Written answers
Wednesday, 23 November 2022
- Department of An Taoiseach
- Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements
21. To ask the Taoiseach if he will report on his attendance at COP27. [56411/22]
- Cabinet Committees
43. To ask the Taoiseach when the Cabinet Committee on Economic Recovery and Investment last met; and when it will next meet. [57823/22]
- Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment
- Work Permits
45. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if a Sri Lankan citizen who has come to Ireland on a two year work visa can switch employment in Ireland during their time here, if...
- Corporate Governance
46. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will provide an update on the negotiations regarding the EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive; if he plans to...
- Employment Rights
47. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment when a new Employment Regulation Order can be implemented to increase pay for the security industry; and if the pay will be backdated,...
- Departmental Correspondence
48. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if his attention has been drawn to the financial circumstances of a company (details supplied); and if he has engaged with the...
- Defective Building Materials
49. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment his views on whether it would be completely unethical and unacceptable to have any representatives of or advisors to companies that...
- Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment
- Energy Policy
51. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if his attention has been drawn to a number of EU member states that have chosen to withdraw from the Energy Charter...
- Electricity Grid
52. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he has taken steps to ensure that households that have pay-as-you-go gas and electricity meters which are...
- Departmental Schemes
53. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he will address the matter of grants for energy support for a charity (details supplied); and if he will make a...
- Fuel Sales
54. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if a person can continue to sell turf by the bag from the boot of their car at a cattle mart; if they are permitted to...
- Postal Services
55. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment when a property (details supplied) will receive an eircode given that the owners cannot access broadband to work from...
- Official Travel
56. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the number of delegates who attended COP27 on his invitation and from the Government; the number who were members of the...
- Renewable Energy Generation
57. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he will provide a general update on the situation at a location (details supplied); and if he will make a statement...
- Climate Action Plan
58. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if the upcoming Climate Action Plan will include proposals to promote the use of hydrotreated vegetable oil as a...
- Fuel Sales
59. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment further to Parliamentary Question No. 148 of 8 November 2022, the penalty for a person who is selling a bag of turf at a...
- Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport
- Bus Services
60. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if his attention has been drawn to the fact that it is not possible to make a booking with a travel pass for Bus Éireann; and if he...
- Cycling Facilities
61. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the amount of funding that has been provided for cycling facilities in Dublin city in 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter....
- Road Tolls
62. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if his attention has been drawn to the widespread concerns of commuters in relation to the proposed increase in toll costs; if his...
- Transport Policy
63. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he has been briefed by his officials and or representatives of a company (details supplied) that holds concessions in Ireland in...
- Bus Services
64. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the timeline for the delivery of the Chapelizod bus stop on the N4 Bridge over Chapelizod Hill. [58308/22]
- Road Tolls
65. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the details of his engagements with TTI with regard to tolls on national roads; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58332/22]
- Department of Finance
- National Treasury Management Agency
66. To ask the Minister for Finance if he has plans to move the National Fund Reserve from National Treasury Management Agency Exchequer notes where it accrues no interest, given the change in...
- Tax Code
67. To ask the Minister for Finance if he will clarify any current plans to adjust benefit-in-kind taxation; and if his Department currently has plans to substantially increase the taxation...
- Business Supports
68. To ask the Minister for Finance his views on the recent ECB Financial Stability Review (details supplied); if he is satisfied that the scheme is sufficiently targeted and financially prudent...
- Insurance Coverage
69. To ask the Minister for Finance the protections that exist for homeowners in cases in which an insurance company (details supplied) refuses to insure a property; if he will examine this...
- Tax Code
70. To ask the Minister for Finance if he has considered reducing VAT to 0% on new builds to reduce the cost of construction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58225/22]
- National Asset Management Agency
71. To ask the Minister for Finance if NAMA has been given any role in making lands available to communities or to sporting organisations to facilitate the development of community and or...
- Revenue Commissioners
72. To ask the Minister for Finance the number of final demands issued by the Revenue Commissioners; the number of sheriff enforcement procedures that have been initiated in each of the years...
- Business Supports
75. To ask the Minister for Finance if he will extend the temporary business energy support scheme to group water schemes with electricity supplies (details supplied); and if he will make a...
- Tax Code
76. To ask the Minister for Finance the position regarding the application of mineral oil taxation on hydrotreated vegetable oil; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58465/22]
- Department of Public Expenditure and Reform
- An Garda Síochána
77. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the date upon which it is expected that works will commence on the proposed new Garda station in Portlaoise; and if he will make a...
- Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht
- Official Apology
78. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht her plans to secure a State apology for persons (details supplied) who were shot by Free State forces in Kilmainham Gaol on 17...
- Broadcasting Charge
81. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if she will consider removing the broadcasting levy that is paid by independent radio stations; and if she will make a statement on...
- Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government
- Vacant Properties
82. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if his Department has considered any measures to allow the change of use for vacant office blocks in town and city centres, in...
- Housing Provision
83. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of social houses built in circumstances in which the State is leasing the house from a private developer in each of...
- Turf Cutting
90. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if compensation will be paid to a person (details supplied). [58343/22]
- Departmental Schemes
92. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the total funding allocation for the disabled persons grant scheme in respect of local authority owned housing, by local...
- Emergency Accommodation
94. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of vacant buildings identified and recommended to the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and...
- Electoral Process
95. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if, under the Electoral Reform Act 2022, it is the intention of Government and local authorities to remove persons from the...
- Traveller Community
96. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of Traveller sites in County Clare; the number of individuals that each site has capacity for in tabular form; and...
- Housing Provision
97. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if there will be any consideration given to the challenges faced by some elderly and disabled persons in accessing the...
- Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
- Middle East
98. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention was drawn to the disrespect shown to the Irish flag by the Israeli occupation forces, acting on behalf of the Israeli...
- Council of Europe
99. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will report on the outcomes and achievements emanating from Ireland's Presidency of the Committee of Ministers at the Council of...
- Passport Services
101. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if a passport will issue for a person (details supplied) in County Donegal to permit travel to visit a sick relative abroad; and if he will...
- Middle East
102. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will take an initiative at EU or UN level to ensure that Israel will be held accountable for the apartheid regime it is perpetuating...
- Department of Defence
- Ukraine War
103. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the details of any meetings of the Ukraine defence contact group attended by Ireland in October and to date in November 2022; if he will provide...
- Department of Education and Skills
- School Transport
104. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if her attention has been drawn to the withdrawal of a school bus service (details supplied); the steps that she will take to try to resolve this...
- Official Engagements
105. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide the attendance record of her Department at all joint policing committees and city and county development boards since 2019,...
- State Examinations
106. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her views on a matter concerning bereaved State examinations candidates (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [58203/22]
- Pleananna Oideachais
107. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 418 of 11 October 2022, if minutes are published in respect of the meetings of the steering committee...
- Disabilities Assessments
108. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide details of any additional staffing resources or expertise available to schools in order to carry out the educational...
- Teaching Qualifications
109. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the reason that a fully qualified teacher (details supplied) in County Donegal receives an unqualified rate; and if she will make a statement on...
- Special Educational Needs
111. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if her attention has been drawn to reports that a special school (details supplied) has had its therapy pool sessions reduced; if this decision...
- School Staff
112. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the reason that teachers such as a person (details supplied) who retire before 66 years of age are discouraged from teacher substitution by...
- School Admissions
113. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the options that are available to students who do not have a local school in their catchment area but subsequently face a selection process in...
- Education and Training Boards
114. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when her Department will progress the applications by Donegal ETB (details supplied). [58312/22]
- Ukraine War
116. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when her Department will respond to Donegal ETB in relation to funding the ferry cost for Ukrainian students enrolled in a school (details...
- Education and Training Boards
120. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if her Department will engage with the ETB sector fully and commit to progressing the required review of the organisation structures of the...
- Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection
- Child Poverty
121. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if a response will issue to concerns raised by a person (details supplied) in respect of child poverty figures; and if she...
- Community Employment Schemes
122. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if changes will be made to allow persons between 66 and 70 years of age to enter community employment schemes given that the...
- Social Welfare Benefits
123. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will provide an update on a fuel allowance application by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a...
- Civil Registration Service
130. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the steps that she is taking to reform the stillbirth registration process, with particular reference to families who wish...
- Social Welfare Benefits
131. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when a person (details supplied) in County Donegal will receive a decision for their carer's allowance application; and if...
- Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth
- International Protection
132. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will provide a monthly breakdown of those temporary protection directive holders who have applied for...
- Housing Provision
135. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the beds realisable through the current planned modular housing works. [58272/22]
- National Disability Authority
136. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the timeframe for the announcement of the new board members of the National Disability Authority; and if he will...
- International Protection
137. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of non-residential buildings currently in use for the accommodation of Ukrainian refugees and...
- Rights of People with Disabilities
138. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the date that he is working towards to ratify the Optional Protocol of the Convention on the Rights of Persons...
- Departmental Reports
140. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will update on the new report on rapid-build housing published by his Department. [57887/22]
- Department of Education and Skills
- Education and Training Provision
141. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 454 of 15 November 2022, the uptake on each of these courses over the past five years in tabular form; and...
- Third Level Costs
142. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the halving of the student assistance fund from €16.2 million to €8 million, which has returned...
- Department of Justice and Equality
- Citizenship Applications
143. 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. [58189/22]
- Naturalisation Applications
144. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the status of an application for a naturalisation certificate by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement...
- An Garda Síochána
145. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of persons that applied to the Garda recruitment campaign 2022; the number of these applicants that took the fitness...
- Legislative Measures
146. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if she will provide details of the number of fines applied to parents and guardians under section 113 of the Children’s...
- Legal Aid
147. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the value of criminal legal aid claimed in each respective county under each of the various criminal legal aid schemes in each...
- International Protection
152. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the breakdown by nationality of those who have applied for international protection to date in 2022, in tabular form. [58268/22]
- Courts Service
153. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 21 of 20 October 2022, the percentage of High Court and Circuit Court judges that have...
- Substance Misuse
154. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of road traffic accidents that involved a banned substance in each of the years 2017 to 2021 and to date in 2022 in...
- Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence
158. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the percentage of gardaí who have received training in dealing with reports of domestic abuse; if there is a plan to...
- Department of Health
- Disability Services
160. To ask the Minister for Health the number of children in County Clare on a waiting list for speech and language therapy services, by age and length of time that they have been waiting in...
- Medicinal Products
161. To ask the Minister for Health if he will provide further details regarding the proposed process to address thalidomide survivors’ longstanding concerns; the timeline that he is...
- Nursing Homes
163. To ask the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 591 of 15 November 2022, when he expects discussions to be completed and a decision to be made; and if he will make a...
- Mental Health Services
164. To ask the Minister for Health when an adult ADHD clinic will be established in Dublin north city and county (details supplied); if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the current...
- Health Services
165. To ask the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to an issue in Tipperary CHO3 and CHO5, in which diabetes-related lower limb amputations and in-patient foot ulceration...
- Departmental Data
166. To ask the Minister for Health the number of settlements that have been made with women who alleged that their CervicalCheck smear tests were misread in each of the past ten years; and the...
- Disease Management
169. To ask the Minister for Health his plans to add conditions requiring long-term warfarin therapy to the list of medical conditions that qualify under the long-term illness scheme; and if he...
- Hospital Waiting Lists
171. To ask the Minister for Health the number of patients on the waiting list for surgery in a hospital (details supplied) in order to treat a specific condition. [58244/22]
- Hospital Procedures
172. To ask the Minister for Health the number of paediatric urology surgeries that have been carried out at a hospital (details supplied) to date in 2022; and the number of those that have been...
- Hospital Staff
173. To ask the Minister for Health if a vacant position in a hospital (details supplied) has been advertised and filled; and if not, the reason for the delay. [58246/22]
- Care Services
174. To ask the Minister for Health the timeframe for a person (details supplied) to be admitted to a residential service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58251/22]
- General Practitioner Services
175. To ask the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on the provision of a new GP to Ballymore Health Centre, Ballymore, County Westmeath. [58262/22]
- Hospital Appointments Status
176. To ask the Minister for Health the status of a hospital appointment for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58277/22]
- General Practitioner Services
177. To ask the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the lack of GP services in a town (details supplied) and the surrounding area; the details of any initiatives that are...
- Covid-19 Pandemic
178. To ask the Minister for Health when the emergency authorisation process for Covid-19 treatments closed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58291/22]
- Departmental Meetings
179. To ask the Minister for Health if he and or his officials have met with management and or representatives from a company (details supplied) in 2021 and or to date in 2022; and if he will...
- Nursing Homes
180. To ask the Minister for Health the number of HIQA inspections of a company's portfolio (details supplied) in Ireland since it commenced operations. [58296/22]
- Departmental Reviews
181. To ask the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 152 of 12 July 2022, if the action plan for the disability capacity review has been finalised; the timeframe for its...
- Disability Services
182. To ask the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 171 of 26 October 2022, the number of children who have had an assessment of needs completed since preliminary team...
- Health Services Staff
184. To ask the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 151 of 20 October 2022, the number of additional places out of the 200 additional Irish/EU medicine places that are for...
- Covid-19 Pandemic
185. To ask the Minister for Health if he has plans to close Covid-19 testing centres; if so, the centres that are to be closed; the centres which will remain open; if he has plans in place to...
- Mental Health Services
186. To ask the Minister for Health if the room at the accident and emergency department at Tipperary University Hospital that is specifically for patients presenting with mental health issues...
- Health Services Staff
189. To ask the Minister for Health if he will report on the number of paramedics serving the Dublin area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58330/22]
- Covid-19 Pandemic
190. To ask the Minister for Health if he will meet again with persons (details supplied) who lost loved ones during the Covid pandemic; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58352/22]
- Ambulance Service
191. To ask the Minister for Health the progress that has been made to date regarding the provision of an ambulance base at a location (details supplied) in Connemara; the date on which the...
- Departmental Expenditure
192. To ask the Minister for Health the underspend to date in 2022 of the capital allocation of his Department; the amount of this that relates to expenditure by the HSE; the steps that he...
- Mental Health Services
193. To ask the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 217 of 12 October 2022, if the residents of a centre (details supplied) who have been offered placement in another centre...
- Vaccination Programme
195. To ask the Minister for Health when senior mental health management in Cork CHO4 were offered their first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine relative to when long-stay residents aged over-65 years...
- Mental Health Services
196. To ask the Minister for Health the final cost of the works carried out on a centre (details supplied) in Carrigaline since January 2021; the reason for the increase in cost of these works...
- Medicinal Products
197. To ask the Minister for Health if he will report on the progress made to provide the CF drug kaftrio to a cohort of 35 Irish children aged between six and eleven years, who are currently...
- Pharmacy Services
198. To ask the Minister for Health the steps that his Department is taking the address the nationwide shortage of community pharmacists; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58393/22]
- Disability Services
202. To ask the Minister for Health the number of children in Ireland referred and waiting to be seen by CDNT services by county in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter....
- Eating Disorders
206. To ask the Minister for Health the number of specialist dietitians, nutrition specialists, and therapists specialising in eating disorders working out of Ennis General Hospital in tabular...
- Mental Health Services
207. To ask the Minister for Health the number of children who have been on the waiting list for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services in County Clare at the end of each year between 2016...
- Health Services
210. To ask the Minister for Health the number of children currently on the waiting list for eye examinations in County Clare by length of time waiting in tabular form; and if he will make a...
- Dental Services
211. To ask the Minister for Health the number of children currently on the waiting list for dental examinations and check-ups in County Clare by length of time waiting in tabular form; and if he...
- Health Services
212. To ask the Minister for Health the number of children currently on the waiting list for hearing examinations in County Clare by length of time waiting in tabular form; and if he will make a...
- Obesity Levels
213. To ask the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to a campaign regarding junk food marketing to children (details supplied); the steps that he is taking to address this issue;...
- Disability Services
215. To ask the Minister for Health the number of children currently on waiting lists for therapeutic care in each CDNT according to each speciality; the average waiting time for an appointment;...
- Health Services
216. To ask the Minister for Health if the budget for medical aids and equipment for children is ring-fenced within each CHO budget; if he will provide figures on the breakdown of different types...
- Civil Registration Service
217. To ask the Minister for Health if he will set a national ambition to reduce the number of stillbirths and neonatal deaths. [58456/22]
- Health Services
219. To ask the Minister for Health the reason that a 60-bed extension to a community nursing unit (details supplied) in Cork city is not yet operational; when the facility will start receiving...
- Hospital Appointments Status
220. To ask the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) will be called for an appointment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58478/22]
- Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
- Departmental Data
221. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of bovine animals aged greater than 36 months that were sold at livestock marts in each of the years 2018 to 2021 and to...
- Agriculture Schemes
222. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 285 of 19 October 2022, if the referenced field visit has been carried out in relation to the...
- Horse Racing Industry
223. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the percentage of the salaries of the CEO, chief financial officer, director of communications and corporate affairs and director of...
- Agriculture Schemes
224. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a basic payment scheme payment will issue to a person (details suppled) in County Donegal; the reason for the delay; and if he...
- Departmental Correspondence
225. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the issues raised in correspondence (details supplied) will be given detailed consideration; and if he will make a statement on...
- Departmental Programmes
228. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the manner in which the additional funding for the wildlife control programme is being allocated for spending; the number of staffing...
- Animal Welfare
229. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on whether the animal welfare grant is adequate in light of increased demands on animal welfare organisations; if his...
- Forestry Sector
230. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the measures that he will take to address the shortfall of planting 8,000 hectares of trees per year as promised in the Programme for...
- Fishing Industry
231. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his attention has been drawn to the importance that the producer organisation status of an organisation (details supplied) is...
- Foreshore Issues
233. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of foreshore licences granted monthly between the period 1 January 2019 and 31 October 2022, including the average waiting...
- Calafoirt agus Céanna
234. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine cén uair a rachaidh an cead pleanála don ché dhomhainfharraige ag Calaphort Ros an Mhíl in éag; cad iad na...
