Written answers
Wednesday, 8 December 2021
- Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment
- Departmental Consultations
28. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the actions that have been taken in relation to the engagement and consultation with retired workers' organisations given to Dáil...
- Research Funding
31. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he has adopted recommendations by the Irish Government Economic Evaluation Service in its spending review on the disruptive...
- Covid-19 Pandemic
33. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment his views on the calls for the waiving of intellectual property rights for Covid-19 vaccines, tests and treatments; and if he will...
- Skills Development
34. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of qualified tradespersons and skilled retrofitting workers that will be needed to deliver on retrofitting and other...
- Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment
- Just Transition
36. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the status of the application to the European Union Just Transition Fund; the timeline and process for adjudication,...
- Environmental Policy
37. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the reason the Government did not separately sign the COP26 declaration of support for a Just Transition (details...
- Electricity Generation
38. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if gas fired power plants will be built to protect energy supplies as Ireland transition to renewables; and if he will...
- Post Office Network
39. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if a commitment to delivering Government services through the post office network has been sought by his Department; and...
- Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport
- Public Transport
41. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the budget allocation that will be required to administer half-price public transport to 19 to 23 year-olds as announced in Budget 2022;...
- School Transport
42. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if school bus services returned to operating on a 100% capacity basis from 19 November2021; if there has been a review of this position;...
- Bus Services
43. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will report on the provision of funding for the new S3 Sligo town bus route designed by the National Transport Authority; and if he...
- Road Projects
45. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will review local authority correspondence (details supplied) regarding the N2 project; and if he will make a statement on the...
- Department of Finance
- Covid-19 Pandemic Supports
46. To ask the Minister for Finance the safeguards that are in place to ensure that a company experienced a reduction in turnover of 30% and that this reduction was solely caused by Covid-19 in...
- Consumer Prices
47. To ask the Minister for Finance if he will provide details of the way the consumer price index has changed annually in Ireland from 2008 to 2021, in tabular form; and if he will make a...
- Covid-19 Pandemic Supports
48. To ask the Minister for Finance if he will reverse the decision to cut the employment wage subsidy scheme given the crisis being faced by the hospitality industry; and if he will make a...
- Banking Sector
51. To ask the Minister for Finance if he will review correspondence (details supplied); if he or his Department can assist with this; if he can provide advice on this matter to the local...
- Department of Public Expenditure and Reform
- Public Sector Staff
53. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will revise circular E103/3/83 in order that persons representing Irish sporting teams in World Cup qualifier games are also...
- Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht
- Sports Funding
54. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht when a decision will be made on the sports capital programme application made by a club (details supplied) in County Donegal; and...
- Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government
- Fire Service
55. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of full-time and retained firefighters, respectively by firehouse in tabular form. [60588/21]
- Cúrsaí Oidhreachta
56. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government cén t-eolas atá aige faoin obair a bhí ar siúl le déanaí i bPáirc Náisiúnta...
- Fire Service
57. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will address a matter regarding the provision of a fire appliance to Tallaght fire station (details supplied); and if he...
- Housing Schemes
58. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the cost of leases between local authorities and an organisation (details supplied) by county. [60703/21]
- Vacant Sites
61. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the levies applied, collected and outstanding in respect of the vacant sites levy by local authority in 2020, in tabular form....
- Proposed Legislation
62. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government when the electoral reform Bill will be introduced in Dáil Éireann; the timeline for its implementation; if he will...
- Housing Schemes
63. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if the housing passport (details supplied) has been introduced; and if not, when it will be introduced. [60725/21]
- Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
- Passport Services
65. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will examine a passport application by a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60655/21]
- Official Engagements
67. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will report on the outcome of the meeting of the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference held on 2 December 2021; and if he will...
- Department of Education and Skills
- School Transport
69. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if school bus services returned to operating on a 100% capacity basis from 19 November 2021; if a review has been conducted of same; her views on...
- Covid-19 Pandemic Supports
71. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to provide targeted financial assistance to parents in relation to the cost of providing face masks for children in schools given the...
- Covid-19 Pandemic
72. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the guidance for mask-wearing in a classroom in which there is a hard of hearing child who requires lip reading to effectively engage and...
- School Curriculum
74. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will take steps in respect of a certificate of exemption from studying Irish for a student (details supplied). [60681/21]
- Covid-19 Pandemic
75. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the recourse the parents of primary school children have if they are of the view the windows and the doors of the classroom are being kept open...
- Covid-19 Pandemic Supports
76. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the average teaching hours received per eligible child under the Covid learning and supports scheme. [60698/21]
- Teaching Qualifications
81. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 485 of 2 November 2021, the reason an official reply has not regarded the issue of a lack of substitute...
- State Examinations
84. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if discussions are expected to give clarity to third year and sixth year students as to the type of State exam structure that will be in place for...
- Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection
- Social Welfare Benefits
85. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the progress to date in the determination of an invalidity pension application in the case of a person (details supplied);...
- State Pensions
86. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will address a matter regarding pension entitlements (details supplied). [60581/21]
- Social Welfare Benefits
87. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the status of an invalidity pension claim by a person (details supplied); the reason for the delay; and if she will make a...
- Departmental Correspondence
88. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 405 of 30 November 2021, the date on which she and or her predecessors and or her...
- Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment
89. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if the pandemic unemployment payment, jobseeker’s allowance and jobseeker’s benefit payments will revert to...
- Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth
- Direct Provision System
90. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of direct provision centres that have invoiced his Department for the purchase of period products...
- Covid-19 Pandemic Supports
91. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if the breakdown and a detailed explanation will be provided of the additional €5 million youth services...
- International Protection
93. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of international protection applicants currently housed within the direct provision system. [60691/21]
- Asylum Seekers
94. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of emergency accommodation centres for asylum seekers that were open at the beginning of 2020 and...
- International Protection
95. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the scoping exercises that have been carried out in relation to the construction of new reception and integration...
- Youth Services
96. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the breakdown of the UBU programme for 2021 and 2022. [60723/21]
- Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries
97. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if information on a convent (details supplied) is contained in the archives; and if he will make a statement on...
- Department of Education and Skills
- Third Level Education
98. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of Irish students studying for their undergraduate degree in European universities in each of the years 2015 to 2020 and to date in...
- Further and Higher Education
104. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he plans to reform the funding model of the further education and training sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60608/21]
- Covid-19 Pandemic Supports
105. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the breakdown of the €118.5 million of non-voted Covid-19 expenditure from the National Training Fund in 2021; the total expenditure from...
- Student Accommodation
107. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his Department has co-funded higher education institution owned student accommodation in 2020 or 2021; and if he will make a statement on the...
- Departmental Expenditure
108. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the breakdown of the spending of the €500,095,000 capital budget for 2021, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter....
- Further and Higher Education
109. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the percentage of the 4,550 retrofit and nearly zero energy building standard places to be provided by the end of 2022 that will be one, two,...
- Apprenticeship Programmes
112. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated cost of removing the exemption of apprenticeships to the National Minimum Wage Act 1998; and if he will make a statement on the...
- Third Level Examinations
117. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if students returning from placements in healthcare settings such as student nurses will be expected to sit in-person exams; and if he will make...
- Department of Justice and Equality
- Visa Applications
118. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if a visa will be made available to general practitioners from South Africa (details supplied); and if she will make a...
- Immigration Status
119. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if a child who was not born in the State has one Irish citizen parent and another parent with permission to remain from her...
- Covid-19 Pandemic
120. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the reason new entry and transit visa requirements have been placed on all passport holders from South Africa, Botswana,...
- Visa Applications
121. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if she is taking steps to address the acute shortage of appointments with the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service,...
- Prison Service
122. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if the reasoning behind a decision made in 2017 to halt the initial planning stages of possible development of the Old Cork...
- International Protection
124. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of applicants for international protection that were dealt with under the single application procedure in 2020 and...
- Immigration Policy
125. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality when she anticipates being able to open the proposed scheme for the regularisation of undocumented persons living in Ireland....
- Residency Permits
126. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if an appointment for a GNIB card can be made for a person (details supplied) who will be arriving in Ireland in January 2022;...
- Citizenship Applications
127. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the status of a citizenship application by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60766/21]
- Road Traffic Offences
128. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the status of the scrambler initiative announced in April 2021; and the location in which a person seeking to supply a track to...
- An Garda Síochána
129. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if there has been further progress since this Deputy brought information before Dáil Éireann on 10 September 2020, in...
- Department of Health
- Vaccination Programme
133. To ask the Minister for Health if he will report on the work of the vaccine roll-out group; and when it last met. [60115/21]
- Alcohol Pricing
134. To ask the Minister for Health if he plans to address an anomaly in the minimum unit price of alcohol in which smaller spirit sizes can be sold at much lower price than the recommended...
- Legislative Process
135. To ask the Minister for Health when the Free Provision of Period Products Bill 2021 will progress to committee stage. [60605/21]
- Budget 2022
136. To ask the Minister for Health the mechanisms and timelines that have been agreed for the budgetary allocation announced in Budget 2022 for the provision of period products; if public sector...
- Hospital Appointments Status
137. To ask the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) will receive an appointment for a procedure in Letterkenny University Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter....
- Hospital Waiting Lists
138. To ask the Minister for Health the number of persons on the waiting list for colonoscopy procedures in Letterkenny University Hospital, for routine and urgent referrals in 2019, 2020 and to...
- Covid-19 Pandemic
139. To ask the Minister for Health the advice offered by the HSE in relation to ensuring children have properly fitting face masks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60619/21]
- Hospital Facilities
141. To ask the Minister for Health the number of acute inpatient beds that are fully funded and open at the latest available validated data point; the net increase in beds factoring in ward beds...
- Medical Cards
142. To ask the Minister for Health the position regarding a discretionary medical card for a person (details supplied) in Dublin 9; if the decision can be appealed; and if he will make a...
- Vaccination Programme
143. To ask the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the fact that persons with underlying health conditions had to wait for five hours outdoors in the cold weather with no...
- Medical Cards
144. To ask the Minister for Health when a decision will be reached on a medical card application for a person (details supplied) in County Mayo in view of the seriousness of their illness. [60682/21]
- Covid-19 Pandemic
145. To ask the Minister for Health if he will provide the 14-day data summarising the characteristics of confirmed Covid-19 notified in Ireland from 17 November 2021 to midnight 30 November 2021...
- Hospital Appointments Status
146. To ask the Minister for Health if a person (details supplied) will be given an urgent date to have cataract surgery performed. [60688/21]
- Hospital Waiting Lists
147. To ask the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the fact that patients at the Royal Victoria Eye and Ear Hospital that are referred there for cataract surgery are being...
- Covid-19 Pandemic
148. To ask the Minister for Health if a person (details supplied) can receive a Covid Recovery Certificate. [60690/21]
- Primary Medical Certificates
149. To ask the Minister for Health when applications for primary medical certificates will recommence; the reason they ceased; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60709/21]
- Hospital Services
150. To ask the Minister for Health the timeline for tri-location of the Coombe women’s and infants university hospital with the National Children’s Hospital and St. James’s...
- Hospital Appointments Status
153. To ask the Minister for Health the reason a person (details supplied) cannot get a hip operation; if it will be expedited; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60724/21]
- Hospital Staff
154. To ask the Minister for Health when additional personnel will be approved for a healthcare facility (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60726/21]
- Departmental Schemes
155. To ask the Minister for Health if he has considered including women with gestational diabetes on the long-term illness scheme for the duration of pregnancy which is recommended in a...
- Health Services
156. To ask the Minister for Health the actions his Department is taking to assist with the slow transition of patients from paediatric to adult diabetes services in Cork which currently has a...
- Health Strategies
158. To ask the Minister for Health if his Department has considered the proposal (details supplied) for the creation and implementation of a National Diabetes Registry to identify an accurate...
- Hospital Staff
160. To ask the Minister for Health if he will review an issue (details supplied); if a bonus scheme is being considered in this instance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60736/21]
- Health Strategies
161. To ask the Minister for Health the measures being taken to reduce childhood obesity; his views on proposals from an organisation (details supplied) to end the advertising and marketing of...
- Medical Cards
162. To ask the Minister for Health the mean, median and maximum spend across medical cards and general practitioner visit cards in tabular form. [60739/21]
- Medicinal Products
163. To ask the Minister for Health the medicines which are under consideration for addition to the long-term illness scheme. [60740/21]
- Hospital Charges
165. To ask the Minister for Health if hospitals that cannot meet the final annual deadline at the end of March for coding of inpatient charges will receive a time concession; if not, the way he...
- Vaccination Programme
166. To ask the Minister for Health the vaccine requirements for parenting activities such as parent and child groups or breastfeeding classes in community centres; and if he will make a...
- Covid-19 Pandemic Supports
167. To ask the Minister for Health if he will consider reinstating the temporary assistance payment scheme to cover specific costs incurred to implement intensified infection prevention control...
- Health Services
168. To ask the Minister for Health if he can arrange respite care and funding for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60762/21]
- Eating Disorders
169. To ask the Minister for Health the reason for the delay in the eating disorder service in Mount Carmel Community Hospital, Dublin 14 that was due to open in 2021. [60771/21]
- Hospital Appointments Status
171. To ask the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) will receive a date for their hip operation in Galway University Hospital given the exceptional circumstances in this case; if...
- Covid-19 Tests
172. To ask the Minister for Health if consideration has been given to introducing saliva tests for Covid-19 as an alternative testing method for those that struggle with PCR testing such as...
- Hospital Staff
173. To ask the Minister for Health the status of recruitment for the Children’s Health Ireland paediatric complex pain management service; and if he will make a statement on the matter....
- Covid-19 Pandemic
175. To ask the Minister for Health his views on a matter (details supplied) regarding access to care for unvaccinated persons; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60864/21]
- Covid-19 Tests
177. To ask the Minister for Health the steps a person (details supplied) should take in relation to the requirement to take a PCR test; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60875/21]
- Hospital Appointments Status
178. To ask the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) will receive an appointment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60876/21]
- Budget 2022
179. To ask the Minister for Health the amount of funding provided for the National Gender Service in Budget 2022; the way he plans to expand the service to meet demand; and if he will make a...
- Mental Health Services
180. To ask the Minister for Health the steps he is taking to act on the HSE recommendation made in December 2020 to move away from psychological support for children and adolescents presenting...
- Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
- Pension Provisions
181. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will engage with Coillte and the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform with the view of increasing the pension payments...
- Agriculture Schemes
182. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of a BPS payment for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60603/21]
- Farm Safety
183. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the disbursement of the €2 million fund for farm safety as confirmed in Budget 2022 has been set out; and if he will make a...
- Agriculture Industry
184. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the work that has been carried out by his Department with stakeholders to date in 2021 to develop new opportunities for Irish...
- Forestry Sector
186. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of forestry licence applications returned to applicants in 2021 for further information; the year the applications were...
- Common Agricultural Policy
187. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the indicative allocation within in his proposed CAP Strategic Plan he plans to use as a mechanism to address the issues faced by the...
- Departmental Funding
188. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the amount of funding provided by his Department to provide financial credit to farmers; the title of the financial product; the...
- Agriculture Schemes
189. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he has given consideration to including measures related to hedgerows as an element of the proposed non-productive areas and...
- Veterinary Services
191. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the measures he has implemented to ensure that the transposition of EU Regulation 2019/6 regarding veterinary medicines does not...
- Harbours and Piers
192. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if funding has been approved for Minard Pier, Lispole, County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60824/21]
- Live Exports
193. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on the European Union Committee on the Protection of Animals during Transport proposed regulations on live exports and the...
- Department of Rural and Community Development
- Defibrillators Provision
194. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development if grants are available to resident's associations seeking to have a defibrillator installed in their community; and if she will make...
- Departmental Funding
195. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the amount of funding allocated to the LEADER programme; the amount that was provided through Pillar 2 of the Common Agricultural...
- Community Development Projects
196. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the status of a project (details supplied); when the work commenced; when the work will be completed; and if she will make a statement...
