Questions

1. Deputy Máire Devine asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if his attention has been drawn to the case of an Irish citizen (details supplied) who is incarcerated in Cambodia and requires urgent medical attention; what action he and his Department will take in support of this citizen; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3689/25]

2. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs to provide a detailed breakdown of all funding allocated for the year ahead or spent in the past fiscal year by his Department on artificial intelligence systems or artificial intelligence research; what programmes or Department operations are conducted using artificial intelligence tools; and if he will make a statement on the matter.…

3. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will instruct his Department to work with an organisation (details supplied) on an order to deliver aid to Gaza in light of the dire humanitarian crisis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3728/25]

4. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the position regarding the Government's policy on the independence of Somaliland; if any research or diplomatic efforts have been carried out by his Department in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3735/25]

5. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the dates in 2024 the Irish Consul based in Austin, USA, has met with the Mayor of Dallas, Texas, in tabular form. [3764/25]

6. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the details of each time his Department, or public bodies under the aegis of his Department, enlisted the services of consultants in 2023 and 2024; the purpose, value and duration of each contract in relation to public bodies under the aegis of his Department, including where consulting contracts are classified under ‘business-as-usual outso…

7. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the position regarding the Control of Economic Activity (Occupied Territories) Bill 2018; the progress to date on any amendments or new legislation in this regard, as committed to in the Programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3807/25]

8. Deputy Séamus McGrath asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if he plans to engage with the new US Administration with a view to ensuring the continuation of the J1 USA visa programme for 2025 and beyond, given its importance to thousands of Irish students every year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3836/25]

9. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications to address the lack of phone coverage for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3873/25]

10. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications to provide a detailed breakdown of all funding allocated for the year ahead or spent in the past fiscal year by his Department on artificial intelligence systems or artificial intelligence research; what programs or Department operations, if any, are conducted using artificial intelligence tools; and if he will make a s…

11. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the amount the ESB has paid each year since 2020 on external legal fees contesting appeals made to the Office of the Commissioner for Environmental Information and Information Commissioner in relation to freedom of information and access to information on the environment regulations requests, in tabular form; and if he will m…

12. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the amount Bord na Móna has paid each year since 2020 on external legal fees contesting appeals made to the Office of the Commissioner for Environmental Information and Information Commissioner in relation to freedom of information and access to information on the environment regulations requests, in tabular form; and if he w…

13. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the details of each time his Department, or public bodies under the aegis of his Department, enlisted the services of consultants in 2023 and 2024; the purpose, value, and duration of each contract in relation to public bodies under the aegis of his Department, including where consulting contracts are classified under ‘busine…

14. Deputy Sinéad Gibney asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications what steps are being taken to reduce the risk of power outages rurally in severe storms and other weather events; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3896/25]

15. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence to provide a detailed breakdown of all funding allocated for the year ahead or spent in the past fiscal year by his Department on artificial intelligence systems or artificial intelligence research; what programmes or Department operations are conducted using artificial intelligence tools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3703/…

16. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the details of each time his Department, or public bodies under the aegis of his Department, enlisted the services of consultants in 2023 and 2024; the purpose, value, and duration of each contract in relation to public bodies under the aegis of his Department, including where consulting contracts are classified under ‘business-as-usual outsourcing…

17. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence to provide details of all meetings between Ministers and officials of his Department with the Irish Defence and Security Association from January 2020 to present, to include dates, venues, minutes and attendees; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3817/25]

18. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Transport the actions that are being taken to ensure that a private bus operator (details supplied) meets its obligations of providing a reliable service on the N6 route in north Dublin; what action or penalties will be taken if the operator continues to fail to meet its obligations on this and other routes; if he plans to review or reverse the privatisation of bus ro…

19. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Transport his plans for increasing EV charging points nationwide; if he will encourage petrol stations to install EV charging points; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3631/25]

20. Deputy Joanna Byrne asked the Minister for Transport the current average waiting times for driving test appointments in County Louth for each of the licence categories; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3648/25]

21. Deputy Joanna Byrne asked the Minister for Transport the current longest waiting times for driving test appointments in County Louth for each of the licence categories; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3649/25]

22. Deputy Joanna Byrne asked the Minister for Transport the current average waiting times in County Louth between being offered an appointment to book a driving test, getting an appointment for the test and sitting a test [3650/25]

23. Deputy Joanna Byrne asked the Minister for Transport the plans that are in place to address waiting times for driving tests in County Louth. [3651/25]

24. Deputy Joanna Byrne asked the Minister for Transport to provide an urgent update on the provision of a permanent driving test centre in Drogheda, County Louth; the communication that has taken place between his Department and the RSA over the past 12 months regarding this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3652/25]

25. Deputy James O'Connor asked the Minister for Transport if his Department will provide further funding for PSO services in Cork east to ensure bus routes can be expanded and more can be explored by the National Transport Authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3661/25]