Parliamentary questions

Local Authority Staff

Thomas Gould

81. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the reason there are only three full-time vacant homes officers in the State with none in County Cork. [23532/21]

Housing Policy

Thomas Gould

82. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his views on whether affordability and not market value should be the criteria by which costing for cost-rental and affordable housing is judged. [23533/21]

Vaccination Programme

Thomas Gould

190. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health the provisions that are in place for housebound persons under 70 years of age to receive the Covid-19 vaccine. [23401/21]

Credit Unions

Thomas Gould

207. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Finance the provisions being made or that will be made in respect of section 56B of the Credit Union Act 1997 to prevent undemocratic nominations processes within credit unions. [22595/21]

Alcohol Sales

Thomas Gould

459. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Justice the timeline for the sale of alcohol Bill; and if this Bill will include provisions for drink deliveries similar to those included in 2005. [22660/21]

Addiction Treatment Services

Thomas Gould

514. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health if a timeline has been provided for the expansion of attendance at addiction recovery group meetings. [22654/21]

Addiction Treatment Services

Thomas Gould

515. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health if he will seek public health advice on the expansion of attendance at addiction recovery group meetings given the significant impact Covid-19 has had on addiction. [22655/21]

Erasmus+ Programme

Thomas Gould

89. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if provisions will be made to support Erasmus students who did not receive their Erasmus grant due to not travelling in 2021. [22363/21]

Covid-19 Pandemic

Thomas Gould

114. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to a situation whereby under S.I. No. 183 of 2021 a person entering the State who is fully vaccinated but has not completed the mandatory wait time post-vaccination (details supplied) is required to complete the full two week mandatory hotel quarantine despite becoming fully vaccinated during this time period. [22382/21]

Covid-19 Pandemic

Thomas Gould

115. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the case of a person (details supplied). [22383/21]

Citizens' Assembly

Thomas Gould

15. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Taoiseach if he will publish the independent review of the Citizens' Assembly on gender equality. [21943/21]

Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Thomas Gould

65. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the steps she has taken to support sporting organisations and other similar organisations in ensuring that young persons will return; if she has held stakeholder engagement on the issue; and if she will support these groups in outreach campaigns to encourage young persons back given the significant impact Covid-19 has had on the cohort. [21937/21]

Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Thomas Gould

70. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if funding will be provided to sporting organisations and other similar organisations to assist them in meeting fixed costs such as rent which have remained despite closure. [21936/21]

Insurance Coverage

Thomas Gould

277. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Finance if insurance companies can refuse cover or increase premiums on the basis of controlled type 1 diabetes; and if so, the steps he is taking to address the issue. [21622/21]

Community Employment Schemes

Thomas Gould

647. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will make contact with a centre (details supplied) whose maintenance worker is due to conclude their community employment scheme in coming months and are eager to retain this particular worker but do not have funding and assist them in sourcing funding to retain this person.; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21473/21]

Legislative Programme

Thomas Gould

800. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Justice when the gambling control Bill will be published; and if the Bill will explicitly transfer gambling addiction to the remit of the Minister for Health. [21344/21]

Alcohol Pricing

Thomas Gould

900. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health when minimum unit pricing will be implemented as prescribed in the Public Health Alcohol Act 2018. [21340/21]

Health Research Board

Thomas Gould

901. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health if the Health Research Board drugs and alcohol behavioural study will be published. [21341/21]

National Drugs Strategy

Thomas Gould

902. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health the status of the mid-term review of the National Drugs Strategy. [21342/21]

National Drugs Strategy

Thomas Gould

903. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health the engagements undertaken by the Minister for State with responsibility for the National Drugs Strategy in relation to rehabilitation and detox residential treatment waiting times. [21343/21]

Community Employment Schemes

Thomas Gould

97. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Social Protection if support will be provided to a community centre (details supplied) that wants to retain its maintenance worker under a shortly expiring community employment scheme. [20942/21]

Waste Management

Thomas Gould

267. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the responsibility of local authorities in residential waste management under the Local Government Act 2001. [19677/21]

Road Safety

Thomas Gould

375. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Transport the requirements in relation to bollards placed on footpaths; the space that must be allowed between the bollards and the edge either side of the footpath; the width that must be available for accessibility on footpaths; and the statutory instruments and regulations covering same. [19480/21]

Covid-19 Pandemic

Thomas Gould

407. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Transport if the situation in which essential workers who have not completed their EDT lessons are unable to complete these without a bike driver test and are also unable to book a driver test due to the fact they have not completed their EDT lessons has been rectified. [19862/21]

Customs and Excise

Thomas Gould

501. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Finance the amount of betting excise duty collected in each of the years 2019, 2020 and to date in 2021, by month. [19317/21]

Customs and Excise

Thomas Gould

502. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Finance the amount of betting excise duty provided to the HSE in 2020. [19318/21]

Housing Data

Thomas Gould

694. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will account for the discrepancy between figures given by Cork City Council relating to social housing waiting lists and those provided by the summary of social housing assessments 2020. [18625/21]

Housing Data

Thomas Gould

713. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of vacant social housing for 2020, by local authority and month. [18946/21]

Housing Policy

Thomas Gould

714. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the further solutions he is proposing to address the issue of voids on local authorities such as Cork City Council. [18947/21]

Housing Policy

Thomas Gould

715. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his plans to increase the funding directed towards local authorities to address voids under the new programme; and the breakdown as to the targets and limits for this funding for local authorities. [18953/21]

Housing Data

Thomas Gould

741. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of full-time equivalent vacant homes officers by local authority in tabular form. [19449/21]

Housing Data

Thomas Gould

742. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the funding provided for a vacant homes officer to each local authority in tabular form. [19450/21]

Housing Data

Thomas Gould

743. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will review figures provided in the summary of social housing assessments 2020 of his Department given that Cork City Council disputes the figures and has provided figures that show a clear discrepancy that cannot be accounted for in the 30-day difference. [19451/21]

Housing Data

Thomas Gould

744. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his views on whether the vacant homes schemes and policies are sufficient in addressing the vacant homes issue. [19452/21]

Housing Data

Thomas Gould

745. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he receives regular updates on the number of homes applied for through the vacant homes scheme by local authority; and if so, if he will provide the figures. [19453/21]

Housing Data

Thomas Gould

746. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the funding provided to each local authority for preventative maintenance in each of the years 2015 to date. [19454/21]

Housing Data

Thomas Gould

747. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his plans in relation to addressing social housing conditions given recent findings by the ECSR. [19455/21]

Vacant Sites

Thomas Gould

816. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the funding available to local authorities to support legal fees and costs incurred from CPOs under the vacant sites levy. [20652/21]

School Curriculum

Thomas Gould

1021. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Education her plans to educate young persons on the associated risks with gambling; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19319/21]

School Curriculum

Thomas Gould

1022. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Education the proposed education programme for primary and post-primary students on drugs and alcohol; if this will include behavioural addictions; if this will be given by schools or outsourced; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19320/21]

Third Level Education

Thomas Gould

1264. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science his plans to increase the delivery of third-level college places; the location of the additional third-level places to be allocated; and if these will be allocated to the HEAR or DARE programmes or other similar schemes in other colleges across the country given the current shortage of same. [18109/21]

Student Universal Support Ireland

Thomas Gould

1265. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he plans to increase the SUSI grant threshold. [18288/21]

Direct Provision System

Thomas Gould

1365. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Justice the number of letters that have been issued and are being issued each month to those in direct provision in tabular form. [18131/21]

Direct Provision System

Thomas Gould

1366. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Justice the number of first instance interviews for asylum seekers that have been postponed from March 2020 to date; the number that are scheduled for 2021; the number of additional interviews that are scheduled monthly to clear the backlog; the number of cases that are assigned to each interviewer; the timeframe given to complete each case; the number that received their first interview in 2020, by month; and the number of interviews with applicants outside of Dublin that have been held by month from March 2020 to date. [18132/21]

Direct Provision System

Thomas Gould

1367. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Justice the accelerated procedures that have been put in place for those seeking asylum given the considerable backlog. [18133/21]

Direct Provision System

Thomas Gould

1368. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Justice the nature of the non-cooperation measures in relation to those seeking asylum. [18134/21]

Direct Provision System

Thomas Gould

1369. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Justice the way in which the return of questionnaires have been speeded up in relation to those seeking asylum [18135/21]

Direct Provision System

Thomas Gould

1370. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Justice if an applicant seeking asylum who wants a speedy interview is placed on a remote interview list; if so, the length of the list; the length of the waiting time for this list; and the way in which applications are made. [18136/21]

Direct Provision System

Thomas Gould

1371. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Justice the way in which the €1.7 million additional funding allocated to improving the processing waiting times is being spent in relation to persons seeking asylum. [18137/21]

Covid-19 Pandemic

Thomas Gould

1411. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Justice if a date for a return to house viewings has been given; and if so, when it will take place. [18918/21]

National Archives

Thomas Gould

1413. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Justice further to Parliamentary Question No. 1294 of 9 July 2020, the details of the location of records of a person (details supplied). [18986/21]

Gambling Sector

Thomas Gould

1425. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Justice her plans to bring forward legislation to regulate gambling advertising. [19316/21]

Vaccination Programme

Thomas Gould

1511. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health the position of persons with Addison’s disease on the vaccine roll-out; his views on the frustration and lack of clarity experienced by those with Addison’s and other rare diseases at a failure to communicate their cohort in the vaccine roll-out; and if a commitment will be given to provide clarity in relation to same. [18108/21]

Vaccination Programme

Thomas Gould

1569. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health if he will clarify the position of persons suffering with rheumatoid arthritis on the Covid-19 vaccination roll-out programme. [18287/21]

Hospital Staff

Thomas Gould

1610. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health if there are staffing shortages at Cork University Hospital; if so, if he can account for these shortages; and if he can account for significant delays in inpatient procedures for persons due to same. [18429/21]

Hospital Staff

Thomas Gould

1611. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health the number of nurses, consultants, doctors, administrators and HCAs, respectively employed and in work in Cork University Hospital from January 2020 to date by month in tabular form. [18430/21]

Hospital Staff

Thomas Gould

1612. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health the number of nurses, consultants, doctors, administrators and HCAs, respectively employed but absent from work in Cork University Hospital from January 2020 to date by month in tabular form. [18431/21]

Covid-19 Pandemic

Thomas Gould

1821. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health if he will address a matter in relation to mandatory hotel quarantine (details supplied) [19057/21]

Health Services Staff

Thomas Gould

1887. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health the number of clinicians in CHO 4 that have been redeployed from early intervention and school age disability teams into assessment of needs posts; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19250/21]

Health Services Staff

Thomas Gould

1888. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health the number of clinicians in CHO 4 that have been redeployed to track and trace, Covid-19 testing or vaccination; the original job title of each; the expected length of their redeployment in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19251/21]

Paediatric Services

Thomas Gould

1889. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health if developmental checks for babies have fully resumed; if a plan has been put in place to ensure any backlog is cleared; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19252/21]

Paediatric Services

Thomas Gould

1890. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health the number of babies given developmental checks by age in months in 2020 and to date in 2021. [19253/21]

Births Data

Thomas Gould

1891. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health the number of babies born by month in 2020 and to date in 2021. [19254/21]

Mental Health Services

Thomas Gould

1892. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health the number of women treated clinically for postnatal depression in 2019, 2020 and to date in 2021, in tabular form. [19255/21]

Maternity Services

Thomas Gould

1893. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health if he has met with maternity hospitals recently regarding restrictions on partners; when his next expected engagement with the hospitals will be; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19256/21]

Healthcare Infrastructure Provision

Thomas Gould

1894. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on the progress of the ambulatory elective hospital in Cork; and the expected timeline of completion. [19257/21]

Healthcare Infrastructure Provision

Thomas Gould

1895. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health if an expected timeline of completion has been given for the children’s hospital, Cork. [19258/21]

General Practitioner Services

Thomas Gould

1896. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health if SouthDoc has outlined criteria by which it will judge the deterioration of the Covid-19 situation and withdraw the planned reopening of SouthDoc in Blackpool, Cork. [19259/21]

General Practitioner Services

Thomas Gould

1897. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health if the HSE has queried the timeline given by SouthDoc for the reopening of its Blackpool facility given it met on 30 March 2021 and only intends to open the facility at the end of April 2021. [19260/21]

General Practitioner Services

Thomas Gould

1898. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health if SouthDoc has given a commitment for a full return to service upon the reopening of SouthDoc, Blackpool. [19261/21]

General Practitioner Services

Thomas Gould

1899. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health the number of persons served by each out-of-hours doctor service; and the number of facilities each service has in Dublin, Limerick, Galway and Cork. [19262/21]

General Practitioner Services

Thomas Gould

1900. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health the estimated number of persons served by SouthDoc in the SouthDoc, Blackpool, catchment area; and the estimated number of persons served by same in the Kinsale road catchment area. [19263/21]

Disability Services Data

Thomas Gould

1901. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health the average waiting time for an assessment of needs in Cork North Lee services in March 2020 and in April 2021. [19264/21]

Disability Services Data

Thomas Gould

1902. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health the average waiting time for speech and language therapy in Cork North Lee services in March 2020 and in April 2021. [19265/21]

Disability Services Data

Thomas Gould

1903. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health the average waiting time for early intervention in Cork North Lee services in March 2020 and in April 2021. [19266/21]

Addiction Treatment Services

Thomas Gould

1904. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health the mitigation strategy that was put in place for the closure of residential drug and alcohol rehabilitation beds due to Covid-19; the increase in waiting list times; and his views on the success of this plan. [19267/21]

Addiction Treatment Services

Thomas Gould

1905. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health if he has engaged with the Minister for State with responsibility for public health, well-being and the national drugs strategy on the increased residential treatment waiting times. [19268/21]

Gambling Sector

Thomas Gould

1906. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health if his Department has engaged with the Department of Justice on the gambling control Bill. [19269/21]

Hospital Data

Thomas Gould

1907. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health the number of cancelled outpatient and inpatient orthopaedic surgeries in the CUH in 2019, 2020 and to date in 2021, by month in tabular form. [19270/21]

Citizens' Assembly

Thomas Gould

1908. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health the work his Department has engaged in to prepare for the proposed citizens' assembly on drugs; if a working group has been established; if the terms of reference for the assembly have been drawn up; and if so, if he will publish same. [19271/21]

National Drugs Strategy

Thomas Gould

1909. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health if, after consideration of the data by the relevant departmental group, he will publish the mid-term review of the national drugs strategy; and if so, the date for publication. [19272/21]

Drug and Alcohol Task Forces

Thomas Gould

1910. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health the funding to be provided to drug and alcohol task forces in 2021, by task force. [19273/21]

Addiction Treatment Services

Thomas Gould

1927. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health the average wait time for persons to access gambling addiction counselling by quarter in each of the years 2019, 2020 and to date in 2021; and the number of persons who accessed the service in tabular form. [19312/21]

Addiction Treatment Services

Thomas Gould

1928. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health the average wait time for persons to access gambling addiction residential treatment by quarter in each of the years 2019, 2020 and to date in 2021 including the number of persons who accessed the service in tabular form. [19313/21]

Addiction Treatment Services

Thomas Gould

1929. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health the number of persons who presented to the HSE with a gambling addiction in each of the years 2019, 2020 and to date in 2021, by month. [19314/21]

Addiction Treatment Services

Thomas Gould

1930. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health if additional supports are put in place for established high-risk gambling times, for example, the Cheltenham festival. [19315/21]

Substance Misuse

Thomas Gould

2183. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to a situation in which communities in County Clare are finding one hit kit packages with needles; if he will instruct his Department to contact the relevant pharmacies to discuss the issue; and if funding is available for equipment and training for local community groups such as tidy towns to clean the needles up. [20051/21]

Covid-19 Tests

Thomas Gould

2224. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health when walk-in Covid-19 testing will be available in Cork city. [20175/21]

Covid-19 Tests

Thomas Gould

2225. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health the way in which locations are selected for walk-in Covid-19 testing. [20176/21]

HSE Data

Thomas Gould

2271. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health the number of social prescribers by county, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20365/21]

Citizens' Assembly

Thomas Gould

40. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Taoiseach the expected running order of citizens' assemblies committed to in the programme for Government. [13256/21]

Credit Register

Thomas Gould

126. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Finance the credit implications of missed mortgage payments due to the economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic; and the actions he has taken to mitigate same. [17159/21]

Credit Unions

Thomas Gould

129. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Finance if his attention has been drawn to a situation in relation to a credit union (details suppled) that has continued to refuse to supply a death grant to members despite a motion passed unanimously at its last AGM. [17158/21]

Rental Accommodation Scheme

Thomas Gould

456. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his attention has been drawn to a situation in which Cork City Council refuses a transfer pathway to a person (details supplied) under the RAS scheme despite his or her eligibility for the transfer. [16321/21]

Rental Accommodation Scheme

Thomas Gould

457. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the recourse available to a person denied a transfer pathway under the RAS scheme in which he or she believes he or she is eligible for such a transfer and the local authority diagreess. [16322/21]

Rental Accommodation Scheme

Thomas Gould

458. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if local authorities have the power to engage with the Residential Tenancies Board on landlords contracted to it through the RAS scheme. [16323/21]

Rental Accommodation Scheme

Thomas Gould

459. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if tenants have the power under the RAS scheme to engage with the Residential Tenancies Board about the local authority and-or their landlord. [16324/21]

Social and Affordable Housing

Thomas Gould

475. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the reason for the discrepancy in figures between those given by his Department in the 2020 summary of social housing assessments and those given in the 2020 allocations report by Cork City Council in respect of social housing waiting lists given that these figures were both taken one month apart but show a significant difference. [16752/21]

Covid-19 Tests

Thomas Gould

508. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if a PCR test is needed to travel from Ireland to the UK. [16357/21]

Covid-19 Tests

Thomas Gould

509. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if mandatory quarantine rules apply to those arriving from Ireland into the UK and from the UK into Ireland. [16358/21]