Parliamentary questions

53. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance further to Parliamentary Question No. 456 of 26 May 2026, his views that each of the Revenue Commissioner's Illegal Tobacco Products Surveys since 2019 demonstrate a clear correlation between continued tobacco product tax increases and an increase in demand for smuggled tobacco products and non-Irish duty paid tobacco products; and…

54. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance if, as part of ongoing risk assessments, his Department has factored the risk of increasing revenue losses as a result of increases in non-duty paid and illegal tobacco products in circulation in Ireland; and if the risk assessment process has assessed the economic logic of continuing excise increases. [46133/26]

55. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance his Department's policy when a tax increase is no longer resulting in increased Exchequer receipts; whether there is a point at which a tax is considered to have reached the limits of its effectiveness; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46134/26]

56. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance for an update on any assessment his Department has undertaken of the need to modernise the section 110 SPV regime to ensure that Ireland has a tax-neutral SPV that meets the requirements of international investment fund manager. [46254/26]

57. Deputy Gillian Toole asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation the status of the review of compensation paid to education and training board members and nominees to interview boards for teaching posts in community and comprehensive schools, who are not in public sector employment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46048/26…

58. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation the details of flood defence and coastal erosion projects under consideration or underway; the spend to date, by year and by county, in tabular form; the status of each; the date on which the current status was reached; the date on which each project is anticipated to move…

59. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation to outline Ireland's position as a global leader in the stewardship of data; and the way in which Ireland promotes that position internationally. [46394/26]

60. Deputy Shay Brennan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment for an update on the status of the NSAI’s engagement with a company (details supplied); the expected timeline for a decision regarding full self-driving (supervised). [46138/26]

61. Deputy Gillian Toole asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the data gathering and forward planning associated with work permit applications that is carried out by his Departments and local authorities in order to co-ordinate geographical location of employers and local capacity availability in the areas of housing, school places, general practitioner availability and public…

62. Deputy George Lawlor asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the way in which his Department is engaging with large multinational tech employers to ensure they provide adequate redundancy packages, career-transition assistance, and transparency around future workforce plans. [46178/26]

63. Deputy George Lawlor asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the measures being introduced to help Irish SMEs and start-ups absorb skilled workers coming from tech layoffs, especially in regions outside Dublin where job opportunities may be more limited. [46179/26]

64. Deputy George Lawlor asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the Government’s strategy to reduce Ireland’s vulnerability to sudden multinational tech layoffs and to build a more resilient, diversified digital economy that provides stable, high-quality employment. [46180/26]

65. Deputy George Lawlor asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment if the Department will significantly increase the level of funding allocated to local authorities for tourism promotion within their own jurisdictions, given the growing importance of locally driven tourism strategies and the need for stronger regional competitiveness. [46181/26]

66. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment if his Department has engaged with industry on proposals for changes to company law to support the tokenisation of funds set up as Irish companies. [46252/26]

67. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment to outline Ireland's position regarding Irish and EU artificial intelligence and digital sovereignty; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46392/26]

68. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment to outline Ireland's position regarding Irish and EU data sovereignty; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46393/26]

69. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment to outline the measures in place in Ireland to support the development of venture capital to invest in Irish start-ups. [46397/26]

70. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Education and Youth the reason early intervention classes are closing across the country. [45975/26]

71. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Education and Youth her plans to support children impacted by the closures of early intervention classes. [45976/26]

72. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of early intervention classes over the past five years; the number that have closed in the past twelve months; the number that remain open for the upcoming academic year 2026/2027, in tabular form. [45977/26]

73. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Education and Youth the specific measures that are being taken to ensure that adequate educational, medical, therapeutic, and disability supports are provided for children with complex needs upon their admission to primary schools (details supplied). [45993/26]

74. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Education and Youth the review that has been or will be undertaken by her Department or the State Examinations Commission into the difficulty, structure and fairness of the 2026 Leaving Certificate higher level mathematics papers 1 and 2; if any adjustments to marking schemes or grading processes are being considered in light of concerns raised by st…

75. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of early intervention classes for autistic children in each county in each school year from 2020-2021 to 2026-2027, broken down by mainstream school and special school; and the net increase or decrease in each county over that period, in tabular form. [45998/26]

76. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of early intervention classes for autistic children that have been redesignated, repurposed or converted into primary autism classes for the 2026-2027 school year; the school and county in each case; who initiated the change; and whether replacement early intervention provision has been opened in the same local area, in t…

77. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Education and Youth the criteria used by her Department and the NCSE when deciding whether an early intervention class for autistic children should be retained, closed, redesignated or converted into a primary autism class; whether those criteria are published; and whether schools are being asked or encouraged to convert early intervention classes to m…