Questions asked 28 total

• Education 9 questions

  • 2025-10-07 Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth if the closure of schools in some cases is at the discretion of her Department. [53221/25]
  • 2025-10-07 Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will amend Circular 0010/2013 to allow for funding to be deposited into a school's account in order for it to purchase assistive technology equipment for eligible students, rather than the current scheme which puts pressure on smaller schools as they must purchase the equipment first and then be reimbursed, which creates situations where certain schools do not have the budget to purchase this equipment first and children are left without this necessary equipment. [53322/25]
  • 2025-10-07 Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth to clarify growing concerns among school bus escorts around their payment; if it is the case that school bus escorts are only paid from the minute a child gets on the school bus until they get off, despite many escorts spending up to an hour on the bus before a child gets on; and if Circular 0085/2024 can provide clarity to school boards of management to reassure schools and bus escorts of their working hours. [53461/25]
  • 2025-10-07 Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth to clarify the amount of the €450,000 total Education for Sustainable Development Fund available for schools that has been drawn down; and the amount of the fund that is remaining for schools to apply for. [53561/25]
  • 2025-10-07 Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the amount of capital funding her Department provided to a school (details supplied) in 2024 and to date in 2025, in tabular form. [53617/25]
  • 2025-10-08 Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of full time teaching posts that were not filled in DEIS schools for the terms 2023/2024; 2024/2025; 2025/2026, respectively. [54171/25]
  • 2025-10-08 Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of full time teaching posts that were vacant in DEIS schools for the terms 2023/2024 and 2024/2025. [54172/25]
  • 2025-10-08 Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of days children in DEIS schools across the State did not have a full time teacher for a certain subject for the terms 2023/2024 and 2024/2025, respectively. [54173/25]
  • 2025-10-08 Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the amount budgeted for DEIS schools last year but not spent. [54174/25]
• Transport 4 questions

  • 2025-10-07 Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Transport when the sectoral investment plan will be ready for his Department with respect to public transport projects and the National Development Plan review; the funding which will be provided for the Navan Rail project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53731/25]
  • 2025-10-09 Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Transport if there are plans to reform the legal mandate of the IAA in order that it aligns with the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54266/25]
  • 2025-10-09 Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Transport if there are plans to reform the legal mandate of the DAA in order that it aligns with the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54267/25]
  • 2025-10-09 Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Transport if there are plans to reform the legal mandate of AirNav in order that it aligns with the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54268/25]
• Justice 4 questions

  • 2025-10-07 Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of knives seized by Gardai in 2024 and for the first nine months of 2025, in tabular form. [53615/25]
  • 2025-10-07 Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of Garda public order unit vans attached to Meath/Westmeath Division as of 1 October 2025; if he will provide same figures as of 1 October 2021, in tabular form. [53616/25]
  • 2025-10-09 Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of Gardaí serving in County Meath; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52991/25]
  • 2025-10-09 Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the measures he is taking to reduce the spend on IPAS accommodation made to private landlords; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52992/25]
• Rural 4 questions

  • 2025-10-07 Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht his views on the vital work that Cuntóir Teanga do within the education system under the Cúntóirí Teanga scheme; and if he has plans to ensure that these staff are paid during mid-term and all other school holidays as well as access to a pension. [52987/25]
  • 2025-10-07 Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht the estimated cost of providing payment to Cuntóir Teanga during the school holidays including mid-term, Easter, summer, Halloween and Christmas breaks. [52988/25]
  • 2025-10-07 Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht the position regarding any product or service acquired or purchased by his Department from Australia in the past three years. [53612/25]
  • 2025-10-09 Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht the funding available through his Department which could be used to repair, maintain and improve a public playground in urban County Meath; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54271/25]
• Health 3 questions

  • 2025-10-07 Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Health the plans in place to enhance and expand services at Our Lady's Hospital, Navan. [53609/25]
  • 2025-10-07 Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE environmental health officers employed by the HSE based in CHO 8 in 2023, 2024 and to date in 2025, in tabular form. [53610/25]
  • 2025-10-07 Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Health the number of consultant cardiologists that are on call after 8 p.m. during the week and at the weekends at the Mater hospital. [53611/25]
• Housing 2 questions

  • 2025-10-08 Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the measures he is taking to increase the amount of affordable housing in County Meath; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52989/25]
  • 2025-10-08 Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his plans to improve the fairness in local government funding to individual local authorities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52990/25]
• Foreign 1 question

  • 2025-10-07 Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the position regarding any product or services acquired or purchased by his Department from Australia in the past three years. [53614/25]
• Culture 1 question

  • 2025-10-07 Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the position regarding any product or service that has been acquired or purchased by his Department from Australia, in the past three years. [53613/25]