Parliamentary questions

76. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the obligations expected of Ireland under the Democracy Shield, including any monitoring, reporting or participation requirements. [64235/25]

77. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if Ireland will be required to take part in shared EU systems for identifying or reviewing online information; and how national control over decisions that affect domestic political debate will be maintained. [64236/25]

78. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade how the Government assessed the Democracy Shield against the principles of proportionality and subsidiarity; and if he will provide the criteria used in this assessment. [64237/25]

79. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade how the Democracy Shield will interact with existing EU legislation such as the Digital Services Act 2024 and the Electoral Integrity Package; and the implications of this for Ireland. [64238/25]

178. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the steps the Government will take to smooth the bureaucratic and financial way for returning Irish emigrants with their families. [63815/25]

179. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade whether Ireland will raise at European level the decision of the Israeli authorities to obstruct and place a five year travel ban on the Chair of the European Parliament Delegation for Relations with Palestine; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62741/25]

180. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to the ongoing construction of a children’s hospital in Ukraine (details supplied); if he will consider allocating targeted funding for this project as part of Ireland’s wider financial support for Ukraine; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62797/25]

181. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will raise the matter of the ongoing construction of a children’s hospital in Ukraine (details supplied) at an EU level to propose direct funding for this project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62798/25]

182. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will consider facilitating a meeting with an Irish based engineer that is part of the ongoing construction of a children’s hospital in Ukraine (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62799/25]

183. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to report on Ireland’s commitment to the “loss and damage” mechanism agreed at COP30; and the amount of additional funding or support which Ireland will provide in the next five years. [62948/25]

184. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the average turnaround time for applications to the foreign birth register. [62953/25]

185. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his Department will assist a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62971/25]

186. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the total amount allocated to Irish Aid in 2025; and the way in which this compares to the previous five years. [62973/25]

187. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the proportion of Ireland’s GNI that is spent on ODA annually. [62974/25]

188. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to provide a list of current Irish funded development projects in Africa, including funding amounts and objectives. [62975/25]

189. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the way in which Irish Aid monitors and evaluates the effectiveness of its funded projects. [62976/25]

190. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the support Irish Aid provides to women’s empowerment programmes in developing countries. [62977/25]

191. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the funding which has been provided for emergency relief in response to the recent humanitarian crises in Palestine and Sudan. [62978/25]

192. Deputy George Lawlor asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the number of vacancies which arose at principal officer level for the years 2022, 2023, 2024 and to date in 2025 in his Department and agencies under the aegis of his Department; the number of these vacancies filled between internal and external methods; the number of vacancies each year at principal officer level filled b…

193. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his views on the human rights record of the Qatari government; and whether an event organised by the Irish embassy in Abu Dhabi with the Qatari Director of Human Rights is consistent with national policy (details supplied). [63083/25]

194. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will outline Ireland's current and planned financial contributions to the loss and damage fund; the timeline for disbursement of such funds; the mechanisms in place to ensure that Ireland's contributions are additional to existing official development assistance commitments; and if he will make a statement on the matte…

195. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if Ireland was represented at the Second World Summit for Social Development 2025, held in Doha; if so, the composition of the Irish delegation; the purpose and outcomes of Ireland's participation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63526/25]

196. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the total legal costs in defending judicial reviews of planning decisions involving his Department and/or agencies within the aegis of his Department for each of the years 2020 to 2024 and to date in 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63621/25]

197. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his Department is aware of any instances where official development aid funding from Ireland has been misappropriated by partner organisations during the period 2020 to date in 2025; if so, to provide details of same; the efforts made to recoup such funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63778/25]

198. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will address concerns regarding a passport application appeal, raised in correspondence (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63794/25]