Parliamentary questions

Road Safety

Holly Cairns

115. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Transport for a status update on the implementation of the legislation required for speed limit reduction, as planned for Q1 of 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19890/24]

General Practitioner Services

Holly Cairns

289. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health the number of patients seen by the SouthDoc service in Clonakilty, by week, from 1 November 2023 to date, in tabular form. [19677/24]

General Practitioner Services

Holly Cairns

290. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health the weekday and weekend opening hours for the SouthDoc service in Clonakilty, by month, from November 2023 to date. [19678/24]

Housing Schemes

Holly Cairns

252. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform the number of residents per county who accessed the voluntary homeowner’s relocation scheme for people whose houses flooded in 2015; if the scheme is currently open to people impacted by more recent floods and if not, if he plans to re-open it. [18746/24]

Housing Provision

Holly Cairns

389. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the current number of social homes in Cork south west; and the number of vacant social homes in Cork south west.; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18788/24]

Social Welfare Payments

Holly Cairns

459. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Social Protection the current status of the jobseeker’s benefit application by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19226/24]

Disability Services

Holly Cairns

557. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of patients currently on CDNT waiting lists, by length of time and CDNT area, in tabular form. [18785/24]

Disability Services

Holly Cairns

558. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the current number of staff employed by each CDNT; and the current number of unfilled positions; by role, in tabular form. [18786/24]

Disability Services

Holly Cairns

559. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the population base of each CDNT, in tabular form. [18787/24]

Road Projects

Holly Cairns

151. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Transport if his attention has been drawn to the imbalance of roads funding applied to county councils (details supplied); whether his Department will undertake a review to ensure all councils are provided with the necessary funding to meet Departmental guidelines for road resurfacing; and whether funding will be released to Cork County Council to alleviate the shortfall in funding provided to date. [18600/24]

General Practitioner Services

Holly Cairns

322. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health the number of patients seen by the SouthDoc service in Skibbereen, by month, from January 2022 to date, in tabular form. [18593/24]

General Practitioner Services

Holly Cairns

323. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health the number of patients seen by the SouthDoc service in Bantry, by month, from January 2022 to date, in tabular form. [18594/24]

General Practitioner Services

Holly Cairns

324. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health the number of GPs working in the SouthDoc service in Skibbereen currently; and the number of GPs who were working in the same service in April 2023. [18595/24]

General Practitioner Services

Holly Cairns

325. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health the number of GPs working in the SouthDoc service in Bantry currently; and the number of GPs who were working in the same service in April 2023. [18596/24]

General Practitioner Services

Holly Cairns

326. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health the number of patients seen by the SouthDoc service in Skibbereen, by week, from 1 January 2024 to date, in tabular form. [18597/24]

General Practitioner Services

Holly Cairns

327. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health the number of patients seen by the SouthDoc service in Bantry, by week, from 1 January 2024 to date, in tabular form. [18598/24]

General Practitioner Services

Holly Cairns

328. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health the number of GPs currently working in Cork; and the number of GPs who were working in Cork in April 2021, April 2022 and April 2023, in tabular form. [18599/24]

Special Educational Needs

Holly Cairns

157. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if his attention has been drawn to issues facing students in a school (details supplied); whether the requirement for students to live in the CDNT area of the school in order to avail of supports can be lifted; if additional working hours for school therapists can be provided; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18378/24]

Vacant Properties

Holly Cairns

194. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Finance the number of dwellings eligible to pay the vacant homes tax in Cork, by local area, in tabular form. [17364/24]

Special Educational Needs

Holly Cairns

265. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Education the process for assessing the need and identifying areas for the foundation of new special schools; and if her Department intends to establish a new special school in west Cork. [17351/24]

Departmental Funding

Holly Cairns

334. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the funding and grants available to communities that wish to establish community arts centres; and if she would consider the establishment of an arts centre in Bandon, County Cork. [17353/24]

Housing Schemes

Holly Cairns

350. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of people in receipt of the housing assistance payment in Cork, by local area, in tabular form. [17365/24]

Mother and Baby Homes

Holly Cairns

506. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of survivors estimated to be eligible for the mother and baby institute redress scheme; his Department's work in reaching out to survivors to make them aware of the scheme; and the number of applications submitted to date. [17354/24]

Childcare Services

Holly Cairns

545. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the funding or grants available to support the establishment of a childcare facility in Bantry (details supplied). [17610/24]

Childcare Services

Holly Cairns

569. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the steps being taken to address the shortages in childcare staff in the short and long term; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17982/24]

Ambulance Service

Holly Cairns

580. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health the current ambulance response times across west Cork; the number of ambulances available in the area; and the number of paramedics assigned to the area. [17350/24]

Community Development Projects

Holly Cairns

712. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the funding and grants available to communities that wish to establish community arts centres; and if she would consider the establishment of an arts centre in Bandon, County Cork. [17352/24]

Business Supports

Holly Cairns

94. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the supports that will be make available for small businesses struggling with the increased cost of operating a business. [17042/24]

Employment Rights

Holly Cairns

116. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment his Department’s plans to implement the statutory sick pay scheme. [17043/24]

Cancer Services

Holly Cairns

283. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the current lack of a mammogram service in west Cork; to provide a reasoning for the suspension of the availability of the mobile BreastCheck mammogram service in Bantry; and whether he would ensure the provision of a mammogram service in west Cork to ensure access to care for those unable to drive long distances. [17106/24]

Food Labelling

Holly Cairns

184. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health to outline the current requirements for companies to label certain food products as choking hazards for children under five years; if his Department has considered introducing standardised labelling requirements for such products; and if his Department has engagement with the EU on same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15769/24]

Renewable Energy Generation

Holly Cairns

99. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if, following the CRU consultation on electricity generation and system services connection policy, he will support a second annual application window for renewable energy projects to connect to the electricity grid, in order to increase the number of grid connections; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14293/24]

Public Sector Pensions

Holly Cairns

176. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Transport in view that CIE RWS Scheme pensioners, receiving an average of €52 per week, have not had a pension increase since 2008, if he will consider increasing it in line with other similar scheme increases; if the cost-of-living element of the pay award given to Irish Rail and Dublin Bus staff will be passed on to retired staff also; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13694/24]

Local Authorities

Holly Cairns

637. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if a timeline is set for the process to recruit a Chief Executive Officer to Cork County Council; the term of the contract for the new CEO; and, if applicable, the number of candidates who have so far expressed an interest in the role. [14288/24]

Electoral Process

Holly Cairns

642. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the evidence on which the decision was made to close voting at 8 pm on Whiddy Island for the recent referendum on 8 March 2024, considering the polling officer and polling clerk are residents on the island thus are not limited by bad weather or the ferry timetable, which could be altered as necessary to facilitate voting; to extend voting times for future polling days on Whiddy Island back to 10 pm in line with the rest of the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14309/24]

Visa Applications

Holly Cairns

876. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Justice what steps are being taken to alleviate the backlog in visa applications for family reunification; what steps are being taken to streamline the process going forward; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14341/24]

Greyhound Industry

Holly Cairns

977. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason Greyhound Racing Ireland still has no strategic plan in place almost 15 months after the last one expired, almost a year after it was quoted in a national newspaper claiming that such a strategic plan was in the process of being finalised by consultants (details supplied), and five months after he said a draft strategic plan had been submitted to his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14324/24]

Greyhound Industry

Holly Cairns

978. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason Greyhound Racing Ireland is only now in March 2024 seeking submissions from stakeholders to help it in the process of drafting its strategic plan, almost 15 months after the last strategic plan expired, almost a year after it was quoted in a national newspaper claiming that such a strategic plan was in the process of being finalised by consultants (details supplied), and five months after he said a draft strategic plan had been submitted to his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14325/24]

Greyhound Industry

Holly Cairns

979. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine what indicators and targets as stipulated in the Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies (details supplied) are being used to measure the performance of the Irish greyhound industry in the absence of a strategic plan for the past 14 months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14326/24]

Greyhound Industry

Holly Cairns

980. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the monetary figure for the economic and financial contribution of the Irish greyhound industry to the Irish economy based on the figures contained in the industry-commissioned economics report (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14327/24]

Mother and Baby Homes

Holly Cairns

1111. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the reason he excluded the Cherry Orchard Hospital and other hospitals from the redress scheme; if he will reconsider these exclusions with respect to the fact some babies born in qualifying mother and baby homes were hospitalised after birth for several months before returning to an institution; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14323/24]

Mental Health Services

Holly Cairns

1355. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health the psychology waiting-list numbers and exact wait-times in months for children and adolescents in the North Lee, South Lee, North Cork and Kerry primary care services, in tabular form. [14286/24]

Mental Health Services

Holly Cairns

1356. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health the psychology waiting-list numbers and exact wait-times in months for children and adolescents in the North Lee, South Lee, North Cork and Kerry CAMHS services, in tabular form. [14287/24]

Health Services Staff

Holly Cairns

1357. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health the number of grievance and dignity at work cases currently under consideration by management within the South West Regional Health Area; and the duration of time between submission of each case by the complainant, the arrangement of hearings and the issuing of decisions. [14289/24]

Health Services Staff

Holly Cairns

1465. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health if he will consider the appointment of a consultant neurologist in Bantry Hospital; and if so, the estimated timeline for this appointment. [14701/24]

Hospital Services

Holly Cairns

1466. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the issues faced by Bantry Hospital in regard to its neurological services (details supplied); and to outline the measures he and his Department are taking to ensure reliable neurological services are provided to West Cork. [14702/24]

Departmental Funding

Holly Cairns

1724. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the funding currently available to each local authority for dog wardens and animal welfare inspectors; when dog wardens and an animal welfare inspector will be appointed in Limerick; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14314/24]

Rail Network

Holly Cairns

152. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Transport if he will reconsider resurrecting the Bantry line of the west Cork railway; if he will make funding available to run cost-benefit analysis of a west Cork railway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11731/24]

Housing Schemes

Holly Cairns

224. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Finance whether legally divorced persons who have no legal interest in any property are excluded from the help to buy scheme; and if so, the reasoning behind this policy. [11729/24]

Local Authorities

Holly Cairns

660. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of developments that have requested to be taken in charge by local authorities but have not yet been taken in charge; if additional funding will be made available to enable local authorities to continue taking estates in charge; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12525/24]