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issues such as recruitment in their respective sectors and taking account of the existing policy context. Regarding overall public service staffing, the estimate for public service staff numbers for the end of 2025 is just below 428,000 in full-time equivalent terms. This is the highest ever … overall pay bill ceiling as set out in the Revised Estimates Volume. Projected staffing numbers and composition should fall within the parameters of the Department’s pay bill. With regard to the public service workforce, I highlight a number of policy developments designed to ensure our public services

already know of. The project cost was not properly estimated by the Arts Council and nor was any final estimate, as is required under the public spending code. Between 2021 and 2024, the Arts Council approved additional money for the project without approval from the Department

aware that the scheme is in place. The interdepartmental group that advised the Government on the design of the scheme estimated the cost of communication and publicity to be well in excess of €2 million. That includes social media and advertising abroad whether it is the United States

Minister claimed that because of an expanded population we require additional Ministers of State. We had that debate yesterday. He is right that public sector employment levels will grow to a record high this year and that is to be welcomed. There is a degree of misalignment between … Irish Times a couple of days ago. The Minister may have seen the piece published yesterday, where it was estimated there would be 415,000 civil and public servants by the end of this year. He said his figures are that it will be in excess

national cybersecurity agency had a budget of €5 million. In contrast, the Department of the Taoiseach had a public relations budget of €15 million. What is the total estimated cost of the cyberattack to this State

establishing a strategic housing activation office. This new office will report directly to me. It will focus on enabling infrastructure to support public and private housing development and providing solutions to infrastructure blockages. In this regard, the commitment draws on the commission's recommendation for a housing delivery … construction steering group is also focusing on areas such as regulation, public procurement, research and public awareness to increase the use of timber in construction. Modelling by the Department of Finance estimates that delivering 50,000 homes on average per year to 2030 will require some €20 billion

experience sexual violence as an adult reported it to Gardaí, of these it is estimated that just 14 per cent make it to trial; — victims/survivors of sexual violence have spoken publicly about how harrowing their experience of the legal system is, many characterise it as a second attack

amendment. It will have nothing to fear from an amendment that aims to protect the public purse from any waste that may occur by the creation of these unprecedented posts. Labour estimates the cost of each new Minister of State is approximately €500,000 per year, while

public need to get value for their money with these Ministers. The public is increasingly concerned about the wasteful spending occurring in the Dáil. Recent examples include a bike shed with an estimated cost of €335,000, a security hut costing nearly €1.4 million and a wall

Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform if his Department is considering natural flood management and other mitigations in relation to estimated rising sea levels and protecting property that is prone to this risk; and if he will make

face of what other countries in Europe are doing at the moment. Every other country is going back to having a public service rather than privatising their service. If the Minister of State is from the country, like I am, she will see illegal dumping right around … roads again. The most recent estimate I saw suggested that local authorities spend in the region of €100 million in cleaning up illegal dumping in this country. I ask the Minister of State and the Minister, Deputy O'Brien to bring public refuse collection back into the programme

that there has been a significant increase in public transport services in Kildare. However, we are told that the DART+ project will require additional funding to that provided for in the current national development plan. Has this been estimated yet? I understand that a mid-term review

welcome the visitors from Ukraine to the Public Gallery. The war in Ukraine is first and foremost a human disaster. More than 70,000 Ukrainian soldiers are thought to have been killed in the war so far. It is estimated that 12,000 civilians have been killed also

excess of €800 million was made available to the seafood sector, which included investment of almost €160 million in State-owned public marine infrastructure. The Government will pursue all avenues to increase fishing opportunities for our fishers, while maintaining sustainable stock levels based on scientific evidence. We will … forestry sector accounts for almost 11.6% of our land area. While still below the EU-27 average, forest cover in Ireland is estimated to be at its highest level in more than 350 years. Latest figures for employment in the forestry sector, including logging and the manufacture

losses avoided estimated to be in the region of €2 billion. In 2018, to facilitate the development of a programme of works, the OPW completed a strategic study called the national catchment flood risk assessment and management, CFRAM, programme. The CFRAM programme resulted in the publication

public representatives. We are in the most acute housing crisis in living memory. It will be a defining issue for this Government and our biggest challenge. We have recently seen the outturn for 2024. It is deeply disappointing, which has to be readily acknowledged. Various estimates as regards

passport service forecasts that more than 940,000 passport applications will be submitted in 2025. Based on these figures, the Passport Office estimates there will be approximately 26,000 applications from residents of County Meath in 2025. The passport service continues to be in an excellent position … with 855 staff officers currently assigned to it. Customers who need to have their passports renewed urgently can book an appointment at the public counter in Mount Street or in Cork. The passport service offers a one-day or four-day renewal service in Dublin and a four

applications in County Wexford was 5,643. The volume per centre is as follows: Gorey, 2,723 and Wexford, 2,920. The estimated waiting times for an invitation date in each centre is 20 weeks and 25 weeks, respectively. We can add another three to five weeks onto … people waiting on the driving test depend completely on family and friends to bring them to their place of employment or education, as public transport is not an option or, in most cases, not available. I will give two examples from my constituency of the burden this incompetence

outlines their ineffective decision-making and failure in the areas of housing policy and strategy. The latter all resulted in what the commission estimates, on the basis of the information in the 2022 census, as a deficit of between 212,500 and 256,000 homes in this country … managed by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael over the years. In the run-up to the election in November, the Government misinformed the public by claiming that housing completions would reach 40,000. In fact, only just over 30,000 houses were completed. A construction consultancy group predicted

supply of new homes for purchase and rent. In that respect, simplifications are not constructive. They do not build homes and they set public opinion against channels that do. We must be clear on our purpose in attracting private capital; it is to increase the supply of housing … investment capital. The Government cannot deliver on this programme alone. Through the updated modelling undertaken by the Department of Finance, it is estimated that €20 billion of development funding per annum, comprising both debt and equity, will be required to develop the 50,000 homes per year that

reflected on the increased population in their contributions. That is the case. The population grew from 4.4 million people in 2007 to an estimated 5.4 million people at the end of 2024. When we consider the need in the context of the appointment of the Minister of State … welcome consequence of the growth of our economy and the job opportunities. Nevertheless, this growth requires an increased focus on delivery of public services and ensuring that we develop a cross-governmental approach to this matter. Many of the emerging challenges we face are interdisciplinary and necessitate cross

part in Dáil debates over the past few weeks and it seems easy for the Government to portray that the increased demand for public services has just come out of the ether. Population modelling seems to be only considered as an excuse as to why services are strained … others over a long period has pointed to a growing and ageing population. The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing, TILDA, in Trinity College estimated that in 2021 the number of those over the age of 65 would stand at approximately 250,000 people and it was spot

ownership through the use of planning conditions; and — from May 2021 to November 2024, a combined total of 55,684 residential units were estimated to have received planning permission with conditions restricting the bulk buying or multiple sales to a single purchaser; and — the Housing Agency is currently … housing system, accepting this is an appropriate response to the current housing challenges which Ireland is now facing.". It is a matter of public record that I am a landlord. I just wanted to put that on the record of the Dáil. I assure all Deputies that

take to increase the overall provision of Gaelscoileanna and Gaelcholáistí. In order to inform the development of the policy a comprehensive public consultation process was conducted to gather the views of various stakeholders, which of course includes children and young people. Sealbhú, a research centre in DCU, also … been identified by stakeholders during the consultation process. These are being examined in light of existing provision for Irish-medium education, looking at estimated demand in the education system, as well as questions about teacher supply, the Department’s budgetary and legislative context and whether there is more

cases even longer to do their driving test. This is completely unacceptable. Navan has the longest waiting list in the country, with an estimated waiting time of 35 weeks for a driving test, with some people waiting even longer. We now have 72,414 people trapped in limbo … work only to be held back by an inefficient system. Students are left stranded and unable to get to college due to a public transport system that cannot meet their needs. How many potential workers are we losing when they are eager to contribute but simply cannot drive

million increase in funding for ‘enterprise-focused higher education’ under the National Training Fund, as set out in the Revised Estimates for Public Services 2025, will be made available to training courses currently funded by the human capital initiative, given that the initiative is due to come

Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage for the Revised Estimates Volume for Public Services table for the capital assistance scheme and the capital advance leasing facility for 2025. [4560/25

this potential for bankruptcy was discussed between the Director General and his Department prior to these public statements; if his Department is aware of how many workers are estimated to have been incorrectly classified and the amount in euros of compensation that would be involved; if the need

Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform the final cost of public procurement tenders, by the number of tenders where the final cost was under, on or over the estimated cost at the time of tendering, by each category and by each year, in tabular

Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform further to Parliamentary Question No. 89 of 13 February 2025, the estimated market value of the 67 vacant properties owned by the OPW. [7805/25

Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Health the estimated full-year cost to recruit one WTE staff grade optician and one senior grade optician to work within the public health service. [6283/25

Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform if his Department is considering natural flood management and other mitigations in relation to estimated rising sea levels and protecting property that is prone to this risk; and if he will make