Ceisteanna Parlaiminte

National Security

Bríd Smith

27. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence if there are any immediate military threats to Irish security; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21889/24]

Defence Forces

Bríd Smith

29. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence if he has received recent official requests from the European Commission to strengthen the Irish Defence Forces; if so, the reasons for doing so; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21890/24]

Defence Forces

Bríd Smith

34. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the specific issues he has with the triple lock system that need to be addressed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21888/24]

Asylum Applications

Bríd Smith

82. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Justice the number of people refused permission to enter Ireland via inbound flight in the past 12 months who subsequently applied for international protection, by nationality of applicants and month; the number refused permission to enter Ireland who were actually turned back with the airline that brought them in, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22116/24]

Asylum Applications

Bríd Smith

83. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Justice the number of international protection applications received in the past 12 months, by nationality of applicants and month, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22117/24]

Asylum Applications

Bríd Smith

84. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Justice how many people were granted refugee status, subsidiary protection and permission to remain the country in the past twelve months, by month, type of status granted and nationality, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22118/24]

Childcare Services

Bríd Smith

96. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 91 and 92 of 30 April 2024, if he is aware that the proposed draft childminding regulations represent a further bureaucratisation of a system that is already onerous for parents and service providers; if he is aware that childminders are reporting that these regulations are too extreme and will drive many of them out of childminding, creating a further dearth of places for parents already facing difficulties in securing care for their children; if he will scrap the current draft proposals with a view to consulting with and listening to childminders and parents’ concerns (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21964/24]

European Council

Bríd Smith

4. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Taoiseach to report on his attendance at the recent special meeting of the European Council. [20465/24]

Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements

Bríd Smith

16. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Taoiseach to report on his recent meeting with the President of the European Commission. [21746/24]

Visa Applications

Bríd Smith

462. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Justice if she is aware of the case of a person (details supplied) who has been forcibly displaced four times in Gaza after the building in which they lived was completely destroyed and whose parents and siblings in Ireland are desperate for the person to join them; if she and her Government colleagues will implement special measures in fast-tracking visa applications, similar to the fast-tracking of visa applications for Ukrainian refugees, for Palestinians who urgently want to join family here; if she will expedite the person’s visa application as a matter of priority; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21623/24]

Departmental Programmes

Bríd Smith

26. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Taoiseach to provide an update on the work of the child poverty and well-being programme office. [20463/24]

Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements

Bríd Smith

36. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Taoiseach to report on his recent conversation with the British Prime Minister. [20464/24]

Residential Institutions

Bríd Smith

195. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Education if, in belated recognition of the second interim report (section 5.14) and the final report (recommendations, page 5) as emphatic recommendations of the MBHCI, that former residents of the Westbank Orphanage in Greystones, County Wicklow, be included in the residential institutions redress scheme as an urgent matter of justice, fairness and healing for those affected; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20376/24]

Vacant Properties

Bríd Smith

177. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he is aware of a potential gap in the criteria in relation to the vacant/derelict property grant (details supplied); if he will investigate a case involving the protection and incorporation of a deteriorating 160 year old protected structure into a new dwelling with a view to the overturning a refusal of a vacant property grant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19991/24]

Hospital Services

Bríd Smith

278. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health where on the campus of Cherry Orchard hospital the new coronary care unit will be located; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19977/24]

Hospital Services

Bríd Smith

279. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health if she will assure the families of residents on both willow and sycamore units in Cherry Orchard hospital, that neither unit will be used to facilitate a new service, other than its prior use as a nursing home care facility; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19978/24]

Hospital Services

Bríd Smith

280. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health the person or body that is currently undertaking the ongoing risk assessments of the 16 remaining residents’ rooms in Cherry Orchard hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19979/24]

Hospital Services

Bríd Smith

281. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health to confirm the qualifications of the ongoing risk assessors to carry out this task with regard to health and safety; if the assessor also has another role at Cherry Orchard hospital in addition to their role of risk assessor; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19980/24]

Defective Building Materials

Bríd Smith

171. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to confirm where the legislation for the establishment of defects scheme for apartments and duplexes is currently at and to confirm when the draft legislation will be published; when he believes that OMCs will be able to apply for and receive funding for permanent remediation of defects; if he will commit to passing the legislation before the budget and if so, if he will clarify what financial allocation will be required for 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19589/24]

Childcare Services

Bríd Smith

91. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to outline his plans to increase childcare places; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19265/24]

Childcare Services

Bríd Smith

92. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will establish a publicly owned childcare service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19266/24]

Early Childhood Care and Education

Bríd Smith

103. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will abolish childcare fees in 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19267/24]

International Protection

Bríd Smith

113. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to outline his accommodation plans for international protection applicant refugees; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19263/24]

Human Rights

Bríd Smith

145. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if he is aware of the recent report that Irish protesters were told at a pro-Palestine protest camp in Berlin that they were not allowed to speak Irish by German police; if he agrees that this is an unacceptable development and infringes a person's right to speak a language of their choice and is a dangerous precedent to set; if he will clarify if this violates any article of the European Convention on Human Rights or any other legislation; if he intends to raise this matter with his German counterpart with a view to expressing his concerns that Irish citizens were instructed not to speak their national language and under which legislation was this ordered; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18937/24]

Public Transport

Bríd Smith

187. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Transport if he is aware of difficulties facing Dublin Bus and other transport providers in recruiting and retaining maintenance staff; the steps his Department is taking to ensure staff shortages do not hinder the roll out of BusConnects or plans to expand the bus transport system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18749/24]

Public Transport

Bríd Smith

188. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Transport the staff numbers in maintenance and mechanics for Dublin Bus, Bus Éireann and a company (details supplied); the details of any shortages of staff in these areas; the plans by these companies to ensure that staff numbers in these key areas are filled; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18750/24]

Public Transport

Bríd Smith

189. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Transport if Dublin Bus, Bus Éireann and a company (details supplied) use directly employed labour in the maintenance of their bus fleet; the scale of these companies' use of contract labour or outside companies for the same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18751/24]

Social Welfare Schemes

Bríd Smith

438. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection the available State supports for people with disabilities seeking work or already working; if she plans to improve supports; if there are proposals to change these supports in any way in the foreseeable future; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18800/24]

Immigration Policy

Bríd Smith

497. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Justice to provide, in tabular form, by month and nationality, the number of people who have been refused permission to land in the past 12 months; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19048/24]

Citizenship Applications

Bríd Smith

498. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Justice if she will clarify the reason a person (details supplied) who attended the citizenship ceremony at the National Concert Hall on 26 February 2024, has still not received their certificate eight weeks later; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19052/24]

Visa Applications

Bríd Smith

242. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Justice if there are plans to employ more staff or take additional steps to deal with the significant backlog of applications for visas, renewals and extensions that are taking a long time to process (details supplied); the steps her Department will take to reduce the unacceptable waiting times; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18477/24]

Disabilities Assessments

Bríd Smith

552. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will provide advice to the mother of a young child (details supplied) who has been on the waiting list for an assessment of need for almost eight months with no indication of when they will be assessed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17745/24]

Health Services

Bríd Smith

620. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health if he is aware that Ireland currently screens newborn babies for fewer diseases than 75% of EU member states; if he is aware that only one new test has been delivered in the intervening years since the establishment of the Newborn Screening Advisory Committee in 2019; if he will agree to a comprehensive newborn screening programme that is adequately resourced and ensures that babies born in Ireland are screened for the EU average of 18 conditions at a minimum; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17638/24]

Local Elections

Bríd Smith

648. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health if a HSE worker who is currently employed at the grade of general dental surgeon: 1597, is eligible to run for local election; if there is a list of specific grades which are ‘designated by order of the Minister for Health and Children’; if so, to outline what they are; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17857/24]

Employment Rights

Bríd Smith

93. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment how he is ensuring that workers in the technology sector facing redundancies are protected; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17048/24]

Employment Rights

Bríd Smith

115. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment his plans to improve job quality and pay in the childcare sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17046/24]

Legislative Process

Bríd Smith

122. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will ensure the Industrial Relations (Provisions in Respect of Pension Entitlements of Retired Workers) Bill 2021 will progress through Committee Stage; if not, how he will ensure the rights of retired workers are protected when their pensions are being altered; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17047/24]

Fire Safety

Bríd Smith

67. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide, in tabular form, the apartment blocks and duplexes in Dublin South-Central currently eligible for the interim remediation scheme for the funding of emergency fire safety defect works; when the legislation to support the remediation of defects in apartments and duplexes will be introduced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16786/24]

Cabinet Committees

Bríd Smith

9. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on environment and climate change will meet next. [15185/24]

Cabinet Committees

Bríd Smith

18. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on the economy and investment will next meet. [15186/24]

Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements

Bríd Smith

26. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his attendance at the recent Munich Security Conference. [15187/24]

Tax Exemptions

Bríd Smith

236. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Finance if he plans to provide a pre-registration VAT exempt status for qualified and accredited members of an organisation (details supplied) and seek to rectify the inequities arising from the delay in establishing the statutory register; if he accepts that this proposal aligns with established practices and ensures that fair treatment prevails in the interim; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16688/24]

Employment Rights

Bríd Smith

266. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will provide an update on the next ERO pay increase for security officers who remain the lowest paid sector and who have had just one incremental pay increase in almost five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16758/24]

Pensions Reform

Bríd Smith

457. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason the Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System Bill 2024 (No.22 of 2024) has ignored the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection, Community and Rural Development and the Islands' pre-legislative scrutiny recommendation number 15, which states that the investment funds be prohibited from investing in fossil fuels or the arms industry (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16047/24]

Social Welfare Eligibility

Bríd Smith

484. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection if a person who is self-employed and has made sufficient contributions to qualify for a State pension (contributory) when reaching 66 years of age, could retire from their occupation at 65 years and claim jobseeker's benefit for the year before reaching 66 years in the same way as other workers can under present legislation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16539/24]

Greyhound Industry

Bríd Smith

548. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the current status of the 4,822 non-coursing greyhounds who were registered on Rásaíocht Con Éireann's RCETS at microchipping stage, but who have never been raced on an RCE-licensed track (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16181/24]

Student Unions

Bríd Smith

757. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he is aware that a students’ union (details supplied) recently launched a petition calling for the Government to provide free period products in all higher education institutions, which has now almost 3,000 signatures; if he will commit to increasing funding in this area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16323/24]

Vacant Properties

Bríd Smith

74. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will use compulsory purchase vacant and derelict properties to address the worsening homelessness crisis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15713/24]

School Staff

Bríd Smith

449. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Education if she is aware of the significant delays in processing teachers’ service papers from abroad and the impact on teachers who have returned to teach in Ireland; if she will acknowledge the welcome return of much-needed teachers but concede to the fact that the higher cost of living and exorbitant rents, especially in Dublin and other cities, puts huge financial pressure on teachers who are placed on step 1 of the pay scale while they wait for their prior service papers to be processed; if there are any plans to speed up the process and/or if there are ways in which to expedite particular cases (details supplied), especially in areas that urgently need teachers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14208/24]

Social Welfare Payments

Bríd Smith

768. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection if there are plans to increase the current grant of €3,000 to cover costs such as flooring and white goods to help families moving out of homeless accommodation into new-build social homes which are often completely bare, in light of the increases in costs around the provision and installation of flooring, white goods etc.; if she will acknowledge that this amount is no longer adequate to provide the necessary items for families often leaving homelessness with nothing; if she will consider raising this grant substantially; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14402/24]