Written answers
Wednesday, 26 May 2021
- Department of An Taoiseach
- Departmental Functions
51. To ask the Taoiseach if he will report on the work of the EU and international division of his Department. [27896/21]
- Cybersecurity Policy
52. To ask the Taoiseach if a schedule will be provided of IT and email security costs incurred over the past five years to date; and the contractor engaged to deliver the services and or system....
- Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements
55. To ask the Taoiseach the issues discussed at his recent meeting with the British Prime Minister. [27446/21]
- Departmental Legal Services
56. To ask the Taoiseach the spend by his Department on external professional legal services in 2014, 2019 and 2020, in tabular form. [28497/21]
- Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment
- Personal Injuries Assessment Board
61. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the waiting time for the completion of the case of a person by the Personal Injuries Assessment Board; and if he will make a statement...
- Trade Unions
62. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the timeline for his proposed actions and policy on collective bargaining and the right to trade union recognition; if he will...
- Cybersecurity Policy
63. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment his plans to upgrade the IT system in his Department and bodies under his aegis with a view to maximising the protection against...
- Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment
- Public Procurement Contracts
65. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he will provide the green procurement reporting template that Departments must submit to the EPA as per Circular...
- Energy Policy
66. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment when the review of the security of energy supply will commence; the length of time it is expected to take to complete...
- Departmental Advertising
67. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the spending by his Department on advertising with companies (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the...
- Recycling Policy
68. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his plans to include a specific target for aluminium cans aside from general metal recycling rates as part of the...
- National Broadband Plan
71. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment when fibre broadband will be available to a household (details supplied) in County Donegal; and if he will make a...
- Environmental Policy
73. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the grants available to sports clubs, resorts and golf clubs that would like to transition into carbon negative...
- Cybersecurity Policy
74. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his plans to upgrade the IT system in his Department and bodies under his aegis with a view to maximising the protection...
- Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport
- Electric Vehicles
76. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will approve the installation of additional rapid e-car chargers in Cahersiveen and Dingle, County Kerry; and if he will make a...
- Departmental Schemes
77. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if a group (details supplied) can apply for funding for a new watercraft; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28561/21]
- Rail Network
78. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if his attention has been drawn to matters in relation to the Barrow bridge (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the...
- Bus Services
79. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if a list will be provided of all new routes established by the National Transport Authority since March 2020. [28471/21]
- Driver Licences
84. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the reason learner permits have not been extended when most learner drivers have been unable to complete their EDT or sit their driver...
- Driver Test
85. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if there are plans to roll-out temporary pop-up driver test centres; if so, the locations; if consideration will be given to locating a...
- Public Transport
86. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he has considered taking further action towards providing free travel on public transport to those unable to drive due to epilepsy; and...
- Bus Services
87. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will report on the tendering of Bus Éireann routes (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28545/21]
- Covid-19 Pandemic
89. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the reason driver instructors are still being refused access to shelter and toilet facilities in testing centres despite the phased...
- Driver Test
90. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if a driver test will be expedited for an essential worker (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28607/21]
- Rail Network
91. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if his attention has been drawn to ongoing issues in relation to the provision of toilet facilities at a train station (details supplied)...
- Road Network
94. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if his attention has been drawn to transport difficulties for a town (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement...
- Cybersecurity Policy
95. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to upgrade the IT system in his Department and bodies under his aegis with a view to maximising the protection against hackers....
- Driver Test
97. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport when driver theory tests will recommence; and his plans to deal with the backlog. [28757/21]
- Department of Finance
- Covid-19 Pandemic Supports
100. To ask the Minister for Finance if assurances will be provided to the early years sector that a bespoke EWSS will remain in place for childcare settings until December 2021 (details...
- Tax Rebates
101. To ask the Minister for Finance if he will address an issue (details supplied) regarding the rebate diesel scheme. [28396/21]
- Fiscal Data
102. To ask the Minister for Finance if he will provide the data on general Government net worth in each of the years 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015 and 2020, in tabular form. [28401/21]
- Covid-19 Pandemic Supports
103. To ask the Minister for Finance if companies (details supplied) have availed of the temporary wage subsidy scheme and the employment wage subsidy scheme; if access to the scheme will be...
- Cybersecurity Policy
104. To ask the Minister for Finance his plans to upgrade the IT system in his Department and bodies under his aegis with a view to maximising the protection against hackers. [28685/21]
- Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht
- Covid-19 Pandemic
108. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if from 7 June 2021, pubs will be able to serve drinks outdoors without an obligation to serve food as well. [28786/21]
- Irish Language
109. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht her plans to tackle the decline in the Irish language. [28393/21]
- Tourism Industry
111. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the organisations or sectors that have been appointed by Fáilte Ireland to the Tourism Recovery Taskforces (details...
- Online Safety
112. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if she has considered expanding the definition of harmful content as per the Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill 2020 to...
- Covid-19 Pandemic
113. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if the easing of restrictions on 2 June 2021 contain any provisions for music and entertainment to be permitted at social...
- Departmental Funding
114. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if she will reply to an email sent to her office (details supplied) in relation to funding discrimination against artists with...
- Swimming Pools
119. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht when children’s swimming lessons will resume in line with public health advice; and if she will make a statement on the...
- Scoileanna Gaeilge agus Gaeltachta
120. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht cén uair a bhéas cinneadh déanta ag a Roinn maidir le iarratas a chur coiste tuismitheoirí scoil i Dhún...
- Cybersecurity Policy
121. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht her plans to upgrade the IT system in her Department and bodies under her aegis with a view to maximising the protection against...
- Sports Funding
123. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if she will provide the necessary funds to resurface the soccer astroturf pitch at a location (details supplied); and if she will...
- Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government
- Turf Cutting
124. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the planed measures being taken to prevent turf cutting on raised bogs in 2021 which are designated as special areas of...
- Planning Issues
125. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if the May 2021 Regulation of Commercial Institutional Investment in Housing guidelines for Planning Authorities only apply to...
- Homeless Persons Supports
126. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the reason a report on the large increase in the number of deaths of persons that are either sleeping rough or are in contact...
- Disability Services
129. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government when a person (details supplied) will receive access to Granstown Lake, County Laois; and if he will make a statement on the...
- Defective Building Materials
130. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will address a matter regarding the Mayo pyrite and Donegal MICA issue (details supplied); and if he will make a...
- Insurance Industry
131. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government his plans to address borrowers availing of the Rebuilding Ireland home loan paying over the odds for mortgage protection...
- Departmental Bodies
132. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the membership of the Advisory Group on Town Centres First; the dates of meetings to date and planned; the way the membership...
- Local Authorities
134. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the gender breakdown of the senior officials responsible for planning in all local authorities; and if he will make a...
- Undefined
135. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the position with regard to the provision of so-called changing place toilet facilities in Ireland; the number of times the...
- Housing Issues
136. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to voluntary housing bodies which have sold their stock on to their former tenants once all...
- Waterways Issues
137. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the status of a project (details supplied) in County Kildare under the leadership of Kildare County Council given the...
- Cybersecurity Policy
138. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government his plans to upgrade the IT system in his Department and bodies under his aegis with a view to maximising the protection...
- Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
- European Union
141. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his views on the signing by the European Commission of a €384 million contract for a Covid-19 vaccine with a company (details...
- Middle East
142. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the amount of the recently announced €1.5 million funding which will be made available to ensure access to education in occupied...
- Foreign Birth Registration
143. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he has considered backdating entries to the foreign births register due to the delays in processing births due to Covid-19 restrictions...
- Cybersecurity Policy
144. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his plans to upgrade the IT system in his Department and bodies under his aegis with a view to maximising the protection against hackers....
- Department of Defence
- Defence Forces
146. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if he or his officials have had meetings with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage regarding the upgrading, putting back...
- Cybersecurity Policy
151. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence his plans to upgrade the IT system in his Department and bodies under his aegis with a view to maximising the protection against hackers. [28681/21]
- Department of Education and Skills
- Site Acquisitions
153. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will expedite the work underway in respect of the transfer of lands to a local authority via the Chief State Solicitors Office in order...
- Special Educational Needs
154. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if there will be a review of NCSE policy with the aim to achieving a more efficient system that ensure an increase the number of ASD units in...
- State Examinations
155. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will give consideration to extending the accommodations afforded to students who experience a bereavement during State examinations and...
- Covid-19 Pandemic
156. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will respond to queries raised in correspondence (details supplied) in respect of the most up-to-date advice on the use of pods and class...
- State Examinations
157. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will consider that a student who experiences a medical emergency such as a seizure immediately before or during their leaving certificate...
- School Funding
158. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if her Department can examine funding options for a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28438/21]
- School Curriculum
159. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if her Department will run an audit on school curricula regarding inclusivity and visibility of breastfeeding families; and if she will make a...
- Irish Sign Language
161. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the work that has been done by her Department on the inclusion of Irish Sign Language on the school curriculum; and the research or consultation...
- State Examinations
163. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she has considered ensuring that leaving certificate students who experience a medical emergency such as a seizure immediately prior to or...
- Third Level Education
164. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if her attention has been drawn to differences in funding support for doctoral training for educational psychologists and counselling...
- School Transport
165. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will address a matter regarding the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28639/21]
- Cybersecurity Policy
167. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to upgrade the IT system in her Department and bodies under her aegis with a view to maximising the protection against hackers. [28682/21]
- Departmental Data
169. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if a list of all developing schools broken down by primary and post-primary will be supplied in tabular form. [28783/21]
- Covid-19 Pandemic Supports
170. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 339 of 13 May 2021, if the arrangements for the third and final instalment for the PPE grant 2020-2021...
- Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection
- Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment
171. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her views on a case in which an employee who is in receipt of the pandemic unemployment payment and has not been told when...
- Driver Licences
172. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will consider persons with epilepsy who lose their driver licence due to a diagnosis of epilepsy or breakthrough...
- State Pensions
173. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if a decision has been made on a State pension (contributory) backdating appeal by a person (details supplied) in County...
- Social Welfare Benefits
174. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the position regarding a social welfare application by a person (details supplied) in County Dublin; and if she will make a...
- Cybersecurity Policy
187. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her plans to upgrade the IT system in her Department and bodies under her aegis with a view to maximising the protection...
- Social Welfare Appeals
189. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when the Social Welfare Appeals Office expects to recommence oral hearings; and if she will make a statement on the...
- Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth
- Health Services
190. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if his attention has been drawn to the proposal by the Cancer Genetics Service, HOPE Directorate at St....
- Childcare Services
191. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if his Department has communicated with soft play centres in relation to utilising the facilities as childcare...
- Child and Family Agency
192. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will provide details of the Tusla files that were affected by the cyberattack on the HSE; the current...
- Childcare Qualifications
193. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if a person (details supplied) will have to give up their current employment on a date; if not, if they will be...
- Departmental Legal Services
194. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the spend by his Department on external professional legal services in 2014, 2019 and 2020, in tabular form....
- Departmental Policies
195. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the policy of his Department to ensure artists with disabilities have full access to and participation in the...
- Departmental Schemes
196. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the amount of funding as part of the UBU scheme administered in 2019 and 2020 per county and per capita in terms...
- Childcare Services
197. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if there will be an increase in spending on childcare in 2022 in order to move Ireland towards a quality,...
- Cybersecurity Policy
198. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth his plans to upgrade the IT system in his Department and bodies under his aegis with a view to maximising the...
- Childcare Services
200. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth his views on whether the current AIM model in childcare is sufficient to attract enough qualified childcare...
- Undefined
203. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth his plans to address Covid-19-related issues affecting children including children with special needs with...
- Youth Services
204. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the extent to which he will apply special emphasis on integration to youth organisations or otherwise; if the...
- Department of Education and Skills
- Education Schemes
205. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the process by which the workers of a company (details supplied) can request access to the retraining fund. [28468/21]
- Third Level Fees
208. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the University of Limerick charged a premium and substantial fee to students for an...
- Grant Payments
209. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the status of the review of the SUSI scheme; the timeline for the completion of the review; the timeline for the implementation of...
- Cybersecurity Policy
211. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to upgrade the IT system in his Department and bodies under his aegis with a view to maximising the protection against hackers. [28687/21]
- Third Level Fees
213. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the fact that postgraduate business students at the University of Limerick will not receive a refund for the...
- Department of Justice and Equality
- Public Sector Pensions
215. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the grounds on which a public servant may be granted early retirement and pension entitlement (details supplied). [28611/21]
- Citizenship Applications
216. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if the return of a passport will be expedited for a person (details supplied) that was submitted in their application for...
- International Protection
217. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the measures in place to establish a digital first approach to the processing of international protection applications; and if...
- An Garda Síochána
218. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the status of progress made on the construction of a new Garda station at Kickham Barracks, Clonmel, County Tipperary; if her...
- State Bodies
219. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the steps her Department has taken to address the block booking of appointments on the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration...
- Coroners Service
220. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the reason a family (details supplied) have been told they must wait up to two years for a coroner's inquest into the death of...
- Vaccination Programme
221. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of prisoners who have been vaccinated to date against Covid-19; the number vaccinated who are over 60 years of age;...
- Departmental Data
222. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 200 of 12 May 2021, the number of drivers summoned to court for failure to pay a fixed...
- Private Security Authority
223. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if PSA door security licences will be extended without cost as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic (details supplied); and if she...
- Cybersecurity Policy
225. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality her plans to upgrade the IT system in her Department and bodies under her aegis with a view to maximising the protection...
- Immigration Status
227. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the current and expected residency status in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the...
- Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
- Agriculture Schemes
228. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of an application for a herd number transfer by a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the...
- Forestry Sector
229. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if a decision has been made on an application by a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28440/21]
- Trade Relations
230. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the progress to date in having beef exports to China resumed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28477/21]
- State Bodies
231. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of full-time equivalent staff currently assigned to the Unfair Trading Practices Enforcement Authority; and if he will...
- Animal Diseases
233. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of TB outbreaks in controlled finishing units in each of the years 2015 to 2020 and to date in 2021, in tabular form; and...
- Animal Slaughtering
235. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of cattle slaughtered from controlled finishing units by week in each of the years 2017 to 2020 and to date in 2021, in...
- Agriculture Industry
236. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the appropriate authority to report untagged livestock; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28552/21]
- Cybersecurity Policy
239. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to upgrade the IT system in his Department and bodies under his aegis with a view to maximising the protection against...
- Agriculture Schemes
241. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he is considering redrafting of the current reconstitution scheme to deal with ash dieback in order to include all trees planted...
- Department of Rural and Community Development
- Road Projects
242. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development if she will address a matter (details supplied) regarding funding of local improvement schemes; and if she will make a statement on...
- Cybersecurity Policy
243. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development her plans to upgrade the IT system in her Department and bodies under her aegis with a view to maximising the protection against...
