Parliamentary questions

Foreign Birth Registration

Mairéad Farrell

71. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs further to Parliamentary Question No. 139 of 30 April 2024, if there are alternative documents that can be supplied in a case where a person is not in contact with their parent and cannot provide current identification for them; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20558/24]

Córas Iompair Éireann

Mairéad Farrell

137. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Transport to confirm if he will respect the recent High Court judgement (details supplied) in relation to the CIÉ 1951 pension scheme, and if the pensioners will be awarded their long awaiting pension increase without delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20746/24]

Córas Iompair Éireann

Mairéad Farrell

138. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Transport if he can confirm that CIÉ will immediately comply with its legal obligations to appoint CIÉ board-nominated members to the statutory CIÉ 1951 scheme pensions committee, pursuant to rule 12 of the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20747/24]

School Staff

Mairéad Farrell

224. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Education if she has she any plans to reinstate the special education diploma allowance in full on 1 September 2025 through the local bargaining fund; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20741/24]

Bus Éireann

Mairéad Farrell

232. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Education if she will consider engaging with Bus Éireann to allow flexibility to secondary school students who take part in after-school activities to use regular Bus Éireann services with their school transport ticket; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20849/24]

Local Authorities

Mairéad Farrell

292. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his Department compiles data on the number of qualified tradespeople employed in each local authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20774/24]

Housing Provision

Mairéad Farrell

293. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of homes built directly by each local authority in each of the years 2021 to 2023, in tabular form, broken down by whether they were delivered by direct labour employed by the local authority or through subcontracting; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20776/24]

An Garda Síochána

Mairéad Farrell

350. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Justice if she will outline, from the reopening of the Garda College in 2014, the total number of gardaí recruited through the Public Appointments Service. [20252/24]

An Garda Síochána

Mairéad Farrell

351. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Justice the average number of gardaí for each of the years between 2020 and 2023 inclusive; and the average number of sergeants employed by An Garda Síochána in each of those four years. [20254/24]

Citizenship Ceremonies

Mairéad Farrell

382. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Justice the date and location of the next citizenship ceremony; the number of ceremonies that will take place in 2024; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20606/24]

Research and Development

Mairéad Farrell

662. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to outline the criteria or considerations that the Government evaluates when deciding on membership in European Research Infrastructure Consortia, such as EATRIS; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20757/24]

Research and Development

Mairéad Farrell

663. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will set up an interdepartmental working group to consider the benefits of Ireland joining EATRIS, the ERIC for translational research, given that research falls under his remit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20758/24]

Community Development Projects

Mairéad Farrell

671. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if she will provide an update on the Cappahoosh mountain trail in Connemara, which received funding through the outdoor recreation infrastructure scheme; the status of the project; when it is expected to be completed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20658/24]

Further and Higher Education

Mairéad Farrell

321. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science for the full list of colleges of further education and training which providing off-the-job training for craft apprentices, excluding the Education and Training Boards and Technological Universities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19957/24]

Health Service Executive

Mairéad Farrell

292. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Health if, in relation to a matter, he will outline the reason the HSE used a recruitment firm (details supplied) for the recruitment of administrative staff; the number of staff recruited between the period January 2022 and June 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19684/24]

Further and Higher Education

Mairéad Farrell

329. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if, in relation to a matter (details supplied), he will identify the income that University of Limerick receives per annum from its commercial owned company in the years 2021, 2022 and 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19685/24]

Foreign Birth Registration

Mairéad Farrell

139. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the status of an application for a foreign birth registration (details supplied); the reason for the delay; when a decision will issue, given that a review was expected in March 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18759/24]

Inland Fisheries

Mairéad Farrell

167. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the reason for the volte-face in relation to stock management operations on Lough Corrib (details supplied; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19184/24]

School Meals Programme

Mairéad Farrell

441. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Social Protection if a DEIS school (details supplied) will receive funding for hot school meals; if so, when this will be approved; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18879/24]

Childcare Services

Mairéad Farrell

556. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth further to Parliamentary Question No. 1166 of 9 April 2024, what the community childcare subvention and the community childcare subvention plus programmes have been replaced with, and what the eligibility criteria is for a sponsor referral; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18780/24]

Student Accommodation

Mairéad Farrell

766. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science where applications in relation to the use of the dormant funds accounts to support those young care leavers seeking student accommodation can be made; the guidelines for applying; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19465/24]

United Nations

Mairéad Farrell

115. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs to provide the instances where Irish peacekeeping deployments were blocked at the UN Security Council level; the year this took place; the permanent member of the Security Council which issued the veto, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18614/24]

Apprenticeship Programmes

Mairéad Farrell

351. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number of electrical, plumbing and carpentry apprentices who completed their course in 2023, broken down by the year in which they first registered for their course, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18500/24]

Student Accommodation

Mairéad Farrell

356. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science further to Parliamentary Question No. 754 of 16 April 2024, the specific legislation that his officials and those from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage are looking to amend; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18575/24]

Apprenticeship Programmes

Mairéad Farrell

198. 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, given that is has been three months, if he can please give an indication of when Solas will be in a position to provide a breakdown, by county, in tabular form, of the number of craft apprentices currently waiting for off the job training; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18369/24]

Departmental Schemes

Mairéad Farrell

116. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will provide an update on the new retrofitting home loan scheme; the date it is expected to launch; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17443/24]

Toghcháin d'Údarás na Gaeltachta

Mairéad Farrell

335. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Mairéad Farrell den Aire Turasóireachta, Cultúir, Ealaíon, Gaeltachta, Spóirt agus Meán an míneoidh sí cén uair a bheidh na toghcháin do bhord Údarás na Gaeltachta ann; cén dul chun cinn atá déanta maidir leis an mBille ábhartha; agus an bhfuil sé i gceist na toghcháin a reáchtáil ar an lá céanna leis na toghcháin áitiúla agus Eorpacha. [17355/24]

International Students

Mairéad Farrell

429. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Justice the number of English language schools that were inspected for compliance of the ILEP in each of the years 2016 to 2023, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17393/24]

International Students

Mairéad Farrell

430. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Justice the number of English language schools that were removed from the ILEP in each of the years 2016 to 2023, in tabular form; the number of these schools that were later readmitted on to the ILEP; and the number of schools that were not readmitted. [17394/24]

Health Strategies

Mairéad Farrell

629. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Health if he has any plans to set up a diabetes taskforce of relevant stakeholders to develop a national diabetes strategy that will ensure the provision of optimum care to every person with diabetes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17695/24]

Hospital Services

Mairéad Farrell

630. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Health when he plans to provide the recommended staffing levels of multidisciplinary diabetes team members (consultant endocrinologists, advanced nurse practitioners, diabetes nurse specialists, dietitians, psychologists) per 100 patients for a paediatric diabetes clinic and an adult diabetes clinic; to provide details of the number of hospital-based diabetes clinics that meet these standards; the hospital-based diabetes clinics that meet these standards; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17696/24]

Third Level Education

Mairéad Farrell

697. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science when the international education mark will be rolled out; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17391/24]

Third Level Education

Mairéad Farrell

698. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the additional resources that will be allocated to ensure that education providers are compliant with the international education mark. [17392/24]

Medical Research and Training

Mairéad Farrell

706. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the plans or actions he has taken to attain membership of the European Infrastructure for Translational Medicine; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17664/24]

Third Level Education

Mairéad Farrell

708. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will provide a list of all universities identifying whether each has run a surplus or deficit for the financial year 2023, the value of this surplus or deficit and the change from the financial year 2022, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17676/24]

Business Supports

Mairéad Farrell

111. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment to provide the most up-to-date information regarding the increased cost of business scheme; if the scheme is open for applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16768/24]

Business Supports

Mairéad Farrell

126. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the steps he will take to address the cost of doing business in the State; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16193/24]

Diplomatic Representation

Mairéad Farrell

129. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will provide the number of times the Irish ambassador to Israel has appeared on Israeli state TV and radio or written opinion pieces in Haretz in the past 12 months, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17093/24]

Heritage Sites

Mairéad Farrell

140. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Transport to provide an update on the transfer of Dunguaire Castle to Galway County Council; when the process is expected to be complete; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17077/24]

Fisheries Protection

Mairéad Farrell

7. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if stock management operations on Lough Corrib SAC, that is, the removal of invasive and-or non-native freshwater fish such as pike, are exclusively an operational matter for Inland Fisheries Ireland; if the inland fisheries division or the Minister have any input or function regarding stock management operations on Lough Corrib SAC; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16828/24]

Public Procurement Contracts

Mairéad Farrell

8. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications his views on a matter (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16829/24]

School Transport

Mairéad Farrell

95. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Education the steps her Department has taken to ensure sufficient capacity in the school transport scheme in County Galway for September 2024; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16264/24]

School Enrolments

Mairéad Farrell

96. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Education her plans to address overcrowding in secondary schools in Galway city and surrounding areas; her advice to parents who are currently struggling to find a place for their child in a local secondary school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16263/24]

Greenways Provision

Mairéad Farrell

204. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Transport if he will provide an update on the current status of the Connemara Greenway project; the next steps in relation to this; and the estimated timeline of is construction. [16261/24]

Special Educational Needs

Mairéad Farrell

351. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Education the reason for the reduction of funding for pupils in the Summer Programme over the past two years; if this decision will be reviewed; the engagement she has had with teachers in relation to this; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16596/24]

Refugee Resettlement Programme

Mairéad Farrell

587. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth further to Parliamentary Question No. 1156 of 20 March 2024, if he can confirm that under the protocol, when purpose-built student accommodation is selected for use, the sign-off for this is required by both Ministers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16265/24]

Student Accommodation

Mairéad Farrell

754. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he is aware of the crisis that has now arisen in Ireland's study abroad sector where visiting international students are not able to source accommodation as the investment fund-owned providers of purpose-built student accommodation has brought in 51-week leases, and the students' home universities are not in a position to pay the cost of the additional ten-to-12-week leases; if his Department has conducted any analysis of the impact these 51-week leases could have on the study abroad sector, which is worth €220 million per annum to the economy and employs 350 staff members; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16040/24]

Rural Schemes

Mairéad Farrell

770. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development further to Parliamentary Question No. 230 of 24 January 2024, if further funding will be made available to Galway County Council to deal with the backlog of LIS applications and reopen the scheme to new applications; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15975/24]

Inland Fisheries

Mairéad Farrell

100. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if the recent appointment of a deputy CEO at Inland Fisheries Ireland under section 24(3) of the Inland Fisheries Act 2010 was a tacit acknowledgement that the position of CEO is currently vacant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14342/24]

Inland Fisheries

Mairéad Farrell

101. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications in light of the recent appointment in Inland Fisheries Ireland of a deputy CEO, what procedures were followed as per the Public Service Management Act 2004; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14343/24]