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there for just four weeks out of 20 years. I do not understand why it takes three years to progress a project because that is what we are now talking about. This is not good enough where there is substantial money being earned by the State in respect … construction, and it may very well be six years. In view of the urgency of the matter and the fact that this project was parked for over ten years, can we not now give it priority? Can we not give priority to the consultation, the drafting

will have to be five before they start school in Portmarnock. We know the rules on the early childhood care and education, ECCE, programme and provision for two years. We know the impact it has on parents having to stay in work, which predominantly falls on the mother … Ensuring children have to start at the age of five is disgraceful. According to the Department's demographic projections, peak demand in Portmarnock has not been reached. Despite this, construction of the new Malahide Portmarnock educate together national school was not selected to go to tender this year

contracting shingles and the impact of it increases significantly for those aged over 65. The assessment did not specifically model a targeted programme for those aged over 65, despite the recommendation of the national immunisation advisory committee. Many countries, including our neighbours in the UK, and other European … with a group from the active retirement association in Galway, which put forward a very good argument for a targeted, age-focused vaccination programme for adults aged 65 and over, as advised by the national immunisation advisory committee. We owe it to the people of the country

table. That is an important element of it. In line with this, the introduction of the shingles vaccine to the immunisation programme in Ireland is again being actively considered for a cohort of immunocompromised individuals in line with NIAC advice and cognisant of the cost-effectiveness of market … pricing and available funding, so that is welcome. The Deputy will also be aware that the immunisation programme in Ireland is based on the advice of NIAC. The information I have, and I have no doubt they looked at it for those aged 50 and the whole

cannot get into the details of every specific school project but I appreciate the Deputy raising the issue in respect of St. Mary's in Lucan. I do not know why the Department cannot accommodate the alternative proposal. What is important is that the project is completed. Sometimes

alone and 78% of those closures are in rural Ireland. I am glad to see the annual subvention for post offices in the programme for Government. It is something I campaigned for quite rigorously alongside Councillor Tom O'Callaghan, a colleague of mine in County Clare. That … programme for Government and it is happening but, in itself, it is not enough. There are other models of post offices globally we should be looking at. Under the incredible Kiwibank model in New Zealand, a whole range of services bring people in beyond the doors

tune of €173 million from the carbon tax revenue in the form of agri-environmental schemes in terms of the ACRES programme. I argued for a carbon tax at the beginning of the 2020 Government on the basis that it would provide us with funding to enable change … happen. There is no way you could fund the retrofit programme without a dedicated ring-fenced budget. There is no way you could do that on a sustainable basis. We have created an industry and a lot of opportunities for workers and new companies in retrofitting. Does

wastewater treatment to those two villages. I ask the Taoiseach to write to Galway County Council and ask it to progress this project as it has €29 million. As with any large infrastructure scheme where there tend to be overruns and cost increases over time, the council needs … assured that the Government will be there to support it to finish the project

Sport the details of the status of the delivery for use of the new ICT system to replace the existing sports capital programme grant management systems, OSCAR; the total spend on the project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16791/26

Will the Minister of State give an update on the delivery of the new ICT system to replace the existing sports capital programme grant management system and outline the total spend on the project and where

thank the Minister. I am delighted to hear he is in favour of such a programme. Drogheda is a cultural powerhouse in the north east. It is home to festivals like the Drogheda Arts Festival, the Drogheda classical musical series and the Lú festival. It provides entertainment … existing schemes and therefore sustainable funding models are always in short supply. As the Minister is in favour of a town of culture programme, I know he will be well aware that establishing a town of culture would bring benefits beyond the boundaries of the county. It would

give all the clubs in County Galway an understanding of what changes they might be able to anticipate in the upcoming sports capital programme and answer the questions they had, it was very warmly received. That was a really productive exercise. I welcome his statement to the effect … required. It is vital that clubs right across the country continue to receive investment, that Government increases the funding for the sports capital programme and that clubs are supported to achieve their best potential. I firmly believe that this is the most efficiently spent money in the State

Minister of State knows, many large projects are moving towards a multi-use and partnership model. In my hometown of Carrigaline, County Cork, there is one such project in the pipeline involving a number of different clubs. The local rugby, athletics and basketball clubs are involved, along with

they do not have the sporting and community infrastructure. Increasingly, and more than ever, sport is central to having healthy communities. The project in Carrigaline is exactly the type of project we want to come forward across the country. I am certainly happy to meet those involved

support future generations of Irish players, male and female, and maximise the potential of Irish football. This is on foot of the programme for Government commitment to exploring new mechanisms for the creation of football academies. This builds on the additional funding of €1 million provided … Ireland academies system. That funding also enabled the appointment by the FAI of an academies administrator to support the development of new academy programmes and to track their impact. The report benchmarked Irish football academies against international standards, based on an audit of existing academy structures and needs

principal and the Mayo, Sligo and Leitrim Education and Training Board, ETB, the school is still waiting on a response on how this project might be progressed. Unfortunately, pyrite was confirmed in the new extension in December and the roof that was built in the 1980s is leaking … edge of the Wild Atlantic Way. I think of St. Brendan's College in Belmullet. For its additional school accommodation, ASA, project, there is the replacement of prefab accommodation, special educational needs, SEN, provision and specialist rooms. The school's stage 1 report was submitted on 30 November

list. I thank him for the details he outlined. In his reply, he said that details of all live and completed projects are available on the website, but my big issue is that a school might be at stage 2a for 18 months. One school said … another said it was nine months and another said six months. St. Brid's Special School is in the ADAPT 3 fast track programme and some of the phrases that the principal has used to describe the process so far include "deep concern", "growing frustration" and "prolonged uncertainty

gave us a briefing on 22 January. A week later, it had a briefing for the public and the week after that the project commenced. Two weeks' notice for public representatives to give feedback on a major project that is going to close up the entire main road

subsidised education for in-demand skill areas. We can match courses to people's skills and abilities. SOLAS continues to provide focused training programmes. There is also the work placement experience programme. With the back-to-work enterprise scheme allowance, I am encouraging people to set up their

receipt of a jobseeker's payment. However, young jobseekers can receive the full adult payment if they participate in training and employment programmes. This is the correct approach, which will help to minimise the scarring effects that extended periods of activity can sometimes have on the long-term … training, they receive up to the maximum personal rate of jobseeker's allowance of €254. If they participate in a work placement experience programme, that weekly rate can increase to €369. As I said previously, we are currently finalising our work on the successor to the previous Pathways

First, I want to state my unequivocal support for the hot school meals programme. It is a really important programme. I am glad the Minister is doing it and the Department is funding it. The Minister said on RTÉ Radio 1 last week that a third of school

Charleville, Mallow, Millstreet and Fermoy, at which there were a wide range of supports on offer in further education, training, upskilling, work placements, programmes such as the work placement experience programme, community employment and Tús, to support people to obtain or retain employment

young people end up in unemployment now. I hate to see that. I would like to see them getting involved in work placement programmes, further education and training, employment services, or community employment programmes such as Tús. Community employment is very important indeed. I thank those who work

disabled people are facing in their daily lives. We are committed to improving outcomes for disabled people by reducing more permanent measures. The programme for Government includes a range of commitments to support disabled people, including a commitment to introducing a permanent annual cost-of-disability support payment … last Friday, and it will run until 7 April. As I said earlier to Deputy Hayes, I encourage maximum participation in this project across the House. I encourage any interested parties to visit gov.ie/cod, where they will find guidance on how to engage with the consultation

have been very straight about my support for the BusConnects projects and the objective of the programme, which is to improve bus journey times, frequency, punctuality and reliability. That is off the bat. It is great obviously. The routes had to change because they have barely changed

Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the steps that can be taken to clarify the regulatory requirements for the Renard slipway project; the way in which the approval process can be streamlined for similar infrastructure developments to avoid unnecessary delays; and if he will make a statement

Road Safety Strategy 2021-2030, which commits to conducting a review of the efficacy of a compulsory road safety education programme in schools and making recommendations; the timeline for completion of this review; when its findings and recommendations will be published; when the recommendations will be enacted

allow the NTA to continue operations of transport across the country and the additional finance to support the rollout of planned BusConnects projects; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46194/26

Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Transport for an update on the TFI one-year pilot programme serving Achill Island and the Curraun Peninsula; to provide data available on passenger numbers, and the feedback received from passengers on both the service and the functioning

been given to ringfencing or reallocating such revenues back to the local authority in which they were generated to support housing delivery, regeneration projects, public realm improvements and local infrastructure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46071/26

been given to allowing local authorities to retain a proportion of residential zoned land tax receipts to fund housing-enabling infrastructure, transport projects, community facilities and public services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46059/26

been given to ringfencing or reallocating such revenues back to the local authority in which they were generated to support housing delivery, regeneration projects, public realm improvements and local infrastructure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46074/26

taskforce set to implement the Government’s commitment to ‘expand opportunities for students to attend Gaelscoileanna and Gaelcholáistí’, as set out in the Programme for Government 2025; to outline any plan given by the taskforce to her Department to fulfil this commitment; and if she will make

Deputy Martin Daly asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of primary schools in counties Roscommon and Galway that are projected to lose a mainstream teaching post for the 2026/2027 school year, due to enrolment falling marginally below the staffing schedule thresholds; and whether consideration will

submitted by a school (details supplied) for an additional special needs assistant (SNA) allocation to support the delivery of its School-Based Summer Programme commencing on 22 June 2026; when a decision on the business case submitted by the school over a week ago is expected

Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education and Youth for an update on the status of the project at a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46337/26

postdoctoral funding commencing in 2027 will have access to a nationally competitive fellowship scheme comparable to the current Government of Ireland Postdoctoral Fellowship Programme; if not, how such funding will instead be allocated; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46105/26

Health to give a commitment to dedicated/ringfenced national funding for development of mental health intellectual disability (MHID) teams or Commitment to National Clinical Programme for MHID. [46154/26

Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science given the pace of change in the tech industry, the new or expanded reskilling programmes - particularly in AI, cybersecurity, and advanced digital skills that will be funded to help displaced workers transition quickly into high-demand roles. [46177/26

Ireland's research highlighting concerns regarding AI-driven job displacement; whether he will examine the case for a structured National AI Workforce Transition Programme to proactively support affected workers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45506/26

Employment the upcoming funding available under the Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund (DTIF); the way in which DTIF has previously supported climate action projects; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45567/26

Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if her attention has been drawn to a recent construction project in Albania which seeks to disapply EU environmental law (details supplied); if she will raise this issue with the European Commission in relation to Albania

Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment for an update on DCEE's progress on the second rollout of the Community Climate Action Programme: Climate Education, Capacity Building and Learning by Doing (Strand 2); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45361/26

Environment further to Parliamentary Question No. 18 of 10 June 2026, to further allocate funding to local authorities for the Community Climate Action Programme on the basis the value of the applications was double the available funding. [45860/26

Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the amount that was allocated to each local authority under the recent 2026 Community Climate Action Programme allocations. [45861/26

Action Plan 2026 published by an organisation (details supplied); the steps being taken by his Department to ensure the delivery of offshore wind projects; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45953/26

Deputy Micheál Carrigy asked the Minister for Transport the timelines on the N4 project to extend the N4 beyond Mullingar to connect to the Rooskey bypass; the progress to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45592/26

Gorman asked the Minister for Transport the oversight mechanisms put in place to scrutinise the delivery of next generation ticketing for public transport projects; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45694/26

provide an update on the development of the South Wicklow Greenway; the amount of the sum allocated by his Department to the project which has been drawn down to date; the actions taken on foot of that drawdown; and if he will make a statement on the matter

Deputy Eoin Hayes asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance the total tax expenditure on the Special Assignee Relief Programme in the most recent available year; the total number of individuals currently availing of the relief; the breakdown of these beneficiaries, by income range; and if he will