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Buttimer, and I are very focused on it. There is no point in us allocating grant funding to any local authority under any project unless it makes a difference on the ground and is delivered. The assessment process seeks to capture that, in that we look … local authority's capacity to deliver, its delivery of previous projects for which funding has been allocated from within our Department, and what it has done to involve the community in the roll-out and design of the projects. We have made some changes to the TVRS this

utterly susceptible to flooding. In the near future, as that piece of work is done, I would like to think we could have projects that will facilitate the betterment of the region and of people's lives. The issue, first and foremost, is actually delivering on those schemes … departmental funding for Bridge Street and the area around the St. Nicholas quarter. It is about ensuring we see follow through on these projects. What was good about that was the fact that we started and, over multiple funding streams, the project was followed through on. The fear

traffic as it is now, that will actually be an achievement by 2040. We have quite a significant challenge around that. The programme for Government is committed to addressing congestion. It is also committed to addressing sustainable travel, which I fully support. I definitely want to see more … sustainable travel, that we do not make the existing congestion worse. In the last five years there have been numerous section 38 projects and other projects around Dublin-Rathdown and Dún Laoghaire that have not taken into account, however well-meaning they have been, the impact they would

will pass the Deputy's questions directly to her, as I know he will himself. The Government fully supports the family resource centre programme and the positive impacts that family resource centres have had nationally. The centres are a great endorsement of what can be achieved locally … Family resource centres are encouraged to engage with Departments and agencies where funding mechanisms exist for local service delivery. The family resource centre programme is a community development programme that is financially supported by many State agencies in a partnership approach. The programme for Government commits to increased

safety, health and well-being of our farmers is a priority for the Government. The programme for Government commits to prioritising improvements in farm safety and farmer health and well-being through strengthened supports, with a specific focus on farmer mental health and well-being. With dedicated funding … everyone working and living on farms. This year, we awarded €1.18 million in funding to 46 farm safety, health and well-being projects under an open call. Those projects will play an important role in helping to address farming's poor safety record and in supporting farmer health

buíochas leis an Aire Stáit. I want to begin by welcoming the announcement of the first State-led early learning and childcare capital projects, including the proposed new facility in Raphoe Community Playgroup in my constituency of Donegal. It is an area I campaigned on for quite … safe to operate from. Given that fact, would it really have been that difficult for the Government to extend the list from seven projects to eight? At present, the building remains safe but it is deteriorating year on year and that leaves staff and families in an unacceptable

part of the next strategy, we are going to target early intervention. We already have the nationwide roll-out of youth diversion projects. We have 92 youth diversion projects. We have four targeted youth diversion projects. We have a really sustainable bail supervision project, and all this will

community, yet Inishowen does not have one. That is simply wrong. I understand that €2 million is being allocated to the project’s detailed design phase, which will go to tender, and that is welcome. My concern, though, is regarding the co-funding element and Donegal County Council … struggling with a cost-of-living crisis. Even then, that will not be enough for the swimming pool because we cannot know the projected cost of the build, given that inflation is currently increasing. In May 2022, we were given the cost of the build as €7.7 million

very dearly. That is once again reflected in the very strong budget of just over €302 million we have allocated for the sports programme in budget 2027. The allocation for Sport Ireland is just under €165 million. Of that, €122 million is current funding, which … increase overall for Sport Ireland and the key programmes. Within that, we have €1 million ring-fenced for hurling and camogie games development. That is something we commenced last year and are building on again this year to see hurling and camogie brought across the country

which cultural and sporting bodies are facing cuts to their budgets, or the impact on core funding for national governing bodies to run programmes on the ground? Everybody knows the League of Ireland is my grá and I wholeheartedly welcome the increased funding for the League of Ireland … what the Government would spend every year in the large-scale sports infrastructure fund, LSSIF, in our alternative budget. Some of the approved projects have been sitting there since 2018, with nine construction projects approved under the 2018 programmes yet to commence, not to mention most from

pleased to announce significant new investment in drug services, inclusion health and health and well-being programmes across the country. These investments will reduce health inequalities and strengthen prevention. A key priority for me has been securing investment to begin the implementation of the new national drugs strategy … local priorities. I compliment the drug and alcohol task forces on the great work they do. Additional funding will expand the DRIVE project, supporting individuals and families affected by drug-related intimidation and violence. I am also providing over €1 million for initiatives to support people with

more to be done. The means test should be abolished. I am pleased that we are moving towards fulfilling the commitments in the programme for Government. Is é an tríú rud a gcuirim fáilte roimhe ná an tacaíocht bhreise dóibh siúd atá faoi bhrú le costais tí tríd … They will come from areas such as procurement reform, technology and software, and reducing unused office spaces. This is the type of efficiency programme I want to see in Ireland. Rather than a four-month Civil Service discussion on where we need to look first, I will identify

climate-friendly forms of public transport. As this country continues to invest in public transport, expand our rail services and plan major new projects, such as MetroLink and DART+ in Dublin and metropolitan rail in other cities, it is essential that the safety apparatus we have in place … very useful meeting with representatives of Irish Rail. They were holding a briefing in Buswells and discussing some of the key projects Irish Rail is looking to advance at the moment. As a Dublin West TD, DART+ West was number one on my agenda. The project is advancing

important to remember that kind of funding is unequalled by any other country in the western world. We also have to fund other projects such as healthcare facilities, schools, roads, footpaths, community centres and so on. In that context, the level of funding that this Government is providing … have unwanted or unintended consequences. The immediate focus and priority continues to be on the delivery of homes as set out in the programme for Government. It is important to highlight, however, that we are making real progress. Between July 2020 and the end of June

that. The agencies remain subject to ministerial directions under the Industrial Development Acts. We will also have robust mechanisms in place for rigorous project appraisals by the agencies, our export control regulation, ministerial powers and Government oversight, and defence procurement safeguards. It is important that the agencies remain … subject to these requirements under the Industrial Development Acts. Governance and oversight remain robust for agency project approval. This will ensure that every project is assessed carefully, transparently and consistently. Deletion of section 5 of the 1987 Act, as proposed, will streamline the work of the agencies

propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 12, inclusive, together. The Cabinet committee on Northern Ireland oversees implementation of programme for Government commitments and ongoing developments in relation to Northern Ireland, Irish-British relations and the shared island initiative. Areas of discussion also include the annual United Kingdom … Ireland summits and their agreed UK-Ireland 2030 programme of work, and the continued roll-out and development of the investment, research and dialogue strands of the shared island initiative. It considers issues relevant to the Government's position as a co-guarantor of the Good Friday Agreement

tunnel and some hope that funding will be found. We have young people who are halfway through a programme that could suddenly come to an end in December. At the very least, they must be allowed to participate until June in order to finish that course. The Minister … mentioned that special schools would come under the wing of the NCSE but what about those post-primary schools that have provided this programme and demonstrated excellent results, like Ballymakenny College in Drogheda? What will happen to them? The Minister of State mentioned that services and resources were

thank the Deputy for raising the issue and acknowledge her ongoing work on this. I obviously have not seen the programme but I have seen the promotional clips for the programme and I will of course watch the programme and also discuss the matter with the Minister … well. We will have an opportunity to reflect on this further in the budget in 12 days' time but I will watch the programme closely and engage with the Minister on the issues

prevention. There is an urgent need to expand access to PrEP into other clinical and community-based settings. The State’s current PrEP programme is too restrictive. We only have 13 public PrEP services. Of the 26 counties served by the PrEP programme, 16 have no public location … said in its letter that "People living in the South East continue to be denied equitable access to a nationally funded HIV prevention programme that has been available elsewhere in Ireland for several years". There are therefore real concerns about health inequalities and access to prevention. Pharmacists

every three appointments. The question is what we do to improve that and to look for solutions. Enhancing Ireland's cancer screening programme is a priority for the Minister for Health and for all of us in the House. These programmes are a vital component of our health … cases diagnosed in Ireland every year. About one third of these are detected through screening. BreastCheck, Ireland's national breast screening programme, screens women aged 50 to 69 years of age. It aims to detect breast cancer at the earliest possible stage and provide assessment and access

Kavanagh's work and that of the board of management and I thank previous boards of management for their dedication on this project over the years. The brief of this project is the demolition of the existing and original single-storey building and the development … other House and I have every confidence that this will be the last time that I will have to raise this school project. As I said, it is a project that is very close to my heart. It is on the priority list of 105 schools. The present

submission Galway City Council stated local authority-owned ports should have equal access to State, EU and blended funding where projects satisfy transparent criteria and deliver national, regional or public value. Equal access does not mean that every project should be funded but it means that projects should … authority-owned ports and TEN-T ports, that are not ports of national significance, may access Exchequer, European and blended finance through transparent project-based criteria. This must include an Exchequer funding route for maritime safety, access and resilience infrastructure where the wider public benefits cannot be funded

Osraí are both excellent schools that do hugely important work for young people and the wider Kilkenny community. However, their new school campus project has been stuck at stage 2B for quite some time. The school community and I are eager to see it progressed to the next … stage as a matter of urgency. I spoke with both schools and school leaderships last week. Certainty around capital funding is needed. This project would provide modern, fit for purpose facilities and would be a vital investment in both schools and the wider school community

essential element that has allowed my Department, the Housing Agency and local authority fire services to put together this scheme. Appropriate pathfinder projects within the scheme were identified in April 2024. These pathfinder projects have allowed the mapping of the application and remediation process into simple steps … identify pinch points and their solutions and to provide consistency across submissions and related workings. Three of the pathfinder projects are situated in the Dublin area, involving three local authorities, and one in Kildare. These projects vary in size and complexity and provide valuable insights for both this

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta O'Rourke as ucht an t-ábhar sin a ardú. As he has said, the school meals programme is important. That sometimes gets lost from people who maybe think they do not need it, but it is needed in all of the schools … rolled out quickly in the context of moving from a pilot programme in 2019 to 3,200 schools in September 2025. I know Deputy O'Rourke looked at some of the more negative responses, but the survey also found that 85% of children liked their lunch

Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether every school on the school therapists pilot project will automatically transfer to the education therapy support programme; whether these will retain existing staff on transfer; and whether these staff will reapply for their roles through

Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Health to provide an update on a project (details supplied); when funding will be sought to re-start this project; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22746/26

Deputy Tony McCormack asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the projects and organisations which have received Just Transition Funding 2021-2027; the amount allocated to each for each year, to date in the current programme round. [21836/26

Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Transport to provide an update on the BusConnects Galway Dublin Road Project; the progress to date; the forthcoming stages in the project lifecycle; the expected timelines for those stages; the estimated cost range; and if he will make a statement

Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Transport to report on the Claregalway Bypass Relief Road Programme; the progress made to date; the next stages in the project lifecycle; the expected timelines for those stages; the estimated cost range; and if he will make a statement

Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Transport to provide an update on the Oranmore Station redevelopment and passing loop project; the progress to date; the next stages in the project lifecycle; the expected timelines for those stages; the estimated cost range; and if he will make

Crowe asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will provide a detailed update on the progression of an additional school accommodation project in County Clare (details supplied); the approximate timeline for when this project might proceed to its construction phase; and if she will make

Deputy Tom Brabazon asked the Minister for Education and Youth for an update on a new school building project (details supplied); the number of tenders received for this project; and a timeline for the commencement of construction. [22257/26

Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of large-scale school building projects which are not included on the 105 NDP priority list that will need to apply for planning permission again in full rather than for an extension due to being … unable to commence construction; if any consideration of this fact was given when selecting the priority projects or if it will be given now; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22364/26

Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the amount of funding that is available for Pillar Two of the EU Life Strategic Nature Project to advance the implementation of the Birds Directive and the Habitats Directive in relation to Lady's Island Lake SAC and Tacumshin Lake … proposed actions and timescales relating to the Pillar Two element of the project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22279/26

Health to outline the plan and timeframe for delivery of the proposed national elective hospital for enhanced provision of the Elective Care Programme which is to be located at Connolly Hospital, Blanchardstown; whether this has been delayed; when planning will be sought for this project and what

Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration his plans to strengthen and expand the Garda youth diversion programme in the coming years in the north Dublin area; if additional resources will be allocated to youth diversion projects to support early intervention and prevention

Department maintains a central dataset or reporting mechanism on the duration of Environmental Impact Assessment and Appropriate Assessment stages for major transport infrastructure projects; if not, whether he will introduce such a reporting framework to allow for systematic monitoring of project timelines; and if he will make

Deputy George Lawlor asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation the capital projects undertaken by the Office of Public Works in Galway City and County in each of the past five years; the cost of each project; and if he will make

Employment whether the Government has engaged with major social media platforms (details supplied) regarding the availability of creator monetisation or creator fund programmes for Irish-based users, noting that certain schemes operate in neighbouring jurisdictions such as the United Kingdom but are not available here; if no such … intends to raise the matter with these companies; and whether the potential economic and tax implications of Irish creators being excluded from such programmes have been examined; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20996/26

Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Education and Youth for an update regarding an additional accommodation project under the school capital programme (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20992/26

Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the reason a school (details supplied) was not selected as a priority building project along with the 105 schools listed for 2026/2027; if she is aware of the extensive dilapidation and damage to the current school building … will provide a timeline of when she expects this building project will commence. [21006/26

Deputy George Lawlor asked the Minister for Education and Youth the total capital investment allocated to school building projects in Galway City and County for each year since 2020; the projects currently at planning, design and construction stages; and if she will make a statement on the matter

Deputy George Lawlor asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht the funding allocated to projects in County Galway under the CLÁR programme in each of the past five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21130/26

Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the funding opportunities available for projects relating to citizen science; if his Department have engaged with groups promoting citizen science projects; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19618/26

Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Defence the position regarding the super medium helicopter programme; when a model will be selected given that the programme is now two years old; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18939/26

Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Transport the reason for the significant reduction in allocation for the Shannon Crossing project from €13.39 million in 2025 to €5 million in 2026; if this reduction indicates a delay or rescoping of the project; and if he will make

that several structures including Shragh Bridge, Derryfadda Bridge, and Bunratty Lower Bridge have received repeated allocations in both 2025 and 2026, the total projected completion cost for these projects; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18270/26

Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of new schools building projects and extensions currently underway in Kerry, by stage and date the project entered that stage, including the number of pupils currently in the school, in tabular form. [18309/26

Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of new school development projects in County Wexford currently in stage 3 of the development process; the date each project entered stage 3, in tabular form. [18311/26