Written Answers Nos. 91-109
92. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether her Department works with swimming and water safety organisations to provide water safety advice in schools; and if there are any plans to introduce such provision. [44364/26]
View answerThe Wellbeing specification emphasises teacher agency and empowers teachers to make informed decisions within the parameters of the curriculum. Learning Outcomes are intentionally broad to enable teachers to be responsive to and take account of the needs and interests of children in their context. This means that there are many opportunities to include learning related to water safety contexts.
This is reflected firstly in the aims. A core aim of the Wellbeing specification is to Instil a strong sense of strong sense of personal and collective safety, to enable children to develop an increasing sense of personal and collective safety, exploring a variety of safety issues and to equip them with the knowledge, skills and confidence to protect themselves from harm. Specific safety issues are not named to enable teachers to address safety concerns that are relevant to the children in their context. These may include water safety as well as fire safety; farm safety; road safety; and so on.
The main area of learning on Safety is in the Strand Unit: Safety, as part of the Health strand. The relevant Learning Outcomes are:
• Stage 1 and 2 (Junior infants – second class): Demonstrate an understanding of and appreciation for basic safety rules and practices. Identify and mitigate unsafe or risky situations and behaviours, prioritising accident prevention and practising/adopting appropriate safety strategies.
• Stage 3 and 4: (third – sixth class): appreciate the importance of safety rules and practices in movement and other contexts. Assess risks, identify unsafe situations and behaviours, and practise/adopt appropriate safety strategies. Demonstrate increasing confidence and personal responsibility toward accident prevention.
Stemming from the aims of the specification, these Learning Outcomes support children to develop the capacity to stay safe in a variety of contexts, which can include water safety. Across the stages, this learning might include understanding safety signs and spotting potential dangers/risks (such as water, electricity, slurry, machinery, animals, chemicals etc.).
The Strand Unit: Making choices supports children to develop decision-making skills. In a water-safety context, this might include considering the consequences of behaviours such as playing near deep water. This supports children to foster a sense of personal responsibility for their own safety and the safety of others.
Water-safety also features under the Physical Education activity area Aquatics, within the Wellbeing specification. Aquatics aims to provide children with water and land-based learning to develop essential safety skills depending on access to suitable environments, transport and qualified instructors. Where possible, children learn about safety, buoyancy, stroke development and self-rescue skill. An emphasis is placed on building confidence through play.
93. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Education and Youth for a list of SEBD schools and their principal emails. [44385/26]
View answerEnabling students with special educational needs to receive an education that meets their needs is a priority for this Government. It is also a key priority for me, my department and for the National Council for Special Education (NCSE).
The vast majority of students with special educational needs are supported to attend mainstream classes with their peers. Where students with more complex needs require additional supports, special class and special school places are provided. This is in keeping with policy on an inclusive education, which advocates that students will be supported to receive an education in the most inclusive setting possible.
Special schools support children and young people aged between 4 and 18 years of age with the most complex special educational needs and ensure positive links are established and fostered between the home, school and other agencies for these students.
A list of all mainstream and special schools is available on my department's website on gov.ie. In addition, a list of schools with special classes; broken by location and class designation is available on the NCSE website: https://ncse.ie/special-classes.
Special schools publish their admission notice which sets out the number of places available for the next enrolment intake. Capacity is subject to multiple factors that are dependent on the individual needs of the student.
There continues to be an increasing need to provide additional special school places to support students with complex needs. To meet this need, sixteen new special schools have been established in recent years, and capacity has been expanded in a number of others. Five of these were established for the 2025/26 school year in counties, Cork, Dublin (2), Monaghan and Tipperary.
I recently announced the establishment of four new special schools for the upcoming school year 2026/2027; a vital step in ensuring that children and young people with special educational needs have access to the specialist supports and environment they need to thrive and reach their full potential.
The four new special schools will be located in Balbriggan and Citywest in Co. Dublin, Bray in Co. Wicklow, and Monasterevin in Co. Kildare. Parents and families looking to apply for admission to the new special schools will be supported and guided by the NCSE at local level and kept updated on developments.
My department and the NCSE are committed to delivering an education system that is of the highest quality and where every child and young person feels valued and is actively supported and nurtured to achieve their full potential.
94. Deputy Eamon Scanlon asked the Minister for Education and Youth when a decision will issue regarding an SNA appeal for a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44386/26]
View answerThis government is fully committed to supporting children with special educational needs to fulfil their full potential and the Programme for Government makes a number of commitments to deliver on this objective.
Special education funding will exceed €3 billion in 2026 – up 58% since 2020 and the highest amount ever provided.
The number of special needs assistants (SNAs) allocated to schools nationally has increased by 45% between the 2020/21 school year and the present. By the end of the 2026/27 school year there will be close to 25,000 SNAs in our mainstream classes, special classes and special schools.
SNAs play a key role in the successful inclusion of students with additional and significant care needs in schools to enable them to achieve their best outcomes and reach their full potential.
It is important to note that there have been increases in SNAs in all counties and across all education settings since 2020, including mainstream, special classes and special schools.
As I outlined recently there will be no reductions to special needs assistants for the next school year 2026/27.
All schools reviewed by the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) or where a school submitted an appeal, since February 2026, have been contacted directly by the NCSE with the outcome by the 4th June.The NCSE have published details of the SNA review process for 2026/27 on their website: www.ncse.ie/school-leaders/guidelines-and-applications/sna-review/. A school should discuss this with their local Special Education Needs Organiser (SENO).
95. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Education and Youth to provide an update on plans to provide additional autism class places to the Dublin 15 area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44420/26]
View answerThis government is fully committed to supporting students with special educational needs to fulfil their full potential and the Programme for Government makes a number of commitments to deliver on this objective.
The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is the statutory body responsible for the provision of special education and allocating supports for students with special educational needs.
My department and the NCSE continue to work closely with school patron bodies, school management bodies and schools to confirm new special classes for the next school year 2026/2027. The NCSE began sanctioning new special classes in January of this year, which is several months earlier than last year.
In addition, I recently announced inclusive special classes as part of a new approach to supporting students with additional needs. This is one of many ways my department is actively engaging to meet the increased demand.
565 new special classes have been sanctioned to date, including 56 inclusive special classes. Further new special classes may be confirmed in the coming weeks.
Of the 565 new special classes, 366 are being established in primary schools and 199 in post-primary schools. New special classes are being established in every county with 135 new special classes confirmed for Dublin so far.
My department and the NCSE are committed to delivering an education system that is of the highest quality and where every child and young person feels valued and is actively supported and nurtured to achieve their full potential.
96. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Education and Youth the way in which fair pension entitlement is being ensured for ETB adult education tutors, given pensions are based only on contract hours; to assess the impact of non-pensionable work on long-serving staff; the steps she will take to improve access to full-time hours for tutors on CID contracts; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44446/26]
View answerPension benefits for tutors and Adult Educators are based on the rules of the relevant pension scheme with due regard to their contract of employment.
Each of the Education and Training Boards (ETB) are independent employers with responsibility for staffing matters. Therefore, decisions which pertain to employment, in line with available budget, and relevant legislation including CIDs are a matter for the employing ETB.
97. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Education and Youth to urgently advance funding approval for an extension to a school (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44449/26]
View answerAs the deputy is aware, the project remains at stage 1 under review. Given the detailed evaluation requirements, the need to ensure full cost compliance, and alignment with the National Development Plan prioritisation, the Stage 1 technical and cost review process is necessarily thorough.
The accommodation needs of the school will be considered as part of the Department’s ongoing prioritisation process, in consultation with the school’s patron and authorities. As the project has not yet progressed beyond Stage 1, it is not currently in a position to advance to tender or construction. Any such progression will be contingent on the successful completion of the review process and advancement through the planning stage, in line with National Development Plan parameters.
The project remains within the overall pipeline of school building projects and will continue to be progressed; however, it is not possible at this stage to provide a definitive timeline for advancement.
This must be considered in the context of the significant level of ongoing capital investment across the wider school system, with €149.94 million provided for schools in Kerry since 2020. Over this period, a total of 69 schools have been upgraded either through provision of a new school building, a large-scale extension or provision of modular accommodation. 3 school projects to go to tender or construction in 2026 and 2027 were included in the NDP Implementation Plan. There are currently 11 school projects in Kerry under construction. This summer, 20 schools are approved to undergo works as part of the Climate Action Summer Works Scheme. In addition, since 2020 a total of 70 special classes have been sanctioned in Kerry, of which 17 were sanctioned for September 2026.
98. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Education and Youth if the necessary funding will be made available in respect of a school (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44450/26]
View answerThe purpose of the Climate Action Summer Works Scheme (CASWS) is to enable individual school authorities to undertake small-scale building works on a devolved basis that, ideally, can be carried out during the summer months or at other times that avoid disrupting the operation of the school. The CASWS operates on a multi-annual basis across a number of categories of works.
It is envisaged that approvals in any given year will involve a spread of categories rather than the traditional single category at a time. This is aimed at managing market capacity and maximising value for money opportunities for school authorities.
In November 2025, the Department announced the first tranche of approvals under the new Climate Action Summer Works Scheme. 297 projects were approved to proceed and involve primary, post primary and special schools, along with projects in all counties and across all categories of works.
The Department can confirm an application was received from the school in question however the school was not on the list of approvals in the first tranche. Given that funding is limited in any particular year it is necessary to prioritise applications. Under the new climate action summer works scheme which operates on a multi annual basis, like previous summer works schemes, applications from schools that are not reached for funding or market prioritisation reasons in 2026 will qualify to be assessed for purposes of the funding available for climate action summer works in subsequent years.
It is anticipated that the next tranche of approvals will be in the latter half of 2026.
Full details of the of the announcement and the list of schools approved in the first tranche, the Circular (0029/2025) for the scheme and guidance documents for schools can be found at the below link: www.gov.ie/en/department-of-education/services/summer-works-scheme/.
99. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Education and Youth to advance a school building project (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44497/26]
View answerThe school referred to by the Deputy was approved to enter the Department’s pipeline of school buildings under the Additional School Accommodation Scheme for a project to provide one mainstream classroom and the reconfiguration of existing accommodation to provide an additional mainstream classroom and one special education tuition classroom, along with ancillary works.
A Stage 2b report was received in March 2026, and the Department has since reverted to the school on issues relating to costings. All projects, including this one, are subject to the full due-diligence requirements set out in my Department’s Infrastructure Guidelines. Managing timing, scope, and cost is crucial to staying within budgetary limits for the overall program.
The accommodation needs at this school will also be considered as part of the ongoing overall department-led NDP prioritisation process, in consultation with the school’s patron and school authorities.
100. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will provide details on the length of time that recruitment of a teacher for a special school takes from the placing of the advertisement to the teacher starting in employment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44614/26]
View answer101. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will provide details on the length of time that recruitment of a SNA for a special school takes from the placing of the advertisement to the SNA starting in employment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44615/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 100 and 101 together.
The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is the statutory body responsible for the provision of special education and allocating supports for students with special educational needs.
Special schools support children and young people aged between 4 and 18 years of age with the most complex special educational needs and ensure positive links are established and fostered between the home, school and other agencies for these students.
The Department of Education and Youth acknowledges the importance of timely staffing allocations for special schools and understands the pressures that delays can place on school leaders in planning, recruitment, and overall organisation.
The department is actively working with the NCSE to ensure that staffing allocations are issued to special schools as early as possible for the coming school year. The department understands that the NCSE will confirm teaching staff allocations early in the week of 8 June. Work is ongoing to improve timelines and provide earlier certainty to schools in advance of the 2027/28 school year.
In previous years, the department asked special schools to run their admissions processes earlier, to enable the timely return of Notifications of Enrolment (NOEs) to the NCSE. This supports the NCSE in finalising and issuing full staffing allocations to schools at the earliest possible stage.
The recruitment and appointment of teachers to fill teaching posts is a matter for the individual school authority, subject to procedures agreed under Section 24 of the Education Act 1998 (as amended by the Education (Amendment) Act 2012).
In accordance with department circulars 0044/2019 and 31/2011, schools are required to employ appropriately qualified and registered teachers and ensure that unemployed teachers should be offered employment in preference to those who have retired.
In accordance with chapter 2 of circular 0044/2019: The advertisement shall state that the latest date and time for receipt of completed applications, which shall not be earlier than 14 days after the first date of publication of the advertisement.
The recruitment and appointment of Special Needs Assistants (SNA) is a matter for the individual school authority. Department's circular 0051/2019 sets out the current requirements for appointment as a SNA.
Circular 0051/2019 sets out that the advertisement shall state that the latest date for receipt of applications, which shall not be earlier than 14 days after the first date of publication of the advertisement.
My department and the NCSE are committed to delivering an education system that is of the highest quality and where every child and young person feels valued and is actively supported and nurtured to achieve their full potential.
Under local pay bargaining arrangements, a new allowance for teachers working in special schools is also now available.
102. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the number of premises in County Kildare that remain without access to high-speed broadband; the areas affected; the anticipated rollout timeline for those locations under the National Broadband Plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44245/26]
View answer103. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the number of broadband connection orders placed, completed and awaiting completion in County Kildare under the National Broadband Plan; and if he will provide a breakdown by electoral area. [44246/26]
View answer104. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport whether his Department has identified any broadband coverage blackspots in south Kildare where residents and businesses continue to experience inadequate connectivity despite existing rollout programmes; and if he will outline any measures being taken to address those deficiencies. [44247/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 102, 103 and 104 together.
The National Broadband Plan (NBP) is the Government initiative to deliver high-speed broadband to all premises in Ireland. In addition, Ireland's Digital Connectivity Strategy published in December 2022, sets out a number of targets including that all Irish households and businesses will be covered by a Gigabit network no later than 2028.
In County Kildare, a significant investment of €53 million is being made under the NBP. National Broadband Ireland (NBI) have advised that there are over 14,120 premises including homes, farms and businesses passed with a high-speed fibre broadband network and 14,657 premises available to order/pre-order, with over 6,540 premises now connected. A further 197 premises are currently in the Network Build in Progress stage.
Deployment Areas (DAs) in Kildare are Ballylinan (1,523 premises), Baltinglass (1,216 premises), Blessington (2,453 premises), Carlow (326 premises), Curragh Camp (3,637 premises), Donadea (3,200 premises), Dunboyne / Clonee (780 premises), Edenderry (851 premises), Hill of Down (337 premises), Portarlington (531 premises).
All DAs in County Kildare are at Available to Order / Pre- Order stage.
NBI does not provide fibre broadband services directly to end users. Instead, NBI enables connectivity through a wide range of broadband providers, known as Retail Service Providers (RSPs). The Fibre-to-the-Home network is made available on an open-access basis to all RSPs operating via the NBI Network. A full list of participating retail broadband providers is available on the NBI website at nbi.ie. NBI does not publish data on orders placed by individual RSPs, nor does it disaggregate connection figures by electoral area. However, the NBI website is regularly updated with the overall number of live connections, reflecting orders that have been successfully fulfilled.
Details are available on specific areas within County Kildare which can be monitored via https://nbi.ie/reps/. NBI has a dedicated email address, reps@nbi.ie, which can be used by Oireachtas members for specific queries. It should be noted that NBI provide this information for County Kildare based on NBI deployment areas rather than exact county boundaries.
Alongside the NBP intervention contract, commercial operators continue to upgrade their networks throughout the State to primarily urban areas and contribute materially to achieving the Digital Connectivity Strategy targets. Commercial operators have indicated that their networks will be upgraded to all urban areas by 2028.
Open eir have already passed over 74,320 premises across County Kildare while SIRO and Virgin Media have passed over 45,210 and 54,300 premises respectively for full fibre in County Kildare.
105. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the measures being taken to maintain access to postal and Government services in rural areas. [44354/26]
View answerThe Government is committed to a sustainable An Post and post office network as a key component of the economic and social infrastructure throughout Ireland. The Programme for Government states that the Government will continue to provide the nationwide network of post offices with funding to ensure their sustainability and enhance the value they bring to local communities.
In that regard, on 13 January 2026, Government approved renewed funding for the Post Office Network over the next 5 years (2026-2030), at an enhanced amount of €15m per annum from my Department.
In line with the Programme for Government, the funding will support the stability and sustainability of the nationwide network of post offices, protecting and nurturing a commercially focused Post Office Network. It will also support access for citizens to the key social benefits of the Post Office Network and help citizens access services effectively and equitably.
The Government also agreed the principles on which the funding model will operate, which include:
• maintaining access to the network across urban and rural Ireland, ensuring no community is left behind.
• aligning individual funding with criteria including the degree of isolation and the sustainability of each post office.
• ensuring a minimum revenue threshold for post offices.
• recognising offices of cultural or geographic significance—such as those on inhabited islands or in Gaeltacht areas.
It should be noted that An Post is a commercial State body with a mandate to act commercially. An Post has statutory responsibility for the State's postal service and the post office network.
Decisions relating to the network, including decisions relating to specific post offices are operational matters for the Board and management of the company and not one in which I have any function.
The terms under which Postmasters contract with An Post is a matter between the Postmasters and An Post and any negotiations are a matter for both parties directly.
106. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the number of anti-doping tests carried out by Sport Ireland on athletes registered with an organisation (details supplied) the in each year since 2021, broken down by tests on athletes aged 18 and over and tests on athletes under the age of 18, together with the number of anti-doping rule violations recorded in each year, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44255/26]
View answer107. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the number of anti-doping tests carried out by Sport Ireland on athletes registered with an organisation (details supplied) in each year since 2021, broken down by tests on athletes aged 18 and over and tests on athletes under the age of 18, together with the number of anti-doping rule violations recorded in each year, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44256/26]
View answer108. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the number of anti-doping tests carried out by Sport Ireland on athletes registered with an organisation (details supplied) in each year since 2021, broken down by tests on athletes aged 18 and over and tests on athletes under the age of 18, together with the number of anti-doping rule violations recorded in each year, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44257/26]
View answer109. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the number of anti-doping tests carried out by Sport Ireland on athletes registered with an organisation (details supplied) in each year since 2021, broken down by tests on athletes aged 18 and over and tests on athletes under the age of 18, together with the number of anti-doping rule violations recorded in each year, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44258/26]
View answer110. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the number of anti-doping tests carried out by Sport Ireland on athletes registered with an organisation (details supplied) in each year since 2021, broken down by tests on athletes aged 18 and over and tests on athletes under the age of 18, together with the number of anti-doping rule violations recorded in each year, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44259/26]
View answer111. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the number of anti-doping tests carried out by Sport Ireland on athletes registered with an organisation (details supplied) in each year since 2021, broken down by tests on athletes aged 18 and over and tests on athletes under the age of 18, together with the number of anti-doping rule violations recorded in each year, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44260/26]
View answer112. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the number of anti-doping tests carried out by Sport Ireland on athletes registered with an organisation (details supplied) in each year since 2021, broken down by tests on athletes aged 18 and over and tests on athletes under the age of 18, together with the number of anti-doping rule violations recorded in each year, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44261/26]
View answer113. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the number of anti-doping tests carried out by Sport Ireland on athletes registered with in each year since 2021 with an organisation (details supplied) broken down by tests on athletes aged 18 and over and tests on athletes under the age of 18, together with the number of anti-doping rule violations recorded in each year, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44262/26]
View answer114. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the number of anti-doping tests carried out by Sport Ireland on athletes registered with an organisation (details supplied) each year since 2021, broken down by tests on athletes aged 18 and over and tests on athletes under the age of 18, together with the number of anti-doping rule violations recorded in each year, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44263/26]
View answer115. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the number of anti-doping tests carried out by Sport Ireland on athletes registered within an organisation (details supplied) each year since 2021, broken down by tests on athletes aged 18 and over and tests on athletes under the age of 18, together with the number of anti-doping rule violations recorded in each year, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44264/26]
View answer116. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the number of anti-doping tests carried out by Sport Ireland on athletes registered with an organisation (details supplied) in each of the years since 2021, broken down by tests on athletes aged 18 and over and tests on athletes under the age of 18, together with the number of anti-doping rule violations recorded in each year, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44266/26]
View answer117. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the number of anti-doping tests carried out by Sport Ireland on athletes registered with a sports Organisation (details Supplied) in each year since 2021, broken down by tests on athletes aged 18 and over and tests on athletes under the age of 18, together with the number of anti-doping rule violations recorded in each year, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44267/26]
View answer118. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the number of anti-doping tests carried out by Sport Ireland on athletes registered with a sports organisation (details supplied) in each year since 2021, broken down by tests on athletes aged 18 and over and tests on athletes under the age of 18, together with the number of anti-doping rule violations recorded in each year, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44268/26]
View answer119. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the number of anti-doping tests carried out by a sports organisation on athletes under the age of 18 in each year since 2021, broken down by sport, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44269/26]
View answer120. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the sports in which no anti-doping testing was carried out by a Sports organisation on athletes under the age of 18 since 2021; the criteria used to determine whether underage athletes in a given sport are subject to anti-doping testing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44270/26]
View answer123. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the number of anti-doping rule violations recorded since 2021 that involved recreational or non-performance-enhancing substances, as distinct from performance-enhancing substances, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44394/26]
View answer124. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the number of Irish athletes sanctioned by an international federation or integrity body, rather than through the domestic Sport Ireland programme, in each year since 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44395/26]
View answer125. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the number of reports received through the RealResponse anonymous reporting service since its introduction by Sport Ireland; the number referred for investigation; the number that resulted in further action; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44396/26]
View answer126. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the number of anti-doping investigations initiated by Sport Ireland on the basis of intelligence rather than an adverse analytical finding in each year since 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44397/26]
View answer127. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the number of Athlete Biological Passport cases pursued by Sport Ireland in each year since 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44398/26]
View answer128. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the number of whereabouts failures recorded by Sport Ireland, broken down by sport, in each year since 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44399/26]
View answer129. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the number of anti-doping rule violations recorded since 2021 that were attributed to contaminated or mislabelled nutritional supplements; the education provided by Sport Ireland to athletes on the risks associated with supplement use; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44400/26]
View answer130. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the legal costs incurred by Sport Ireland in connection with anti-doping cases in each year since 2021; the number of anti-doping cases appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport or equivalent body over the same period; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44401/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118, 119, 120, 123, 124, 125, 126, 127, 128, 129 and 130 together.
Sport Ireland, which is funded by my Department, is the statutory body with responsibility for the development of sport, increasing participation at all levels and raising standards. This includes the administration of the anti-doping programme by the Anti-Doping unit within Sport Ireland.
Accordingly, I have referred the Deputy's question to Sport Ireland for direct reply. I would ask the Deputy to inform my office if a reply is not received within 10 days.
