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Government that is delivering the projects on the ground, though; it is mainly local authorities or national sporting bodies. We are working with them to press that they actually move on and deliver them. The projects the Government is moving forward and directly delivering include, for example … projects on the national sports campus, the development of the new velodrome and badminton centre and the development of the new national cricket ground. Both projects are under way. We also want to see these large-scale infrastructure projects across the country actually progress. We have funded

great to have both the Minister and Minister of State there when we launched the SICAP programme in Ballymun. When you have these funds, you sometimes have to allow communities make mistakes and allow them to be innovative. We will learn a lot from the first round … Minister to support the eight projects that have been submitted by Ballymun. They are not all local authority pet projects but ones that are from the ground. The Minister will see that himself. I also look at the DEIS and DEIS plus programmes we have

provide a catalyst for revitalising communities. Our Department's policy framework and many of the support schemes available under the rural development investment programme reflect this. For example, the town centre first policy is a is a joint initiative between my Department and the Department of Housing, Local … RRDF have provided growing levels of investment to rural communities in recent years. The RRDF seeks to support large-scale and ambitious projects to achieve sustainable economic and social development in our rural towns. Since 2020, almost €446 million has been allocated for 163 projects across Ireland

want to raise a specific school project that the Minister heard about this morning. I appreciate that she will not have the information before her, but I would ask her to come back to me. It involves the amalgamation of two older primary schools at Shanbally and Ringaskiddy … County Cork. The project is to be progressed under the ADAPT 4 programme of the Department to deliver 16 new classrooms and four special education classrooms. Unfortunately, there is deep frustration at the delays with this project. It has been in the pipeline for over 15 years

thank the Deputy for his concern about this project. There has been a meeting with the Department to push progress and ensure that the local authority delivered both projects. Since 2020, approximately €20.5 million has been allocated to nine projects in County Galway under the RRDF. In July … Minister, Deputy Calleary visited a number of those projects. He is obviously very much aware of both of the projects the Deputy has referenced. I will raise them with him further to the Deputy’s engagement and concern in respect of delivery. There is not a week that

million in 2026 arises from the completion of the build-out stage of the national broadband plan. This was the most ambitious telecoms project in the history of the State and arguably the most significant since rural electrification for many parts of the country. This landmark project … allocation in public funding will be €240 million. This is made up of €66 million in direct Exchequer support and €174 million in projected licence fee collections. The overall funding is less than envisaged by the Government in 2024. However, the sum available reflects the overall funding available

that is an increase of €624 next year to just over €7,700 in child support payments. I am delighted the holiday hunger programme, which we ran as a pilot for the past two summers, will now be run on a permanent basis, benefiting more than … Buttimer, I have secured an outcome of €628 million for the Department in 2027, which will provide €208 million for the rural development programme, €260 million for the community development programme and €160 milliún le haghaidh na Gaeltachta, na n-oileán agus na teanga. Cuidíonn an t-airgead

want to touch on our rail infrastructure more broadly. In this House we all know the importance of investing in rail. Projects like DART and Luas have been game changers for Dublin. Back in the day they had their detractors. Some of them still darken in the door … anyone nowadays who would say we should not have built them. They have been enormously successful. I have every faith that future rail projects will be equally successful for Dublin and other cities and towns across the country. They will help to tackle congestion, reduce emissions, improve health

services in the TFI network as part of the wider capital investment under the national development plan. Any funding provided to the PSO programme under budget 2027 will still be supporting over 65% of operating costs overall. Fares have to play a role, therefore, in rebalancing that equation … further strengthen public transport demand. To support this increased demand adequate funding, including increased fare revenue, will support the delivery of key transport programmes and commitments in line with operational and resource capacity. For example, the NTA recently identified approximately 140 new service initiatives and capacity enhancements

time for the planning and establishment of new special classes. In regard to the specific matter raised by Deputy Hearne on the modular project for Finglas Parochial National School, the modular building is installed on site. Internal fitting-out works are nearing completion and external works, including soft … play works, are taking place in parallel. The project will be completed soon. The assigned project managers are keeping the school authority updated regularly as the project progresses to near completion. This project required planning permission, which was granted on 25 March this year. The Department

Yesterday the Cabinet approved going to tender with the Metro project. It is the largest investment in public transport the State will ever see. When I went to the pre-tender engagement in DCU I saw the global nature of this project with potential suppliers from right across … world. The reality is the global nature of the project will hit the ground from next year with enabling works and for the next ten years, at the very least, my community will face many of the challenges of Metro as well as its benefits. We absolutely welcome

changed the lives of young people with special educational needs in my constituency and other counties. Countless young people have availed of the programme. In most cases, it has literally been a lifeline for young persons and their families. The recent PASTEL report from DCU undertaken … face to these families and an absolute insult to young people with disabilities or additional needs who rely on the WALK peer programme. This decision can and must be scrapped. I again ask the Minister of State to take it back to his colleagues. I have three main

Deputy Buttimer, and I were conscious that the scheme was only capital. We wanted to keep it very simple initially and get the projects rolled out. In terms of the current programme, in the 15 areas, there is a closing date of mid-August. It comes from … implement them. A total of 5% of the budget will go toward each managing local authority to cater for the management of the project locally. The projects will be small. They could be local health and sports projects and initiatives. I have compared it in some places

Deputy for his question about CLÁR. As he knows, CLÁR provides funding under a number of different measures for small-scale infrastructural projects in designated rural areas. The programme is investing in community facilities and amenities, including community centres, MUGAs, playgrounds, walking tracks and sensory gardens. The scheme … also a measure providing targeted supports to our island communities. The Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, and I launched the 2026 CLÁR programme in March and we expect to announce all successful projects before the end of the year. The 2025 programme for Government made a commitment

capacity to manage through difficult times. I am fully aware of the concerns raised. However, Ireland's current €258 million Seafood Development Programme 2021-2027, which is co-funded by the Government and the European Commission under the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund, EMFAF, is the primary … Irish commercial seafood sector. including the inshore sector. The Department has reviewed all funding mechanisms available, either through the seafood development programme or other state aid routes to ascertain if there is a possibility of introducing a financial stabilisation scheme for inshore fishermen. Ireland, as an EU member

departmental level. The NDP review was published in July last year, with Departments subsequently publishing sectoral investment plans setting out the capital projects to be prioritised out to 2030. Furthermore, the Accelerating Infrastructure Report and Action Plan, which was published in December 2025, outlined a range of reforms … international telecommunications connectivity. In terms of our airports, a range of investments are planned and under way. Dublin Airport has announced a major programme of improvements, which include enhanced operational capacity to manage more than 120,000 passengers per day. The Shannon Airport Group continues to implement

investment helps to deliver high-quality travel and supports positive outcomes for society, the environment and the economy. Investment in NSO No. 4 projects set out in Project Ireland 2040 include the DART+ programme, which is a series of projects that will create a full metropolitan area DART … Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund to ensure MetroLink moves forward to construction within the lifetime of this NDP. BusConnects is an investment programme designed to fundamentally transform the bus systems in our major cities, so that journeys for passengers by bus will be fast, reliable, punctual, convenient

speak to both in my answer. The European Research Council is one of the key instruments in the EU research and innovation framework programme, Horizon Europe. It was established in 2007 and is the premier European funding organisation for excellent frontier research, funding researchers of any nationality … invitation the ERC's scientific council came to Dublin. They are an independent group of top researchers who guide the ERC programme. They visited Dublin to hold their plenary meeting and stakeholder engagements. I addressed the council and spoke on the re-election of the president

Kilkenny as a city with its great tradition would be a very suitable home for it. In terms of how we organise capital projects and support them from within the Department, my Department works with the higher education institutions and education training boards, ETBs, to develop capital projects … along with their master plans. Capital investment is then allocated through a competitive process. Successful projects progress through different stages of planning, tender and construction but ultimately it is a bottom-up process. The institutions come to me with projects as opposed to me going to them

project that I did not mention in my initial response is the digital creative industries programme, which is a €10 million, all-island project supported by shared island capital. It will enhance collaboration with the creative and digital industries in areas like graphic design, movies, the arts … digital arts across both jurisdictions. It is a project that is now live. It was one of the shared island projects in my Department. Regarding the ETBs and the options for further education and training to work on a cross-border basis, my Department is working with SOLAS

Ireland's renewable energy transition, and will continue to explore how best to integrate solar and other technologies into our energy poverty retrofit programmes; — carbon tax funds are allocated for expenditure on measures including the continuation of a national retrofitting programme, investment in community energy efficiency measures … rather than reducing them, and thereby restricting the funding for hiring more front-line staff; — the Government is already progressing a significant reform programme, to link healthcare funding more directly to the level of activity delivered to patients through implementation of Activity Based Funding (ABF), which represents

steering group prior to being submitted for approval. Only once a final business case has been developed, which provides full details of a project, can final approval for funding be sought. To date, four projects have received approval in principle and are being developed. A further five projects … being prepared for submission for approval in principle. No final decisions have been made on the specific projects, but I look forward to sharing the details of the projects as they are agreed. Local city and county childcare committees are supporting the development of projects. In that context

Garda Síochána overseeing communications in the Dublin metropolitan region, bringing the centre into full operation has been delayed by slower-than-projected progress in developing and rolling out the new traffic management system, which is the software that integrates a range of complex railway systems, such as signalling … this year. On both occasions, I expressed my clear dissatisfaction with the state of progress and emphasised the importance of bringing the project to a successful conclusion as quickly as possible. A re-baselined programme was agreed between Iarnród Éireann, the NTA and Indra in November 2024, breaking

face real challenges in accessing diagnoses, services, medicines, technologies and supports in a timely and co-ordinated way. That is why the programme for Government includes commitments to publish and fund a new national rare diseases strategy, improve access to orphan medicines and examine new approaches to earlier … severe combined immunodeficiency, SCID, and spinal muscular atrophy, SMA, which brought the total number of conditions screened for under the newborn bloodspot screening programme to 11. This can allow intervention to begin earlier, when it matters most, thereby slowing or preventing progression in some cases. This is just

been informed that it is committed to solving and replacing the necessary section of the Maynooth-Leixlip mains water network and has a project in place to do so. Design challenges have arisen in the context of reinforcing the existing pipe and routing a replacement, all while maintaining … required. It is in the process of designing one. In County Kildare, there is a proposed investment of over €170 million in capital projects including the Celbridge and Maynooth leakage reduction programmes and Crodaun wastewater network upgrade that will address some of the most urgent infrastructure deficits, meet

Deputy James Geoghegan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation the details of the capital funding programmes or grants for which his Department or any body under his aegis has responsibility for which sporting organisations are eligible to apply; the details … funding programme or grant that is currently open or the date when a subsequent prospective funding programme or grant is scheduled to be opened for which a sporting organisation is eligible to apply for, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43172/25

Deputy James Geoghegan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation the details of capital funding programmes or grants which her Department or any body under her aegis has responsibility, for which community organisations are eligible to apply for; the details of any funding … programme or grant that is currently open or the date of when a subsequent prospective funding programme or grant is scheduled to be opened that a community organisation is eligible to apply for; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43190/25

Employment to provide detailed information on the smart regions enterprise innovation scheme, launched on 13 October 2023; the number of applications received, projects approved, and funding allocated to date under the first €35 million call which closed on 31 March 2024; the breakdown, by region, project type, funding … views on the achievements of the scheme to date; his Department’s plans for future calls and continued implementation of this €145 million programme co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund. [40925/25

Deputy James Geoghegan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the details of the capital funding programmes or grants which his Department or any body under his aegis has responsibility, for which sporting organisations are eligible to apply for; the details of any funding programme or grant … that is currently open or the date when a subsequent prospective funding programme or grant is scheduled to be opened for which a sporting organisation is eligible to apply for, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43165/25

Deputy James Geoghegan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the details of capital funding programmes or grants which his Department or any body under his aegis has responsibility, for which community organisations are eligible to apply for; the details of any funding programme or grant that … currently open or the date of when a subsequent prospective funding programme or grant is scheduled to be opened that a community organisation is eligible to apply for; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43183/25

Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Education and Youth to provide an update on the building project for a school (details supplied); to confirm at what stage the project is at; when it is likely that the project will move forward to design and construction stage

Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Education and Youth to provide an update on the building project for a school (details supplied); to confirm at what stage the project is at; when it is likely that the project will move forward to design and construction stage

Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of school building projects that have been completed, by county, in tabular form since 2020; the funding allocated for same, by county since 2020; to provide a breakdown the total number of projects currently under construction … county; to provide a breakdown of the total number of projects currently in planning and design, per county; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42725/25

Deputy James Geoghegan asked the Minister for Education and Youth the details of the capital funding programmes or grants which her Department or any body under her aegis has responsibility, for which sporting organisations are eligible to apply for; the details of any funding programme or grant that … currently open or the date when a subsequent prospective funding programme or grant is scheduled to be opened for which a sporting organisation is eligible to apply for, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43164/25

Deputy James Geoghegan asked the Minister for Education and Youth the details of capital funding programmes or grants which her Department or any body under her aegis has responsibility, for which community organisations are eligible to apply for; the details of any funding programme or grant that … currently open or the date of when a subsequent prospective funding programme or grant is scheduled to be opened that a community organisation is eligible to apply for; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43182/25

Deputy Rory Hearne asked the Minister for Education and Youth to provide all progress reports including interim reports in respect of the ADAPT programme for school building projects on the programme in 2024, and to date in 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter

Deputy James Geoghegan asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the details of the capital funding programmes or grants which his Department or any body under his aegis has responsibility, for which sporting organisations are eligible to apply for; the details of any funding programme or grant … that is currently open or the date when a subsequent prospective funding programme or grant is scheduled to be opened for which a sporting organisation is eligible to apply for, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43162/25

Deputy James Geoghegan asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the details of capital funding programmes or grants which his Department or any body under his aegis has responsibility, for which community organisations are eligible to apply for; the details of any funding programme or grant that … currently open or the date of when a subsequent prospective funding programme or grant is scheduled to be opened that a community organisation is eligible to apply for; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43180/25

Deputy James Geoghegan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the details of the capital funding programmes or grants for which his Department or any body under his aegis has responsibility for which sporting organisations are eligible to apply; the details of any funding programme … grant that is currently open or the date when a subsequent prospective funding programme or grant is scheduled to be opened for which a sporting organisation is eligible to apply for, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43170/25

Deputy James Geoghegan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the details of capital funding programmes or grants for which his Department or any body under his aegis has responsibility for which community organisations are eligible to apply; the details of any funding programme or grant … that is currently open or the date of when a subsequent prospective funding programme or grant is scheduled to be opened that a community organisation is eligible to apply for; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43188/25

Deputy James Geoghegan asked the Minister for Social Protection the details of the capital funding programmes or grants for which his Department or any body under his aegis has responsibility for which sporting organisations are eligible to apply; the details of any funding programme or grant that … currently open or the date when a subsequent prospective funding programme or grant is scheduled to be opened for which a sporting organisation is eligible to apply for, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43174/25

Deputy James Geoghegan asked the Minister for Social Protection the details of capital funding programmes or grants for which his Department or any body under his aegis has responsibility for which community organisations are eligible to apply; the details of any funding programme or grant that is currently … open or the date of when a subsequent prospective funding programme or grant is scheduled to be opened that a community organisation is eligible to apply for; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43192/25

Deputy James Geoghegan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the details of the capital funding programmes or grants which his Department or any body under his aegis has responsibility, for which sporting organisations are eligible to apply for; the details of any funding programme … grant that is currently open or the date when a subsequent prospective funding programme or grant is scheduled to be opened for which a sporting organisation is eligible to apply for, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43171/25

Deputy James Geoghegan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the details of capital funding programmes or grants which his Department or any body under his aegis has responsibility, for which community organisations are eligible to apply for; the details of any funding programme or grant … that is currently open or the date of when a subsequent prospective funding programme or grant is scheduled to be opened that a community organisation is eligible to apply for; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43189/25

Deputy James Geoghegan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the details of the capital funding programmes or grants which his Department or any body under his aegis has responsibility, for which sporting organisations are eligible to apply for; the details of any funding programme … grant that is currently open or the date when a subsequent prospective funding programme or grant is scheduled to be opened for which a sporting organisation is eligible to apply for, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43159/25

Deputy James Geoghegan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the details of capital funding programmes or grants which his Department or any body under his aegis has responsibility, for which community organisations are eligible to apply for; the details of any funding programme or grant … that is currently open or the date of when a subsequent prospective funding programme or grant is scheduled to be opened that a community organisation is eligible to apply for; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43177/25

Deputy James Geoghegan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the details of the capital funding programmes or grants which her Department or any body under her aegis has responsibility, for which sporting organisations are eligible to apply for; the details of any funding programme or grant … that is currently open or the date when a subsequent prospective funding programme or grant is scheduled to be opened for which a sporting organisation is eligible to apply for, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43160/25

Deputy James Geoghegan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the details of capital funding programmes or grants which her Department or any body under her aegis has responsibility, for which community organisations are eligible to apply for; the details of any funding programme or grant that … currently open or the date of when a subsequent prospective funding programme or grant is scheduled to be opened that a community organisation is eligible to apply for; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43178/25

Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Health to provide an update on the GP training programme; the number on the programme in each of the years 2015 to 2024, inclusive; the destinations of those on the programme upon completion; and if she will make a statement

Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Health the number of people who have participated in the Laura Brennan HPV catch-up vaccination programme to date; the targets set for the programme; and to provide an update on the plans for a programme extension review. [42563/25