1554. Deputy Michael Collins asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport whether consideration is being given to simplifying or streamlining the approval and drawdown process for grants of this scale in order to avoid prolonged delays in the delivery of important community amenity infrastructure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24267/26]
1555. Deputy Michael Collins asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport to confirm that once Gateway approvals are completed the grant of €3 million will be formally approved to allow the local authority to appoint a contractor and commence works; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24268/26]
1996. Deputy Michael Collins asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the total cost incurred by the State in opening, closing, reopening and now again closing an accommodation centre (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24254/26]
1997. Deputy Michael Collins asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the costs involved in closing a facility on two previous occasions, including any contractual penalties, demobilisation costs or reinstatement works required; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24255/26]
1998. Deputy Michael Collins asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the costs associated with opening and reopening a facility (details supplied) on two previous occasions and any further expenditure now arising from the decision to close the centre again in view of the significant decline in new arrivals from Ukraine seeking State accommodation since the beginning of 2026; and if he will make a s…
1999. Deputy Michael Collins asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the total cumulative cost to the Exchequer arising from decisions to close a centre (details supplied); the measures being taken to ensure greater certainty, planning and cost control in the provision of temporary accommodation centres going forward If the minister; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24257/26]
2027. Deputy Michael Collins asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if consideration will be given to repurposing an accommodation centre (details supplied), previously used for Ukrainian temporary protection accommodation, for alternative urgent housing needs, specifically for the provision of temporary accommodation for persons experiencing homelessness and for essential key workers such as hosp…
2068. Deputy Michael Collins asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration to set out in full the total financial value of the State's acquisition and use of the Citywest Hotel and Convention Centre (details supplied); the basis on which it was determined that the transaction fell below the €200 million threshold; if this assessment included all interdependent and related expenditure; to detail any legal…
889. Deputy Michael Collins asked the Minister for Health if she will intervene to ensure the HSE prioritises a conclusion to the reimbursement negotiations for skyclarys, given it is the only available treatment for Friedreich’s ataxia and the unmet clinical need recognised in the national rare disease strategy 2025–2030; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21668/26]
890. Deputy Michael Collins asked the Minister for Health her views on whether current delays in providing skyclarys are compatible with the commitment to “equitable access” outlined in the new National Rare Disease Strategy, particularly when patients across Europe already have access to this therapy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21669/26]
201. Deputy Michael Collins asked the Taoiseach when the Government will publish Ireland’s first National Security Strategy (details supplied). [14986/26]
370. Deputy Michael Collins asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance if he will assess the clear regional disparity created by the use of open-market valuations in determining eligibility for the help-to-buy scheme (details supplied). [14349/26]
371. Deputy Michael Collins asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance the rationale for using a theoretical sale price as the determining valuation for a self-build in areas such as the Mizen Peninsula (details supplied); and if alternative valuation methodologies have been considered. [14350/26]
372. Deputy Michael Collins asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance if he will consider adopting the same build-cost assessment model already used by lending institutions when evaluating self-build mortgages, in order that applicants in high-valuation areas such as Schull are assessed on actual construction costs rather than inflated market values for help-to-buy eligibility. [14351/26]
959. Deputy Michael Collins asked the Minister for Health the anticipated start date for the newly appointed neurologist (details supplied) to Bantry General Hospital. [14198/26]
1001. Deputy Michael Collins asked the Minister for Health the reason patients with cystic fibrosis and type 1 diabetes are excluded from availing of insulin pumps free of charge through the HSE’s long-term illness scheme; the plans in place to extend the long-term illness scheme to include CF patients (details supplied). [14511/26]
284. Deputy Michael Collins asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade further to her Department's St Brigid's Day 2026 social media advert, if she will provide a detailed explanation of the commissioning, approval, and oversight process that led to its publication; the identity of the person, team, or external company that proposed the concept; the officials who approved the creative direction; the senior offi…
285. Deputy Michael Collins asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade further to her Department's St Brigid's Day 2026, in light of significant public concern regarding the advert's perceived ideological framing and the use of St Brigid's image in a manner many citizens view as disrespectful to Ireland's Christian heritage; if her Department intends to withdraw the advert and issue a public apology; and if not…
687. Deputy Michael Collins asked the Minister for Education and Youth with regard to the recent allocations of special classes for County Cork, the reason no new special classes have been allocated to the entire area of west Cork (details supplied); and if she can confirm that west Cork schools will be included in the allocation of the new special classes. [12613/26]
1194. Deputy Michael Collins asked the Minister for Health if she is aware of cases in which former employees of an organisation (details supplied) have been denied the pension contributions arising from the 2024 pay parity agreement due to delays by the HSE in providing the associated funding; if she will clarify the reason employees who reached the normal retirement age of 65 in 2024 were not provided for under thi…
397. Deputy Michael Collins asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance if he is aware that many pensioners who recently received their 2026 tax-free certificates have noted that the Revenue Commissioners have calculated their State pension payments on the basis of 54-weeks’ income (53-weeks plus a bonus week in December 2026), despite the 2026 calendar year containing only 52 weekly payment dates, or 53 including th…
398. Deputy Michael Collins asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance if he will examine the situation that occurred in 2025, when the Revenue Commissioners applied a 54-week basis, resulting in amended tax certificates being issued in October 2025 at additional administrative cost to the Exchequer and leaving pensioners overcharged on tax throughout the year; if he will ensure that, where taxpayers were overcharge…
541. Deputy Michael Collins asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will review the decision to provide only an additional ten minutes per exam, rather than per hour, for Junior Certificate and Leaving Certificate students with dyslexia (details supplied); the rationale for this limited allocation of additional time given that higher education institutions in Ireland typically provide ten minutes per hour, …
802. Deputy Michael Collins asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration his views on the appointment, procurement basis and ongoing payments in respect of services provided by a company at a location (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7881/26]
803. Deputy Michael Collins asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration his views on the decision taken in or around September 2022 to appoint a company to provide panelling, accommodation infrastructure or accommodation-related services at a site (details supplied); the criteria applied and the basis on which the company was deemed suitable, having regard to its registered business activities; and if …