irish grain in the production of Irish whiskey; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66329/25]

252. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department will guarantee that the Irish whiskey technical file will be amended to ensure that only Irish grain is used in the production of Irish whiskey, in line with the stance of US and English whiskey producers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66330/25]

253. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the timeline for the payment of supports to farmers in the tillage sector; the measures that will be put in place to ensure that these payments are distributed fairly and equitably across all eligible tillage farmers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66331/25]

254. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the current average timeframe from reactor identification to payment to farmers whose cattle have tested positive for bovine TB; the steps being taken to ensure the prompt processing and payment of compensation to affected farmers to support their financial stability; whether his Department intends to introduce further measures to reduce delays and improve certainty for affected farmers, and ongoing farm operations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66332/25]

255. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to set out his Department's current assessment of national food security, including risks to the agricultural supply chain; to outline any forthcoming initiatives to strengthen resilience across farming sectors; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66333/25]

256. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to set out the measures from Budget 2026 that will support generational renewal in farming; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66334/25]

13. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the funding that has been allocated to a centre (details supplied) in Portlaoise, County Laois, over the past five years; the funding that is planned for the centre in the coming years; whether there are opportunities to access additional departmental or national funding streams to support its ongoing operation, programming, and development; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63402/25]

41. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport when his Department plans to invest in a new regional sports complex in County Laois to support community participation, competitive events, and elite athlete development; the timeframes, funding, and stakeholder engagement processes which are planned to deliver such a facility; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63401/25]

149. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Health her plans to establish a local nurse-led respite facility in Laois where children with complex medical needs, can access safe, medically appropriate overnight care, in line with the National Policy on Palliative Care for Children (2009), the National Needs Assessment (2013), and the Children’s Palliative Care: From Policy to Practice framework (2010–2015); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [63078/25]

127. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Transport to include as a priority, the Portlaoise Northern Orbital Route and the Mountmellick By-Pass in the revised National Development Plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62688/25]

165. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Transport the plans in place to expand public transport options including bus and rail services and Local Link services in rural areas such as County Laois to reduce car dependency and improve social inclusion; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62689/25]