Parliamentary questions

278. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the position regarding any bi-lateral meetings she has held with her EU counterparts in relation to the ongoing intervention in Venezuela by the United States at EU Council level; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1673/26]

279. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the position regarding any ongoing efforts to come to a united EU position in relation to the ongoing intervention in Venezuela by the United States at EU Council level; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1674/26]

280. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the date on which a supplementary estimate or supplementary estimates was sought in respect of her Department’s Vote for each of the past ten years, and to the date in 2026; the gross and net amount involved in each case; and the Vote subheads to which each supplementary estimate related. [1795/26]

281. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the value of expenditure originally allocated in the Estimates to specific programmes or staffing measures that could not be spent as planned within the year for each of the past five years; and whether such underspends were surrendered, carried forward, or reallocated to other areas within the Vote. [1816/26]

282. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the total number of diplomats posted abroad; the number of those that are posted to the US, India and China respectively; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1830/26]

283. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the progress to date in honouring the commitment in the Programme for Government to defend the interests of Irish farmers in all discussions on the proposed Mercosur Trade Deal; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1886/26]

284. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade whether she agrees with the kidnapping of Venezuelan President Maduro by the US authorities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1950/26]

285. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the position regarding any product or service purchased from Israel or the Occupied Territories by her Department in 2025, broken down by description and amount paid; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1981/26]

286. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if she will commit to an overall ban on the direct purchase of any product or service from Israel or the Occupied Territories by her Department at any level; if this proposal has been assessed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1999/26]

287. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade whether her Department, or any body under its aegis, has funded, or is funding, other than where legal costs were awarded against the employer by a court or tribunal, the legal costs of any current or concluded litigation taken by an employee or former employee against that Department or body, in each of the past five years;…

288. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the basis on which her Department, or a body under its aegis, may fund the legal costs of an employee or former employee in litigation where that employee is in dispute with, or taking proceedings against, the same body; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2039/26]

289. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade whether the funding of employee legal costs in disputes against her Department, or a body under its aegis, is standard practice; if not, the circumstances in which such funding may be permitted; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2057/26]

290. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to outline the guidance, codes, circulars or directions that govern the payment of legal costs by her 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 she will make a s…

291. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade 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 her Department has issued any guidance in this regard; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2093/26]

292. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade whether her 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 she will make a statement on the matter. [2111/26]

293. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade whether arrangements to fund legal costs in employment disputes involving her Department, or bodies under its aegis, require the prior approval of her Department or the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2129/26]

294. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to highlight with her counterpart in Israel a demolition order in the occupied West bank (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2186/26]

295. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if her 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. [2247/26]

296. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade whether any agencies or other bodies under her 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. [2265/26]

297. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if a passport application can be expedited (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2304/26]

298. Deputy John Clendennen asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade for an update on her Department’s input to the development of the national security strategy; when the strategy is likely to be published; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2393/26]

299. Deputy John Clendennen asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to provide a list of the top ten capital or programme projects delivered by her 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 e…

300. Deputy John Clendennen asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to detail the annual spend on external consultants by her 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 …

301. Deputy John Clendennen asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to provide a list, for each of the past three years of the top ten projects per annum delivered by her 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…

302. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the position regarding her Department’s travel advisory for Irish citizens against travel to Ecuador; the basis for this decision; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2489/26]