Parliamentary questions

School Meals Programme

James O'Connor

58. Deputy James O'Connor asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated amount her Department spent on the hot school meals programme in schools in Cork East in 2023; the total number of pupils who benefited in the same schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7858/24]

Social Welfare Schemes

Brendan Griffin

59. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will outline the detail of the expansion of child benefit for over 18s in full-time education; if she will address how the scheme will apply to 18-year-olds who will turn 18 before 1 May 2024; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7851/24]

Social Welfare Code

Violet-Anne Wynne

60. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide an update with respect to the Green Paper on disability which has been drafted by her Department and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7912/24]

Social Welfare Schemes

Paul Murphy

61. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will extend the free travel scheme to children for whom child benefit is paid, and in the case of young children and their travel companions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7898/24]

Fuel Poverty

Gary Gannon

62. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Social Protection for an update on her Department's work on combating energy poverty. [7892/24]

School Meals Programme

Brian Leddin

63. Deputy Brian Leddin asked the Minister for Social Protection when primary schools not included in the April 2024 hot meals scheme expansion will have an opportunity to formally express their interest in availing of the scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7862/24]

Pension Provisions

Gary Gannon

64. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Social Protection the work that remains in the process of introducing the auto-enrolment pension scheme. [7893/24]

School Meals Programme

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

65. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide an update on the roll-out of the hot school meals programme. [7916/24]

Social Welfare Rates

Gary Gannon

66. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Social Protection her views on whether the domiciliary care allowance payment of €340 per month is sufficient to care for a child with a severe disability that requires full time care and attention. [7889/24]

Departmental Schemes

Paul Murphy

67. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will extend the free travel scheme to all social welfare recipients; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7897/24]

Poverty Impact Assessment

Paul Murphy

68. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection if a poverty impact assessment was carried out into extending child benefit to 18 year-olds in full-time education or training compared to extending it to 16, 17 and 18 year-olds not in full-time education or training; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7895/24]

Departmental Schemes

Ruairí Ó Murchú

69. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide an update on the work to operationalise the recommendations in the review of the reasonable accommodation fund and the disability awareness support scheme, and the plans to launch a reformed scheme this year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7230/24]

Social Welfare Schemes

Matt Carthy

70. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Social Protection if she intends to add additional schemes to those currently deemed non-assessable income with regard to farm assist; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7886/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Paul Murphy

71. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will extend child benefit to 16, 17 and 18 year-olds not in full-time education or training; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7894/24]

State Pensions

Alan Dillon

72. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Social Protection to outline the changes to the State contributory pension; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7876/24]

Departmental Reviews

Claire Kerrane

73. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide an update on the Green Paper on Reform of Disability Payments; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7802/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Christopher O'Sullivan

74. Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Social Protection to consider increasing the weekly earnings disregard for disability allowance recipients as when using the benefit of work estimator (details supplied) recipients seem to have less take home now post budget than before; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7804/24]

School Meals Programme

Ciarán Cannon

75. Deputy Ciarán Cannon asked the Minister for Social Protection for an update on the roll-out of hot school meals. [7884/24]

School Meals Programme

Alan Dillon

76. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Social Protection for an update on the hot school meals programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7875/24]

Social Welfare Schemes

Emer Higgins

77. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Social Protection if the expanded child benefit payments up to the age of 19 years includes those in third level education. [7785/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Michael Lowry

78. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide an update on the implementation of the new pay-related jobseeker's benefit system; how this reform is improving the social welfare system for persons with a strong work history so they can receive enhanced benefits if they lose their employment; what measures are being taken to ensure its successful implementation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7455/24]

Departmental Schemes

Thomas Gould

79. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason the Irish Sign Language Act voucher scheme is to be suspended. [7906/24]

School Meals Programme

Brendan Griffin

80. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Social Protection the up-to-date position on the hot school meals programme; if she will provide details of the scheme in County Kerry; her future plans for Kerry schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7852/24]

Community Employment Schemes

David Stanton

81. Deputy David Stanton asked the Minister for Social Protection her plans to expand and develop the community employment scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7805/24]

Social Welfare Eligibility

Richard Bruton

82. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will consider undertaking a pilot to inviting people to check if they are getting their full entitlements and targeting categories of persons who may be more likely to be missing out, perhaps in co-operation with other public bodies that may experience underpayment of benefits; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7860/24]

Departmental Data

Pádraig O'Sullivan

83. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of families in Cork city and county that have benefited from the double child benefit payment in December 2023, and from the January 2024 cost of living bonus, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7774/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Ciarán Cannon

84. Deputy Ciarán Cannon asked the Minister for Social Protection for an update on the changes to child benefit for 18 year-olds. [7883/24]

Social Welfare Eligibility

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

85. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Social Protection if she has considered whether illness benefit can be extended to self-employed persons. [7913/24]

Social Welfare Schemes

David Stanton

86. Deputy David Stanton asked the Minister for Social Protection to outline her plans to expand and develop the Tús initiative; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7806/24]

Legislative Programme

Rose Conway-Walsh

87. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide an update on the legislative programme. [3501/24]

Social Welfare Code

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

88. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Social Protection whether she has considered the situation of those providing kinship care, and the discrepancy between the financial supports provided to kinship carers by comparison to non-familial foster carers. [7915/24]

Medical Aids and Appliances

Emer Higgins

89. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will consider allowing children suffering hair loss to avail of the grants for wigs based on their parents PRSI contributions. [7786/24]

Social Welfare Eligibility

Richard Bruton

90. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Social Protection if she has considered initiatives to identify the extent of underclaiming of entitlements from her Department by categories such the low paid at work, by carers, and by pensioners, for whom rules of entitlement may be poorly understood; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7859/24]

Pension Provisions

Niamh Smyth

91. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will outline the specifics regarding the pension entitlements being worked on for carers by her Department presently; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7584/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Christopher O'Sullivan

92. Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason a person (details supplied) who claimed jobseeker's benefit for self-employed and exhausted that benefit, is treated differently from a person who claimed jobseeker's benefit and exhausted that benefit when applying for the benefit for 65 year-olds; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7803/24]

Pension Provisions

Matt Carthy

93. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Social Protection if, in light of recent court judgments, she intends to provide State pension entitlements to the long-term non-married partners of deceased persons. [7885/24]

Poverty Impact Assessment

Paul Murphy

94. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will carry out a poverty impact assessment of extending child benefit to 16, 17 and 18 year-olds not in full-time education or training; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7896/24]

Departmental Reviews

Éamon Ó Cuív

95. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Social Protection when it is intended to introduce changes to means testing based on the report being prepared by her Department on means testing; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7780/24]

Social Welfare Schemes

Brian Leddin

96. Deputy Brian Leddin asked the Minister for Social Protection in light of her announcement that the free travel scheme is to be extended this July to people who have never been able to drive due to a disability, her views on the idea to expand the free travel scheme to the shared bike and e-bike schemes in towns and cities across the country to the same cohort; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7861/24]

Social Welfare Eligibility

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

97. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will review the fact that standard disregards for maintenance that apply in the means testing of other payments do not apply in the means testing of the guardians payment non-contributory. [7914/24]

Poverty Data

Gary Gannon

98. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Social Protection what measures will be taken to respond adequately to the report carried out by the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission, and presented to the United Nations, which found that the State was failing to address the root causes of poverty through its ''short-term, emergency and temporary measures". [7890/24]

State Pensions

Bernard Durkan

99. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the extent to which she might review cases where a contributory State pension was refused on the grounds of insufficient contributions, with particular reference to allowing partial payment in line with the level of contributions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7788/24]

Departmental Strategies

Alan Farrell

100. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide an update on the Government’s ‘Roadmap for Social Inclusion 2020-2025’; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4001/24]

Departmental Bodies

Marc Ó Cathasaigh

101. Deputy Marc Ó Cathasaigh asked the Minister for Social Protection to report on the latest meeting of the Smart Energy Steering Group; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7856/24]

Social Welfare Code

Michael Lowry

102. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide details on the steps her Department is taking in addressing the 'cliff-edges' in welfare systems; as she is aware these 'cliff-edges' in the welfare systems are where benefit entitlements and other supports are withdrawn sharply; these 'cliff-edges' disincentivise individuals from increasing their work hours or accepting pay rises as they might end up financially worse off due to the sudden loss of benefits; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7456/24]

Departmental Schemes

Pádraig O'Sullivan

103. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Social Protection for an update on the Irish sign language voucher scheme and when will it be introduced; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7775/24]

Social Welfare Code

Michael Lowry

104. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Social Protection for an update on the measures being taken to support low-income families, such as increases in weekly social welfare payments, an increase in the domiciliary care allowance, and increases in the income thresholds for the working family payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7457/24]

Departmental Data

James O'Connor

105. Deputy James O'Connor asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated amount her Department spent on the farm assist payment in Cork east in 2023; the total number of recipients in Cork east for the same year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7857/24]

State Pensions

Aindrias Moynihan

106. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will consider including adult dependant recipients who are 80 years and over for increase of payment which presently is only available to State pension recipients over 80 years and over; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7935/24]

Social Welfare Schemes

Niamh Smyth

107. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Social Protection for an update on plans to extend child benefit to those continuing in secondary education but who have turned 18 years of age; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7585/24]

Departmental Reviews

Éamon Ó Cuív

108. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Social Protection the progress made to date with the review of means testing of social protection schemes; when the report arising from this review will be published; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7779/24]

Departmental Data

Catherine Connolly

109. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of applications received by her Department under the humanitarian assistance scheme in respect of Galway city and county since the flooding in Galway in November 2023; the amount paid out to-date under the scheme to the residents of Galway city and county; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7854/24]

Industrial Disputes

Catherine Connolly

110. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 115 of 7 December 2023, for a status update on his Department's engagement with representatives of community employment supervisors and Tús supervisors with a view to resolving the pay gap; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7853/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Thomas Gould

111. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Social Protection for an update on the supports provided to family carers. [7887/24]

Cabinet Committees

Mary Lou McDonald

112. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet Committee on Environment and Climate Change will meet next. [7772/24]

Cabinet Committees

Mary Lou McDonald

113. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet Committee on Government Co-ordination will next meet. [7773/24]

Cabinet Committees

Mary Lou McDonald

114. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet Committee on Brexit and Northern Ireland will next meet. [7771/24]

Commissions of Inquiry

Holly Cairns

115. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Taoiseach if he will ensure that the Covid-19 inquiry terms of reference comply with domestic and international human rights law; what steps will be taken to ensure the inquiry is carried out with full transparency to the public; and if the inquiry will be chaired by a Judge or someone of a similar standing with knowledge of the State's investigative obligations. [7723/24]

Commissions of Inquiry

Holly Cairns

116. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Taoiseach if the Covid-19 inquiry will give formal status to bereaved families and other interested parties who have suffered as a result of Covid-19; and to detail how such groups will be permitted to participate and contribute to the inquiry. [7724/24]

Legislative Measures

Ivana Bacik

117. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will clarify the position regarding the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill; if the proposed legislation, and in particular provisions restricting recourse to the courts, is compatible with the Good Friday Agreement's guarantees on rights safeguards and equality of opportunity; and if he will report on his engagement with the British Government in respect of the proposed legislation. [7429/24]

Passport Services

Éamon Ó Cuív

118. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs when a decision will be made in relation to an application for a passport from a person in County Galway (details suppled); the reason for the delay in issuing this passport; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7438/24]

Middle East

Catherine Connolly

119. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs given his statement of 26 January 2024 when he recalled the commitment by Dáil Éireann to "strongly consider intervention" in the South Africa case at the ICJ, and stated that he had asked his officials to prepare legal advice for his consideration on an "urgent basis"; if he will brief Dáil Éireann on the detailed particulars of the legal advice he has sought; if he will provide that legal advice to Dáil Éireann; if he will outline a deadline for the State's decision regarding an intervention in the ICJ case, in the context of the slaughter of 30,000 Palestinians by Israel, the almost total destruction of civilian infrastructure and, now, the spread of famine and disease among a weak and vulnerable population; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7448/24]

Middle East

Ged Nash

120. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if the Government and the EU as a block will agree to call for an international declaration and statement calling on the Israeli government to lift its restriction on supplies of insulin and all other diabetes supplies and all other medications for long term medical conditions entering Gaza immediately; if he will detail any concrete and practical actions the Government has taken in this regard to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7479/24]

Foreign Conflicts

Thomas Pringle

121. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs what engagement he and his Department has had regarding escalating violence and displacement in the Democratic Republic of the Congo; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7545/24]

Middle East

Mairéad Farrell

122. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if he believes further action from Ireland is warranted following attacks from Israel on civilians in Rafah; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7598/24]

Passport Services

Richard Boyd Barrett

123. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if in the instance of a first passport application there is a necessity of the identity verification form section 7 to be witnessed by a member of An Garda Síochána or whether any witness from the list provided on the gov.ie website is suitable; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7626/24]

Military Aircraft

Mairéad Farrell

124. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs further to Parliamentary Question No. 136 of 13 February 2024, what steps were taken to ensure that the aircraft is unarmed; that it carries no arms, ammunition or explosives; that it does not engage in intelligence gathering; that the flight in question does not form part of a military exercise or operation, especially as no US military aircraft ever leaves its bases in the US or its foreign bases around the world unless it is on a military operation or on a military exercise, and that US soldiers travelling to war zones on these military aircraft are normally required to bring their personal weapons with them; and how he reconciles these DFA restrictions on military aircraft with the fact that successive Ministers for Transport since 2001 have been approving the transit of over three million US soldiers through Shannon Airport on civilian aircraft on contract to the US military and approving the fact that most of the US soldiers are carrying their personal automatic rifles with them on these aircraft. [7813/24]

Diplomatic Representation

Catherine Murphy

125. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if there are plans to appoint a cultural officer to the Embassy of Ireland based in Rome. [7849/24]

Middle East

Matt Carthy

126. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if he has raised his concerns in relation to war crimes being committed by Israel in Rafah with the Israeli ambassador; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7904/24]

Departmental Communications

Holly Cairns

127. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the reason there is no phone line available for the travel emergency section of his Department; how individuals experiencing travel emergencies who cannot operate email are able to engage with this section; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8002/24]

Passport Services

Niamh Smyth

128. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs for an update on passport applications and processing times presently; if these are expected to change coming into the holiday season; how many applications were processed to date this year; how many are outstanding and currently in waiting; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8025/24]

Middle East

Jim O'Callaghan

129. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs to outline what was discussed at his meeting with UNRWA recently; whether extra money will be allocated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8069/24]

Departmental Schemes

John Paul Phelan

130. Deputy John Paul Phelan asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications what will happen to funds gathered under the new deposit return scheme that are not reclaimed by the purchaser; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7433/24]

Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Eoin Ó Broin

131. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the anticipated emissions from domestic aviation per year from 2022 to 2030 and the projected reductions with existing measures and with additional measures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7470/24]

Departmental Schemes

Mick Barry

132. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if his Department has estimated how much in deposits charged on cans and bottles under the deposit return scheme will not be refunded to customers; if his Department has estimated how many bottles and cans under the scheme will be recycled through green bins and therefore not see a refund to the customer; what assessment there has been of the accessibility of the scheme for those with mobility issues; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7523/24]

Energy Conservation

Robert Troy

133. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the date in February 2024 that the new low-cost home energy upgrade loan scheme will be launched. [7530/24]

Energy Conservation

Ivana Bacik

134. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if the new low cost home energy upgrade loan scheme, announced on 26 October 2023, will commence this month; and, if not, when the new scheme will commence. [7544/24]

Grant Payments

Pauline Tully

135. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if schools are eligible to apply for Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland grants to reduce their energy costs and greenhouse emissions. [7549/24]

Telecommunications Services

Jennifer Whitmore

136. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications whether he has a view in relation to broadband issues (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7575/24]

Data Centres

Eoin Ó Broin

137. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications to outline the number of islanded data centres that are already connected to the gas grid; those that contracted to connect; those that are seeking contract to connect; and for each category, the amount of capacity involved, in tabular form. [7671/24]

Trade Data

Eoin Ó Broin

138. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications how much jet kerosene was imported into Ireland annually from 2010 to 2023. [7810/24]

Departmental Bodies

Darren O'Rourke

139. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications to provide an update on the Energy Poverty Steering Group; how many times it has met since its inception; to provide a breakdown of departments and agencies that were present at each meeting; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7819/24]

Departmental Bodies

Darren O'Rourke

140. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications to report on the work of the Energy Poverty Steering Group; to what extend the group has evaluated the various SEAI retrofitting schemes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7820/24]

Legislative Programme

Catherine Murphy

141. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications for an update on the legislative programme within his Department. [7845/24]

Departmental Data

Michael Ring

142. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the details of the travel that he has undertaken outside Ireland from June 2020 when he took up his Ministerial position to date; the exact locations that he has travelled to; the reason for same; the mode of travel used, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7867/24]

Electricity Generation

Jennifer Whitmore

143. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications for details on how the Government envision community electricity generation projects to raise funds for the construction of such projects; if the Government have any plans to create green financing packages that will allow such projects to access funds to ensure such projects are financially viable; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7977/24]

Energy Prices

Alan Kelly

144. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if there is any financial assistance/credits available to be put towards the electricity bills of parents of seriously ill children who depend upon high electric usage medical equipment 24/7 for survival. [7991/24]

Energy Conservation

Sorca Clarke

145. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the number of households, per county, who are currently approved for works under the warmer homes scheme for which the works have yet to commence. [8107/24]

Energy Conservation

Sorca Clarke

146. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the number of households approved for works under the warmer homes scheme, in tabular form per county for the years 2022, 2023 and to date in 2024. [8108/24]

State Properties

Robert Troy

147. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the timeframe required for the conclusion of Columb Barracks to be transferred to the LDA for the purposes of providing housing and associated social/community developments. [7548/24]

Departmental Data

Catherine Murphy

148. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence if he will provide the reasons a civilian plane visited the Irish Air Corps headquarters at Casement Aerodrome in 2004 (details supplied); if he will also provide the origin departure airport and any stops of this aeroplane as well as the original intended destination airport in Ireland; and if he will also provide the passenger and crew list. [7714/24]

Defence Forces

Mairéad Farrell

149. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence in relation to the NATO Partnerships for Peace agreements and the attempt to increase Ireland’s Defence Forces interoperability with NATO standards and systems, if these agreements have any requirements for arms, equipment, systems or other infrastructure to be procured from manufacturers in NATO members states; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7814/24]

Defence Forces

Catherine Murphy

150. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the refurbishment works that will be carried out at both Casement Aerodrome and Haulbowline Navy Base during 2024; and the nature of these works that will be carried out at both locations, in tabular form. [7842/24]

Capital Expenditure Programme

Catherine Murphy

151. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the plans that are in place for capital investment in defence capability in 2024. [7843/24]

Naval Service

Matt Carthy

152. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence if he will report on the recent monitoring by the Naval Service of a Russian oil tanker of the west coast of Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7901/24]

Defence Forces

Matt Carthy

153. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence his proposals to support the work of veterans associations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7902/24]

Defence Forces

Matt Carthy

154. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the number of people who retired from the Defence Forces in each of the years 2019 to date, by rank and by years of service, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7903/24]

Legislative Measures

Matt Carthy

155. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the legislative basis on which he approves Irish participation in EU battle groups; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7950/24]

Legislative Measures

Matt Carthy

156. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the legislative basis on which he approves Irish participation in NATO Partnership for Peace and the Individual Tailored Partnership Programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7951/24]

Legislative Measures

Matt Carthy

157. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence if he will report on Ireland's new agreement with NATO; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7952/24]