Questions

45. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Transport when the next call will come for funding for new bus shelters at bus stopping locations; if there will be a call in 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40730/26]

46. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Transport to set out the bus services operating between County Mayo and the urban centres of Galway, Limerick and Dublin that are wheelchair accessible; the proportion of departures on each corridor that provide full wheelchair access; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40731/26]

47. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Transport to outline the statutory and regulatory accessibility requirements that apply to public service obligation bus routes compared with those that apply to privately-operated commercial routes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40732/26]

48. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Transport how accessibility compliance is monitored on both PSO and privately-operated bus routes serving County Mayo; the enforcement mechanisms in place where operators fail to provide wheelchair-accessible vehicles; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40733/26]

49. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Transport if he is satisfied that the level of wheelchair-accessible bus transport available to passengers travelling between Mayo and Galway, Limerick and Dublin meets national accessibility standards and policy commitments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40734/26]

50. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Transport the length of time it takes for a foreign driving licence to be exchanged from a recognised state; his views on whether a waiting time of one to three months places a serious obstacle to accessing education, employment and childcare for those entering or returning to the country from abroad; the measures that will be put in place to reduce this waiting period; an…

51. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance the total amount total raised via the vacant homes tax in each of the years since it has been operational; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40721/26]

52. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance the consideration being given to the impact of ongoing cost-of-living pressures, including increases in energy, fuel and food costs, on retired public servants and teachers; if additional supports or measures are being considered to protect pensioners' incomes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40402/26]

53. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance if his attention has been drawn to the perspectives shared at recent hearings held by the Oireachtas Committee on Finance regarding the need to adopt a coordinated and/or sequenced approach to the abolition of the deemed disposal rule and the introduction of new personal investment accounts; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40406/26]

54. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance if he has received a recent report from an organisation (details supplied); and if his Department will assess the reports' recommendations for an accelerated capital allowance to incentivise increased investment in digital transition and AI adoption by Irish SMEs. [40407/26]

55. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance if he will consider the need to amend Section 626B of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 to align the substantial shareholding exemption more closely with the dividend participation exemption, in order to support Ireland’s competitiveness as a holding company location for global private asset investment; and if he will consider extending the exemption t…

56. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance if a schedule of contracts will be provided that his Department and bodies under his aegis have had with an organisation (details supplied) and/or its subsidiaries; the value of each; the type and/or name of each project; if any project has been abandoned, paused, put on hold and completed; if any projects over ran on cost and delivery; and if so, …

57. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance his views on the distinction in the VAT rate between oral and injectable medications; if there are plans to include injectable medicines under annex III of the EU VAT Directive in order that the VAT rate can be equalised at 0%; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40430/26]

58. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance the reason a pensioner in County Kildare (details supplied) is paying a high level of income tax; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40475/26]

59. Deputy Noel McCarthy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance if he has considered the findings of the recent survey (details supplied) which found the associated notional tax loss to the Exchequer stands at approximately €645m per annum; if he accepts that further increases in tobacco excise may risk stagnating revenues by driving more consumers towards illicit and non-Irish duty paid tobacco products; and if…

60. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation to urgently intervene to ensure that the events in Dublin Castle linked to the upcoming Irish EU Presidency do not result in the closure of the nearby Silk Road Café. [40788/26]

61. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation the position regarding the Natural History Museum; the date on which it is now expected to reopen; the cost expended on the project to date; and if he will clarify whether works are progressing on schedule. [40398/26]

62. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation the Government's position regarding the maintenance of pension parity between retired teachers and serving teachers in the context of future public sector pay agreements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40401/26]

63. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation the extent to which the Office of Public Works is reviewing the environmental and ecological impacts of ongoing maintenance under the Arterial Drainage Act 1945; if his attention has been drawn to the detrimental impact of historical drainage schemes on salmonid spawning habitat, specifically the …

64. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation if a schedule of contracts will be provided that his Department and bodies under his aegis have had with an organisation (details supplied) and/or its subsidiaries; the value of each; the type and/or name of each project; if any project has been abandoned, paused, put on hold and completed; if…

65. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation the details of the team within the Office of Public Works currently assigned to the Turoe Stone project; the roles and responsibilities of those involved; if a dedicated project lead or project manager has been appointed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40432/26]

66. Deputy Danny Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation the position regarding flooding prevention (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40467/26]

67. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation if there are any circumstances where consideration will be given to the addition of a new project in the National Development Plan 2030; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40707/26]

68. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation when he will issue a final determination in respect of An Post pensioners’ IDRP submissions before his Department; the reason for the delay beyond the standard three month response period; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40761/26]

69. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation the expected timeline for conclusion of outstanding An Post pension disputes referred through the IDRP process; when pensioners can expect a formal outcome; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40763/26]