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system to work effectively and ensure confidence in the application of our legislation in this area. My Department has a voluntary return programme to assist people to return prior to the issuance of a deportation order. It is important to note that a person can avail of voluntary … hundred and fifteen of these were refused international protection status. Since 2020, over 2,300 people have left Ireland under the programme

this year up to 27 June, 615 had been refused international protection status. Since 2020, 2,300 people have left Ireland under the programme. Of these, just over 1,600 had been refused international protection status. In these instances, the departures of the people in question have been … confirmed. We have a clear indication from right across Europe that, in many instances, people who avail of the voluntary return programme do not return

issues that exist in our prisons, and challenges faced by those who work and live in our prisons as a result. The current programme for Government commits to increasing the capacity of our prisons by an additional 1,500 spaces, and the Irish Prison Service has already begun … accelerate the delivery of 960 additional prison spaces by utilising an exemption from the initial approval stages of the infrastructure guidelines for these projects. That is the public spending code. This will enable accelerated delivery with timelines reduced by 12 months to 18 months. Overall, there are plans

thank the Minister of State for his reply. The work being done by all those people involved in the youth diversion programme is fantastic. They work very hard, also liaising with the Garda. That is what I have found in my experience of working with the local gardaí … regards trying to help people who have dropped out of the education system. One of the problems you find with the youth diversion programme is that one of the reasons people end up in difficulty is as a result of falling out of the education system

Deputy. He put that very sensitively and appropriately. I am aware of the allegations made against Scouting Ireland. I recall the "RTÉ Investigates" programme and, indeed, I very much recall the very powerful work done by Joe Duffy on his programme in interviewing people who had been subject

Once this is in place, Ireland can then seek to opt into the EU single permit directive. This is a complex and technical project, involving linking two separate IT systems, and is likely to require legislative amendment. The project is due to be completed

such plans in relation to this legislation at the moment. As far as I am aware, it is still in our legislative programme. I will refer the comments the Deputy made to the relevant Department but my understanding is that the legislation is still on our programme

order to join the EEC, as it was then. This was required not just to vote in favour of the European project but because the EEC as a project is not, in a formal sense, compatible with our Constitution. The Constitution - this is important - is written

options reports and if identifying Carlanstown as an area in need of investment, it applies to TII for funding to bring the project to design stage and then it goes back to TII for investment in the project itself. In effect, the residents in the area

alluded to at the outset of my initial response, in terms of the capital spending budget, not necessarily for new national road projects but the €2.9 billion allocated for the protection and renewal of the existing national road network, with a considerable amount, €502 million, made available this … There has been a very distinctive step change in terms of the funding available in this half of the decade for national road projects. I know that is of little succour to the many Deputies and Senators, particularly those who are no longer here, who consistently raised issues

Member of the Oireachtas. Consideration of this matter will fall under the overall update of the ethics Act, which is a programme for Government commitment that is ongoing. The principal purpose of the Bill has been to a large extent addressed by the State litigation principles … programme for Government commitment to update the ethics in public office legislation that addresses additional elements of the Bill. I have outlined serious concerns with the Bill in terms of legal professional privilege in respect of Oireachtas business, which may cause the disclosure of very sensitive legal advice

assist with the management of incontinence and that the provision of containment products is subject to parent-client engagement in a toileting programme. It added that the clinical nurse specialist for continence in north Lee is currently working with the child and his family. Furthermore, it stated … policy on the prescribing of incontinence products as outlined in the parliamentary question. In the response, the HSE highlighted engagement with a toileting programme. Of course, the mother wants her son to be toilet trained at some stage, but that will not happen overnight. I ask the Minister

minute doubt the Minister of State's personal view on this issue but what we saw in the "RTÉ Investigates" programme proved there absolutely are systemic issues within HIQA. The fact HIQA took more than four months to investigate issues identified by RTÉ is beyond belief … talking about care of our much loved older people, who deserve dignity and respect as they age. Following the programme, staff members of private nursing homes in my county of Cork made contact with my office to inform me of very serious concerns they have raised with management

inquiry to get to the facts of what happened so that these people can have their stories and voices heard. The "RTÉ Investigates" programme was horrendous. Care Champions told us the organisation is not surprised but, based on what it has found out in its own investigations … surprised that other people are surprised. The scenes in the programme were absolutely disgusting. Some 200 complaints were made against one nursing home, yet it took RTÉ to highlight the issue, and fair play to it. RTÉ can be criticised at times, sometimes rightly, but in this case

Government amendment and what is contained in it. We have spent a considerable amount of time speaking about this since the TV programmes aired and the experiences highlighted. Profit can never be the guiding principle for care. If we use that as a starting point when we discuss … good to a profit-making endeavour for the majority. How this manifests itself is in the experiences highlighted by the "Prime Time Investigates" programme and many more. I have spoken to staff in those settings. They have spoken about their hurt as the weeks and months have gone

driving housing supply, private and public, in our economy. He has reformed and streamlined the approval process for new-build social housing projects this week, making a real difference in respect of streamlining the process to try to drive the approvals for social housing across our economy … homes across local authorities and secured €750 million in additional funding for more social, affordable and cost-rental homes, alongside a significant programme of acquisitions. Therefore, I absolutely reject what the Deputy said relating to the series of measures that the Minister, Deputy Browne, has taken and that

Minister of State, Deputy Michael Healy-Rae, announced he was not happy about this mess. He said he signed up to a programme for Government that clearly promised to reduce fees. He described the threat to increase them by €1,000 as a scud missile nobody was expecting … them being made. The Minister has repeatedly cited economic threats as a reason to ditch commitments to students and their families, but the programme for Government was written only a few months ago at the end of January. We are not talking about the dim and distant past

dismissing things, it seems as if this Government is dismissing what it promised students and their families it would do in the programme for Government, namely, to reduce student fees. It seems the Minister is dismissing the concerns of families in terms of their household budgeting. Anyone reading … programme for Government in black and white and seeing the commitment to reduce fees would reasonably have thought that fees would be going down and not up. The Minister is dismissing that and the concerns of households and families. They need certainty and clarity. The Minister has been

programme for Government is centrally important and informs all Ministers in how they negotiate in any budget. What is referenced in the programme for Government relating to students and third level will inform the Minister's budgetary negotiation. What happened in previous years when temporary one-off measures

roll out a light rail system in Galway requires courage, vision and leadership. Does the Minister have the courage to embrace this project and roll out a light rail system for Galway as part of the solution to the chronic traffic congestion in the city? The provision … growing traffic congestion in Galway. I am saying clearly on the record that a significant amount of work has been done on this project. A feasibility study has been published stating that it is eminently doable. Regarding light rail on the ground, I collected 24,000 signatures

acknowledge the urgent local need to advance these particular projects and also the fact that they have full planning permission. The Department of housing is now working with the National Development Finance Agency and all the local authorities to see how we can advance these projects through

speak today about the cost of third level education in Ireland. The programme for Government states the Government will reform SUSI to better meet the needs of students and their families. This is something I welcome and I urge the Government to take action on it from this … during the general election. I know for a fact it is something that we in Fine Gael negotiated to be in the programme for Government. Now is not the time to row back on commitments made during the previous election and by this Government. How can the Minister

into action. It is also worth noting the record of Iarnród Éireann under Jim Meade. It is doing a fantastic job and delivering projects on time and on budget. It can continue to do this if the Government gets serious and ensures that the pipeline of projects

strong focus on decarbonisation in the review. The DART remains the only electrified heavy rail line in the country and the last significant project undertaken here, in terms of electrified heavy rail, was the DART extension to Greystones 25 years ago. We need to do so much better … Dublin South-West, I reiterate my call for an independent feasibility study for a metro out to there. It was included in the programme for Government but is nowhere in the strategic rail review. We would like to see that. There are more than 350,000 people living

most stressed lines in this country. The plan in the all-island strategic review, which is a long-distance project, aims at four-tracking that line. That is a must for towns like Donabate, the population of which is going to increase by up to 5,000 people … commuter line all the way into Connolly Station. We need MetroLink. We expect a decision very shortly. It is the most vital transport project for Dublin, particularly for the northside of Dublin. I hope we will have a positive outcome for the planning process soon

recreational angling and charter boat sectors have now been engaged with or consulted as part of this process; the current status and work programme of this group; whether any immediate supports, mitigation measures or transitional arrangements have been identified to date for charter boat operators impacted

Tóibín asked the Minister for Transport when the M50 was originally designed and commissioned as an outer ring road; the population and traffic projections that underpinned that design; and whether those assumptions remain valid today. [33519/26

Tánaiste and Minister for Finance the estimated full-year cost of indexing all personal income tax bands and credits in line with projected inflation for the current year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33858/26

Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation if he will provide a list of all capital projects delivered under the National Development Plan and otherwise within the remit of his Department, including the Office of Public Works, which have been completed

Emer Currie asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation if he will provide a list of all capital projects delivered under the National Development Plan and otherwise within the remit of his Department, including the Office of Public Works, which have been completed

Barry Ward asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation if he will provide a list of all capital projects delivered under the National Development Plan and otherwise within the remit of his Department, including the Office of Public Works, which have been completed

schedule of rates; and whether guidance has been issued to the Office of Public Works to prevent a recurrence in future urgent capital projects. [33899/26

Brian Brennan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation if he will provide a list of all capital projects delivered under the National Development Plan and otherwise within the remit of his Department, including the Office of Public Works, which have been completed

Callaghan asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will provide a list of all school building, extension, refurbishment and other capital projects delivered under the remit of her Department which have been completed on time and within budget in Carlow in each of the past five

Callaghan asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will provide a list of all school building, extension, refurbishment and other capital projects delivered under the remit of her Department which have been completed on time and within budget in Kilkenny in each of the past five

Butterly asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will provide a list of all school building, extension, refurbishment and other capital projects delivered under the remit of her Department which have been completed on time and within budget in Louth in each of the past five

Currie asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will provide a list of all school building, extension, refurbishment and other capital projects delivered under the remit of her Department which have been completed on time and within budget in Dublin West in each of the past

Ward asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will provide a list of all school building, extension, refurbishment and other capital projects delivered under the remit of her Department which have been completed on time and within budget in Dublin in each of the past five

expected that a school (details supplied) will progress from Stage 2A to Stage 2B of the Department’s School Building and Capital Programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33877/26

Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Education and Youth for a progress update on the Programme for Government’s commitment to reducing primary school class sizes towards an average of 19:1; if she will respond to matters raised in correspondence (details supplied); if her Department will

Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of primary school classes projected to have 30 or more students for the upcoming 2026-2027 academic year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33887/26

Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Education and Youth the projected number of primary classes of 30+ pupils for 2026/2027, by class level, with specific reference to infant classes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33913/26

sports club or school can spend a portion of the Sports Capital Grant on consultants for the purpose of delivering the awarded project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33763/26

place on the additional infrastructure required for the population within a site in Dublin south-west inner city with several large residential construction projects (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33600/26

Housing, Local Government and Heritage the steps that will be taken to address the additional needs for infrastructure for large residential construction projects in Dublin south west inner city (details supplied), for example water, waste and power capacity; addition of primary and secondary school places; provision of additional

total expenditure to date on the accommodation recognition payment scheme; the number of recipients currently in receipt of the payment; and the projected cost of the scheme to March 2027 under current policy. [33607/26

Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection the way in which he intends to project demand for the emergency response payment for future budget allocations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33843/26

accommodation, income supports and associated services for beneficiaries of temporary protection from Ukraine; the estimated full-year cost for 2026; and the projected expenditure liability to March 2027. [33602/26

Deputy Catherine Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if he will provide a list of all capital projects including Garda stations, courthouses, prison and immigration-related infrastructure delivered under the remit of his Department, and bodies under its aegis, which have been completed

Deputy Catherine Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if he will provide a list of all capital projects including Garda stations, courthouses, prison and immigration-related infrastructure delivered under the remit of his Department, and bodies under its aegis, which have been completed