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thank the Minister for her comprehensive reply. I can tell from it that it is quite a complex project. It started and then it had to be amended, and we are now at the redesign stage. The school authorities informed me that they have the design sketched … they will be able to follow up with that. I appreciate that the Department is dealing with a significant number of projects. Some 1,300 school building projects have been completed, as the Minister said, since 2020. One of those included Gaelscoil Laighean. I recall that we were

sport, but it needs to be supported by the council. In Dublin, where urban pressures often heighten the risk, the role of these projects is even more critical and we are backing that support with serious funding. Since 2020, the budget for youth justice measures has risen from … funding; it is a statement of intent. It says to every child, parent and community leader that we are on their side. These projects now extend beyond intervention. They reach out to children as young as eight. They engage families, schools, and harder to reach young people

local authorities in a manner which seeks to achieve the protection and renewal of existing national road networks, and the progression of major projects in or near construction. I appreciate Deputy Stanley saying this could be a shovel-ready project if it were to be in the national … Deputy O'Brien, and the Tánaiste, Deputy Harris, that it is not in the NDP at present. It also looks to progress major projects at an earlier stage of development in the pipeline. A number of the new road projects included in the NDP have already been delivered

this important matter. Modern methods of construction are a key measure to support the delivery of housing under Housing for All and the programme for Government and have the potential to boost productivity, increase efficiency and improve sustainability in the construction sector. Modern methods of construction … Housing, Local Government and Heritage and the Government’s commitment to modern methods of construction has been clearly outlined in the new programme for Government, including binding targets for its use in at least 25% of all State-backed housing and an innovation fund via the Ireland Strategic

combination of cuts that were implemented over the past 15 years, failure to invest in communities, failure to invest in youth outreach programmes and in child and youth mental health services, and of course the dramatic reduction in the number of community gardaí. The impact of cuts … community projects, youth services and regeneration projects that were implemented in the aftermath of the economic crash has never been fully examined and, more importantly, has never been fully redressed. Diverting young people from crime cannot be dealt with separately to how we address economic inequality and deprivation

were juveniles at the time, were clearly identified in respect of that. What happened was they were diverted into the youth diversion programme. That young girl was extremely upset. Her family was extremely upset. They were not dealt with properly and I understand that is not the only … case in the State where this has happened and the youth diversion programme has been used, in what I consider and anyone objective looking at it, in a most inappropriate manner. These young men who engaged in a very serious sexual assault were in the eyes

short-term measure to address the challenges faced by students in accessing accommodation, the Government approved funding to higher education institutions to activate projects with planning permission that had stalled due to cost and viability challenges. We took the approach in recent years, in order to turbocharge … availability of on-campus accommodation, of looking for expressions of interest for projects with planning permission that were effectively shovel ready but had stalled for various reasons. We looked to reactivate those. Under that measure a percentage of student beds are ring-fenced for targeted groups of students

Deputy need not worry; the Minister, Deputy Browne, has promised me a coffee down there any day. It sounds like a fabulous project. Those are the kinds of projects we want to see. They sound very much like community services projects that support 430 community-based organisations … full-time posts and 340 manager posts, supported by the Department. Last year we published the Achieve Together social innovation coaching and mentoring programme, which is cofunded under Ireland's ESF operational programme. That provides bespoke mentors and coaches to existing CSP-supported organisations for a 12-month

community recognition fund, but that is coming from the communities themselves. Over €2 million was allocated across 2023 and 2024. There were 48 projects in 2023, 43 of which have been completed. Ninety-nine percent of the 2023 allocation has been drawn down. Under the fund … approved for eight projects. I look forward to the early drawdown of the funding for those projects. As the Deputy said, the initiative is community-led. It involves working with communities in the towns that propose projects in engagement with their local authorities. It involves very good expenditure

housing schemes now being delivered by a range of delivery partners. Since September 2024, my Department has approved 273 social and affordable housing projects and continues to approve projects. As with all Exchequer-funded projects, my Department, as approving authority, assesses each project application for suitability, value … money and compliance with the various requirements of the applicable funding scheme. There will always be projects on hand with my Department which are either under assessment or the subject of further engagement with local authorities or approved housing bodies. This is perfectly normal in the context

housing delivery in particular is something he is very passionate about and that he has always been dedicated to. As part of the programme for Government, the Government committed to launching a new, comprehensive starter home programme across the public, private and approved housing body, AHB, sector. This … promotes home ownership and secures long-term rental tenures for young people and fresh start applicants. As stated in the programme for Government, the starter home programme will support and deliver an average of 15,000 starter homes per year, including through the first home scheme

Regulations 2019. Notwithstanding this, my Department provides annual funding support to local authorities in preparing vacant units for re-let under the voids programme. Since 2014 to the end of 2024, Exchequer funding of €361.6 million has been recouped to local authorities, which has supported the refurbishment … dwellings. The emphasis of the programme is on those refurbishment works necessary to comply with the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2019 to ensure quick turnaround and re-letting times. All future works should be deferred and carried out under planned maintenance over the life cycle

security and public order from some third-party country investments. Ireland has also increased investment in cybersecurity. We have committed under the programme for Government to deliver a new national cybersecurity strategy and promote a centre of excellence for cybersecurity skills, as well as make further changes … opportunities. Since early December, my Department has been engaging with Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland in developing the ministerial-led trade missions programme for 2025. With tourism joining my Department, Tourism Ireland trade missions have now been added to the 2025 trade missions programme. In line with

Chamber and a member of the largest party in the European Union, namely the European People's Party. Our consistent support for European projects and integration is extremely important. This stands in sharp contrast to Sinn Féin which has, regrettably, opposed every single step we have taken within … European Union and within European integration programmes. There has been a kind of coming to Jesus moment recently, but this is not nearly enough. The sooner we recognise the European Union as a trade partner, our greatest trade partner, and a way for us to establish our sovereignty

party and Deputy Seán Crowe made a very eloquent and righteous defence of the work of Irish Aid and our international development programme. When we talk about global conflict and the impacts of climate change and the drivers of mass migration and the effects on our lives … livelihoods, it goes to source. At a time when too many global actors are turning their backs on development programmes and are blindly cutting their aid programmes, Ireland is the only EU member state that has increased its programme in the past year and is the only OECD

want to focus in particular on the issues we have throughout the country with wastewater treatment and the small towns and villages growth programme. I will focus on Kilkenny where, at present, 14 schemes have been identified under the small towns and villages growth programme. These are Bennettsbridge … Freshford. All of these schemes have been highlighted and prioritised by the local council for funding through the small towns and villages growth programme. However, having received feedback from Irish Water, the earliest that the first scheme the council has as a priority can be done, which

looking at this specific issue and it is something I specifically inquired about today. Uisce Éireann is developing several strategically important drinking water projects in this area and it is worth going through the details of those. Uisce Éireann is progressing the Duleek to Navan trunk water main … project, which is one of a number of strategically important projects under way to increase the security and resilience of drinking water supply across County Meath. This project represents an investment of €41 million to safeguard the water supply to homes and businesses in Navan. The provision

regard to the management of taxpayers' money. The first related to a major expenditure of almost €7 million on a failed ICT project at the Arts Council and the second regarded the expenditure of almost €125,000 on a digital X-ray machine for the National Gallery which … State bodies in the culture, sport and media sectors under the aegis of my Department, seeking information with regard to expenditure on capital projects since 2020 to provide assurances to me and, more important, the public with regard to the management of capital expenditure. Bodies were asked

Parliament are doing our job responsibly and effectively. There is no need for me to rehearse the various overspends on OPW and other projects that have been interrogated to death in the media and on the floor of the House in recent weeks and which have … There has been a fair degree of opportunism displayed in this House and elsewhere in recent times in respect of various headline-grabbing projects, but that does not mean criticism and critique are not warranted or that these overspends do not need to be addressed and debated

expansion of health services, increases in core social welfare allowances, increased investment in housing, and the expansion of the hot school meals programme. Investing in infrastructure is a critical component in supporting Ireland's growth and delivering better, fit-for-purpose public services. The increased capital expenditure … River Deel. This will protect the town from the effects of climate change. That said, I recognise the delivery of capital projects has been challenged by a number of significant factors in recent years, including the continued impact of construction inflation on projects; labour shortages, particularly

fulfil their potential is a key priority for me as Minister for Education and youth. As the Deputy will know, the DEIS programme is a really positive key policy of Government to tackle concentrated educational disadvantage at school level. There has been a massive investment in recent years … continuing to increase on a year-on-year basis to provide those additional supports to almost 1,200 schools in the DEIS programme. Within the programme, 306 primary schools with the highest concentrations of children at risk of educational disadvantage are included in DEIS urban band 1. These

disagree with very little of what the Deputy said. I will certainly look at that. This year we will introduce a pilot project based on the Department of Education's summer programme to ensure that schools that are eligible for the school meals programme will be able … make meals available for the summer programme. That will support approximately 40,000 of the most vulnerable children who have complex special educational needs, who are at risk of educational disadvantage. We will work with the Department of Education to ensure that gets rolled out. I am very

only as good as the political will behind it, however. Much of the sector and many parents are looking at the new programme for Government and asking where that political went. The new programme for Government makes no commitment to and absolutely no mention of creating a legal … about it? At a time when the loss of childcare professionals from the sector is a key threat to increasing capacity, the programme for Government merely commits to a business-as-usual approach to pay increases for staff. When it comes to the development of a public model

grant scheme for nutrient storage. Under the water framework directive, each member state is required to implement a new nitrates action programme every four years. Ireland is currently on the fifth nitrates action programme, which will expire in December of this year. At the European Commission's nitrates … December 2025. The Government will work with stakeholders, including through the agricultural water quality working group, to develop Ireland sixth nitrates action programme covering the period January 2026 to December 2029. Once approved, that will then be subject to a strategic environmental assessment, an appropriate assessment and public

service delivery must go hand in hand with all future investment in the sector. In that regard, the Department is progressing a programme of work with the HSE to ensure systemic learnings from the sustainability impact assessment process can be shared and, more importantly, embedded. This work … assessments of need. I am very conscious that a significant body of work needs to be done in this specific area. The programme for Government commits to doubling the number of college places available for speech and language therapists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, dieticians, psychologists, social workers and others

Marine whether his Department has sought an allocation from the Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund for the agricultural sector in line with the Programme for Government commitment; the amount sought or secured, if any; the schemes, measures or projects for which such funding is intended

Youth for an update on progress on the proposed Gael campus development for a school (details supplied), approved under the Large Scale Capital Programme; the current status of each project, including timeline for delivery under the major devolved mechanism; and if she will make a statement

Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment if he accepts that community renewable energy groups were encouraged to progress projects on the understanding that Community Enabling Grants would form part of the SRESS support framework; the reason projects that have already incurred costs

Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment if he will consider extending the Just Transition Tourism Activators Programme for a further period of three to five years; his views on the role of the Tourism Activators in supporting over 80 tourism projects and County

Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Education and Youth the process used by her Department to assess schools for inclusion in the DEIS programme and DEIS Plus programme; the criteria applied as part of that assessment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47154/26

allow parents to transfer from school-based July provision to home-based July provision in circumstances where parents enrolled in the school-based programme in good faith, but the school is now unable to provide the programme due to staffing shortages; and if she will make a statement

Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the reason sanction approvals for the 2026 Home-Based Summer Programme have not yet issued to participating families; the number of applications received to date; when sanction emails will issue to parents and guardians; and the measures being … taken to ensure that children do not lose access to tutors or programme hours as a result of delays in the approval process. [47390/26

ensure adequate special needs assistants (SNA's) staffing levels in view of reports that shortages of SNAs are resulting in Summer Provision Programmes being cancelled, thereby depriving children with additional needs of essential support; the number of Summer Provision Programmes that have been affected or cancelled

Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she is aware of guidance issued to schools under the 2026 Summer Programme requiring staff to be sent home where pupil attendance falls below the specified ratio; the legal basis for imposing such a requirement; the rationale … behind it; and the impact this is having on schools’ ability to plan and safely deliver programmes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47613/26

Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the timeframe for funding and delivery of the 82 Housing Infrastructure Investment Fund projects approved recently given that the total cost of the projects approved is €862 million while the allocation for HIIF under A.21

Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the level of core funding that will be available to early learning and childcare providers in programme year 2026/2027; the increase in funding compared with the current programme year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47526/26

McGuinness asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht the criteria and methodology used to determine eligibility for the CLÁR programme; the datasets, indicators and geographic units used in assessing eligibility; when the methodology was last reviewed; whether any changes have been made … methodology, criteria, datasets or indicators used in recent years; the basis on which additional electoral divisions were deemed eligible under the programme; whether such additions arose from revisions to the methodology or from the application of updated data to the existing methodology; and if he will make

Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht the extent to which eligibility for the CLÁR programme has expanded following the recent inclusion of additional electoral divisions; the additional geographic area and population now eligible for support as a result … additional funding provided for the programme under budget 2025 and budget 2026, respectively, to reflect this expansion in eligibility; the details of any further increases in funding provided since budget 2026, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47877/26

Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Social Protection for an update in relation to progress on improving nutritional standard of the hot school meals programme; if he will provide for a pilot project looking into the socio-economic benefits of a model of local procurement; and if he will

Deputy Cathy Bennett asked the Minister for Social Protection the measures he will put in place to ensure that the Hot School Meals Programme supports local employment, delivers freshly prepared meals on a daily basis, and ensures the programme supports sustainability and local economic development across all eligible

Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Transport when funding, needed to progress and complete the active travel projects in County Louth will be released; the amount of funding that has been deemed to be needed in order to fully deliver the active travel projects in County

total amount of funding allocated to the Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF) to date; the breakdown of funding awarded to each project individually; the amounts that have been drawn down or are in the process of being drawn down; the details of projects that have

Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht the estimated cost of restoring the Irish Language Books Programme to the level of funding it had in 2008; the cost of increasing to that level adjusted for inflation since 2008; and the total … annual expenditure on the Irish Language Books Programme each year since 2008. [46655/26

Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Defence the annual intake and complete number for the Air Corps Pilot and Technical Training Programme for each of the past three years; and whether current training capacity aligns with projected staffing requirements under the Equipment Development Plan. [45748/26

Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Transport the funding allocated to the Safe Routes to School programme in 2026; the number of projects to be delivered in 2026 with this funding; the cost of increasing funding by 10%; and if he will make a statement

Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Youth the current status of the proposed extension project at a school (details supplied); the stage of the approval process the project has reached; when her Department expects to complete its review of the Stage 2A submission received

Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will review the level of staff sanctioned for the summer programme in a school (details supplied) given that the resources allocated will not cover the demand for provision and will mean the school will have … refuse eligible pupils a place on the programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45968/26

Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the information, training or orientation programmes provided to applicants for international protection and other new arrivals regarding Irish laws on equality, discrimination, same-sex relationships, marriage equality and LGBT rights; and if he will provide … details of the content, delivery mechanisms and annual expenditure associated with such programmes. [45091/26

National Electronic Health Record, One Health Record, Shared Care Record, EHR/EPR readiness, procurement, business case, implementation planning or related Digital for Care programme from 2020 to date, by firm, year, project, contract title, procurement route, original contract value, current contract value, amount paid to date and amount remaining

Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health the arrangements under which women are called for examinations under the BreastCheck screening programme; and whether persons who were born male and who are deemed to be "female" by a certificate granted under section 13 of the Gender Recognition … called for examinations under the programme. [45519/26