Parliamentary questions

House Purchase Schemes

Cathal Crowe

455. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if consideration will be given to introducing measures to incentivise single persons to purchase a house given the difficulties a solo buyer will have in meeting mortgage criteria on one salary. [16307/21]

State Examinations

Cathal Crowe

561. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Education if she will consider revising the procedures for conducting the 2021 oral examinations and to include the wearing of masks as a precaution in order that the risk of Covid-19 can be reduced; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16370/21]

Grant Payments

Cathal Crowe

575. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Education the status of an application for the remote area boarding grant by a person (details supplied). [16552/21]

Teaching Qualifications

Cathal Crowe

644. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Education the number of teachers that are missing out on an additional salary allowance due to obtaining a pass grade in their primary degree; the percentage of those that have an honours postgraduate qualification despite the grade in their base degree; and the measures that will be taken to address the differential pay scales they are on compared to their teaching peers (details supplied). [17548/21]

Carer's Allowance

Cathal Crowe

668. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Social Protection if provisions will be made to ensure the continued payment of carer’s allowance in respect of a person (details supplied) in a case in which they are in breach of the regular rules. [16687/21]

Back to Work Enterprise Allowance Scheme

Cathal Crowe

676. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Social Protection if an analysis can be conducted on the back to work enterprise allowance scheme (details supplied) to adapt it to suit the tourism sector. [17053/21]

Vaccination Programme

Cathal Crowe

868. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Health if persons suffering from long Covid will be considered for priority vaccination; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16352/21]

Hospital Charges

Cathal Crowe

910. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Health if he will review the short-stay charges regime at St. Camilus' Hospital, Limerick in order that medical card holders are no longer charged a weekly rate of €179; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16509/21]

Vaccination Programme

Cathal Crowe

915. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Health if provisions will be made to prioritise staff in special schools for the Covid-19 vaccination given that administration staff in non-front-line or contact settings are being vaccinated ahead of them. [16564/21]

Treatment Abroad Scheme

Cathal Crowe

1032. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Health if an exception will be made to the criteria regarding the treatment abroad scheme for a person (details supplied). [16913/21]

Covid-19 Pandemic

Cathal Crowe

1154. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Health if he will urgently consider a revision to the listing of professions involved in international travel that are exempted from mandatory hotel quarantining during the Covid-19 pandemic in order that aircraft engineers essential to the transit supply chain who travel here from overseas are not required to quarantine; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17382/21]

Vaccination Programme

Cathal Crowe

1174. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Health if consideration will be given to vaccinating all special education staff promptly to ensure the safety of staff and pupils (details supplied). [17457/21]

Covid-19 Pandemic

Cathal Crowe

60. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if she will seek a revision of Covid-19 restrictions in order that visitor attractions can reopen at level 3; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16094/21]

Back to Work Enterprise Allowance Scheme

Cathal Crowe

118. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Social Protection if the back to work enterprise allowance can be repurposed to include self-employed persons in the tourism and arts sectors given that restrictions are likely to continue for some time; and, if not, if there is scope to set up a targeted scheme for such persons who are missing out on such payments. [16095/21]

National Driver Licensing Service

Cathal Crowe

78. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Transport the measures he will put in place to deal with the backlog within the NDLS nationally in respect of persons left waiting many months for a driving test or licence renewal appointment. [1714/21]

Shannon Airport Facilities

Cathal Crowe

85. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Transport the outcomes of a Governmental review concerning a group (details supplied); and when a new chairperson for the board of the group will be appointed. [1713/21]

Driver Licences

Cathal Crowe

296. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Transport if he will intervene in the case of a student (details supplied) in which they may have to miss out on their preferred college course due to a driver licence anomaly; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14522/21]

Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Cathal Crowe

300. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Transport the amount of state aid granted to the Shannon Airport Authority since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic that has been for operational expenditure; the amount that has been for capital expenditure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14564/21]

Road Tolls

Cathal Crowe

374. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Transport the impact the loss of toll income has had on the road projects that Transport Infrastructure Ireland is carrying out. [15650/21]

Driver Licences

Cathal Crowe

390. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Transport if an effort can be made to renew urgently driving licences for those whose licences have expired and who due to Covid-19-related delays cannot get a prompt renewal but require a valid licence for driving internationally for work. [15782/21]

Teaching Qualifications

Cathal Crowe

838. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Education if the anomaly will be addressed in primary payroll procedures whereby in recent years the attainment of an honours or pass degree for entrants to the profession has no bearing on salary given a small cohort of teachers who are in the profession for many years continue to be paid less than their work colleagues due to the fact they attained a pass primary degree; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14193/21]

Teaching Qualifications

Cathal Crowe

858. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Education the number of primary school teachers who are missing out on the honours primary degree allowance due to the fact that they attained a pass level in their primary degree but attained an honours level in their postgraduate diploma; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14475/21]

Schools Data

Cathal Crowe

919. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Education if assistance will be provided in the case of a person (details supplied). [15361/21]

Childcare Services

Cathal Crowe

1070. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will consider developing a community childcare facility at a site (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14221/21]

Legislative Programme

Cathal Crowe

1186. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Justice the status of reforms her Department is examining in terms of licensing laws for the retail of alcohol in off-licences. [13934/21]

Citizenship Applications

Cathal Crowe

1204. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Justice the status of a citizenship application by a person (details supplied). [14189/21]

Prison Service Staff

Cathal Crowe

1255. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Justice if she will consider allowing those working in the Irish Prison Service to continue working past the age of 60 if they are medically certified as fit to work. [15003/21]

Health Services Staff

Cathal Crowe

1302. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Health if he will extend the arrangement piloted in 2020 by which additional intern positions for newly qualified doctors were created in the public hospital system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13885/21]

Vaccination Programme

Cathal Crowe

1436. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Health if it will be ensured that a supply of the Covid-19 vaccine is ring-fenced for those over 80 years of age with underlying conditions who are facing long-term hospital stays, for example, cancer patients; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14208/21]

General Practitioner Services

Cathal Crowe

1564. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Health if the status will be examined of a permanent general practitioner appointment for Kilkee, County Clare, which has been served by locum doctors for an extended period of time. [14654/21]

Covid-19 Pandemic

Cathal Crowe

1609. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Health when youth workers who are considered essential workers can expect to receive their Covid-19 vaccine; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14834/21]

Health Services Provision

Cathal Crowe

1658. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Health when sleep apnoea clinics will reopen for screenings and assessments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14995/21]

Covid-19 Pandemic

Cathal Crowe

1796. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Health if he will give consideration to having cardiac patients recategorised to level 7 of the national roll-out plan for Covid-19 vaccinations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15460/21]

General Practitioner Services

Cathal Crowe

1851. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Health if he will ensure that the HSE secures a permanent general practitioner for Kilrush, County Clare, as a matter of urgency (details supplied). [15676/21]

Building Regulations

Cathal Crowe

75. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will accredit architectural technologists as assigned certifiers as per the Building Control Amendment Regulations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13623/21]

Felling Licences

Cathal Crowe

275. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he and his officials will provide a response in relation to a tree felling case for a person (details supplied) in County Clare. [13831/21]

Renewable Energy Generation

Cathal Crowe

43. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the way in which the existing Climate Action Plan 2019 can be enhanced in order to increase the speed at which renewable energy generation projects are brought online particularly in the context of the expedited downsizing of the Moneypoint power station. [13290/21]

Post Office Network

Cathal Crowe

54. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will consider introducing a public service obligation to help sustain the nationwide post office sector. [13093/21]

Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Cathal Crowe

213. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Transport the amount of state aid that has been granted to the Shannon Airport Authority since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. [12587/21]

Airport Policy

Cathal Crowe

214. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Transport the provisions that have been made to secure additional cargo flights for Shannon Airport. [12588/21]

Wage Subsidy Scheme

Cathal Crowe

288. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Finance if he will extend the employment wage subsidy scheme extension to the end of 2021 for the tourism and aviation sectors which are both unlikely to see a substantial recovery in 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13123/21]

Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Cathal Crowe

289. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Finance if he will engage with the pillar banks to ensure that concession-based moratoriums are being provided to tourism businesses until such time as Covid-19 restrictions are lifted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13124/21]

Value Added Tax

Cathal Crowe

290. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Finance if he will consider retaining the tourism VAT rate at 9% until at least 2025 to assist the recovery of the tourism sector post Covid-19; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13125/21]

Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Cathal Crowe

355. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if she will consider emergency financial support for a castle (details supplied) County Clare. [13450/21]

Local Authority Rates

Cathal Crowe

398. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will consider extending the current waiver on local authority commercial rates for tourism and hospitality businesses until the end of 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13127/21]

School Transport

Cathal Crowe

503. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Education if refunds will be issued to parents of pupils on the school transport scheme that have not been attending school and therefore not availing of the service. [12847/21]

School Staff

Cathal Crowe

548. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Education if she will create a scheme in order that primary school teachers on an agreed temporary exchange with another school can make the exchange on a permanent basis subject to the agreement of all parties; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13393/21]

Third Level Education

Cathal Crowe

675. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if the requirement for students embarking on paramedic studies degrees in the 2021-2022 academic year to have a grade C1 licence by the end of year 1 will be reviewed in view of the delays to driver test appointments at present and the knock-on delays that are expected. [13143/21]

Visa Applications

Cathal Crowe

693. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Justice if the visa process for medical professionals who have job offers in health settings here and who are engaging with the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service can be expedited given the serious need for medical staff nationally. [12669/21]

Eating Disorders

Cathal Crowe

946. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Health if CAMHS and the mental health services of the HSE in County Clare have psychologists, counsellors and dieticians specifically trained to support adolescents and teenagers that are battling with eating disorders; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13357/21]