Shay Brennan

293. Deputy Shay Brennan asked the Minister for Health the commitments in the National Rare Disease Strategy 2025-2030 and the 2026 IPHA Framework Agreement (which aims for a 180-day decision timeline) which are being applied to a specific case, to prevent further delays in addressing the ‘unmet need’ with FA. [17454/26]

310. Deputy Shay Brennan asked the Minister for Health the reason for the recent change in the long-established practice whereby newly qualified paramedics in the National Ambulance Service were offered permanent contracts upon completion of their training; the rationale for requiring the current cohort of graduating paramedics to instead apply for permanent positions through an internal recruitment competition; the details and timeline of this competition; the number of permanent positions that will be made available; the steps being taken to address the stress, uncertainty, and employment insecurity caused to affected staff by this sudden and unannounced change in practice; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17706/26]

72. Deputy Shay Brennan asked the Minister for Social Protection for an update on the MyFutureFund; the number who have been enrolled to date in Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14951/26]

75. Deputy Shay Brennan asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of carers in Dublin who will benefit from the changes to the means test criteria announced in Budget 2026; his plans for further changes in Budget 2027; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14952/26]

171. Deputy Shay Brennan asked the Minister for Social Protection if stamps from taxable employment earned under employment by Posts and Telegraph, then Eir, that class D stamp can be looked at in retirement, to qualify for optical and dental treatments. [15381/26]

689. Deputy Shay Brennan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the steps he is taking to ensure that the forthcoming National Planning Statement on Short-Term Letting provides a workable and proportionate framework for small coastal towns where tourism is a key part of the local economy; whether a multi-year derogation will be made available for homeowners who commit to applying for planning permission for short-term letting but cannot secure such permission before the 20 May 2026 registration deadline imposed by Fáilte Ireland; if guidance will be issued to local authorities to enable them to make planning decisions that reflect the accommodation needs of towns; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15001/26]

18. Deputy Shay Brennan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment if he considers that the AI advisory council should have a dedicated role for, or membership of, civil society organisations, such as disabled people’s organisations, human rights advocates and people representing marginalised groups and communities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12901/26]

71. Deputy Shay Brennan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment if he will ensure the national AI office has a dedicated role for, or a board with members from, disabled people’s organisations and disability organisations, to ensure that the benefits and risks posed by AI for people with disabilities are at the forefront of any policy decisions, particularly the development of AI ethical regulations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12902/26]

579. Deputy Shay Brennan asked the Minister for Health the steps her Department is taking to address the gaps in the assisted human reproduction legislative framework that continue to affect LGBTQ+ families, including the lack of recognition for international surrogacy arrangements, the exclusion of some same-sex female couples from parental recognition pathways, the limited routes available to gay men seeking to become parents’, the absence of definitions that reflect the lived realities of transgender parents; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13543/26]

397. Deputy Shay Brennan asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the expected timeline for the payment of agreed pension increases to the retired pensioners of Eir and An Post. [11420/26]

105. Deputy Shay Brennan asked the Taoiseach for a report on his attendance at the European Council on 18-19 December. [74074/25]

134. Deputy Shay Brennan asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his attendance at the World Economic Forum in Davos. [6113/26]

203. Deputy Shay Brennan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance for an update on the new strategy for the credit union sector; if it will support a centralised treasury function for the sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9728/26]

224. Deputy Shay Brennan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance for an update on his preparations for Ireland’s EU Presidency; the way in which he plans to oversee budgetary discussions on the next Multiannual Financial Framework post-2027 in a manner that will safeguard Ireland’s fiscal interests; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9727/26]

388. Deputy Shay Brennan asked the Minister for Transport to expedite the payment of the CIÉ pensions increases without further delay given the pension agreement was reached on 15 August 2025 and in view of the fact pensioners have fallen into poverty caused by the delay of signing the Statutory Instrument. [10389/26]

434. Deputy Shay Brennan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance whether his Department has considered the interaction between U.S. federal estate tax and Irish capital acquisitions tax where Irish residents hold U.S. situs assets. [10348/26]

435. Deputy Shay Brennan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance whether his Department is satisfied that current unilateral relief under Section 107 of the Capital Acquisitions Tax Consolidation Act 2003 adequately protects the Irish tax base, given that U.S. estate tax rates commonly exceed Irish CAT rates, thereby frequently reducing the Irish CAT yield on such assets to nil. [10349/26]

436. Deputy Shay Brennan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance whether his Department has examined the feasibility and fiscal impact of introducing a narrowly targeted CGT-neutral restructuring mechanism to allow Irish residents to transfer direct U.S. situs securities into Irish or EU regulated funds without triggering immediate capital gains tax, subject to anti-abuse safeguards. [10350/26]

68. Deputy Shay Brennan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade her response to the suppression of peaceful protestors in Iran; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8625/26]

125. Deputy Shay Brennan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the action she is taking with regard to the crisis in Venezuela; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8624/26]

175. Deputy Shay Brennan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance if a review can be conducted of the primary medical certificate criteria to include children with severe intellectual/behavioural or safety-related mobility issues. [8778/26]

177. Deputy Shay Brennan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance the current processes in relation to emergency taxation; and if he will address related issues raised in correspondence (details supplied). [8830/26]

370. Deputy Shay Brennan asked the Minister for Transport if he can support the expansion of the disabled parking permit scheme to include “flight risk” diagnoses where specialised equipment is required. [9232/26]

713. Deputy Shay Brennan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if an assessment of the number of staff currently employed in local authorities which will be adversely affected has taken place before implementing the new engineering qualification criteria for engineers progressing their careers in the local authority; if his Department identified the number of serving local authority engineers which will lose eligibility for promotion; if his Department has considered the workforce retention and attrition risks arising from blocking progression for experienced staff; and if they assessed the operational and service delivery consequences for local authorities nationwide (details supplied) [8657/26]

273. Deputy Shay Brennan asked the Minister for Transport to provide a breakdown of motor tax revenue for the most recent year for which figures are available, by local authority area based on the registered address of the vehicle owner; and to clarify that for the purposes of this breakdown, motor tax payments should be attributed to the local authority in which the vehicle owner ordinarily resides, irrespective of whether the payment was made online or in a different local authority area. [6498/26]