Questions

901. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will reconsider imposing a rigid deadline of the 27 May 2026 for accessing the fuel income support scheme given the level of documentation required and the administrative burden being placed on farmers and contractors; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35242/26]

902. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the fuel income support scheme is a demand lead scheme that will provide support to all eligible applicants or if the funding for the scheme is limited and only eligible applicants up to the funding limit will receive support; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35243/26]

903. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the steps being taken to support generational renewal in farming, particularly in light of rising land, machinery and input costs facing young farmers seeking to enter the sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35252/26]

904. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the cumulative impact of the new TB testing rules introduced in April 2026, in conjunction with the current export restrictions, particularly in terms of additional costs, labour requirements, and movement limitations imposed on farmers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35253/26]

905. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department has considered proposals to recognise native honey bee hives as livestock units under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), including the suggestion that one hive of native Irish honey bees would constitute one livestock unit, with the first four units eligible for €500 per livestock unit and subsequent units for €250 e…

906. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the rationale for the new regulations granting the Agri-Food Regulator additional powers to compel price and market information; the reasons for the lead-in time before commencement; and the basis for excluding small businesses from the scope of these measures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35255/26]

907. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department has examined the recommendations contained within the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals 2026 to 2030 strategy regarding animal welfare reform; whether legislative or policy changes are under consideration arising from the strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35268/26]

908. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the current number of authorised animal welfare inspectors operating nationally; whether consideration is being given to increasing resources for animal welfare enforcement in view of ongoing reports of animal cruelty and neglect; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35269/26]

909. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the actions being taken to strengthen penalties and enforcement measures under the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013 for persons convicted of serious animal cruelty offences; whether consideration is being given to mandatory lifetime bans on animal ownership in the most serious cases; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35…

910. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when the scientific assessment into the threats posed by imported non-native honey bees, commissioned by his Department and reportedly completed in December 2024, will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35321/26]

911. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the current status of the Protection of the Native Irish Honey Bee Bill 2021; the reason for the delay at Stage 2 in Dáil Éireann previously; the timeframe for progressing the legislation now; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35322/26]

912. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to give consideration to the Family Resource Centre National Forum Pre-Budget Submission (details supplied) as Family Resource Centres provide an invaluable service to their communities and there has been a substantial rise in demand for their services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34613/26]

913. Deputy Brian Brennan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will provide a list of all capital projects, including early years, childcare and disability infrastructure projects, delivered under the remit of her Department, and bodies under its aegis, which have been completed on time and within budget in the Wicklow Wexford constituency in each of the past five years, in tabular form; an…

914. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 417 of 30 April 2026, the steps that will be taken to introduce a system of continuous monitoring and cross-setting accountability for individuals working with children; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34008/26]

915. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will provide a list of all capital projects, including early years, childcare and disability infrastructure projects, delivered under the remit of her Department, and bodies under its aegis, which have been completed on time and within budget in Fingal in each of the past five years, in tabular form; and if she will make a statem…

916. Deputy Micheál Carrigy asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will provide a list of all capital projects, including early years, childcare and disability infrastructure projects, delivered under the remit of her Department, and bodies under its aegis, which have been completed on time and within budget in Longford in each of the past five years, in tabular form; and if she will make a s…

917. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the average annual cost per child of a private residential care placement in 2024, 2025 and to date in 2026; and if she will provide the minimum, maximum and median cost per placement under current contractual arrangements. [34137/26]

918. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to set out the standardised national pricing bands or cost ceilings applied to private residential childcare placements under the current 2025-2028 contract; and the methodology used to determine those rates. [34138/26]

919. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether Tusla publishes or internally maintains benchmark rates for private residential care placements; if so, to provide details; and if not, the basis on which value for money is assessed in the absence of such benchmarks. [34139/26]

920. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether Tusla requires private providers of residential childcare placements to disclose cost breakdowns, including staffing, overheads, property, and profit margins, as part of the tendering or contracting process; and if so, to provide details of same. [34140/26]

921. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether any cap, limit or oversight mechanism exists in respect of profit margins earned by private providers of residential childcare placements funded by the State; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34141/26]

922. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether any comparative cost analysis has been undertaken between Tusla-operated residential care placements and privately operated placements; if so, to provide the findings; and if not, whether such analysis will be undertaken. [34142/26]

923. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether the cost levels set in the 2024 tender process were benchmarked against other jurisdictions, including the United Kingdom; and if so, to provide details of such benchmarking exercise. [34143/26]

924. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the average weekly and annual cost per child of Special Emergency Arrangements in 2024, 2025 and to date in 2026; and the total expenditure on such arrangements in each year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34144/26]

925. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to quantify the savings achieved following the introduction of the Special Emergency Arrangement rate card in December 2023; and the methodology used to calculate such savings. [34145/26]