Parliamentary questions

Aviation Industry

Matt Shanahan

49. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Transport the key policy achievements realised and new initiatives taken by his Department to date and during 2024 in relation to regional aviation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24240/24]

Aviation Industry

Matt Shanahan

50. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Transport if he will provide an outline of the spending in aviation in his Department to date and during 2024; to provide an account of any overspend or underspend noted by his Department in this Government programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24241/24]

Airport Policy

Matt Shanahan

51. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Transport the main sectors of analysis his Department is applying to the present Waterford airport runway extension review; the number of similar reviews using the same analysis template that have taken place in his Department over the past five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24242/24]

Airport Policy

Matt Shanahan

52. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Transport if he will outline, regarding the Waterford airport runway extension business review, the way in which the exposure of the Exchequer being capped at maximum €12 million liability is captured in the present review report; to detail any other projects reviewed by his Department requesting Government funding where a similar ‘costs cap guarantee’ was provided to Government; how this cost benefit is weighted in terms of the overall review report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24243/24]

Small and Medium Enterprises

Matt Shanahan

50. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the main supports to the SME sector his Department is proposing, including additions to the increased cost of business scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23223/24]

Artificial Intelligence

Matt Shanahan

69. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will acknowledge the continuing momentum around artificial intelligence generation has the potential to create seismic challenges for both the public and private business sectors; if he is considering any developments around specific agency development to support public and private sector navigation of these challenges; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23238/24]

Departmental Functions

Matt Shanahan

94. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment his views regarding his Department's activity with respect to the national training fund; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23237/24]

Business Supports

Matt Shanahan

97. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the details of the application rates his Department has seen in relation to the ICOB scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23234/24]

Tax Data

Matt Shanahan

152. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Finance the details of the latest understandings regarding the number of businesses and the outstanding debt that remains within the debt warehousing scheme that relate to businesses that have still not engaged with revenue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23235/24]

Work Permits

Matt Shanahan

167. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he would acknowledge that a large number of SMEs in Ireland are struggling to meet demand because they cannot recruit or retain employees with the necessary skillsets within Ireland; to confirm the number of overseas employees over the past five years who have been recruited in managerial and customer facing rolls, in tabular form; the plans his Department has to work with SMEs to alleviate these difficulties; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23262/24]

Work Permits

Matt Shanahan

168. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he has any concerns regarding the costs trajectory on business as a result of the proposed roadmap for increasing minimum annual remuneration thresholds for employment permits; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23261/24]

National Broadband Plan

Matt Shanahan

169. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the reason An Rinn in County Waterford is not included in the national broadband plan; the steps that can be taken by families and businesses in An Rinn that wish to access high-speed data; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22926/24]

National Broadband Plan

Matt Shanahan

170. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications in view of the lack of national broadband access in An Rinn, County Waterford, if he will advise alternative providers that can possibly provide a service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22927/24]

Special Educational Needs

Matt Shanahan

299. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Education if there is any requirement for teachers to train or upskill in how to identify children in their classrooms with ASD or ADHD; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22555/24]

Housing Policy

Matt Shanahan

337. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the supports available for persons in the following situation (details supplied). [22380/24]

Disabilities Assessments

Matt Shanahan

516. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth when the legislation will be enacted to reimburse parents who have to pay private practitioners to assess their children for special needs, in order to bypass long HSE primary care psychology or CAMHS waiting lists; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22551/24]

Traffic Management

Matt Shanahan

128. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Transport if he will address the concerns raised regarding traffic controls adjacent to a national school (details supplied); if he will acknowledge the obvious dangers that exist, given there is no on-street parking available for school pick-up and drop-off, which is causing both parking congestion at the roadside and visibility issues for traffic circulating through; if he will require the local authority to install speed ramps adjacent to the school area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22236/24]

Heritage Centres

Matt Shanahan

165. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform the number of complementary admissions being issued each year at the Custom House visitor centre (details supplied); when the visitor centre will be properly operational; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22283/24]

Heritage Centres

Matt Shanahan

166. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform the progress made on sourcing a cash safe for the Custom House visitor centre (details supplied); the number of complementary visitors admitted over the past five years; his views on whether this issue should be relatively easy to rectify; when the visitor centre will receive the long awaited cash safe that will enable it to process cash payments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22292/24]

Energy Policy

Matt Shanahan

109. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if Ireland has purchased the gas storage ship it announced in 2023 which customers were told that they would be paying for through their household bills; if, given that Ireland has apparently less than two years' supply of gas left and this ship was intended for reserves, the ship has been purchased; if customers have begun paying for it; to provide a status update; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21263/24]