Questions

3437. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht if he met with protesters who marched in Dublin over the issue of housing in the Gaeltacht; and his solutions to provide affordable housing to young Irish speakers in Irish speaking areas. [40796/25]

3438. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht the total spend by his Department on external legal services in each of the past three years; the main areas of legal activity for which external advice was sought; if she will provide a breakdown by case or category; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40841/25]

3439. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh den Aire Forbartha Tuaithe agus Pobail, agus Gaeltachta cén uair a fhoilseoidh sé na caighdeáin teanga nua ionas gur féidir le obair leanacht ar aghaidh chun an sprioc 20% d'earcaigh inniúil sa Ghaeilge a bhaint amach. [40862/25]

3440. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht the amount spent on legal fees associated with litigation, advice and settlements in each of the past three years by his Department and agencies under its aegis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40886/25]

3441. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht to provide the total number of grant payments issued by the Department in each of the past five years, along with the total value of those grant payments for each year, in tabular form; and to confirm whether these figures include all schemes and discretionary grant programmes administered directly by the Department or …

3442. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh den Aire Forbartha Tuaithe agus Pobail, agus Gaeltachta cé mhéad airgid de bhuiséad na Roinne Gaeltachta a caitheadh ar Rannóg na nOileán nuair a bhí na hoileáin faoi chúram na Roinne sna blianta seo a leanas: 2010; 2011; 2012; 2013; 2014; 2015; 2016; 2017; 2018; 2019. [41235/25]

3443. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht whether his Department intends to carry out a feasibility study or impact assessment on a voluntary code for bilingual labelling and packaging, as committed to in the 20-Year Strategy for the Irish Language 2010–2030; if a lead official has been appointed to oversee this work; and whether the Minister will now i…

3444. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht the number of whole-time equivalent staff in his Department, and at what grade, which have been dedicated to overseeing the roll out of bilingual labelling and packaging, as committed to in the 20-Year Strategy for the Irish Language 2010–2030. [41281/25]

3445. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht the date on which his Department received a request from Louth County Council to approve the appointment of a contractor to carry out works to Ardee Castle, County Louth, provided for under grant funding allocated to the Council under the RRDF stream; when the approval will be provided to the council to appoint the contract…

3446. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht to strongly support an RRDF category 2 application in County Kerry (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41434/25]

3447. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht if all external legal fees incurred by his Department, and by any bodies under its aegis, are charged at negotiated discounted rates; how fees are monitored for compliance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41510/25]

3448. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht if his Department conducts regular benchmarking, or market testing, to ensure that the rates paid for legal services, solicitors and barristers, represent value for money for the taxpayer; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41528/25]

3449. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht to detail the procurement processes used when engaging external legal firms and barristers, including whether panels are used; how often these are refreshed; the criteria used for selection and performance review; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41546/25]

3450. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht if his Department has conducted any audits or reviews in the past five years on legal fee spend; if so, to publish the findings or summaries of those reviews; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41564/25]

3451. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht the internal oversight that exists within his Department to monitor the scope, duration, and cost escalation of legal services once engaged; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41582/25]

3452. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht if his Department makes use of capped fee arrangements, fixed-fee briefs, success-based fee models or other such arrangements in its legal engagements; if not, the reason such options are not considered; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41600/25]

3453. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht whether any legal engagements have exceeded their initial estimated or approved cost in the past three years; if so, the number of such cases and total overrun; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41618/25]

3454. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht if he will support the ringfencing of funding for rural development within the overall EU budget; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41678/25]

3455. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht the criteria used for selecting successful applicants to receive funding from the community recognition fund; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42054/25]

3456. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht the details of the projects that were awarded funding in 2024 and to date in 2025 in Wicklow from the community development fund; to provide a breakdown of these projects, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42055/25]

3457. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht if a group (details supplied) has received funding from the community development fund this year; when the funding was awarded and if not when this will be awarded; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42056/25]

3458. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht the reason a group (details supplied) was not successful in their application for funding from the community development fund despite being told orally that their application was successful; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42057/25]

3459. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht if he uses personal emails for his Government business; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42154/25]

3460. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht the details of the messaging providers downloaded on his Ministerial phone; the details of any provider downloaded; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42169/25]

3461. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht to examine the case for approval of an application (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42311/25]