Parliamentary questions

Rail Network

Marian Harkin

55. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Transport when the all-island strategic rail review will be published; in particular, the plans and timetable on the western rail corridor; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22048/24]

Regional Development

Marian Harkin

63. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Transport following the recent European Commission's Regional Competitiveness Index report, where the northern and western region of Ireland was ranked 218th out of 234 regions, if he will commit to improving the northern and western region’s transport infrastructure ranking; if so, how he intends on improving the region's ranking in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18095/24]

Housing Policy

Marian Harkin

188. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the usual timeframe for an eviction notice to be issued and executed. [22266/24]

International Protection

Marian Harkin

504. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if, in light of the recent briefing note providing an update on temporary emergency accommodation for international protection applicants at a location (details supplied), he will supply certain clarifications. [21228/24]

Child Protection

Marian Harkin

505. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the child protection measures, if any, that have already been put in place at a location (details supplied) to ensure the safety and security of all children accommodated there. [21229/24]

EU Agreements

Marian Harkin

51. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the actions he has taken to persuade the European Commission to suspend the EU-Israel association agreement. [20548/24]

School Transport

Marian Harkin

201. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Education to confirm that school transport will be provided for named students (details supplied);; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20483/24]

School Transport

Marian Harkin

202. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Education to ensure the retention of the second bus on a school bus route in County Sligo (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20484/24]

Special Educational Needs

Marian Harkin

213. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Education if she will ensure the provision of an assisted technology device for a person (details supplied); if the case will be reviewed as a matter of urgency; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20660/24]

School Transport

Marian Harkin

226. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Education if she will consider an issue in regard to school transport (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20775/24]

International Protection

Marian Harkin

459. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth when a contract to accommodate international protection applicants (details supplied) was signed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20511/24]

Childcare Services

Marian Harkin

466. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth for a list of closures of all childcare services including the name of the service, location and number of childcare places for the years 2022 and 2023, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20678/24]

Childcare Services

Marian Harkin

467. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth for a list of all new childcare services including the name of the service, location and number of childcare places for the years 2022 and 2023, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20679/24]

Mother and Baby Homes

Marian Harkin

473. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will clarify a matter in regard to the mother and baby institutions payment scheme (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20756/24]

Health Services Staff

Marian Harkin

546. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Health the reason the employment embargo is impacting on cover for maternity leave; his plans to address this matter which is impacting services across the HSE; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20375/24]

Departmental Policies

Marian Harkin

562. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Health the status of the promised national safeguarding policy for the health and social care sector, with particular emphasis on the safeguarding of adults and older people; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20445/24]

Home Care Packages

Marian Harkin

565. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Health if home care support will be provided for a person (details supplied) in their own home; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20452/24]

Departmental Programmes

Marian Harkin

660. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science how Youthreach providers can offer summer programmes, with opportunities for extracurricular activities when there is a staff reduction (outside of the 166 days when teaching staff depart at the start of June annually) – in some centres the minimum figure of Resource Person : Teacher Grade is 49% nationally rising upwards to almost 90% in some individual centres. [20754/24]

Departmental Programmes

Marian Harkin

661. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the value of summer programmes has been identified in inspection reports of Youthreach undertaken by the Inspectorate in the Department of Education; and if his Department has also noted the potential health and safety issues that arise with a reduced staff providing this programme. [20755/24]

Public Sector Pensions

Marian Harkin

75. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform to explain the different pension arrangements that are in place for members of An Garda Síochána who joined the force pre-and post-1995; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19825/24]

Tourism Industry

Marian Harkin

172. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the percentage of all Fáilte Ireland registered tourism bed stock that was contracted to the State for the years 2021, 2022, 2023 and the most recent up-to-date percentage figure for 2024, per county, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19966/24]

Tourism Industry

Marian Harkin

249. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the percentage of non-registered Fáilte Ireland tourism bed stock that was contracted to the State for the years 2021, 2022 and 2023 through his Department; the up-to-date percentage figure for this year, per county, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20072/24]

School Transport

Marian Harkin

289. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Education if consideration will be given to a school transport issue (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18851/24]

School Accommodation

Marian Harkin

295. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Education for an update on an application for additional accommodation for a school (details supplied); if it will be considered, as a matter of urgency; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18970/24]

Defective Building Materials

Marian Harkin

410. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage for an update on the inclusion of County Sligo in the defective concrete blocks scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19207/24]

Septic Tanks

Marian Harkin

425. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to clarify an issue in regard to septic tank grants (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19442/24]

Health Services Waiting Lists

Marian Harkin

689. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Health for an update on a medical appointment for a person (details supplied). [19049/24]

Agriculture Industry

Marian Harkin

71. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the implications for the agriculture sector in Ireland, given that the European Council has not reached agreement on the EU Nature Restoration Law; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18297/24]

Food Industry

Marian Harkin

72. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine for an update on the application of PGI status for boxty; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18296/24]

Youth Work Supports

Marian Harkin

352. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science his views on whether alignment of the Youthreach calendar year with the second level schools' calendar would be a cost-saving measure to public expenditure as well as a contribution to the educational delivery of the service, going forward; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18531/24]

Rail Network

Marian Harkin

154. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Transport when the All-Island Strategic Rail Review be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17382/24]

Tax Exemptions

Marian Harkin

207. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Finance if he is supportive of a comprehensive VAT proposal by an organisation (details supplied) which was submitted to him recently; if he plans to extend the VAT exemption to counsellors and psychotherapists; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17675/24]

Teaching Council of Ireland

Marian Harkin

307. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Education to provide an update on an application for incremental credits submitted by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17831/24]

Housing Provision

Marian Harkin

351. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage further to Parliamentary Question No. 42 of 11 April 2024, to provide a breakdown of the number of houses each local authority area has delivered through Project Tosaigh; to provide a breakdown of the number of homes each individual local authority area is contracted or recommended to proceed to procurement under this initiative; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17424/24]

Housing Provision

Marian Harkin

352. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage further to Parliamentary Question No. 42 of 11 April 2024, of the 12 local authority areas that have been provided funding under the cost rental equity loan scheme, to provide details of which specific local authority areas have been provided with funding; how many houses have been built through this scheme in each of the relevant local authority areas to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17425/24]

Housing Provision

Marian Harkin

353. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage further to Parliamentary Question No. 42 of 11 April 2024, to provide details of which specific local authorities the thirteen projects of 1,437 cost rental homes are spread over; how many cost rental homes each of the projects will deliver for each local authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17426/24]

Tourism Industry

Marian Harkin

14. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the additional measures she has put in place to support downstream businesses whose revenue has dropped mainly due to the fact local tourism accommodation is being used to accommodate Ukrainians, refugees and international protection applicants; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17060/24]

Business Supports

Marian Harkin

85. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the additional business supports, apart from the increased cost of business scheme, he is considering putting in place, particularly for SMEs to meet the increased cost of doing business; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17051/24]

Food Promotion

Marian Harkin

270. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to provide an update on the application for PGI status for boxty. [17128/24]

Education Schemes

Marian Harkin

62. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Education the reason no counsellor is available to a school in north Leitrim under the Counselling in Primary Schools pilot (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16346/24]

Social Welfare Appeals

Marian Harkin

460. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Social Protection for an update on a decision on a social welfare appeal (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16189/24]

Agriculture Schemes

Marian Harkin

560. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide a detailed outline of the reasons for the non-payment of the sheep improvement scheme for 2023 to a person (details supplied); if the person is included in the scheme for the future years of the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16593/24]

Housing Policy

Marian Harkin

42. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage what measures he has put in place to support renters seeking accommodation who are not eligible for local authority housing in the north-West. [15766/24]

Housing Schemes

Marian Harkin

77. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if consideration will be given to stage payments for paying out the croí cónaithe grant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14385/24]

Agriculture Schemes

Marian Harkin

134. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if the Government is putting a fund in place to support farmers in the implementation of the nature restoration fund; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10697/24]

Departmental Reviews

Marian Harkin

9. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Finance for an update on the review of the disabled drivers scheme; and the new criteria being considered line with international best practice. [15225/24]

Medical Cards

Marian Harkin

142. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Health if consideration will be given to increasing the income threshold for qualification for a medical card for under-70s; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15583/24]

Organ Donation

Marian Harkin

163. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Health when the register for opting out of organ donation will be up and running. [15613/24]

Diplomatic Representation

Marian Harkin

45. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs for an update on the reinstatement of Villa Spada as Ireland’s Embassy to the Holy See; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15139/24]

Telecommunications Services

Marian Harkin

122. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he plans to introduce any restrictions in regard to the pricing model being used by broadband and mobile phone service providers who impose annual price rises that are linked to the rate of inflation, plus a certain set percentage, at the same time each year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14768/24]