Parliamentary questions

Tax Code

Mairéad Farrell

166. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Finance the total cost of the seafarers' allowance in the years 2021 and 2022; the total number of recipients per year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9759/24]

Údarás na Gaeltachta

Mairéad Farrell

215. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Mairéad Farrell den Aire Turasóireachta, Cultúir, Ealaíon, Gaeltachta, Spóirt agus Meán i dtaobh Scéim Cothabhála na mBád Seoil a bhí á riaradh ag Údarás na Gaeltachta, cad é iomlán na ndeontas a bronnadh in aghaidh na bliana faoin scéim seo sa chúig bliana deireannacha a raibh sí á feidhmiú lena linn; an bhfuil measúnú déanta ar an éifeacht a bhí le deireadh a chur leis an scéim; agus an bhfuil machnamh déanta ar an scéim a athbhunú; agus an ndéanfaidh sí ráiteas ina thaobh. [9869/24]

Education and Training Boards

Mairéad Farrell

333. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to provide a breakdown of the total number of craft apprentice education tutors in ETBs in the years 2022 and 2023, broken by craft apprenticeship type, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9760/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Mairéad Farrell

83. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Social Protection to outline the situation with relation to her Department’s negotiations with the Irish Dental Council regarding payments for treatment benefit; if she is aware of dental practices increasing prices for patients availing of dental services through their PRSI benefits; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9641/24]

Legislative Measures

Mairéad Farrell

87. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Justice if she intends to introduce legislation to prohibit sex-for-rent exploitation in 2024; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9415/24]

Student Accommodation

Mairéad Farrell

1. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science in relation to the new student accommodation policy for which he sought Cabinet approval, if he can he provide details of the refurbishment grant which he had outlined. [9106/24]

Student Accommodation

Mairéad Farrell

3. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science following on from his confirmation that his officials were examining the issue of 51-week leases for purpose-built student accommodation, if he can update on same. [9105/24]

Apprenticeship Programmes

Mairéad Farrell

5. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the steps he is taking to tackle the growing backlog of apprenticeship off the job training. [9107/24]

Education and Training Provision

Mairéad Farrell

18. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to provide an update on the dentistry school for Cork, for which the ground was broken, but has yet to be delivered. [9109/24]

Further and Higher Education

Mairéad Farrell

26. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the work that has been carried out to fast track the delivery of the proposed new veterinary school. [9111/24]

Student Accommodation

Mairéad Farrell

29. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the work his Department has carried out to promote the new guidelines in relation to student digs accommodation. [9110/24]

Third Level Reform

Mairéad Farrell

34. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the measures he is taking to address the current shortcomings in the provision of mental health supports for third level institutions. [9112/24]

Apprenticeship Programmes

Mairéad Farrell

43. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the reason some of the craft apprenticeship curriculum course syllabuses are almost 15 years old; and the steps he will take to modernise them. [9108/24]

Military Aircraft

Mairéad Farrell

55. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the steps taken to ensure that neither of two US military aircraft (details supplied) were on intelligence gathering missions, in contravention of Irish Government prohibitions, on 11, 12 and 15 February 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8768/24]

Inland Fisheries

Mairéad Farrell

81. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if it is the latent policy of the inland fisheries division to legitimise all anthropogenic freshwater fish introductions in County Galway (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8827/24]

Inland Fisheries

Mairéad Farrell

82. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if officials in the inland fisheries division are content to see a population of pacu, conserved in Garadice Lake and the Shannon-Erne Waterway under the Conservation of and Prohibition on Sale of Coarse Fish By-Law No. 806 of 2006 (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8828/24]

Departmental Consultations

Mairéad Farrell

83. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the reason the appropriate assessment screening document was not made available to angling stakeholders during the four-week consultation period (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8829/24]

Inland Fisheries

Mairéad Farrell

84. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if officials in the inland fisheries division plan to conduct retrospective appropriate assessment screenings on the Conservation of and Prohibition on Sale of Coarse Fish By-Law No. 806 of 2006 and the Conservation of Pike By-Law No. 809 of 2006 for SAC/Natura 2000 waterbodies, when reviewing the said by-laws as per recent statements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8830/24]

Student Accommodation

Mairéad Farrell

137. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Finance further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 104 of 7 February and 220 of 20 February 2024, if he will identify those Irish-registered companies involved directly or indirectly in purpose-built student accommodation, for which the ISIF or a subsidiary thereof holds an equity stake; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9334/24]

Tax Collection

Mairéad Farrell

144. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Finance the number of contracts for service workers in RTÉ that have had tax deduced at source through PAYE by the Revenue Commissioners since 1980; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8837/24]

Tax Collection

Mairéad Farrell

145. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Finance the validation process used by the Revenue Commissioners to validate written RTÉ contracts for employment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8838/24]

Student Accommodation

Mairéad Farrell

149. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Finance further to Parliamentary Question No. 131 of 17 February 2021, the value of section 50 tax expenditures provided to purpose-built student accommodation in each of the years 2000 to 2010, and 2019 to 2022, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9070/24]

Rental Sector

Mairéad Farrell

273. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide updated figures on the number of private rental inspections completed; the number of dwellings inspected not meeting regulatory requirements; the number of improvement letters, improvement notices, and prohibition notices issued; and the number of legal actions initiated by Galway City and County Councils in 2023. [8817/24]

Departmental Data

Mairéad Farrell

323. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason that persons in receipt of disability allowance must share their boarding pass with her Department in order to avail of their 14 day holiday entitlement; the length of time this information is held by her Department; what the information included in these travel documents is used for by her Department; and the legislative basis for requesting this information. [9372/24]

Health Services

Mairéad Farrell

497. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Health the practices of the national gender service that consultants are concerned would be affected by a potential ban on conversion therapy, as referenced in a newspaper article (details supplied) in June 2023. [8744/24]

Health Services

Mairéad Farrell

498. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Health the reason the national gender service believes a conversion therapy ban would make it impossible to develop a children's service as referenced in a newspaper article (details supplied) in December 2023. [8745/24]

Apprenticeship Programmes

Mairéad Farrell

635. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science further to Parliamentary Question No. 581 of 7 February 2024, the breakdown, by county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8834/24]

Third Level Costs

Mairéad Farrell

643. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science what financial supports are available for undergraduate students who study in Britain; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9235/24]

Apprenticeship Programmes

Mairéad Farrell

646. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the current rates of pay for all craft apprentices, by the different phases; the dates on which the rates were last increased, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9332/24]

Apprenticeship Programmes

Mairéad Farrell

647. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the pay scales for craft apprentice education tutors under the current Public Service Pay Agreement; the pay scales under the previous agreement, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9333/24]

Work Permits

Mairéad Farrell

19. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Justice if her attention has been drawn to the discrepancy in treatment of doctors who transitioned from stamp 1 permits to stamp 4 permits prior to the introduction of the stamp 1H permit, where those who have a stamp 1H permit can then get a two-year stamp 4 permit and those who previously had a stamp 1 permit must renew their stamp 4 permit on an annual basis; if she intends to address this discrepancy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8151/24]

Work Permits

Mairéad Farrell

121. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if psychotherapists accredited by the Irish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy are considered under the medical professional occupation category for critical skills employment permits. [8437/24]

Departmental Schemes

Mairéad Farrell

34. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he is aware of the situation whereby the SEAI will not disburse grants from its better homes scheme to holders of credit union accounts and if he has engaged with the SEAI in relation to same. [8120/24]

Local Authorities

Mairéad Farrell

99. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the revenue raised by each local authority from local property tax for 2023, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8179/24]

Local Authorities

Mairéad Farrell

100. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage further to Parliamentary Question No. 280 of 1 February 2024, when he expects the data for 2023 related to local authorities' income from commercial rates and income from the provision of goods and services to be available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8185/24]

Middle East

Mairéad Farrell

122. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if he believes further action from Ireland is warranted following attacks from Israel on civilians in Rafah; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7598/24]

Military Aircraft

Mairéad Farrell

124. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs further to Parliamentary Question No. 136 of 13 February 2024, what steps were taken to ensure that the aircraft is unarmed; that it carries no arms, ammunition or explosives; that it does not engage in intelligence gathering; that the flight in question does not form part of a military exercise or operation, especially as no US military aircraft ever leaves its bases in the US or its foreign bases around the world unless it is on a military operation or on a military exercise, and that US soldiers travelling to war zones on these military aircraft are normally required to bring their personal weapons with them; and how he reconciles these DFA restrictions on military aircraft with the fact that successive Ministers for Transport since 2001 have been approving the transit of over three million US soldiers through Shannon Airport on civilian aircraft on contract to the US military and approving the fact that most of the US soldiers are carrying their personal automatic rifles with them on these aircraft. [7813/24]

Defence Forces

Mairéad Farrell

149. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence in relation to the NATO Partnerships for Peace agreements and the attempt to increase Ireland’s Defence Forces interoperability with NATO standards and systems, if these agreements have any requirements for arms, equipment, systems or other infrastructure to be procured from manufacturers in NATO members states; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7814/24]

Student Accommodation

Mairéad Farrell

220. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Finance further to Parliamentary Question No. 104 of 7 February 2024, the return on investment and internal rate of return for each investment in each year of its existence, compared to the ISIF's annual benchmark, that is, the average cost of Irish Government debt, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7815/24]

Land Issues

Mairéad Farrell

340. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he is aware of the new practice with the land registry whereby if a change of deeds form is submitted incorrectly, when the form is returned to the solicitor the section which requires correcting is no longer identified, and thus slows down the process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7484/24]

National Children's Hospital

Mairéad Farrell

519. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Health for the cost to date of the State Solicitor’s Office’s expenditure on external legal and consultancy fees related to all litigation arising from the National Children’s Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8076/24]

Primary Care Services

Mairéad Farrell

600. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Health the current progress and planned delivery date for each of the primary care centres planned for Connemara; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7926/24]

Apprenticeship Programmes

Mairéad Farrell

648. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science further to Parliamentary Question No. 578 of 30 January 2024, when an answer can be expected; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7978/24]

Student Accommodation

Mairéad Farrell

651. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science further to Parliamentary Question No. 131 of 17 February 2021, the value of direct financial supports provided to purpose-built student accommodation providers in 2000 to 2010, and 2019 to 2022, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8077/24]

Local Authorities

Mairéad Farrell

245. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage how his Department supports local authorities to complete maintenance works on council-owned homes in a timely fashion. [7335/24]

Local Authorities

Mairéad Farrell

246. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of improvement letters, improvement notices and prohibition notices issued by Galway City Council and Galway County Council, respectively in 2023; and if he will provide additional resources to local authorities to ensure properties in private rental market meet minimum standards. [7336/24]

School Staff

Mairéad Farrell

173. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Education if she plans to increase the grant paid to schools to provide for transport assistants who work on buses assisting those with profound mental/physical disabilities, as these workers have not had an increase since 2020, which was only 26 cents per hour; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7089/24]

Sports Facilities

Mairéad Farrell

183. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the outcome of the preliminary report on the provision of a swimming pool in Loughrea, County Galway under the local authority swimming pool programme; the reason this project did not progress; if her Department's review of the large scale sport infrastructure fund has been completed; if a report of the review will be completed; if she intends to reopen the fund to provide for the development of public swimming pools in towns such as Loughrea; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6774/24]

Hospital Staff

Mairéad Farrell

328. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Health considering that patients from University Hospital Galway (UHG) are being sent to Kingsbridge Hospital in the North for certain urology procedures as part of the national treatment purchase fund, and additional expenses related to travel and accommodation are incurred, if he has considered hiring an additional urologist for UHG as a cost saving measure. [7069/24]

Student Accommodation

Mairéad Farrell

333. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science in relation to the delivery of purpose built student accommodation for the technological universities, if he envisages a role for the Irish Strategic Investment Fund through Activate Capital, which has already part funded some other PBSA; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6802/24]