Parliamentary questions

Childcare Services

Mattie McGrath

696. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if a child (details supplied) with ASD who cannot secure a school placement can remain in preschool for an additional year provided there is space in the preschool; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54930/23]

Grant Payments

Mattie McGrath

4. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to increase the grant awards allowable for local authority housing adaptation grants to meet the increased building costs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54366/23]

Legislative Reviews

Mattie McGrath

381. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Justice her views on the Success of the Mediation Act 2017; to outline any reviews of this legislation that have been carried out or if she intends to carry out any further reviews of the legislation; to outline what key performance indicators if any, have been met; what plans she has, if any, to further promote the role of mediation as an alternative dispute mechanism; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53310/23]

Tobacco Control Measures

Mattie McGrath

510. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Health if he has noted Sweden's smoking rate of 5.6%, which is lower than the EU average of 23%, while the country promotes alternatives to smoking such as vaping; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53251/23]

Tobacco Control Measures

Mattie McGrath

511. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Health if the success of Sweden's approach to tobacco control, embracing alternatives to smoking like vaping, will be reflected in the plan for Tobacco Free Ireland 2025, instead of adopting the more restrictive and less successful approaches by countries like France, Germany, Italy, and Spain, where the average smoking rate across the four countries is 24.75%, compared to Sweden's smoking rate of 5.6%; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53252/23]

Tobacco Control Measures

Mattie McGrath

512. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Health if he will report on the efficacy of Ireland's tobacco reduction strategy, considering Ireland's smoking rate has been 18% since 2019, while Sweden's is currently at 5.6%, as an example; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53253/23]

Tobacco Control Measures

Mattie McGrath

513. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Health to provide details on the price of the licence and timeline of implementation of the licensing system contained in the Public Health (Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Bill 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53255/23]

Local Authorities

Mattie McGrath

392. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the reasons for the delays in local authorities paying out croí cónaithe grants to applicants who have completed their works; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52897/23]

Local Authorities

Mattie McGrath

393. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the status of the provision of the second vacant homes officer for Tipperary County Council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52899/23]

Local Authorities

Mattie McGrath

394. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the provision of additional housing staff to Tipperary County Council for the establishment of new affordable housing schemes in towns and villages across the county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52900/23]

Healthcare Policy

Mattie McGrath

486. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Health whether he or the Government have accepted or rejected amendments to Article 59 of the WHO International Health Regulations (IHR) 2005, including details on the public consultation process; the rationale for not facilitating a Dáil Éireann debate, and a request to publish all communication on the matter with the WHO; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53021/23]

Healthcare Policy

Mattie McGrath

487. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Health what steps he proposes to take for a genuine public consultation process, potentially including a referendum and a Dáil Éireann debate, before deciding to support or reject the WHO Global Pandemic Treaty, as this consideration is crucial due to the treaty's legal binding nature and its potential impact on Ireland's democratic sovereignty, which may undermine national decision-making, especially given the WHO's influence by China and multinational pharmaceutical corporations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53023/23]

Healthcare Policy

Mattie McGrath

488. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Health to outline all details of the Government’s engagement with the World Health Organisation concerning the controversial amendments to the International Health Regulations, providing the WHO with expanded powers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53024/23]

Healthcare Policy

Mattie McGrath

489. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Health to disclose publicly the legal opinion or risk assessment, if any, undertaken or provided regarding Ireland’s position on the amendments and future negotiations on a proposed WHO Global Pandemic Treaty; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53025/23]

Climate Action Plan

Mattie McGrath

15. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications to provide the latest financial modelling of the total cost of implementing all actions set out in the 2021 Climate Action Plan to achieve net-zero targets by 2030, and also targets between 2030 and 2050, including a detailed breakdown of the costings, along with details of how these broad ranges of measures will be funded; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52672/23]

Climate Action Plan

Mattie McGrath

16. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications to provide details of all cost-benefit analysis studies that have been carried out on the total cost of implementing all actions set out in the 2021 climate action plan to achieve net-zero targets by 2030, and also targets between 2030 and 2050, incorporating the impact on living standards and on inflation, and to provide a detailed breakdown; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52674/23]

Climate Action Plan

Mattie McGrath

17. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if the ground transport, heat and electrical sector generation, transmission, and distribution have been fully factored into both the 2030 and 2050 climate action targets; if so, to provide detailed financial assumptions for each, including how they will be funded; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52676/23]

Electricity Grid

Mattie McGrath

18. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications to outline in detail the projected size requirement of the Irish electricity grid to power all the heating required for buildings, both domestic and commercial, as set out in the climate action plan using joule heat (heat pumps), in comparison to today's grid size; the financial costs of doing so; how this investment will be funded; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52679/23]

Electricity Transmission Network

Mattie McGrath

19. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications to outline the expected number of homes in Ireland that will have to be rewired (details supplied) including with a bigger mains fuse, other necessary rewiring, etc., to meet the needs of the new electrical distribution system (as set out in the climate action plan) being proposed to power EVs, heat pumps, and other energy efficiency measures; the average costs for each home; the existing proposals from the Government to fund such investment for both domestic and commercial buildings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52680/23]

Electric Vehicles

Mattie McGrath

20. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the analysis that has been carried out by his Department to determine if the Irish vehicle fleet were to go electric tomorrow, how many tonnes of cobalt, lithium carbonate and copper would be required; whether he agrees that this increase in metal mining via open-cast mining is unsustainable from an ecological perspective, and also from a human rights perspective due to the exploitation of workers, including child labour; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52682/23]