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reconsidered if and when the cost-effectiveness of the vaccine is confirmed as more favourable. Members will be aware that the immunisation programme in Ireland is based on the advice of the national immunisation advisory committee. The committee's recommendations are based on the prevalence of the relevant … international best practice in relation to immunisation. To protect the public from serious outcomes of diseases, vaccines included in the national immunisation programme are administered free of charge to those in eligible at-risk groups. More generally, the Minister asked that I take this opportunity to urge

learn and delivers real career opportunities in every part of the country in a vital range of skills. There are 77 apprenticeship programmes, ranging from traditional craft apprenticeships to non-traditional things like cybersecurity, accounting technicians, digital marketing and many other areas that may not have been part … past. The Government is continuing to expand training capacity for apprenticeships, with budget 2024 providing €144 million for apprenticeship training. There are national programmes delivered through ETBs at local level and technological universities, with SOLAS being the co-ordinating body. It is important, as I said the outset

risks from recent years. This substantial improvement is in large part due to the mitigations from the Commission for Regulation of Utilities-led programme of actions to ensure security of electricity supply. New temporary emergency generation capacity has now been delivered in four locations, namely, North Wall … market” unit to provide power only when required by the system operator for electricity security. Moreover, a number of power generation projects have been delivered over the last few years, including capacity market projects, renewables and a new 500 MW interconnector to Great Britain that began operation this

forecast a significant improvement in terms of security of supply over the next ten years. The Commission for Regulation of Utilities-led programme of actions has delivered a number of actions to ensure security of electricity supply since 2021, namely, temporary emergency generation and the conversion of Moneypoint … from coal to heavy fuel oil. Moreover, a number of generation projects have been delivered in recent years, including capacity market projects, renewables and, as I said, a new 500 MW interconnector to Britain has begun operation. Emergency exercises regularly take place with key stakeholders to test

August 2024, the autism innovation strategy was launched by the Government. Today I ask the Government to action its pledge in the programme for Government to place this strategy on a permanent legislative footing. This must be followed up with the appropriate investment and implementation. The strategy contains … this House and engaged with relevant stakeholders. Some of the important actions of the strategy include establishing an autism innovation fund to fund projects to empower the autistic community and increase our understanding of autism; supporting inclusive and accessible learning environments that ensure autistic children and their families

programme for Government states the Government will "Conduct a review of National Aviation Policy to maximise use of our airports". When can we expect this review to take place and conclude? Some 86% of people who fly from this State do so from Dublin Airport and for transport … management of Shannon Airport called for the re-examination of aviation policy and requested the passenger cap in the regional airport programme be increased. Last year, for instance, over 2 million passengers used Shannon Airport, placing it outside the programme. As the Minister knows, Shannon has the capacity

previous arts committee in a very collaborative way. I hope the new arts and culture committee will look at this commitment in the programme for Government as a priority. It is welcome that the Minister has indicated that his Department will carry out assessments as to how this … this. I acknowledge the role of the national cultural institutions. I was in the National Gallery the other day and saw its continuing programme of engaging young people but this is about so much more. It needs to be done on a regional basis throughout the country. Whether

Minister. I am encouraged by what the Deputy said about the importance of the youth culture card. Every organisation providing a range of programmes, events and resources for young people, including both in-person and online events, needs to be supported. There is an ambitious programme … appraisal and regulatory impact analysis of this important concept. It will need a budget and that will form part of the annual Estimates programme. The Department will make arrangements to examine this matter in its entirety. I look forward to working with the Deputy and many colleagues

then carry out the work to complete the preliminary business case and can provide better clarity on the likely timescale to complete this project. There are two further elements. The officials in my Department did follow up with Uisce Éireann today to see exactly where this … have been told that it applied in December. We pressed the importance of progressing this project. Certainly the residents of Newport will be kept updated, as will the public representatives, as to any further updates we get from Uisce Éireann on this project. I suggest the Deputy keep

country. One of the benefits of ensuring that we get this to a planning stage is that the contractors building these public transport projects, such as the Luas to Finglas, will know there is a pipeline of delivery into the future. If we are being truthful and honest … trying to develop additional light rail or even the MetroLink is that we have a history in this country of building major infrastructure projects and then stopping. Admittedly, one of the reasons we stopped after the cross city Luas was the challenging financial circumstances the State faced. There

areas where services already exist, contiguous to villages and towns. We could get a lot more done. We have already approved some big projects, such as the water supply project, for example, which was approved last June and is to deal with the water supply deficit and lack … hydropower reservoir on the Shannon. That has to happen. It is a huge cost. We have approved it. The greater Dublin drainage project with a cost of €1.2 billion is still with An Bord Pleanála. The Deputy's key point is that parallel with all of that

being established in my Department, with work ongoing to strengthen the expertise, overcome many of the delays and implement a short, focused programme of reform. This will singularly focus on expediting the delivery of key structure, which is taking too long in many cases. Europe is facing … what is possible for the long term in line with the work of the Department of Finance, which is updating the various projections we have. That will set out how we can strengthen public services in line with demographics, the wider pressures that we have and the programme

million has been spent on inquiries. The House needs to think about that. People get very annoyed, and rightly so, about individual projects that might cost €1 million of an overrun and they talk about value for money, yet we willingly come in here every week … time. He will recall how there was meant to be ten modules and it took us years to get one. We had Project Eagle. It cost millions. It came out of this House. What did it come up with? It did not see anything untoward

raise the regional airports fund. This programme has been run by the Government for the past number of years. The current regional airports programme runs from 2021 and expires this year. The Government has reviewed it. The programme benefits airports which have fewer than 1 million passengers

infrastructure is very important. In 2021, the national development plan set a target of 5% of GNI* to be invested in capital projects for the period 2021 to 2030. We know this target has not been met in any of the years so far. In 2021, the national … billion. Nor have the budgets been adjusted for inflation. This underfunding has led to real implications for infrastructure projects in the State, particularly in County Mayo and throughout the west and north west. We know this from the EU infrastructure investment index, which ranks us in the bottom

that is not the case. Let me correct the record. The Minister said on the one hand that there was the national leakage programme. That was in place before we made the report. We wanted that to be increased and accelerated. That has not happened. The Minister said … owners did not have the financial means to do so. He talked about awareness promoting through the funding of An Taisce. That programme has been in place since 2013. What we called for was in addition to existing programmes. The Minister also failed to mention some

much work is being done. I mentioned Webwise and the different programmes that are being rolled out. The change in the curriculum has taken a number of years but it is now being rolled out and will be mandatory for leaving cert students. The ban that has initially … grant, which ensures that children are digitally literate. Yesterday, I was at a school in Trim where there is coding and programmes I certainly did not have access to when I was in school. Children are being taught in a way that shows them how they can benefit

SPHE programme is being updated so everything will be up to date, and young people are being asked what is important to them and what they should be discussing. Only last week, I launched a new programme in arts, which has been taken up by about a third … schools at the post-primary level. This is an overall health and well-being programme that brings everything into one place. It can be accessed by teachers and students and there is peer-to-peer learning. Most important, parents can also access it. We know the impact mobile

Minister for an update on the progress on the capital build project for St. Brigids Girls School, Cabinteely. I recently met the school principal. After a conversation with her about their building project, I followed up with the Department. Following this, the school received a very positive update … from the Department. I would like to get the latest update. This is a significant project for the school, which has been working on it for a number of years. It is very important to the school and the school community's future

secondary schools in west Wicklow: Blessington Community College; Scoil Chonglais, Baltinglass, and St. Kevin's Communtity College, Dunlavin? These are all awaiting building projects to commence. With a growing population in west Wicklow and further development planned in the area, these projects require urgent attention. These … only secondary schools in west Wicklow and they are crying out for extra spaces. The projects are not moving along. The commencement date for Blessington has been delayed three times

between the Department and the schools. School principals are very busy and it is beyond the job description to also be a building project manager. I draw another issue to the Minister's attention. As we are engaging on building projects, one of the issues that is coming … some of it is being taken over while a new extension or new area is being built. Will the Minister look at building projects to ensure an alternative play space is provided if the existing play space is being taken away

Government’s ambition to make sure therapies are provided in schools. This was committed to in the programme for Government and it is to build on the work being done through the Department of Education, with a number of teams already in place within our schools through … other school staff, as well as working with students and children. The ambition now is to make sure we can roll out a programme across the board, starting with special schools but the ambition is very much to move to special education classrooms as well. This will

several issues here. Regarding therapies, there are additional places being provided in higher education for therapies and that is a commitment in the programme for Government. It is also an acknowledgement of the huge shortage out there within the State and I stated this in my previous reply … pandemic. It is important we ensure everyone is catered for. The Deputy will accept many people have benefited from the HEAR and DARE programmes and have excelled in their field once they went on to third level education. We all will have encountered families that approached

modern methods of construction data dashboard, which is nearing completion and the collaboration between Dublin City Council, DCC, and the Build Digital Project to progress the building information modelling in DCC. There was also reference to the Department of Education modular builds programme. Construct Innovate workshops are happening … address the cost of training. A training needs analysis workshop was co-hosted with the Construction Industry Federation. The Build Digital Project was restructured into a thrive-up structure from quarter 2. There has, therefore, been engagement on what the Deputy referred to regarding modern methods of construction

assure the Deputy that I have been in Kilkenny Castle. I met with my team yesterday to discuss a number of different projects. Kilkenny Castle was at the top of the list. We are investing heavily in the project. I will always support Deputies coming to my Department … particular, to me to discuss projects like this

Communications and Sport the extent of State funding provided to the GAA and related Gaelic games bodies through the Sports Capital and Equipment Programme, large-scale sports infrastructure funding and other State supports in each of the past five years; and whether compliance with national sports policy objectives

dedicated, ring-fenced and multi-annual local authority swimming pool fund in Budget 2027, as the first phase of a ten-year national programme of investment in Ireland’s swimming and community leisure infrastructure. [65906/26

asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide an update on the commitment to introduce solar planning guidelines in the Programme for Government; the timeline for delivery; if they will be delivered by the end of the year; and if he will make a statement

asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding the phasing out of the carers allowance means test as committed to in the Programme for Government; if there is a timeline for this commitment to be met; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [64991/26

recommendations contained in the 2024 report of the Social Welfare Oireachtas Sub-Committee, and further in line with the commitment in the Programme for Government to give effect to those recommendations. [65026/26

long-term carer's credit can be counted towards the minimum pension requirements, but HCPS cannot; and to confirm in line with the Programme for Government the actions the Government is taking to amend the legislative provisions so that individuals who have given up their careers to care

changes may be made to support women who currently fall outside the existing schemes to qualify for a State pension as per the Programme for Government commitment; and the further action that is proposed. [65885/26

will provide a current update on the proposed new Dublin Family Courts complex at Hammond Lane, Smithfield; the present status of the project; the current stage of procurement; the anticipated contract award date; the confirmed or anticipated date for construction to commence; and the estimated completion and opening

units available when Cuan commenced and at present, by county; the number under development in each county; the expected opening date of each project; and the current and planned provision for County Louth. [64722/26

will implement to ensure delivery of a women's refuge in Carlow by the current target of 2028, and to fast track urgent projects like these going forward. [65178/26

Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason a Social Farming Programme (details supplied) has not received funding in the recent allocation of funding. [64646/26

Grace Boland asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to detail the information technology system used to administer producer organisation operational programmes and claims; the extent to which the system relies on spreadsheets or manual processes; and whether his Department has examined procuring or adapting

maintained and continuously developed through ongoing professional training; whether all registered early learning and care services are required to have a structured CPD programme for their staff; the minimum level of CPD that is expected of educators each year; the way in which compliance with these expectations

considering a review or revision of the implementation of the Time to Move on from Congregated Settings policy developed under the Transforming Lives Programme. [65258/26

recent applications to reduce the size of an associated creche space in a residential development (details supplied) in the context of the Programme for Government commitment to review the 2001 childcare facilities guidelines for planning authorities to ensure childcare spaces are provided and put to use. [65800/26

Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health the number of student nurses who graduated from nursing programmes in County Mayo in each of the past five years; and the number who subsequently obtained employment in Mayo University Hospital. [64430/26

Mullingar; the steps needed to expand the paediatrics and neonatal service capacity; the assessment that has been carried out of the current and projected demand for neonatal and paediatric services in the region; the funding and resources required to increase SCBU capacity beyond the current five beds

Health whether the payment of the €645,000 Data Protection Commission fine will impact any health service budget, staffing allocation or capital project. [64675/26

that the domestic supply of nurses and midwives is expanding at a rate sufficient to replace the fall in international recruitment, including the projected domestic graduate output for each year to 2028. [64877/26

South Tipperary Memory Clinic in advance of its anticipated reopening; the additional clinical capacity that will be provided to address the backlog; the projected number of initial and review appointments per month; and the timeframe within which the existing waiting list is expected to be reduced. [65508/26

Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health the arrangements in place to ensure that diabetic retinopathy screening appointments under the RetinaScreen programme are scheduled in a timely manner; and if she will address the issue of recurring delays experienced by patients who require annual screening for occupational

date in 2026; the number newly recruited in each profession in each year; the number of new graduates from Irish higher-education programmes in each profession who entered HSE employment; and the net annual change in HSE staffing in each discipline, in tabular form. [65660/26

date in 2026; the number newly recruited in each profession in each year; the number of new graduates from Irish higher-education programmes in each profession who entered HSE employment; and the net annual change in HSE staffing in each discipline, in tabular form. [65666/26

support increased adoption of artificial intelligence among Irish businesses over the next five years; and whether new training, apprenticeship or micro-credential programmes are planned to address anticipated gaps. [64244/26

Science whether his Department has assessed the impact of funding pressures within the higher education sector on the viability of specialist or niche programmes, particularly those relating to biodiversity, environmental sustainability and rural skills development; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [65480/26