Parliamentary questions

Freedom of Speech

Neale Richmond

646. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if action has been taken in relation to an incident regarding academic freedom (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12048/21]

Autism Support Services

Neale Richmond

913. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Health the steps he is taking to reduce waiting times for autism assessment for children; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11778/21]

Autism Support Services

Neale Richmond

914. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Health the reason for the delay in accessing autism assessment for children; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11779/21]

Autism Support Services

Neale Richmond

915. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Health the average waiting time for autism assessment for children; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11780/21]

Covid-19 Tests

Neale Richmond

924. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Health if he has considered increasing investment in test and trace facilities to help combat Covid-19; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11792/21]

Covid-19 Tests

Neale Richmond

925. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Health the current average turnaround time for contact tracing following a positive test for Covid-19; the goal for the turnaround time; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11793/21]

Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Neale Richmond

1101. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if a charity (details supplied) has availed of funding under the Covid-19 stability fund; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12001/21]

Local Authority Rates

Neale Richmond

119. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he has considered reinstating the rates waiver for vacant premises; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10865/21]

Covid-19 Pandemic

Neale Richmond

122. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he plans to allow small-scale construction to resume in cases in which the residency in the home depends on the construction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10673/21]

Brexit Data

Neale Richmond

39. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he has considered publishing an impact assessment on the UK-EU trade deal on Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10349/21]

Commission for Regulation of Utilities

Neale Richmond

46. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he has considered engaging with the Commission for Regulation of Utilities to introduce a measure to ensure that utility companies must contract persons when their contracts are up; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9562/21]

Aviation Industry

Neale Richmond

131. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Transport the supports he will provide to the aviation industry to support it through the Covid-19 restrictions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10242/21]

Tax Data

Neale Richmond

163. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Finance the amount of revenue generated from VAT, mineral oil tax and carbon tax on liquid fuel in 2019 and 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9464/21]

Mortgage Lending

Neale Richmond

216. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Finance if he has engaged with an organisation (details supplied) or with individual banks regarding wage subsidy schemes affecting the eligibility for mortgage approval; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10351/21]

Covid-19 Pandemic

Neale Richmond

292. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will consider issuing exemptions in written format to private citizens having to conduct emergency works under level 5 restrictions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9561/21]

State Examinations

Neale Richmond

439. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Education the plans being considered for the junior certificate examinations in view of Covid-19; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9808/21]

State Examinations

Neale Richmond

455. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Education if arrangements will be put in place to allow students with epilepsy to resit their State examinations in the same academic year should they experience a seizure during their exams; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9986/21]

Third Level Fees

Neale Richmond

502. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Education the reasoning behind a €1,300 charge for a one-month at-home Gaeltacht experience for students undertaking a professional masters of education qualification in primary teaching, given that there is no cost for room and board, food or activities in an online activity; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10373/21]

Teacher Training

Neale Richmond

503. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Education if she has considered allowing students of private colleges to avail of supports such as the Gaeltacht grant, fees refund scheme, student assistant fund and the SUSI grant; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10374/21]

Free Travel Scheme

Neale Richmond

573. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will establish a free travel pass for those with long-term health conditions such as epilepsy that can prevent these persons from driving; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9985/21]

Vaccination Programme

Neale Richmond

830. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Health when residents of care homes under 65 years of age with underlying conditions and needs will receive the Covid-19 vaccine; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9673/21]

Vaccination Programme

Neale Richmond

831. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Health when a Covid-19 vaccination date will be set for residents of a care home (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9674/21]

Respite Care Services

Neale Richmond

898. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Health his plans to reinstate a regional respite service (details supplied) in 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9912/21]

Vaccination Programme

Neale Richmond

1026. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Health if recipients of disability services such as a service (details supplied) will receive the Covid-19 vaccine alongside the front-line staff who care for them; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10491/21]

Mental Health Services

Neale Richmond

1027. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Health his plans to allow child psychologists to conduct appointments by phone, including access to patient files and necessary information; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10492/21]

Health Services Provision

Neale Richmond

1038. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Health the measures in place to support women diagnosed with hyperemesis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10547/21]

Drugs Payment Scheme

Neale Richmond

1039. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Health if he will bring first-line treatments for hyperemesis under the drugs payment scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10548/21]

Health Services

Neale Richmond

1040. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Health the measures he is considering to ensure women diagnosed with hyperemesis do not fall into financial hardship when paying for treatment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10549/21]

Air Ambulance Service

Neale Richmond

1043. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Health if he will allocate funding to a service (details supplied) to ensure it can operate without the need to rely on fundraising; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10555/21]

Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Neale Richmond

4. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he has considered implementing a Covid-19 support scheme that does not require being a commercial rate payer; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9197/21]

Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Neale Richmond

5. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he has considered allowing companies that are not paying commercial rates but that are registered and tax compliant to avail of Covid-19 support schemes such as the employment wage subsidy scheme, Covid restrictions support scheme and Covid-19 business aid scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9198/21]

Light Rail Projects

Neale Richmond

61. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Transport if he plans to extend the Luas to Rathfarnham; if planning has been carried out on the project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9027/21]

Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Neale Richmond

90. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Finance if there is scope to extend the backdating of the Covid restrictions support scheme further than eight weeks to encompass companies that had issues with the initial application; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9028/21]

Vaccination Programme

Neale Richmond

290. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Health if consideration has been given to recommend giving a single vaccine shot for persons who have had Covid-19 as has been recommended in France; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9196/21]

Brexit Issues

Neale Richmond

17. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he has engaged with his UK counterpart on the decision of the UK Government not to publish an impact assessment of the UK-EU trade deal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8306/21]

Brexit Issues

Neale Richmond

18. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the sectors that stand to benefit most and least, respectively, from the EU-UK trade deal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8307/21]

Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Neale Richmond

22. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the Covid-19 supports available to businesses which do not fall into either the established relevant business activity or new relevant business activity under the Covid restrictions support scheme and as such cannot avail of its supports; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8433/21]

Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Neale Richmond

23. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if front-facing businesses that do not qualify for the Covid restrictions support scheme as they are neither an established relevant business activity or a new relevant business activity as they began trading in December 2020 will be eligible for the forthcoming Covid-19 business aid scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8434/21]

Fuel Sales

Neale Richmond

59. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the methods used to collect data on solid fuel volumes sold nationwide; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8760/21]

Ministerial Meetings

Neale Richmond

77. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Transport if he will report on his engagement with his European counterparts on 8 December 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7993/21]

Driver Test

Neale Richmond

78. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Transport the system in place to deal with the backlog of driver theory test appointments due to the Covid-19 pandemic; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8001/21]

Driver Test

Neale Richmond

79. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Transport if it is the policy of the RSA that if a driver theory test is cancelled due to Covid-19 restrictions, the student is not refunded for their test fee and is not given another test date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8002/21]

Driver Test

Neale Richmond

80. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Transport the plans in place to allow essential workers to take the driver theory test during the current round of Covid-19 restrictions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8003/21]

Driver Test

Neale Richmond

81. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Transport when the driver theory tests will resume for non-essential workers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8004/21]

Tax Incentives

Neale Richmond

180. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Finance if he has considered implementing a tax incentive scheme on gym memberships or exercise classes when Covid-19 restrictions are lifted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8866/21]

Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Neale Richmond

181. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Finance if he has considered financial supports for the exercise industry to aid in its recovery from Covid-19 restrictions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8867/21]

Social and Affordable Housing

Neale Richmond

280. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the salary expectations for persons to be able to access the affordable housing scheme which he plans to roll out in summer 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8326/21]

School Breaks Standardisation

Neale Richmond

462. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Education if her attention has been drawn to schools minimising their midterm break but opting for extended breaks later in the spring; if this decision is supported by her Department; her views on whether schools should ensure that when children return to the classroom that any additional interruptions should be kept to a minimum; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8860/21]

Childcare Services

Neale Richmond

529. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if it is a requirement of childcare providers to offer fee credits to parents for weeks in which the childcare provider setting is closed due to a Covid-19 outbreak; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8321/21]

Childcare Services

Neale Richmond

530. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the details of his engagement throughout 2020 and to date in 2021 with au pair organisations in relation to the childcare duties many participants provide to parents; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8322/21]