Parliamentary questions

Departmental Funding

Holly Cairns

334. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the funding and grants available to communities that wish to establish community arts centres; and if she would consider the establishment of an arts centre in Bandon, County Cork. [17353/24]

Housing Schemes

Holly Cairns

350. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of people in receipt of the housing assistance payment in Cork, by local area, in tabular form. [17365/24]

Mother and Baby Homes

Holly Cairns

506. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of survivors estimated to be eligible for the mother and baby institute redress scheme; his Department's work in reaching out to survivors to make them aware of the scheme; and the number of applications submitted to date. [17354/24]

Childcare Services

Holly Cairns

545. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the funding or grants available to support the establishment of a childcare facility in Bantry (details supplied). [17610/24]

Childcare Services

Holly Cairns

569. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the steps being taken to address the shortages in childcare staff in the short and long term; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17982/24]

Ambulance Service

Holly Cairns

580. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health the current ambulance response times across west Cork; the number of ambulances available in the area; and the number of paramedics assigned to the area. [17350/24]

Community Development Projects

Holly Cairns

712. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the funding and grants available to communities that wish to establish community arts centres; and if she would consider the establishment of an arts centre in Bandon, County Cork. [17352/24]

Business Supports

Holly Cairns

94. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the supports that will be make available for small businesses struggling with the increased cost of operating a business. [17042/24]

Employment Rights

Holly Cairns

116. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment his Department’s plans to implement the statutory sick pay scheme. [17043/24]

Cancer Services

Holly Cairns

283. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the current lack of a mammogram service in west Cork; to provide a reasoning for the suspension of the availability of the mobile BreastCheck mammogram service in Bantry; and whether he would ensure the provision of a mammogram service in west Cork to ensure access to care for those unable to drive long distances. [17106/24]

Food Labelling

Holly Cairns

184. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health to outline the current requirements for companies to label certain food products as choking hazards for children under five years; if his Department has considered introducing standardised labelling requirements for such products; and if his Department has engagement with the EU on same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15769/24]

Renewable Energy Generation

Holly Cairns

99. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if, following the CRU consultation on electricity generation and system services connection policy, he will support a second annual application window for renewable energy projects to connect to the electricity grid, in order to increase the number of grid connections; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14293/24]

Public Sector Pensions

Holly Cairns

176. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Transport in view that CIE RWS Scheme pensioners, receiving an average of €52 per week, have not had a pension increase since 2008, if he will consider increasing it in line with other similar scheme increases; if the cost-of-living element of the pay award given to Irish Rail and Dublin Bus staff will be passed on to retired staff also; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13694/24]

Local Authorities

Holly Cairns

637. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if a timeline is set for the process to recruit a Chief Executive Officer to Cork County Council; the term of the contract for the new CEO; and, if applicable, the number of candidates who have so far expressed an interest in the role. [14288/24]

Electoral Process

Holly Cairns

642. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the evidence on which the decision was made to close voting at 8 pm on Whiddy Island for the recent referendum on 8 March 2024, considering the polling officer and polling clerk are residents on the island thus are not limited by bad weather or the ferry timetable, which could be altered as necessary to facilitate voting; to extend voting times for future polling days on Whiddy Island back to 10 pm in line with the rest of the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14309/24]

Visa Applications

Holly Cairns

876. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Justice what steps are being taken to alleviate the backlog in visa applications for family reunification; what steps are being taken to streamline the process going forward; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14341/24]

Greyhound Industry

Holly Cairns

977. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason Greyhound Racing Ireland still has no strategic plan in place almost 15 months after the last one expired, almost a year after it was quoted in a national newspaper claiming that such a strategic plan was in the process of being finalised by consultants (details supplied), and five months after he said a draft strategic plan had been submitted to his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14324/24]

Greyhound Industry

Holly Cairns

978. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason Greyhound Racing Ireland is only now in March 2024 seeking submissions from stakeholders to help it in the process of drafting its strategic plan, almost 15 months after the last strategic plan expired, almost a year after it was quoted in a national newspaper claiming that such a strategic plan was in the process of being finalised by consultants (details supplied), and five months after he said a draft strategic plan had been submitted to his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14325/24]

Greyhound Industry

Holly Cairns

979. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine what indicators and targets as stipulated in the Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies (details supplied) are being used to measure the performance of the Irish greyhound industry in the absence of a strategic plan for the past 14 months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14326/24]

Greyhound Industry

Holly Cairns

980. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the monetary figure for the economic and financial contribution of the Irish greyhound industry to the Irish economy based on the figures contained in the industry-commissioned economics report (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14327/24]