Parliamentary questions

School Staff

Rose Conway-Walsh

152. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Education if she plans to engage with the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform to build on the recent agreement and regularise pension rights of school secretaries and caretakers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13529/22]

Special Educational Needs

Emer Higgins

153. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Education the status of her Department’s work to provide adequate SNA support in primary schools; and the position in relation to the request for an exceptional review for additional SNA support by a school (details supplied). [13477/22]

Education Policy

Thomas Gould

154. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Education when therapists will return to special schools. [13409/22]

Schools Building Projects

Cormac Devlin

155. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Education the status of the school building programme for a school (details supplied). [13404/22]

Educational Disadvantage

Brendan Smith

156. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Education if she will ensure that a school (details supplied) is included under the new DEIS programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13458/22]

Education Policy

Paul Murphy

157. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Education if her attention has been drawn to the new ESRI report, Children of migrants in Ireland: how are they faring?; the steps that she will take to provide additional language supports for children with migrant parents; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13317/22]

Special Educational Needs

Pádraig O'Sullivan

158. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education the measures that are being taken to ensure that all children with special educational needs will receive an offer of a special school place for September 2022; if her attention has been drawn to the fact that a number of students in County Cork have no educational place for the forthcoming academic year; the ways in which she plans to address the matter; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12409/22]

State Examinations

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

159. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Education the status of the work of her Department to date on the reform of the leaving certificate; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13486/22]

Schools Building Projects

Brendan Griffin

160. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Education if she will provide details of her plans for new schools nationwide; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13531/22]

Physical Education

Cathal Crowe

161. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Education the supports her Department generally provides, both in terms of equipment and indoor and outdoor facilities, for the teaching of physical education in primary and secondary schools. [13322/22]

Departmental Consultations

Carol Nolan

162. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of external consultant's reports commissioned by his Department in each of the years 2019 to 2021 and to date in 2022; the cost of same; the company involved; the title and publication date of the report in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13559/22]

Work Permits

Michael Healy-Rae

163. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the status of two work permits for persons (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13627/22]

Ukrainian War

Carol Nolan

164. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the response of his Department to the Ukrainian war crisis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13721/22]

Public Service Obligation

Mattie McGrath

165. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the amount received by the Exchequer from the public service obligation levy on electricity consumers on an annual basis for the past ten years; the total amount received since the levy was initiated;the way this money been spent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13748/22]

Departmental Consultations

Carol Nolan

166. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the number of external consultant's reports commissioned by his Department in each of the years 2019 to 2021 and to date in 2022; the cost of same; the company involved; the title and publication date of the report in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13560/22]

Postal Services

Ruairí Ó Murchú

167. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the reason that An Post is not using Eircodes to deliver packages; if there are any plans to correct this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13580/22]

Energy Policy

Gerald Nash

168. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if his attention has been drawn to ongoing problems with the communal heating scheme at a location (details supplied); his views on the energy provider’s decision to charge commercial, not residential gas rates which has contributed to rapidly rising energy costs for residents; if he plans to raise this with the energy provider and the Commission for Regulation of Utilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13661/22]

Energy Conservation

Éamon Ó Cuív

169. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications when he will meet representatives from the Aran Islands in Galway to discuss the new retrofit scheme for houses in view of the unique situation on the islands and their proven commitment to sustainable living; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13676/22]

Fishing Industry

Darren O'Rourke

170. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he intends to re-examine the licence fees for special local draft net on the Owenea and Owentocker tidal waters given the provisions of section 74 of the Fisheries (Consolidation) Act 1959 (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13688/22]

Post Office Network

Brendan Smith

171. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the proposals there are to enable the post office network to deliver more public services; the measures that will be implemented to support the network to remain viable and maintain the maximum possible number of post offices throughout the country given that they are an essential part of the fabric of local communities and provide important services at a local level. [13736/22]

Energy Policy

Michael Healy-Rae

172. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications his views on the fact that coal and peat are some of the very few affordable ways of heating homes in Ireland (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13745/22]

Post Office Network

Brendan Smith

173. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if additional financial support will be provided for the post office network in view of the importance of post offices delivering public services and in particular their importance in assisting persons who do not have access to broadband or information technology in sourcing public services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13756/22]

Electric Vehicles

Jackie Cahill

174. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Transport his views on whether persons who bought plug-in hybrid electric vehicles before the removal of the toll should have the right to keep this benefit given the number of these cars which were bought when the measure was introduced was relatively small (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13669/22]

Departmental Consultations

Carol Nolan

175. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Transport the number of external consultant's reports commissioned by his Department in each of the years 2019 to 2021 and to date in 2022; the cost of same; the company involved; the title and publication date of the report in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13571/22]

Road Network

Sorca Clarke

176. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Transport the proposed solution to ensuring both road safety, maintenance and repair of the road in circumstances in which a rural road is not taken in charge by the local authority and also does not meet the criteria as set down under the local improvement scheme as they serve only houses or buildings occupied or used by persons not engaged in agriculture. [13597/22]

National Transport Authority

John Lahart

177. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Transport the reason that the NTA has not moved to calibrate taxi meters appropriately given that there is an additional bank holiday in 2022 and taxi drivers will be out of pocket as a consequence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13618/22]

Public Transport

Catherine Murphy

178. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Transport the amount provided to each public transport provider in 2022 in respect of additional funding to cover the cost of escalating fuel prices for vehicles. [13671/22]

Taxi Licences

Darren O'Rourke

179. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Transport the membership of the Taxi Advisory Council; the number of individual, single-plate holder, taxi drivers on the council; his plans to review the council to ensure it adequately reflects the needs of the industry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13687/22]

Vehicle Testing

Darren O'Rourke

180. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Transport if there are recognised delays with the check test for advanced driving Instructors; the way he plans to respond to same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13691/22]

Haulage Industry

Joe Carey

181. Deputy Joe Carey asked the Minister for Transport if qualified Ukraine heavy goods vehicle drivers can take-up roles working as drivers for transport companies in Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13700/22]

Driver Licences

Paul Kehoe

182. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Transport the reason the RSA does not recognise HGV licenses from Ukraine or Argentina given that the authority does recognise licenses from other European Union countries; if he is taking steps to rectify the matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13711/22]

Ukrainian War

Carol Nolan

183. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Transport the response of his Department to the Ukrainian war crisis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13732/22]

Transport Policy

Cormac Devlin

184. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Transport if he will consider emergency measures to support taxi drivers, including allowing them to add one or two euro to each fare through the additional charge function given the very significant increase in fuel prices; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13804/22]

Departmental Reports

Carol Nolan

185. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Finance the number of external consultant's reports commissioned by his Department in each of the years 2019 to 2021 and to date in 2022; the cost of same; the company involved; the title and publication date of the report in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13561/22]

Fuel Prices

Martin Browne

186. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Finance the steps he will take to address the rising fuel costs (details supplied); and the measures he plans to introduce to reduce fuel costs. [13625/22]

Tax Code

Darren O'Rourke

187. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Finance the way in which local amateur dramatics groups should manage their financial accounts in order to be tax compliant in the case of large public performances, for example, for amateur dramatics groups that are not set up as companies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13689/22]

Tax Data

Pearse Doherty

188. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Finance the estimated cost of reducing excise levied against petrol, diesel and home heating oil by 10 cents per litre, disaggregated by fuel type. [13696/22]

Tax Data

Pearse Doherty

189. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Finance the revenue raised through excise levied against petrol, diesel and home heating, disaggregated by fuel type, in each of the years 2018, 2019 and 2020. [13697/22]

Banking Sector

Seán Sherlock

190. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Finance the number of accounts that will be closed by banks exiting the Irish market in 2022; the breakdown by age and gender of those account holders; and his views on whether the banking sector will take on those accounts. [13710/22]

Tax Code

Niamh Smyth

191. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Finance if his Department plans to review the excise duty on fuel in view of the increasing price of petrol and diesel due to the war in Ukraine; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13716/22]

Ukrainian War

Carol Nolan

192. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Finance the response of his Department to the Ukrainian war crisis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13722/22]

Departmental Reports

Carol Nolan

193. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the number of external consultant's reports commissioned by his Department in each of the years 2019 to 2021 and to date in 2022; the cost of same; the company involved; the title and publication date of the report in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13567/22]

Public Sector Staff

Mairéad Farrell

194. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the terms of reference for the external review panel he is establishing to examine the processes and procedures in relation to the recruitment and remuneration of senior public servants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13593/22]

An Garda Síochána

Denis Naughten

195. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the current status of the OPW auction of Ballyforan Garda station, County Roscommon; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13646/22]

An Garda Síochána

Denis Naughten

196. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the current status of the OPW lease of the former Garda stations at Knockcroghery, Tarmonbarry and Ballintober to Roscommon County Council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13647/22]

An Garda Síochána

Denis Naughten

197. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the current status of the OPW disposal of the former Garda station at Ballymore, County Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13648/22]

Social Welfare Eligibility

Niall Collins

198. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if a person (details supplied) qualifies for a pension; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13670/22]

Ukrainian War

Carol Nolan

199. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the response of his Department to the Ukrainian war crisis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13728/22]

Pension Provisions

Róisín Shortall

200. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he is giving active consideration to allowing a pension increase for semi-State pensioners, for example, CIÉ pensioners who have been denied their pro-rate cost of living increases since 2008; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13752/22]

Office of Public Works

Cian O'Callaghan

201. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if the OPW will reconsider the request from a group (detail supplied) for the installation of a memorial as requested; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13753/22]