Written answers
Wednesday, 29 March 2023
- Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment
- State Bodies
50. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the largest investment amount in a company that Enterprise Ireland has written off in the past ten years. [15532/23]
- Business Supports
56. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment what steps his Department is taking to assist Irish companies to avail of opportunities in the US by collaborating for projects under...
- Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment
- Renewable Energy Generation
58. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the number of those connected to the microgeneration pilot scheme from 2009 to 2014 who are being paid as deemed export...
- Greenhouse Gas Emissions
59. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the progress made towards the target of reducing demand for fossil gas by 15% as part of the RePowerEU plan; the reason...
- Energy Usage
60. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the percentage change in demand for gas in all sectors, including electricity generation, residential, and industrial...
- Renewable Energy Generation
61. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the grants available for an individual to install solar panels on farm buildings, in the case of the individual not...
- Rights of People with Disabilities
62. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment given that Ireland ratified the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities five years ago, his plans for...
- Invasive Species Policy
63. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he will support the conservation of invasive pike in Lough Melvin SAC under the current conservation of pike bye-law...
- Renewable Energy Generation
64. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment how many solar farms other than micro-generated solar energy are currently plugged into the national grid. [15681/23]
- Departmental Schemes
65. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment how many homes have availed of the national home energy upgrade scheme in 2022 and to date in 2023. [15682/23]
- Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport
- Bus Services
69. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will establish an additional hourly service on the Cork-Kinsale 226 route that does not include the airport, to facilitate local...
- Public Transport
70. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his views on whether transport hubs in towns across Ireland that allow for the integration of rail, bus, taxi and smarter travel...
- Rail Network
71. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the position regarding plans for increased rail connectivity for Dublin Port; if his Department has carried out any assessment to include...
- Bus Éireann
72. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the reason for the numerous breakdowns on 20 March 2023 on the Bus Éireann route 32 from Dublin to Letterkenny; and if he will make a...
- Rail Network
73. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if, in light of no response issuing from the relevant personnel at Iarnród Éireann to repeated requests from this Deputy, he...
- Driver Test
75. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if his attention has been drawn to significant delays in the driver testing system; his plans to address the backlog; and the estimated...
- Public Transport
76. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he and-or the National Transport Authority plan to review top-up and annual taxsaver travel cards for bus, rail and light rail...
- Rights of People with Disabilities
77. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he and his Departments will immediately comply with its obligations under the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities by...
- Driver Test
79. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if an exemption can be made to arrange an early driving test due to unfortunate circumstances in respect of a person (details supplied);...
- Department of Finance
- Rental Sector
81. To ask the Minister for Finance the number of individual landlords and investment companies that are availing of tax relief for landlords; and if he will clarify if non-resident individuals...
- Customs and Excise
82. To ask the Minister for Finance the number of seizures conducted by customs officials on illegally imported solid fuels in 2021 and 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15687/23]
- Business Supports
84. To ask the Minister for Finance if he will provide an update in tabular form on a county basis of the number of businesses in each county that have successfully applied for inclusion under...
- Department of Public Expenditure and Reform
- National Monuments
85. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will investigate an incident involving members of a fox hunt at Hore Abbey, a national monument managed by the national monuments...
- Flood Risk Management
86. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform what works can be done to prevent flooding in a property (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15742/23]
- Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht
- Sports Funding
87. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the funding opportunities that are available for sports clubs to assist them in facilitating children and young people resident in...
- Tourist Accommodation
89. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the steps her Department is taking to increase the volume of tourism accommodation available in the Lough Derg region of Tipperary,...
- Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government
- Defective Building Materials
90. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if temporary funding will be made available for remedial work on apartment defects to be commenced before the relevant...
- Housing Schemes
91. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the estimated number of people who would be eligible for the cost-rental scheme if the net income limit of €53,000 was...
- Departmental Schemes
92. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the estimated cost of increasing the maximum levels of household annual income ranging from €30,000 to €60,000 by...
- Housing Schemes
95. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government what provision is being made within the tenant in situ scheme for tenants who are renting a HAP property in one local authority...
- Rental Sector
97. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if there will be additional staff allocated to the Residential Tenancies Board when the ban on evictions is lifted; and if he...
- Housing Schemes
99. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of households nationally that are in receipt of a housing support such as HAP and RAS. [15634/23]
- Vacant Properties
100. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will provide in tabular form the amount of funding applied for and allocated to Kerry County Council to refurbish voids...
- Urban Development
103. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he or his Department have given any policy consideration or conducted any analysis on the concept of the ’15 Minute...
- Housing Provision
106. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government how many one-bedroomed homes have been constructed under the Housing first approach in County Kildare; and if he will make a...
- Construction Industry
107. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the changes that are being made to the Construction Industry Register Ireland, CIRI, as some construction persons are saying...
- Housing Schemes
108. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the criteria on a payment plan for a first-time applicant while on a HAP payment; and his plans to ease the distress under the...
- Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
- Foreign Birth Registration
109. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will provide an update on an application by a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15528/23]
- Human Rights
110. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade what steps are being taken by Irish Aid programmes in Uganda to advocate for the rights of members of the LGBTQ+ community in light of new...
- Department of Defence
- Covid-19 Pandemic Supports
111. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence why some people who worked on the frontline during the Covid pandemic as a member of the Defence Force's doing vaccines and testing have not...
- Department of Education and Skills
- Schools Building Projects
112. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will list the schools in County Mayo contained within the 58 schools building projects under review within the school building programme;...
- Capital Expenditure Programme
113. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide a list of all schools that have received approval for capital investment of more than €1 million in 2021, 2022 and as...
- School Staff
114. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if a full-time home-school and community liaison post could be provided to a DEIS school (details supplied) considering the expansion and...
- Special Educational Needs
115. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the timeline for the establishment of the new portal for parents in respect of the summer programme, where special schools are not running the...
- School Accommodation
116. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when a permanent site will be found for a school (details supplied) given the school has been open and operating since September 2019; and if she...
- School Transport
117. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills what action she intends to take to address the anomaly whereby children can miss out on a school bus place as they are deemed to be travelling to...
- Special Educational Needs
119. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 753 of 21 March 2023, if there is an official pupil-teacher ratio in place for reader classes for children...
- State Examinations
120. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will consider reducing the number of sraith pictiúr on the leaving certificate Irish course in the spirit of lessening the pressure...
- School Transport
121. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will consider expanding the distance limit to the nearest school for the school transport scheme to within 5 km (details supplied). [15613/23]
- Rights of the Child
122. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if her Department will ensure that the child-friendly booklet on the optional protocols to the Convention on the Rights of the Child will be made...
- Schools Building Projects
123. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 120 of 23 March 2023, if she will provide, in tabular form, the names of projects included in each lot...
- School Funding
125. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills what additional financial assistance has been provided to primary and post-primary schools to help them with their rising energy and utility...
- Schools Building Projects
126. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the timeline for the provision of a permanent building for a school (details supplied). [15704/23]
- School Staff
128. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if an additional class teacher can be provided to a school (details supplied). [15723/23]
- Education Policy
129. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when the new policy paper for Irish-medium secondary education will be available; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15762/23]
- Schools Building Projects
130. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if her Department will consider the building of an Irish-medium secondary school in Dublin 8, given that there are several bunscoileanna in the...
- Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection
- Domestic Violence
131. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of victims of domestic violence referred to social protection access housing supports in 2020, 2021, 2022 and to...
- Social Welfare Eligibility
132. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if a person (details supplied) is eligible to receive the carer's support grant. [15541/23]
- Social Welfare Schemes
133. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of households in receipt of rent supplement. [15635/23]
- Legislative Measures
134. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she has an indicative date for the implementation of section 6 of the of the Civil Registration (Amendment) Act 2014,...
- Social Welfare Schemes
135. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the options available to cover a pensioner (details supplied) with a medical card who is on disability and is not covered...
- Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth
- Departmental Schemes
137. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the estimated cost of increasing the threshold for the maximum subsidy under the national childcare scheme from...
- Sports Facilities
139. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will implement legislation that makes it compulsory for all pools or gyms with pools to provide access...
- Rights of the Child
140. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth when in 2023 he intends to ratify the second optional protocol to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child,...
- Missing Children
141. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to ensure that the 116 000 EU missing children hotline number be on public display at airports and ports. [15611/23]
- Mother and Baby Homes
142. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will consider a thorough forensic investigation of the existing grounds at the Bessborough mother and baby...
- International Protection
143. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to outline in detail specific information (details supplied) in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on...
- Rights of the Child
144. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth with regard to the most recent United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child report on Ireland, if he will...
- International Protection
145. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth for an update on IPAS’s plans to use Dolcain House, Clondalkin, Dublin 22 for the provision of temporary...
- Emergency Accommodation
146. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he is aware that payment to a commercial premises housing Ukrainian refugees (details supplied) has been...
- International Protection
147. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth when he plans to fully implement HIQA inspections of IPAS-contracted properties; and if he will make a statement...
- Legislative Measures
148. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth his plans to bring legislation to protect the rights of vulnerable people to prevent them from been placed in...
- Department of Education and Skills
- Third Level Staff
149. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide an update on engagement between an organisation (details supplied) and his Department regarding pensions for staff in the...
- Third Level Fees
150. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the budgeted cost of the increase in the income threshold for the 50% student contribution grant from €55,240 to €62,000 per year,...
- Department of Justice and Equality
- Family Reunification
154. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of family reunification applications under the terms of the International Protection Act 2015 received by his...
- An Garda Síochána
155. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of gardaí that have retired before full service was completed, by rank and year, in 2020, 2021 and 2022 and as...
- Immigration Status
157. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the progress to date in the determination of an EU Treaty Rights application in the case of a person (details supplied); and if...
- Domestic Violence
158. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if Carlow will have a women's refuge in place as promised in 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15577/23]
- Citizenship Applications
159. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality how a South African national who is living in Ireland for a third consecutive year on a stamp 4 residency permit, is married to...
- Departmental Schemes
160. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if he will provide a schedule of brokers and or companies who acted as brokers for the immigrant investor programme, IIP,...
- An Garda Síochána
163. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if he will provide in tabular form and by county the number of checkpoints conducted by An Garda Síochána to...
- Control of Firearms
164. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality concerning the firearms expert committee, if he has received correspondence (details supplied) from an association regarding...
- Immigration Status
166. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the procedure to be followed to regularise the status of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the...
- Department of Health
- Covid-19 Pandemic Supports
167. To ask the Minister for Health why workers (details supplied) were excluded from the pandemic special recognition payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15649/23]
- Assisted Human Reproduction
168. To ask the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on plans to introduce publicly funded IVF. [15880/23]
- Nursing Homes
169. To ask the Minister for Health if he will outline the routes available to persons wishing to report alleged abuse in nursing homes. [15503/23]
- Healthcare Policy
172. To ask the Minister for Health the steps he has taken in response to recommendations contained in the independent rapid review of specific issues in the CervicalCheck screening programme;...
- Health Services Waiting Lists
173. To ask the Minister for Health the steps he is taking to address delays in individuals accessing public transgender healthcare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15507/23]
- Health Services
174. To ask the Minister for Health if he will ensure that the national gender service engages with patient advocacy groups on matters relating to transgender healthcare; and if he will make a...
- Medical Cards
175. To ask the Minister for Health the estimated annual cost of increasing the current income limit for medical cards, of €184 per week, to the €304 threshold for the GP visit...
- Nursing Homes
178. To ask the Minister for Health whether he will consider lifting the ban on the use of former nursing homes as accommodation for Ukrainian families; and if he will make a statement on the...
- Health Services
179. To ask the Minister for Health the reason terminally ill young children living in the south east are still being denied community paediatric palliative care services, therefore depriving...
- Healthcare Infrastructure Provision
182. To ask the Minister for Health the plans, if any, for a minor injuries unit in north County Kildare, with particular reference to rapid population growth in this area, that many GPs are not...
- Assisted Human Reproduction
183. To ask the Minister for Health the number of people who availed of IVF treatment at private clinics across the country in 2022, and to date in 2023; and if he will make a statement on the...
- Health Services Staff
184. To ask the Minister for Health to indicate any outstanding psycho-oncology services posts at this moment in time; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15580/23]
- Health Services
185. To ask the Minister for Health the amount of funding allocated to psycho-oncology services in 2022 and 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15581/23]
- Hospital Charges
196. To ask the Minister for Health the level of outstanding inpatient charges owed to the health service and the number of patients this relates to; if there will be debt forgiveness for this...
- Dental Services
197. To ask the Minister for Health if he is aware that no dentist in Galway now accepts medical cards; and if he will outline what steps he is taking to address this; and if he will make a...
- Pharmacy Services
198. To ask the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to a proposal from the Irish Pharmacy Union (details supplied); his views on same; and if he will make a statement on the...
- Abortion Services
200. To ask the Minister for Health the actions that termination of pregnancy providers, including GPs and community providers, must take in instances where they suspect coercion in a request for...
- Covid-19 Pandemic Supports
201. To ask the Minister for Health if he will clarify what healthcare facilities in counties Carlow and Kilkenny are still waiting on the pandemic payment, as some staff in Camphill communities...
- Health Services Staff
202. To ask the Minister for Health if he will extend a scheme (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15686/23]
- Hospital Waiting Lists
203. To ask the Minister for Health if he will provide details of the current average waiting times for urgent and routine paediatric neurologists' appointments in each of the seven hospital...
- Healthcare Policy
205. To ask the Minister for Health if he has engaged with the relevant stakeholders in relation to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Justice Report on an Examination of the Present Approach to...
- Homeless Persons Supports
206. To ask the Minister for Health if he will ensure the HSE provides a dedicated funding line to deliver the necessary health and mental health support required to assist homeless people with...
- Health Services Staff
207. To ask the Minister for Health the number of advanced nurse practitioners available in older persons services in CHO 7; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15726/23]
- Medicinal Products
208. To ask the Minister for Health the reason sertaline is no longer available on medical card to the most vulnerable people with mental health needs; and if he will make a statement on the...
- Medical Cards
209. To ask the Minister for Health how people on medical cards can be charged extortionate amounts of money for generic medicines as they are told the original form is out of stock. [15728/23]
- Health Services Staff
210. To ask the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 403 and 404 of 8 February 2023, to respond to matters raised in correspondence (details supplied); and if he will make...
- Hospital Waiting Lists
211. To ask the Minister for Health the number of children currently awaiting urgent and routine paediatric neurologist appointments in the South/South West Hospital group; and if he will make a...
- Health Services
212. To ask the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 348 of 9 March 2023, the effect the relocation of homebirth services from community operations to acute operations will...
- Cannabis for Medicinal Use
215. To ask the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 577 of 7 March 2023, when the evidence-based synthesis will be completed by the Health Research Board; if he will provide...
- Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
- Grant Payments
217. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a GLAS payment will issue to a person (details supplied) in County Donegal; the reason for the delay; and if he will make a...
- Agriculture Schemes
218. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he can advise if ACRES will reopen later in 2023 for applications, and if someone did not submit an ACRES application in 2022 and...
- Grant Payments
219. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when payment will issue to a farmer (details supplied) for the fodder scheme which was lodged on 28 July 2022; and if he will make a...
- Animal Welfare
220. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if cats, including feral cats, are protected in Ireland; if he is aware that members of gun clubs are allegedly shooting cats; and...
- Horse Racing Industry
221. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 760 of 31 January 2023, the total number of horse deaths associated with racing in 2022 and to...
- Live Exports
222. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 862 of 28 September 2021, if live pigs have been exported from Ireland to China; and if, given...
- Animal Slaughtering
223. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of pigs slaughtered in Ireland in 2022; the methods of slaughter used; the number that were slaughtered by gassing; and if...
- Greyhound Industry
224. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will investigate an incident at Curraheen Park track on 18 March 2023 (details supplied), involving a malfunction of the traps;...
- Agriculture Schemes
226. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the work undertaken by his Department to ensure that farmers are aware of the new land eligibility rules, in particular that...
- Agriculture Industry
227. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if it is a matter of concern that hedgerow habitats continue to be removed from farmland; if his Department has considered...
- Department of Rural and Community Development
- Planning Issues
228. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development further to Parliamentary Question No. 713 of 28 February 2023, if her attention has been drawn to the fact that paid planning...
- Animal Breeding
229. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the plans her Department has to conduct a review of the Dog Breeding Establishments Act 2010; the plans that are in place to prepare a...
