Parliamentary questions

Child Abuse

Bríd Smith

577. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Justice the number of cases of alleged historical child sexual abuse that the DPP did not prosecute, by year, for the past three years and present, in tabular form. [27434/22]

Coroners Service

Bríd Smith

582. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Justice if she has plans to include a complaints mechanism for families during a reform process of the Coroner’s Courts system; when this reform process will take place; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27574/22]

Industrial Disputes

Bríd Smith

42. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health the details of his plans to resolve the current dispute with staff who are members of a union (details supplied); the steps that he has taken to ensure that testing services operate during this dispute; the way that he plans to recruit and retain the required number of workers in this sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26871/22]

Hospital Facilities

Bríd Smith

98. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health when the proposed new testing laboratory at the Coombe Hospital will be completed and operating; the number of medical laboratory scientists who are required to fully staff the facility; the estimated percentage of the CervicalCheck programme that this facility will conduct when fully operational; the locations in which the remaining testing for CervicalCheck programmes will be conducted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26872/22]

Ukraine War

Bríd Smith

149. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the details of meetings that have been held and the plans of the National Fodder and Food Security Committee in relation to threats to food security as a result of the current war specifically the plans to deal with costs and supplies of fertiliser; and the take-up of schemes to increase the planting of tillage crops; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26873/22]

Animal Welfare

Bríd Smith

187. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on the latest figures for the licensed slaughter of young dairy calves which show that 30,000 animals were killed in 2021; and his plans to stop this practice and to reduce these figures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26874/22]

Direct Provision System

Bríd Smith

293. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the rationale that was used by his Department in 2000 when the decision was taken to commence the direct provision system; if he will detail and supply the studies, risk assessments and policy deliberations and so on that were conducted by his Department at the time (details supplied); the advice that the Government relied upon to support the decision to set-up and extend the direct provision system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27052/22]

Early Childhood Care and Education

Bríd Smith

314. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of childcare providers who have signed up to the early childhood care and education scheme but who choose not to accept the affordable childcare scheme; the steps that his Department is taking to deal with the numbers of providers who will not accept the affordable childcare payments; the assistance that is available for parents of children in such facilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27175/22]

Departmental Investigations

Bríd Smith

367. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health if he will detail the progress on any investigation or report into the practice of the misuse and incineration of the organs of deceased babies; the steps that his Department is taking to ensure that this practice is not repeated; the meetings or consultations that are taking place with parents who have been affected with his Department or HSE officials; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27108/22]

Special Educational Needs

Bríd Smith

108. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Education when, the way and the reason that the National Council for Special Education’s new rule regarding professional reports advising on a suite of options for children with special needs in relation to their education will now no longer meet the criteria for enrolment in an ASD class; the consultation that took place in advance of this decision; if parents were consulted and advised of this change; if referring psychologists were consulted and made aware of the change; if her attention has been drawn to the pressure on existing services; the way that therapists will now find the time to amend already completed reports; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26708/22]

Inquiry into the Death of Mr. Shane O'Farrell

Bríd Smith

6. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Justice the timeframe for finalising a scoping report into the death of a person (details supplied); if progress has been made; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26134/22]

An Garda Síochána

Bríd Smith

15. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Justice the details of proposals by the Government to reform GSOC; the accountability or oversight by Dáil Éireann or by another body that the current structure allows for; the mechanism that is available to revisit previous commission investigations that may have failed to discover facts or wrongdoing; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26135/22]

Special Educational Needs

Bríd Smith

431. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Education if her attention has been drawn to the lack of autism classes in secondary schools in the Dublin 12 area; her plans to increase the number of available places for autistic young people in post-primary education; the expected timeframe for same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26259/22]

Parental Leave

Bríd Smith

487. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of the extension of parent’s leave from five to seven weeks scheduled for July 2022; when this will commence; if the details will be provided in order that parents can start to make plans; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26454/22]

Employment Rights

Bríd Smith

16. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will clarify the progress made to date or planned in enacting legislation to protect workers in cases of mass redundancies including a recent case (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25208/22]

Health and Safety

Bríd Smith

82. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will clarify the progress made in enacting the workplace ventilation Bill and its provisions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25209/22]

Further and Higher Education

Bríd Smith

120. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will examine the threshold of incomes that apply to SUSI applications; his plans to reverse recent changes which may exclude more students from accessing the grant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25207/22]

Further and Higher Education

Bríd Smith

171. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will detail any work his Department is undertaking to analyse the reason the numbers qualifying for SUSI grants has fallen over recent years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25206/22]

Direct Provision System

Bríd Smith

337. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Justice the reason that was used by her Department in 2000 when the decision was taken to commence the direct provision system; the studies, risk assessments and policy deliberations and so on that were conducted by her Department at the time; the advice that the advisors Government and external advisors relied upon to support the decision to set-up and extend the direct provision system (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25508/22]

Social Welfare Payments

Bríd Smith

142. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of recipients receiving the household benefit package and the fuel allowance; the number who are in receipt of both payments; when the last rise in the fuel element of the household benefit package took place; and if there are plans to raise the amount in the coming period. [25299/22]