Parliamentary questions

Electric Vehicles

Bríd Smith

77. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Transport if he plans to ensure that public transport providers such as Dublin Bus or a company (details supplied) have dedicated electric vehicle chargers at their depots to encourage staff to use electric vehicles; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30738/22]

Public Transport

Bríd Smith

80. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Transport if he will commission a study to examine the impact of fare reductions and the provision of greater fare-free travel on public transport in view of recent moves in Germany and elsewhere to reduce monthly fares; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30735/22]

Public Transport

Bríd Smith

98. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Transport if he has had any contact or discussion with the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform in relation to the signing of a S.I. to give effect to changes in the regular wages scheme of CIÉ workers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30739/22]

Company Law

Bríd Smith

165. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if the position in relation to section 357 of the Companies Act of 2014 will be clarified, specifically in relation to the exemption which allows each subsidiary to submit the financial statements of the parent company instead of its own as in the case of a company (details supplied). [29006/22]

Legislative Measures

Bríd Smith

179. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the status of the Industrial Relations (Provisions in Respect of Pension Entitlements of Retired Workers) Bill 2021; if he intends to support the referral of the Bill to Committee Stage in advance of the anniversary of the Second Stage reading of the Bill on 30 June 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29743/22]

Legislative Measures

Bríd Smith

180. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will publish or make available to the public any submissions made to his Department in relation to the Industrial Relations (Provisions in Respect of Pension Entitlements of Retired Workers) Bill 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29758/22]

Environmental Schemes

Bríd Smith

238. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the number of environmental permits issued by the Environmental Protection Agency; the dates of issue of same for industrial and greenhouse gases to operators of data centres; the total annual purchase of emission allowances through the European Union emissions trading system from these permits in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30317/22]

Energy Usage

Bríd Smith

239. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if the new Eirgrid restrictions on data centre connections to the national grid relate only to new applicants or those already approved by Eirgrid for connection; the number of approved but unconnected applications from data centre developments that Eirgrid expect to connect in the coming years; the locations of new data centres that Eirgrid expect to connect to the grid in the coming years; the total extra mw of power expected to be used by these new data centre connections in the coming years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30325/22]

Bus Services

Bríd Smith

293. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Transport further to Parliamentary Question Nos. 176 and 178 of 12 May 2022, if he can specify the actual number of lost or missed departures from each terminal where a scheduled departure did not happen on the route concerned and not just the average of lost kilometres; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30009/22]

Statutory Instruments

Bríd Smith

434. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform when he expects to make a decision on the proposed statutory instrument, S.I. that relates to the regular wages scheme of CIÉ workers; the expected timeline for signing-off on the proposed S.I.; the discussions and potential difficulties with the proposed S.I.; if his Department has held discussions with other bodies in relation to this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30791/22]

Animal Welfare

Bríd Smith

523. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of licences that have been issued in the past ten years for the capture and killing of protected wild birds and animals for educational or scientific purposes; the species and numbers of birds and animals affected; the nature of the educational or scientific purposes; the method of capture; the number that were killed; the number that were released; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30142/22]

Animal Welfare

Bríd Smith

524. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his attention has been drawn to at least 320 birds, five seals, five hares and a rabbit that were among the animals used in experiments at in University College Cork in 2021; if they were captured from the wild; the method of capture; if licences were granted to allow same; if so, the conditions attached to the licences; the number of animals that were killed; if he has concerns that protected animals are being killed in experiments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30143/22]

Data Centres

Bríd Smith

531. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of operative data centres in the State at present; the number of centres approved but not yet built; the number awaiting planning approval; the number of those in the process of being built if these are not captured in the previous categories; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30318/22]

International Relations

Bríd Smith

898. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will raise the plight of two persons (details supplied) on hunger strike in Palestine at the United Nations General Assembly and with the Israeli authorities. [31003/22]

Social Welfare Schemes

Bríd Smith

1086. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection if there are plans to increase payments to those on the job initiative schemes; if her attention has been drawn to the fact that those working on these schemes are struggling to make ends meet as a result of the spiralling cost of living; the assistance that is available to these workers to stop them falling further into poverty; if there are plans to extend fuel allowance to this cohort; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29195/22]

Child and Family Agency

Bríd Smith

1190. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will clarify the situation in relation to a facility (details supplied); if Tusla has withdrawn this facility’s registration and therefore its ability to access funding under the early childhood care and education scheme; if so, the reason for this action; if the agency has met with any representatives of the facility to resolve this issue; if the agency will now meet with parents, the relevant local authority and staff affected by this decision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30079/22]

Child and Family Agency

Bríd Smith

1191. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if she will clarify the position in relation to Pobal funding for a facility (details supplied); if Pobal has withdrawn funding from this facility; if so, the rationale for same; the efforts that the agency has made to resolve any outstanding issues; if the agency will meet with management, local authority personnel and parents affected by this decision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30080/22]

Visa Applications

Bríd Smith

1328. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Justice if, a matter (details supplied) will be clarified in relation to the processing of foreign student applications for visa permits to attend education facilities in the State; if all information needed to proceed with an application is available to Turkish and other foreign nationalities is on her Department's website; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30021/22]

Residency Permits

Bríd Smith

1338. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Justice the number of applications in relation to waiting times and so on for permanent residence cards that have been received by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service for permanent residence cards by family members of EEA nationals who have complied with the European Communities (Free Movement of Persons) Regulations 2015 in each of the years from 2017 to 2022, in tabular form; the number of applications processed annually; and the average length of time to process the applications per year. [30239/22]

Residency Permits

Bríd Smith

1339. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Justice if additional resources in relation to waiting times and so on for permanent residence cards has been allocated to meet the target of six months stated in the European Communities (Free Movement of Persons) Regulations 2015 to process permanent residence applications. [30240/22]