Parliamentary questions

Covid-19 Pandemic

Gerald Nash

978. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Health the concerns that led to the HSE and RCSI hospital group taking over operational control of a facility (details supplied) in response to the outbreak of Covid-19 at the facility on 17 April 2020; if the HSE will establish the precise criteria that were applied to prompt such a decision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18393/20]

Departmental Correspondence

Gerald Nash

979. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Health if he will provide the correspondence received from the owner and managers of a facility (details supplied) dated 12 April 2020; the response issued to that correspondence; if he will provide a copy of a report on the Covid-19 outbreak at the facility which was created by officials in his Department on 11 April 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18394/20]

Medical Cards

Gerald Nash

1030. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Health when the revised income threshold for medical card applicants aged over 70 will be enacted following the abandonment of previous legislation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18811/20]

Driver Test

Ged Nash

81. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the progress in relation to the development of a driver test centre in Drogheda, County Louth; the location of the new facility; when it is planned to open the centre; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17750/20]

Public Sector Pay

Ged Nash

21. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he plans to engage with public sector trade unions on a successor to the public sector agreement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16819/20]

Public Procurement Contracts

Ged Nash

32. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if the payment of a living wage and recognition of the industrial relations infrastructure of the State will be included as part of social policy objectives pertaining to public procurement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16822/20]

Ministerial Advisers

Ged Nash

33. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the number of special advisers to be engaged by the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste and the Minister for Climate Action, Communications Networks and Transport; the estimated annual level of funding to be allocated to each Department in terms of the engagement of such advisers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16818/20]

Public Procurement Contracts

Ged Nash

35. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the level of procurement leakage; his plans to develop and implement a procurement sourcing strategy across Government that would reduce the high level of procurement leakage to the EU average; his further plans to increase the proportion of tenders divided into lots to support SMEs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16820/20]

Public Procurement Contracts

Ged Nash

41. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his plans to ensure public procurement supply chains do not include instances of labour exploitation such as breaches of employment regulation orders, cases of child labour and so on; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16821/20]

Covid-19 Pandemic

Ged Nash

105. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he is considering compensation and or refunds for those persons who have booked flights and holidays and have now chosen not to travel in view of the continued public health advice; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16480/20]

Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Ged Nash

199. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Finance the percentage of employees on the temporary wage subsidy scheme receiving a top-up amount between €1 to €100 at intervals of €10, in tabular form; if he plans to introduce compulsory top-up payments similar to comparative EU wage subsidy schemes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16868/20]

Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Ged Nash

200. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Finance the status of the compliance programme introduced last month to ensure correct operation of the temporary wage subsidy scheme; the number of firms audited to date as a percentage of those currently availing of the scheme; the number of breaches found to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16869/20]

Banking Sector

Ged Nash

201. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Finance the status of his latest meeting with individual banks; the details of his discussions with the banks on the charging of interest to customers on Covid-19 mortgage payment breaks; if he directed the banks to cease charging interest on mortgage payment breaks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16870/20]

Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Ged Nash

202. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Finance his plans to follow other EU countries in prohibiting firms availing of the temporary wage subsidy scheme from dismissals on economic grounds; if he will seek the full repayment of the compensation per each employee in the case of dismissal on economic grounds; if he will oblige employers to reach an agreement with trade unions or other worker representatives in the case of large-scale dismissals, that is, of 20-plus employees, on economic grounds; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16871/20]

Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Ged Nash

203. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Finance if he will oblige firms availing of the temporary wage subsidy scheme to include a compulsory retraining or reskilling plan for their employees as with comparative schemes in other EU countries; if he will consider introducing an in-work training subsidy to support such measures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16872/20]

EU Investigations

Ged Nash

204. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Finance his views on the judgment of the General Court of the European Union on the appeal by Ireland and a company (details supplied) against the €13 billion tax ruling by the European Commission; the legal expenses on the case to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16873/20]

Tax Avoidance

Ged Nash

205. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Finance his views on reported plans of the European Commission to reduce multinational tax avoidance using Article 116 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union; his further views on such measures to clamp down on multinational tax avoidance in his new role as President of the Eurogroup; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16874/20]

Credit Unions

Ged Nash

5. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Finance his plans for a new credit unions Act; his views on the recommendations from a recent report (details supplied) by an organisation; if he will amend the Credit Unions Acts 1997-2012 to allow additional financing for credit unions for social housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16291/20]

Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Ged Nash

19. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Finance his plans to reform the temporary wage subsidy scheme into a short-term work and training scheme akin to the German Kurzarbeit model; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16292/20]

Economic Policy

Ged Nash

29. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Finance his views on the projected deficit figure of €23 billion to €30 billion for 2020 based on the stability programme update in April 2020 in view of recent positive corporation tax and income tax revenue receipts; the breakdown of the projected deficit figure for 2020 based on updated figures for general government expenditure and general government revenue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16293/20]