Questions

408. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Transport in light of the 190 road fatalities in 2025, and the continued surge in deaths recorded in early 2026, if he will provide a definitive update on his Department's assessment of establishing a statutory road safety commissioner; if this officeholder would be granted the specific legal authority and budget required to unify the currently diffused responsibilities…

409. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Transport if he is aware of difficulties faced by morning commuters using Bus Éireann Route 419 (Galway-Clifden), particularly those boarding in Moycullen (details supplied); whether consideration has been given by the National Transport Authority, as part of its review of the PSO service, to aligning the first weekday departure serving Moycullen with the Saturdays, Su…

410. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Transport if he will provide an update on Louth County Council's application for €3.6 million in emergency storm damage funding submitted in February 2026, in light of the fact that the council has already carried out substantial resurfacing and repair works without any additional allocation to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28568/26]

411. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Transport further to Parliamentary Question No. 181 of 26 March 2026, when the RSA is due to report in respect of the assessment process for a licence exchange agreement; and if that report will be laid before the House. [28597/26]

412. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Transport the rationale for requiring repeated medical certification under the NDLS driver licencing process for individuals with clearly documented permanent physical disabilities (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28599/26]

413. Deputy Joanna Byrne asked the Minister for Transport to provide an update on the progress being made on the new vehicle adaptation scheme; the stakeholder consultation that has taken place to date regarding the scheme; the eligibility criteria that will apply to the scheme; and when the scheme will be open to drivers and passengers with a disability who are in urgent need of support. [28605/26]

414. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Transport the number of vehicles supported under the electric small public service vehicle grant scheme in each of the years 2024, 2025 and 2026, respectively; the total funding allocated and drawn down in each year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28616/26]

415. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Transport whether additional rounds of the electric small public service vehicle grant scheme are planned for 2026 or 2027; the timeline for same; the anticipated funding for future rounds; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28617/26]

416. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Transport the mechanisms currently in place to ensure that sections of the national road network identified as dangerous through collision data or reports from members of the public are subject to formal safety review and redesign (details supplied); the obligations that exist on local authorities to act on such reports; and if he will make a statement on the matter. […

417. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Transport following the recent announcement by Bus Éireann of its cancellation of its Waterford–Dublin/Dublin Airport (Route 4), if he will put in place a public service obligation to ensure the continuance of the route, given it links Ireland’s capital city and main international airport with the only city in the south-east region; and if he will make a statement on th…

418. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Transport the mechanism that exists to ensure dangerous roads are reviewed and redesigned after crashes or public reports of danger; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28712/26]

419. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Transport the progress made on each of the individual Programme for Government commitments assigned to his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28667/26]

420. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Transport for an update on the status of the proposed bus route 515 under the Connecting Ireland Programme, including the expected timeline for its introduction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28677/26]

421. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Transport for an update on the status of the proposed bus route 256 under the Connecting Ireland Programme, including the expected timeline for its introduction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28678/26]

422. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Transport whether the relevant action application by DAA PLC under section 34C of the Planning and Development Act 2000 (ABP ref. ABP-314485-22), if granted, would establish a new environmental baseline for departure routes from Dublin Airport's north runway; whether the relevant action process under section 34C has any legal effect on the departure routes assessed …

423. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Transport to confirm that additional funding would be provided for a pedestrian scheme (details supplied) to ensure the delivery of essential footpaths infrastructure at the earliest possible date, given the lack of footpaths in the area, and that there has been hundreds of additional houses constructed in what has been a rapidly developing village; to provide an update o…

424. Deputy Aisling Dempsey asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance if his Department has plans to amend the excise rebate scheme to make it easier to navigate and more cost effective for small bus operators; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27896/26]

425. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance further to Parliamentary Question No. 92 of 5 November 2025, if he will ensure that employment is protected and the branch network retained in the event of the sale of an organisation (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27886/26]

426. Deputy Aisling Dempsey asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance the reason bus drivers are not permitted to register for VAT; and if there any plans to change this. [27897/26]

427. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance the number of visits to Donegal and the IDA over the past year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27926/26]

428. Deputy Ann Graves asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance if he will consider a review of VAT treatment of diagnostic medical devices, aligning them with the exemption already granted to defibrillators; to clarify and expand eligibility for VAT and duty relief for community-led, non-commercial health trials; if he will enable temporary admission or equivalent relief for short-term diagnostic equipment import…

429. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance if consideration has been given to extending VRT relief to second-hand EVs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28202/26]

430. Deputy John Connolly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance whether a single person who is in receipt of a State pension (contributory) or State pension (non-contributory) and half rate carer's allowance only, are required to make an income tax return and pay any tax due by way of lump sum or whether in such cases it can be deducted at source; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28241/26]

431. Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance the position regarding any product or service purchased from the United Arab Emirates by his Department in 2025, by description and amount paid; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28262/26]

432. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance the total Exchequer cost of fuel-related subsidies introduced in 2025 and 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28332/26]