878. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the rationale for the recent amendments to the concluding years of certain mother and baby and county home institutions under the payment scheme; the number of applicants who have been affected by these changes; the steps being taken to update the information booklet and application form to reflect the revised eligibility rules; and whe…
879. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of social workers currently working within the Tusla 'children-in-care' team in County Laois; the number of children placed with each of those social workers; the total number of social workers who have been employed in the Tusla children-in-care team in County Laois since 2021; and if she will make a statement on the matter.…
880. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of high support disability residential placements available in County Laois in 2024 and to-date in 2025, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [72545/25]
881. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of social workers employed in Tusla services in County Laois; the number of vacancies for social workers; the length of time those positions have been vacant, the number of children with no allocated social worker; the number of children in need of either foster or residential care who are not currently placed; and if she wil…
154. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Education and Youth the measures being taken to ensure that the expansion of autism spectrum disorder special classes at post-primary level keeps pace with provision at primary level, so that every child has access to a suitable school place; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [70325/25]
301. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Defence the progress since 2022 to provide the Defence Forces with a primary radar system capable of detecting and tracking rogue and non-conforming aircraft within airspace controlled by the State; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [71254/25]
302. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Defence the efforts made since 2022 to provide the Defence Forces with aircraft capable of intercepting and policing rogue or non-conforming aircraft within Irish controlled airspace; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [71255/25]
303. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Defence if her Department will provide details of the efforts made since 2022 to increase the technical and radar operator/controller manpower levels within the Irish Defence Forces; and the success which have achieved; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [71256/25]
304. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Defence if her Department will identify strategies used since 2022 to recruit persons into the Defence Forces in Ireland; the success which has been achieved; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [71257/25]
305. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Defence if her Department will identify the strategies used since 2022 to recruit persons into the Reserve Defence Forces; the success which has been achieved; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [71258/25]
306. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Defence if her Department will provide details of the efforts made since 2022 to encourage former members of the Defence Forces and, former Defence Forces technicians and other specialists to transfer to the Reserve Defence Forces or to return to uniform in the Reserve; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [71259/25]
297. Deputy William Aird asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance to review the VAT regime for cattle haulage in Ireland to ensure parity with other agricultural services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [69555/25]
298. Deputy William Aird asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance the steps being taken to improve access to affordable credit for small and medium-sized enterprises, especially in regional towns; and if he will outline how Government schemes such as the credit guarantee scheme are being utilised by businesses in Laois; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [69556/25]
299. Deputy William Aird asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance the way in which his Department is supporting investment in green infrastructure and sustainability projects through tax incentives or funding mechanisms; and the opportunities for counties such as Laois to benefit from these initiatives; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [69557/25]
300. Deputy William Aird asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance if a date has been confirmed for the informal ECOFIN meeting to be held during Ireland’s presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [69558/25]
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. [7034…
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…
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 ma…
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]