Parliamentary questions

Covid-19 Pandemic

Louise O'Reilly

1138. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health the status of the behavioural change subgroup of NPHET; the number of times the group has met since June 2020; if the group continues to advise NPHET; the number of reports the group has produced; the date of publication of these reports; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32381/20]

Covid-19 Pandemic

Louise O'Reilly

1139. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health the status of the vulnerable persons subgroup of NPHET; the number of times the group has met since June 2020; if the group continues to advise NPHET; the number of reports the group has produced; the date of publication of these reports; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32382/20]

Covid-19 Pandemic

Louise O'Reilly

1210. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health the data behind the decision to close gyms under level 5 restrictions; the impact of gyms on the R number; the potential reduction in the R number through the application of gym closures; the number of Covid-19 cases linked to gyms; the location of the gyms by county; and the general data which informed the decision to close down gyms. [32667/20]

Covid-19 Pandemic

Louise O'Reilly

1211. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health the data behind the decision to close close-contact personnel services such as hairdressing, barbers, beauty therapy and so on under level 5 restrictions; the impact of close-contact personnel services on the R number; the potential reduction in the R number through the application of close-contact personnel services closures; the number of Covid-19 cases linked to close-contact personnel services; the location those close-contact personnel services by county; and the general data which informed the decision to close down close-contact personnel services. [32668/20]

Respite Care Services

Louise O'Reilly

1212. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health if the HSE can provide a timeline and an update on the provision of respite care for person (details supplied) who has been identified as a code red by their service provider and is on the emergency residential list with the HSE. [32670/20]

Covid-19 Pandemic

Louise O'Reilly

1213. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health the measures being taken to counter pseudoscience, falsehoods and denial in respect of Covid-19; his views on whether the State is doing enough to counter these falsehoods, which have increased since the announcement of a second lockdown; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32675/20]

Covid-19 Pandemic

Louise O'Reilly

1299. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health if beauty therapists, hairdressers and photographers can still operate to provide their services to brides, grooms and facilitate weddings going ahead in view of the fact weddings of 25 persons are allowed to go ahead under level 5. [32996/20]

Driver Licences

Louise O'Reilly

40. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Transport if driver licences will be extended for those drivers due to turn 70 years of age in the coming months that have been requested to attend a NDLS centre for licence renewal due to the fact they have not been in a centre over the past five years. [32242/20]

Driver Licences

Louise O'Reilly

41. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Transport if special arrangements will be made for those drivers turning 70 years of age in October 2020 who need to renew their licences, such as online renewal, as many of these drivers are not comfortable attending a NDLS centre due to Covid-19. [32243/20]

Driver Licences

Louise O'Reilly

42. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Transport if special arrangements will be made for those drivers turning 70 years of age in October 2020 whose appointment to renew their licence has been delayed due to Covid-19, and their licence will be out of date for a number of weeks before their appointment for renewal at a NDLS centre. [32244/20]

Driver Test

Louise O'Reilly

36. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Transport if he will examine solutions such as ultra-cabins and groundhogs to allow the State’s 1,700 driver instructors access to hygiene and sanitation facilities at driver test centres; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31835/20]

Driver Test

Louise O'Reilly

37. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Transport if a compromise will be found that will ensure that driver test instructors are provided with adequate bathroom facilities and sanitisation facilities at driver test centres as a precaution to combat the spread of Covid-19. [31836/20]

Regional Aid

Louise O'Reilly

122. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Taoiseach the value of regional aid granted under the regional aid guidelines granted by his Department or agencies under the remit of his Department in each of the past seven years; and the value by county or lowest possible NUTS level over the period. [30906/20]

Health and Safety Authority

Louise O'Reilly

132. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if the allocation of €4 million in budget 2021 for Health and Safety Authority pay is for pay restoration; if it is additional and new moneys; if so, the measures the funding will be used for; the number of additional HSA inspectors it will be used to take on; and the permanent standing HSA workforce expected after the funds have been used by grade group and category. [31292/20]

Covid-19 Pandemic

Louise O'Reilly

133. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment further to Parliamentary Question No. 28 of 13 October 2020, if he will provide a breakdown of each NACE sector compliance with Covid-19 protocols, in the manner in which the CSO or EUROSTAT further break down these sectors into more detailed individual subsections (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31324/20]

Driver Test

Louise O'Reilly

155. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Transport further to Parliamentary Question No. 209 of 6 October 2020, if his attention has been drawn to the fact that none of the fully licensed drivers, such as instructors, parents or guardians, that he referred to in the reply are allowed shelter, use toilets or hand washing facilities at the RSA driving test centres; and if his further attention has been drawn to that fact that this is in stark contrast to NCT centres that have set up to allow persons to wait in a socially distant and safe manner indoors in their centres. [30940/20]

Value Added Tax

Louise O'Reilly

193. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Finance if he will examine the possibility of lowering VAT rates for socially distanced, streamed or online events. [31075/20]

Insurance Coverage

Louise O'Reilly

194. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Finance if his attention has been drawn to the fact that several major insurers have left the live events industry; and his plans to work with the arts, entertainment and events industry to come up with a solution to the problems that this poses, including examining the possibility of the State acting as an insurer. [31076/20]

Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Louise O'Reilly

220. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Finance the details of the Covid-19 restrictions support scheme; if the scheme is an advanced tax credit scheme; and if so, the tax implications for businesses that access funds under the scheme in the coming years. [31293/20]

Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Louise O'Reilly

221. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Finance the reason the Covid-19 restrictions support scheme does not include suppliers upstream in the business chain (details supplied); if there will be support for suppliers whose business may be drastically affected by the effects of the public health measures to their customers downstream in the business chain that are affected by level 3 to level 5 restrictions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31294/20]

EU Funding

Louise O'Reilly

248. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the way in which it is planned that northern parts of Ireland and Northern Ireland will benefit from the next allocation of structural funds; the EU financial assistance in cross-border infrastructure plans in place or being developed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31590/20]

Covid-19 Pandemic

Louise O'Reilly

255. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if her Department will work with the arts, entertainment and events community to help, financially and logistically establish socially distant concerts as Ireland lives with Covid-19 for the foreseeable future. [31024/20]

Pension Provisions

Louise O'Reilly

300. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Defence if his attention has been drawn to circumstances by which a person (details supplied) can re-enter the 2004 pension scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31078/20]

Covid-19 Pandemic

Louise O'Reilly

515. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Justice if her attention has been drawn to the significant delays for essential service workers, including healthcare workers, getting to and from work due to Garda checkpoints checking for compliance with Covid-19 regulations, which are causing huge delays; and if her Department has spoken with the Minister for Health and the Garda Commissioner regarding possible other ways of ensuring compliance with the new restrictions which do not delay healthcare and essential service workers in their journeys to and from work. [31077/20]

General Practitioner Services

Louise O'Reilly

694. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 1207 of 8 September 2020, the details and information on the number of hospital laboratories that require some additional funding to enable them to provide general practitioners with full access to the BNP blood test; the options being explored; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31472/20]

Obesity Strategy

Louise O'Reilly

764. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health the number of times the obesity policy implementation oversight group has met to date in 2020; the work programme for the group for the remainder of 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31703/20]

Health Promotion

Louise O'Reilly

765. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health when the progress report on A Healthy Weight for Ireland, the Obesity Policy and Action Plan will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31704/20]

Health Promotion

Louise O'Reilly

766. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health the status of the evaluation of A Healthy Weight for Ireland, the Obesity Policy and Action Plan that is being prepared by the Health Research Board Centre for Diet and Health Research, University College Cork; when it will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31705/20]

Small and Medium Enterprises

Louise O'Reilly

1. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if his Department will consider the establishment of an Industrial Development Authority or similar styled body specifically to focus on microbusinesses, workers' co-operatives, and small and medium-sized enterprises. [30000/20]

Flexible Work Practices

Louise O'Reilly

3. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will undertake the necessary legislative and tax changes to ensure that remote working and-or home working are recognised as forms of work that require specific safeguards, protections and allowances for workers. [30001/20]

Redundancy Payments

Louise O'Reilly

20. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he has had any further engagement with the workers of a company (details supplied) and their trade union representatives regarding the ongoing pursuit of the workers to receive their redundancy rights and entitlements. [30364/20]

Aer Lingus

Louise O'Reilly

37. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if his attention has been drawn to the flagrant breaches of workers’ rights by a company (details supplied) in its refusal to complete employer declarations for its workers in order to access social protection payments; and if he will write to the company to request that it cease engaging in this practice of obfuscation and delay. [30363/20]

Health and Safety Inspections

Louise O'Reilly

70. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of HSA inspections of meat and food processing plants that have been carried out for compliance with Covid-19 regulations since March 2020; the locations of each; if the workplace was compliant or not; the number that were unannounced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30002/20]

Regional Aid

Louise O'Reilly

102. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Environment, Climate and Communications the value of regional aid granted under the regional aid guidelines by his Department or agencies under the remit of his Department in each of the past seven years; the value by county or lowest possible NUTS level over the period; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30896/20]

Regional Aid

Louise O'Reilly

117. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Transport the value of regional aid granted under the regional aid guidelines granted by his Department or agencies under the remit of his Department in each of the past seven years; the value by county or lowest possible NUTS level over the period; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30908/20]

Regional Aid

Louise O'Reilly

133. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Finance the value of regional aid granted under the regional aid guidelines granted by his Department or agencies under the remit of his Department in each of the past seven years; the value by county or lowest possible NUTS level over the period; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30897/20]

Regional Aid

Louise O'Reilly

146. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the value of regional aid granted under the regional aid guidelines granted by her Department or agencies under the remit of her Department in each of the past seven years; the value by county or lowest possible NUTS level over the period; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30907/20]

Regional Aid

Louise O'Reilly

154. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the value of regional aid granted under the regional aid guidelines granted by his Department or agencies under the remit of his Department in each of the past seven years; the value by county or lowest possible NUTS level over the period; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30901/20]

Regional Aid

Louise O'Reilly

171. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Defence the value of regional aid granted under the regional aid guidelines granted by his Department or agencies under the remit of his Department in each of the past seven years; the value by county or lowest possible NUTS level over the period; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30894/20]

Regional Aid

Louise O'Reilly

205. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Education the value of regional aid granted under the regional aid guidelines granted by her Department or agencies under the remit of her Department in each of the past seven years; the value by county or lowest possible NUTS level over the period; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30895/20]

Regional Aid

Louise O'Reilly

222. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection the value of regional aid granted under the regional aid guidelines granted by her Department or agencies under the remit of her Department in each of the past seven years; the value by county or lowest possible NUTS level over the period; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30905/20]

Regional Aid

Louise O'Reilly

230. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Children, Disability, Equality and Integration the value of regional aid granted under the regional aid guidelines granted by his Department or agencies under the remit of his Department in each of the past seven years; the value by county or lowest possible NUTS level over the period; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30893/20]

Regional Aid

Louise O'Reilly

234. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the value of regional aid granted under the regional aid guidelines granted by his Department or agencies under the remit of his Department in each of the past seven years; the value by county or lowest possible NUTS level over the period; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30899/20]

Regional Aid

Louise O'Reilly

251. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Justice the value of regional aid granted under the regional aid guidelines granted by her Department or agencies under the remit of her Department in each of the past seven years; the value by county or lowest possible NUTS level over the period; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30902/20]

Regional Aid

Louise O'Reilly

295. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health the value of regional aid granted under the regional aid guidelines granted by his Department or agencies under the remit of his Department in each of the past seven years; the value by county or lowest possible NUTS level over the period; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30900/20]

Regional Aid

Louise O'Reilly

306. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the value of regional aid granted under the regional aid guidelines granted by his Department or agencies under the remit of his Department in each of the past seven years; the value by county or lowest possible NUTS level over the period; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30892/20]

Departmental Reviews

Louise O'Reilly

308. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the value of regional aid granted under the regional aid guidelines granted by her Department or agencies under the remit of her Department in each of the past seven years; the value by county or lowest possible NUTS level over the period; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30904/20]

Schools Building Projects

Louise O'Reilly

61. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Education when a school (details supplied) will be provided with permanent accommodation. [29984/20]

Special Educational Needs

Louise O'Reilly

98. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Education her plans to deliver additional autism spectrum disorder places across north County Dublin. [29985/20]

School Admissions

Louise O'Reilly

157. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Education the number of second level school places in the Malahide and Portmarnock catchment area for the years 2022 to 2024 by school in tabular form; if the increased demand from pupils from a school (details supplied) from 2022 onwards has been factored into her Department’s calculations for the demand in places; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30382/20]