NEWS

The Minister states: While neither of my Department's sports capital funding programmes - the Community Sport Facilities Fund (CSFF) and the Large Scale Sports Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF) - provide for the acquisition of land I would be supportive of any funding proposal that would enable local authorities to acquire lands for sport and recreation purposes. The Programme for Government commits to supporting local authorities in the acquisition of new lands for parks and playi

The Minister states: Tenancy sustainment, or tenant-in-situ, is a priority category under my Department's Second Hand Acquisitions Programme. It is not a scheme, but a policy tool available to local authorities to prevent social housing supported households in the private rented sector from falling into homelessness. It should only be used as a last resort by local authorities when all other options have been exhausted. In 2025, €3.5m was allocated to Carlow Co. Co. which was

Question: Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will confirm the status of the development of the Kilkenny Schools Campus site; if the funding of €5 million announced by the previous Minister will be confirmed; if the project will be approved for the next phase of the development given that at the end of 2025, the enabling works were substantially completed with utilities awaiting final connection; if the tender report for pre-qualificatio

The Minister states: The EU VAT Directive, which Irish VAT law must comply, generally holds that all goods and services are liable for VAT at the standard rate. If a good or service is included in a list under Annex III of the Directive an exemption or reduced rate of VAT may be applied. Under Annex III of the VAT Directive, Member States may apply a reduced rate or zero rate of VAT to the supply of pharmaceutical products used for medical purposes. On this basis, Ireland app

The Minister states: GPs are self-employed practitioners and therefore may establish practices at a place of their own choosing. There is no prescribed ratio of GPs to patients, and the State does not regulate the number of GPs that can set up in any area. Under the GMS scheme, the HSE contracts GPs to provide medical services without charge to medical card and GP visit card holders. Currently there are 2,598 GPs contracted to provide services under the GMS Scheme. A further

The Minister states: The Targeted Agriculture Modernisation Scheme (TAMS 3) provides grants to farmers to build and/or improve a specified range of farm buildings and equipment on their holdings. One of the key objectives of this scheme is to provide improved nutrient storage facilities, which is a key factor in delivering improved sustainability in the farming sector. In January last year, I introduced an enhanced grant rate and a dedicated ring-fenced ceiling for Nutrient S

The Minister states: The Department of Social Protection provides State Pension payments through the State Pension (Contributory), which is a contributory payment based on a person's social insurance record and the State Pension (Non-Contributory) which is means-tested social assistance payment. To receive either a contributory or social assistance payment a person must qualify for that payment in their own right. The State Pension (Contributory) is funded from the Social Ins

The Minister states: The DEIS programme is a key policy of Government to tackle concentrated educational disadvantage at school level. It provides a targeted range of supports and is additional to the universal supports provided to all schools, such free hot school meals at primary schools and free schoolbooks. Schools also have access other universal supports such as wellbeing supports for students through the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS), additional tea

The Minister states: The Catchment-based Flood Risk Assessment and Management (CFRAM) Programme, the largest study of flood risk ever undertaken by the State, was completed by the Office of Public Works (OPW) in 2018. The CFRAM programme studied 80% of Ireland's primary flood risk and identified measures to protect over 95% of that risk. The 29 Flood Risk Management Plans (FRMPs) were a key output of CFRAM, identifying proposed flood relief measures nationwide. The Government