Written answers

Wednesday, 3 November 2021

  • Department of An Taoiseach
    • United Nations
      27. To ask the Taoiseach if he will report on the most recent meeting of the United Nations Security Council. [47952/21]
    • Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements
      35. To ask the Taoiseach if he will report on his last meeting with the UK Prime Minister. [47951/21]
    • Cabinet Committees
      39. To ask the Taoiseach the Cabinet Committee that deals with transport matters; and when it is next due to meet. [47910/21]
    • Brexit Issues
      45. To ask the Taoiseach if he will report on his recent engagement with European Commission Vice-President Maroš Šefcovic, providing an update on the protocol. [48506/21]
    • Office of the Attorney General
      46. To ask the Taoiseach the full extent of the special and exceptional arrangements made by the Government to facilitate the appointment of the new Attorney General in June 2020, which allowed...
    • Ministerial Staff
      49. To ask the Taoiseach the full number of advisers employed by him or his office; the respective roles of each; the salary paid to each adviser; and the background to the recruitment process...
    • Northern Ireland
      50. To ask the Taoiseach if he will meet with victims and survivors of the loyalist Glenanne gang. [50837/21]
    • Departmental Contracts
      60. To ask the Taoiseach the number of existing contracts of an indefinite period entered into by his Department prior to the enactment of the EU Procurement Directive. [53238/21]
  • Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment
    • Work Permits
      61. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will be allocating additional permits for dairy farm workers given the various reports of skills shortages in this industry; and...
    • Departmental Staff
      62. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if the Workplace Relations Commission and his Department are monitoring the number of workplaces adopting the Workplace Relations...
    • Flexible Work Practices
      63. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment when he expects to bring forward legislation to give workers a right to work remotely; if he is undertaking engagement with employers...
  • Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment
    • Departmental Schemes
      64. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the number of current applicants for the SEAI warmer homes scheme by age profile; and if he will make a statement on the...
    • Climate Action Plan
      67. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the status of the Climate Action Plan 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53512/21]
    • Departmental Schemes
      68. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the details of the calculations used by his Department to set the direct annual monetary contribution by the developer...
    • Data Centres
      69. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the engagement he or his Department has had with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment with regard to the...
    • National Broadband Plan
      71. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment when an area (details supplied) will be able to avail of e-fibre broadband. [53524/21]
    • Electricity Grid
      72. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he or his Department has been notified of all energy supply traffic light warnings; if so, when those warnings were...
    • National Broadband Plan
      73. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment when the National Broadband Plan will be rolled out across County Donegal by townland and yearly quarter in tabular...
    • Departmental Staff
      74. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if his Department has adopted the Workplace Relations Commission Code of Conduct on the Right to Disconnect; and if he...
  • Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport
    • Electric Vehicles
      75. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the rationale behind the removal of SEAI grants for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles; the measures that will be put in place to counteract...
    • Driver Test
      76. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the status of steps being taken to clear the waiting list for driver tests; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53516/21]
    • Electric Vehicles
      78. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the reason the electric small public vehicle grant scheme has been closed; if the closure is temporary; if so, when it will resume; if the...
    • Public Transport
      80. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he plans to include private bus operators in the new young adult travel card scheme that was recently announced as part of Budget 2022;...
    • Electric Vehicles
      81. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to expand the use of electric vehicles in public transport services, in particular bus services. [53546/21]
    • Harbours and Piers
      82. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if his attention has been drawn to a matter (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53583/21]
    • Road Projects
      83. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he has considered a road funding indexed linked model to the number of kilometres of roads in each county as a fairer way of addressing...
    • Bus Services
      86. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if there are plans to address the frequent cancellations of Bus Éireann Route 30 between counties Donegal and Dublin; if there are...
    • Rail Network
      87. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the timescale for the delivery of MetroLink; the details of the estimated timing of each of the key milestones; and if he will make a...
  • Department of Finance
    • Insurance Industry
      88. To ask the Minister for Finance the efforts being made to reduce the cost of insurance for returning Irish emigrants who are penalised due to time spent abroad; and if he will make a...
    • Tax Exemptions
      89. To ask the Minister for Finance if he plans to remove the condition that a person must be a dependent relative of the person making a gift of a house to another person as long as all the...
    • Tax Code
      90. To ask the Minister for Finance if changes in the benefit-in-kind tax treatment of electric vehicles now make it attractive for those availing of that relief to switch back to diesel cars;...
    • Revenue Commissioners
      91. To ask the Minister for Finance if his Department is taking steps to improve access to the Revenue Commissioner phone lines for persons who either are not capable of managing their tax...
  • Department of Public Expenditure and Reform
    • Departmental Staff
      92. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if his Department has adopted the Workplace Relations Commission Code of Conduct on the Right to Disconnect; and if he will make a...
  • Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government
    • Local Authorities
      94. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of successful bids submitted by Tipperary County Council under the national taking in charge initiative; the number...
    • Property Registration
      95. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the recourse the Property Registration Authority has when an application for first registration by way of a form 3, that is,...
    • Housing Schemes
      96. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the exact assessment criteria used for the HMD form 1 disability and or medical information used by local authorities for...
    • Defective Building Materials
      97. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will provide an overview of the current regulation and market surveillance in place to ensure that defective blocks are...
    • Derelict Sites
      98. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the amounts levied on derelict sites by local authorities in 2020; the overall market value of sites on the register; and the...
    • Departmental Funding
      99. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the projects supported under the community monument fund in County Mayo in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the...
  • Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
    • Patent Applications
      101. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the current processing time for first-time passport applications for children in cases in which an application is taking significantly...
    • Deaths of Irish Citizens Abroad
      102. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will provide an update on the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53522/21]
    • Foreign Birth Registration
      103. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade when applications for foreign birth registration for the purpose of obtaining Irish citizenship on the basis of a parent or grandparent were...
    • Departmental Staff
      104. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his Department has adopted the Workplace Relations Commission Code of Conduct on the Right to Disconnect; and if he will make a statement...
  • Department of Defence
    • Defence Forces
      105. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the reason the discharge of a member of the Defence Forces (details supplied) who undertook a three year paid trainee scheme and has given the...
    • Departmental Staff
      106. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if his Department has adopted the Workplace Relations Commission Code of Conduct on the Right to Disconnect; and if he will make a statement on...
  • Department of Education and Skills
    • Special Educational Needs
      107. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the efforts her Department and the NCSE are making to address the lack of ASD units in primary schools in south County Tipperary, specifically...
    • Departmental Schemes
      111. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when the new scheme for compensation of persons historically abused in primary schools became operational; the details of the scheme; the...
    • Special Educational Needs
      112. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when the NCSE is expected to issue a decision on an application for expression of interest to establishment of an ASD classroom at a school...
    • Schools Reopening
      113. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the efforts her Department has made to return a school (details supplied) back to the local community; if her attention has been drawn to the...
    • Departmental Schemes
      114. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the amount that is covered in legal fees for those making an application under the ex-gratia scheme; and if she will make a statement on the...
    • Third Level Admissions
      115. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when she will approve the intake numbers into both the bachelor of education and professional master of education for the next academic year; and...
    • Special Educational Needs
      117. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the plan in place for in-school teaching in relation to children in ASD classes in mainstream schools to ensure that those with additional needs...
    • School Transport
      118. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if flexibility is shown in relation to late applications for the remote area grant under any circumstances; and if she will make a statement on...
    • Departmental Staff
      120. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if her Department has adopted the Workplace Relations Commission Code of Conduct on the Right to Disconnect; and if she will make a statement on...
  • Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection
    • Community Employment Schemes
      121. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the progress made with her Department and the Minister for Finance to honour a Labour Court recommendation (details supplied)...
    • Public Transport
      122. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she plans to extend the free travel scheme to cover ferry boats (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on...
    • Social Welfare Benefits
      123. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the position regarding the fuel allowance for a pensioner (details supplied) in Dublin 11; and if she will make a statement...
    • Housing Policy
      126. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if Ireland plans to use InvestEU funds to support investment in social housing; and if she will make a statement on the...
    • Departmental Staff
      127. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if her Department has adopted the Workplace Relations Commission Code of Conduct on the Right to Disconnect; and if she will...
  • Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth
    • Disability Services
      128. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the projects that can be funded under the new Disability Promotion and Awareness Fund; and if he will make a...
    • Children in Care
      130. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of children taken into care using voluntary care agreements for each of Tusla’s 17 service...
    • Seirbhísí Cúram Leanaí
      134. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth an bhfuil i gceist aige scéim cistíochta faoi léith ar chur ar fáil mar thacaíocht...
  • Department of Education and Skills
    • Irish Language
      135. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he plans in consultation with the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media to carry out an audit to ascertain the...
    • Grant Payments
      138. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the fact that students are being denied SUSI support while renting a room from a landlord availing of the...
    • Third Level Admissions
      139. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of registered undergraduate students at a college (details supplied) in each of the years 2016 to 2021 inclusive; and if he will make...
    • Departmental Staff
      140. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his Department has adopted the Workplace Relations Commission Code of Conduct on the Right to Disconnect; and if he will make a statement on...
  • Department of Justice and Equality
    • An Garda Síochána
      141. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if she plans setting out as a policy priority, under section 20 of the Garda Síochána Act 2005, the maintenance of...
    • Coroners Service
      142. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if her Department allocates funding to Cork City Council to fund the Coroner’s Court in Cork. [53610/21]
    • Legislative Process
      143. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality when amendments to the Criminal Justice (Mutual Recognition of Custodial Sentences) Bill 2021 dealing with prisoner transfer to...
    • Departmental Staff
      144. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if her Department has adopted the Workplace Relations Commission Code of Conduct on the Right to Disconnect; and if she will...
  • Department of Health
    • Hospital Services
      145. To ask the Minister for Health when cardiac rehabilitation will resume in Nenagh General Hospital; the length of time this service has been absent from Nenagh General Hospital; the urgent...
    • Health Services
      146. To ask the Minister for Health if a copy will be provided of the independent review that was recently commissioned and completed by the HSE which assessed addiction services in counties...
    • Health Services Staff
      147. To ask the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 1164 of 9 September 2021, if progress has been made from September 2021 in terms of the health service provision of an...
    • Vaccination Programme
      148. To ask the Minister for Health if he has been advised of the categories of patient who should be offered a booster vaccine for Covid-19; the way it is planned to put together a list of all...
    • Medicinal Products
      149. To ask the Minister for Health the date from which the payment under the drug refund scheme will be reduced from €114 to €100. [53456/21]
    • Health Services
      151. To ask the Minister for Health when a bed will be made available for a person (details supplied) in the National Rehabilitation Centre in Dún Laoghaire; and if he will make a statement...
    • Covid-19 Tests
      153. To ask the Minister for Health when antigen testing will be rolled out as an option for access to indoor dining and indoor events; the reason for delays in implementing antigen testing; the...
    • Health Services
      154. To ask the Minister for Health the status of the latest meeting of the post-implementation surveillance monitoring group regarding the donation of blood from men who have sex with men; and...
    • Medical Cards
      155. To ask the Minister for Health the estimated cost of introducing an automatic entitlement to a medical card for all persons over 70 years of age; and if he will make a statement on the...
    • Nursing Homes
      157. To ask the Minister for Health if he plans to exempt rental income generated from family homes from contributions to the fair deal scheme; if so, the timeframe for a decision; and if he will...
    • Hospital Appointments Status
      158. To ask the Minister for Health if an appointment will be expedited for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53492/21]
    • Mental Health Services
      159. To ask the Minister for Health the status of the mental health crisis house in Clonmel, County Tipperary; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53549/21]
    • Covid-19 Pandemic
      160. To ask the Minister for Health if data pertaining to the number of hospital-acquired Covid-19 infections and the number who are in hospital for medical issues other than Covid-19 but who...
    • State Claims Agency
      161. To ask the Minister for Health the total amounts paid by the State Claims Agency to claimants for every maternity hospital in the State in each of the years 2016 to 2021 inclusive in tabular...
    • Hospital Services
      162. To ask the Minister for Health the reason that the cardiac rehabilitation service in Our Lady’s hospital Navan, County Meath has remained suspended since January 2021; the schedule...
    • Health Services
      163. To ask the Minister for Health if he plans to change the rules regarding blood transfusions from actively gay and bisexual men in this State to be in line with other jurisdictions from which...
    • Hospital Appointments Status
      164. To ask the Minister for Health the steps that can be taken to assist a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53609/21]
    • Vaccination Programme
      165. To ask the Minister for Health the details of plans to roll-out booster Covid-19 vaccines in respect of the order of the priority groups to receive same; the arrangements for administering...
    • Health Service Executive
      166. To ask the Minister for Health the reason there is no designated post of chief social worker in the HSE given the range of critical roles that social workers perform across the health sector...
    • Health Services Staff
      167. To ask the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the large void in the number of carers presently available to the HSE to carry out home help services; his views on whether...
    • Home Help Service
      168. To ask the Minister for Health the actions he will take regarding the employment terms and conditions and contracts of employment in the home care sector that have according to his...
    • Departmental Staff
      169. To ask the Minister for Health if his Department has adopted the Workplace Relations Commission Code of Conduct on the Right to Disconnect; and if he will make a statement on the matter....
  • Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
    • Fishing Industry
      170. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will address a matter regarding the provision of compensation in the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a...
    • Veterinary Services
      171. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the details of staff vacancies for each of the 16 regional veterinary offices which serve Ireland and 29 regional veterinary offices...
    • Departmental Schemes
      172. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the details of the level of compensation paid under the TB compensation scheme per county over the past 12 months; and if he will...
    • Greenhouse Gas Emissions
      173. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if an estimation is being carried out of the greenhouse gas emissions savings if bottom trawling is banned or limited to certain...
    • Agriculture Schemes
      174. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the eligibility rules that applied to donkeys under the ANC scheme in 2021; the proposals he has to change the rules for 2022 and...
    • Agriculture Industry
      175. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will address a matter (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53584/21]
    • Forestry Sector
      176. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of a felling licence for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53604/21]
    • Departmental Staff
      177. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department has adopted the Workplace Relations Commission Code of Conduct on the Right to Disconnect; and if he will make a...
  • Department of Rural and Community Development
    • Island Communities
      178. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development if she plans to have a public consultation with islanders in relation to possible improvements to ferry and air services to the...
    • Seirbhísí Iompair
      179. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development an mbeidh meon dearfach aici i leith seirbhís idir Oileáin Árann a chur ar fáil ar bhonn teoranta le haghaidh...
    • Creimeadh Cósta
      181. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development an bhfuil i gceist aici airgead a chur ar fáil le creimeadh cósta a mhaolú ar oileáin (sonraí tugtha); agus...
    • Departmental Schemes
      182. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the status of the local improvement scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53486/21]
    • Departmental Staff
      184. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development if her Department has adopted the Workplace Relations Commission Code of Conduct on the Right to Disconnect; and if she will make a...