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facilitator of national development. The Draghi report highlighted that we have some of the longest permitting processes in Europe for onshore wind projects for example. The thing identified as a key bottleneck for renewable energy was the long and complex permitting process. I see in the infrastructure Bill … that public bodies will be required to do everything in their power to accelerate approval of projects designated as essential by the Government. I have no issue with that in principle. The issue I have is that we have not really had clarity in real terms

disapplied. As the Bill digest states, contrary to the Minister's opening remarks, this in effect would mean exempting critical infrastructure projects from being consistent with the most recent climate action plans and strategies, adaptation frameworks and plans, and national climate objectives, including mitigating greenhouse gas emissions … section 3 to entrust the Government with designated orders, this definition effectively allows the Government, or any future Government, to designate any project or programme as a critical infrastructure project, public or private. Additionally, should the fast-track, one-stage planning process in the Planning and Development

staff in Cork city right across all sections of our library service. As the Deputy will be well aware, the current libraries capital programme 2023-2027 is investing €22.6 million in 11 state-of-the-art library infrastructure projects around the country and a further €2.6 million … million has been provided by our Department to support Cork City Council's public library services since 2019, through the libraries capital programme and the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund. Details of this expenditure will be provided separately to Deputy Rice as requested. As the Deputy will

public expenditure and reform, the Department of housing and local government, and the city council need to work together to deliver this project, which was promised over five years ago. The real frustration here is the lack of information and the lack of public consultation on this … project. A campaign group has been set up to push for action on this project. It has set out its vision for how public authorities could engage in a public consultation. It has also set out a clear vision of what the library should look like, namely

significant levels of financial support are currently being provided by Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, to community organisations under a number of different programmes and schemes. With a budget estimate for the Department totalling €611 million, funding of €260 million is available for community development programmes … hardest by rising energy costs. An allocation of €74 million is being provided to the social inclusion and community activation programme, SICAP, and other social inclusion measures in 2026. The community services programme, CSP, currently supports the delivery of 445 local services via 426 organisations, and we have

There is ongoing engagement. We have given information in terms of the projects that are going to go ahead. As always, there is constant engagement with all parties to make sure we understand and deliver. We want to constantly deliver in terms of education in respect … projects moving across the country. Deputies from all sides of the House have identified challenges that we have, no more so than in the previous Topical Issue matter I dealt with. There is ongoing engagement in the Department at all times in relation to how we can move

huge range of very important measures are being supported by this fund. Why would the Minister want to take money out of those programmes? Why would he decide this is the best place to find State funding to support people who are facing huge difficulties because … doing exactly the same thing? When talking about extending this to 18 months, it is important that the Minister explain to us the programmes he is planning to cut. Will he cut community climate action projects, retrofitting of public buildings, electricity charging infrastructure, solar PV and district heating

specific questions. I will ask the Minister to respond on any issues raised specifically in respect of infrastructure. A major radiotherapy equipment replacement programme is also in place, and work is underway to update equipment across St. Luke's Hospital radiation oncology network in Dublin. Long term … specialised radiotherapy treatments, which will reduce the number of treatment sessions compared with conventional radiotherapy treatments. More recently, and supported by our 2025 programme for Government commitments, the acute oncology nursing service has expanded, keeping ever more cancer patients out of emergency departments when they feel unwell

real effects. It will have real effects on the staff members who are left but also on the quality and the nature of programmes that are made. Workers have been highlighting that the fact documentaries are going to be outsourced is a huge attack on the ability … resources of RTÉ, creators will not have the ability to take editorial risks that they have had up to now. RTÉ broadcast programmes that challenged the church's power and exposed child sexual abuse. So many issues have been brought to light due to documentaries that were made

education and youth sectors. Of the total €7.55 billion investment, it is envisaged that circa €5 billion will be used for project roll-out to support the delivery and modernisation of school buildings across the large-scale additional accommodation and modular programmes. The Deputy will appreciate that … required to ensure that the capital funding allocated to the Department is managed across all schools in the country. Indeed, a significant project has been approved for the school in question and will shortly be available for the school's use. As previously stated, Department officials remain available

work has already been undertaken to advance proposals for the 500-space bus-based strategic park-and-ride site at Kill. However, the project remains at preliminary design stage owing to the landowner having withdrawn from negotiations in respect of the NTA's preferred site. Work … Kill project will continue during 2026 as resources and funding permit. The proposed Sallins facility is listed as a priority project within the NTA's greater Dublin area transport strategy, which also includes the planned extension, in the longer term, of high-capacity, high-frequency electrified DART services

Government's primary care strategy, which includes Sláintecare and the primary care infrastructure programme, aims to significantly expand primary care centres across the country. The original programme identified over 130 primary care centres. More than 100 of these centres have now been completed and are operating nationally, including … thereafter. Further replies to parliamentary questions in late 2025 showed that basically everything was at a standstill. Given the length of time these projects have been discussed and raised repeatedly by me in parliamentary questions and in the Oireachtas, can we outline what the current plan

together. I thank the Deputy. The LSSIF was established, as the Deputy knows, to provide Exchequer support for larger sports facility projects and the cumulative investment since 2020 is €297 million across 68 projects. While the LSSIF is closed to applications at present, our focus is on ensuring … that project delivery under the first two rounds of the LSSIF is followed through on. This process will inform any decisions regarding the timing of a future round, but I am committed to ensuring sustained investment in sports facilities to meet our ambitious goals for sports participation nationwide

Commerce. We were both at the Future Cork event last Friday, where an Taoiseach spoke on the panel about the significant transport projects in Cork. The Government has committed to delivery of the Cork metropolitan area transport strategy. It is important to recognise in the House that … must be manned on a full-time basis for the delivery of the metropolitan area transport strategy. We have seen the Irish Rail projects and the success that AJ Cronin has brought to the development of infrastructure and rail. I concur completely with Deputy McGrath that this office

Protection, I did not think a lot of my time would be spent on school meals. It is one of the most popular programmes and most debated in the House. That is a good thing and we want to get it right. In 2019, there were 37 schools … Deputy O’Reilly has championed the role of meals on wheels. Overall, I welcome the Deputy’s support for the success of the programme but we have more to do and we will continue to strive for improvements. The budget for any hot school meals programme this year

Wicklow for over 20 years. I know first-hand the area’s needs and I cannot emphasise enough the importance of this greenway project. Our support for this is simply critical, as for decades now there is a genuine feeling in south County Wicklow that it has been … ignored in terms of tourism investment. This project will simply be a game changer and a catalyst for future tourism developments in Arklow, Woodenbridge, Aughrim, Tinahely and Shillelagh and everywhere in between. I am of the belief that tourism is the greatest commodity we have in this country

thank the Deputy for raising this project on behalf of Deputy McCarthy, which I know is of great importance to him. The Minister for Transport has overall responsibility for the allocation of Exchequer funding for national roads. As part of the annual allocation process for national roads … prepares the booklet for funding for each project for the year. We announced this year's allocation last week. Approximately €139 million in Exchequer funding was allocated to Cork County Council for national roads in 2026. This represents an increase of over €66 million for Cork County Council

Kanturk wastewater treatment plant has provision in the current RC4 investment cycle. There are plans to initiate a wastewater treatment plant upgrade project. This project is currently at stage 1, where Uisce Éireann develops the project objectives and outcomes and indicative range of costs. This work will continue … need and provided funding, we reduce the regulatory and bureaucratic hurdles in terms of the length of time between the identification of a project and its delivery. Perhaps this is an example of such. As this business case is developed, I will keep in close contact with

significantly, with the population aged 65 and over growing by 35% since 2013, which is over double the EU average increase of 17.3%. Projections indicate that the number of older people in Ireland will be approximately 21% of the population by 2040. In addition, it is expected that … available to older people to facilitate ageing in place with dignity and independence and to supporting right-sizing on a voluntary basis. The Programme for Government 2025 - Securing Ireland's Future, recognising this demographic change for older people, includes commitments to deliver practical housing options for positive ageing

private rental sector, making it even more dysfunctional than it was in the beginning. There is a virtual absence of spending or programmes on homeless prevention. Just 5% of the annual budget that goes into homelessness is directed towards prevention programmes. The previous Government failed … claim? We are also seeing a Minister whose first act this time last year was to slash funding for the one homeless prevention programme that was actually working, namely, tenant in situ. We finally got the figures and we now know last year there were just over

Addressing educational disadvantage is a key priority for the Government, for me and, obviously, for the Minister for Education and Youth. The DEIS programme is a key policy initiative for addressing concentrated educational disadvantage at school level. DEIS supplements universal supports by targeting additional resources to schools where … disadvantage is most concentrated, helping to promote equity and meet the needs of children and young people. Currently, the DEIS programme supports almost 1,200 primary and post-primary schools and reaches approximately 260,000 students with an annual investment of more than €180 million. Budget 2026 allocated

McEntee. Proceeds of crime seized by CAB are partially invested back into the community through the fund. Since 2022, over 127 community safety projects across Ireland have benefited from the fund. In 2025, I achieved allocation of a budget of €4.4 million to it. For 2026, I achieved … ensure communities affected by criminal activity predominantly see the benefit. That is why the fund has been used so well in supporting projects addressing youth engagement, domestic violence, restorative justice and substance abuse. I agree with the Deputy that the funding of the skate park and psychotherapist post

what might be happening here. From the outset, the CMATS review will start later this year. That is the avenue by which this project will or will not move forward. This project does not appear in the national development plan, which we have published, or in the sectoral … plan for transport and the all-island rail review, in which we have picked projects to do. It is not on the radar, to be honest. We need to use CMATS to see if it is part of the strategy for Cork. Cork people, the county and city

time, the health spokesperson for Fine Gael, said it was something she would look at. There are vague references to it in the programme for Government, but we need more because this is about choice. It is great if people want to become independent general practitioners. They should … County Waterford. Unfortunately, that is back to the drawing board. The preferred bidder, the contractor, pulled out because of the viability of the project, which means it is back at the starting block again. I ask the Minister to take that up with the relevant officials

programme for Government commits to the timely delivery of school projects. St. Fintan's National School in Mountrath, which is my former national school, has been waiting for a badly needed ASD classroom, sensory room and general purpose hall. The school and the staff are doing everything possible … under the framework agreement the Taoiseach and I are familiar with. However, this was changed in more recent years to a devolved project and was given to the school to lead. It is long past time for this project to be moved on. The principal and staff

Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide a list of all capital projects including social and affordable housing, water services, heritage and local authority-led projects funded under the remit of his Department which have been completed on time

Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide a list of all capital projects including fishery harbour, forestry, agri-food and other infrastructure projects delivered under the remit of his Department, and bodies under its aegis, which have been completed

Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will provide a list of all capital projects, including early years, childcare and disability infrastructure projects, delivered under the remit of her Department, and bodies under its aegis, which have been completed on time

aware that a survey conducted by the Psychosis Education Network of psychiatrists' views identified an ongoing lack of a national programme of comprehensive, evidence-based psychoeducation for people with experience of psychosis and their families; given the World Health Organization recommendations in this regard, the steps her Department … will take to address this gap in services; and the timeframe for implementation of any such programme. [35422/26

Peter Roche asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will provide a list of all capital projects, including further and higher education campus, ETB and research infrastructure projects, delivered under the remit of his Department which have been completed on time

Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht if he will provide a list of all capital projects — including those delivered under LEADER, the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund, CLÁR, the Town and Village Renewal Scheme, the Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme … Údarás na Gaeltachta programmes which have been completed on time and within budget in Galway in each of the past five years, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35656/26

Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science given the Programme for Government commits to phasing out the student contribution fee over the lifetime of this Dáil, and Budget 2026 delivered a permanent €500 reduction but due to it replacing … students are actually paying €500 more this year than last year, if he will set out a clear, costed timeline for meeting the Programme for Government commitment to progressively reduce and ultimately abolish the student contribution fee; and to confirm that no future Budget will again leave students

Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the targeted reskilling or upskilling programmes that are currently being developed or expanded for workers in sectors most exposed to AI-driven automation; the way in which affected workers are being identified … supported to access these programmes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34868/26

Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will outline the projects in the Further and Higher Education Sector that will progress under his Department's Capital Programme in 2026; and if he will make a statement

Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if she will provide a list of all capital projects, including Defence Forces infrastructure projects, delivered under the remit of her Departments which have been completed on time and within budget in Fingal in each

Deputy Micheál Carrigy asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if she will provide a list of all capital projects, including Defence Forces infrastructure projects, delivered under the remit of her Department which have been completed on time and within budget in Longford in each

Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if she will provide a list of all capital projects, including Defence Forces infrastructure projects, delivered under the remit of her Department which have been completed on time and within budget in Cork North-West

Deputy Joe Neville asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if she will provide a list of all capital projects, including Defence Forces infrastructure projects, delivered under the remit of her Departments which have been completed on time and within budget in Kildare in each

Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment if he will provide a list of all capital projects including energy and environmental infrastructure projects delivered under the remit of his Department, and bodies under their aegis, which have been completed on time and within

Deputy Micheál Carrigy asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment if he will provide a list of all capital projects including energy and environmental infrastructure projects delivered under the remit of his Department, and bodies under their aegis, which have been completed on time and within

Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment if he will provide a list of all capital projects including energy and environmental infrastructure projects delivered under the remit of his Department, and bodies under their aegis, which have been completed on time

Deputy Joe Neville asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment if he will provide a list of all capital projects, including energy and environmental infrastructure projects, delivered under the remit of his Department, and bodies under their aegis, which have been completed on time and within

Deputy Micheál Carrigy asked the Minister for Defence if she will provide a list of all capital projects, including Defence Forces infrastructure projects, delivered under the remit of her Department which have been completed on time and within budget in Longford in each of the past five years

Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Defence if she will provide a list of all capital projects, including Defence Forces infrastructure projects, delivered under the remit of her Department which have been completed on time and within budget in Cork North-West in each

Deputy Joe Neville asked the Minister for Defence if she will provide a list of all capital projects, including Defence Forces infrastructure projects, delivered under the remit of her Departments which have been completed on time and within budget in Kildare in each of the past five years

Deputy Micheál Carrigy asked the Minister for Transport if he will provide a list of all capital projects including road, public transport, and active travel infrastructure projects delivered under the remit of his Department, and bodies under their aegis (including the NTA, TII, Iarnród Éireann and Bus Éireann

Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Transport when he expects the Mallow relief road project to be submitted to An Coimisiún Pleanála; and what the projected timeline is from planning consent to construction commencement. [34187/26

Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Transport what funding has been allocated to the Mallow relief road project beyond the current €600,000; and what future funding commitments are planned to ensure the project advances without delay. [34188/26

Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Transport if he will provide a list of all capital projects including road, public transport, and active travel infrastructure projects delivered under the remit of his Department, and bodies under their aegis (including the NTA, TII, Iarnród Éireann

Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Transport if he will provide a list of all capital projects including road, public transport, and active travel infrastructure projects delivered under the remit of his Department, and bodies under their aegis (including the NTA, TII, Iarnród Éireann and Bus Éireann