Parliamentary questions

868. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance to outline the guidance, codes, circulars or directions that govern the payment of legal costs by his Department, and bodies under its aegis, in employment-related disputes, including any requirements under the Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies or Departmental sanction arrangements; and if he will make a stateme…

869. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance whether the funding of employee legal costs in litigation against the employing body could give rise to governance, accountability, or value for money concerns; whether his Department has issued any guidance in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2092/26]

870. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance whether his Department has reviewed, or intends to review, the practice of Departments, and bodies under their aegis, funding legal costs in employment disputes involving those same bodies; and if so, the outcome or timeline for such a review; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2110/26]

871. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance whether arrangements to fund legal costs in employment disputes involving his Department, or bodies under its aegis, require the prior approval of his Department or the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2128/26]

872. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance whether Revenue has identified particular towns, road corridors or entry points in the Border region where illicit roll-your-own tobacco activity is concentrated; the additional actions being directed toward these areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2184/26]

873. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance the number of illicit tobacco manufacturing facilities, including any roll-your-own production sites, that have been detected or dismantled in the Border region over the past five years; the quantities of product seized in each case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2187/26]

874. Deputy David Maxwell asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance the resources currently allocated to Revenue for the enforcement of controls on illicit roll-your-own tobacco, including staffing levels, specialist units and detection technology; if any additional measures are planned to strengthen enforcement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2188/26]

875. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance the total number of individual custom inspections conducted on incoming air and sea passengers at each individual port and airport in the State, in each of the years 2019 to 2025 inclusive, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2189/26]

876. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance the way in which Revenue will track the implementation of the new regulation on the seizure of tobacco from passengers found to be carrying in excess of duty-free limits; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2190/26]

877. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance to provide data for 2025 on the number of cigarette and tobacco seizures carried out by the Revenue Commissioners; the location of each seizure; the volume and value of each seizure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2191/26]

878. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance the number of fines issued by the courts for offences related to tobacco smuggling and its illicit sale in each of the years 2023 to 2025, the number of fines that were paid and remain unpaid for each year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2192/26]

879. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance the breakdown of the number of enforcement and trade facilitation staff at Dublin Airport in each of the years 2019-2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2193/26]

880. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance if his Department is using artificial intelligence tools for any graphic design or similar work in place of artists, designers or videographers; and if so, to outline which projects or units of the Department are affected. [2246/26]

881. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance whether any agencies or other bodies under his remit are using artificial intelligence tools for any graphic design or similar work in place of artists, designers or videographers; and if so, to outline which projects or units of the organisation are affected. [2264/26]

882. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance the actions being taken by his Department to ensure that banks and financial institutions continue to provide accessible, non-digital banking services for older people, particularly those living in rural areas; whether consideration is being given to requiring banks to offer alternative payment authorisation options for customers…

883. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance if he will obtain the position of the Revenue Commissioners on a policy matter (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2303/26]

884. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance if the Revenue Commissioners, working on a multi-agency basis with An Garda Síochána and others, have identified any links between illicit roll-your-own tobacco activity and organised crime networks; the extent of such involvement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2305/26]

885. Deputy Joanna Byrne asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance if Revenue has identified any increase in the sale of illicit roll-your-own tobacco via online platforms or social media; the enforcement tools available to address this activity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2366/26]

886. Deputy John Clendennen asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance to provide a list of the top ten capital or programme projects delivered by his Department or its agencies over the past three years which were completed on time and within the originally approved budget; the project name, location, delivery timeframe, original approved budget, final outturn cost, and delivery body, for each p…

887. Deputy John Clendennen asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance to detail the annual spend on external consultants by his Department and its agencies in each of the past three years; the number of consultancy contracts, the largest individual consultancy engagements by value, and whether internal capacity-building or cost-benefit assessments were undertaken prior to engaging external consu…

888. Deputy John Clendennen asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance to provide a list, for each of the past three years of the top ten projects per annum delivered by his Department or its agencies which were completed late and over the originally approved budget; the project name, location, original approved completion date, actual completion date, original approved budget, final outturn cost…

168. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance the operating profits of motor insurance companies and public and employer liability insurance using a standard definition of operating profits, that is, after paying all business expenses but before tax and interest deductions from 2020 to 2025, by year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [73162/25]

169. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance the contents of the Government’s medium-term economic framework; the reasons for the delay in producing the plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [73642/25]

170. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance the updated projections from his Department in the wake of recent CSO inflation figures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [73720/25]

171. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance the action he is taking to address the banking sector using high mortgage interest rates in order to maintain high profits; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [73718/25]