Parliamentary questions

Grant Payments

Darren O'Rourke

512. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the details of the distribution of the SUSI grants by socio-economic group; the distribution of such grants between urban and rural applicants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48389/22]

Grant Payments

Darren O'Rourke

513. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will provide details in relation to the way that he ensures that SUSI grants go to genuinely deserving applicants and that the system is transparent and fair; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48390/22]

An Garda Síochána

Darren O'Rourke

551. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Justice further to Parliamentary Question No. 139 of 29 June, when a response will issue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48384/22]

Taxi Regulations

Darren O'Rourke

1. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Transport to set out the efforts he is making to ensure the sustainability and viability of the taxi sector; if he will abandon or extend by five years the ten-year rule; if he will relax constraints preventing the transfer of plates; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46549/22]

Bus Services

Darren O'Rourke

3. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Transport the way in which he intends to address poor service standards, including no-shows and poor punctuality, on many bus routes operated by an organisation (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46550/22]

School Transport

Darren O'Rourke

15. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Transport his plans to increase funding to the safe-routes-to-school programme to improve cycling infrastructure on the approach to schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46321/22]

Departmental Schemes

Darren O'Rourke

26. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Transport his plans to reform the EV grant scheme to target grant support as persons that need it most; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46319/22]

Motor Industry

Darren O'Rourke

32. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Transport his plans to introduce a scrappage scheme for the oldest and most polluting lorries to help hauliers transition to more environmentally friendly engines; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46318/22]

Public Transport

Darren O'Rourke

41. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Transport his plans to extend the short-hop zone to more train stations to help reduce the cost of public transport; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46320/22]

Public Transport

Darren O'Rourke

66. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Transport his plans to extend the 20% fare reduction for public transport to commercial bus operators; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46317/22]

Energy Prices

Darren O'Rourke

54. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications his plans to reduce the price of electricity and energy for households and businesses over the coming months; if he has examined introducing a price cap on electricity in Ireland or introducing other market reforms or interventions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45782/22]

Energy Conservation

Darren O'Rourke

56. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the number of retrofits completed under the warmer homes scheme and, separately, under the one-stop shop service; the measures he will take to increase the roll-out and to better target supports to those most in need; if he agrees a dedicated retrofit scheme aimed at households that rely on solid fuels for heating is needed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45783/22]

Renewable Energy Generation

Darren O'Rourke

68. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the number of households and businesses that are generating electricity through microgeneration; if all energy suppliers are now paying microgenerators for the excess electricity that they are exporting to the grid; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45786/22]

Renewable Energy Generation

Darren O'Rourke

70. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he intends to recoup the excess profits being made by renewable electricity generators contracted under the renewable energy feed-in tariff schemes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45788/22]

Renewable Energy Generation

Darren O'Rourke

78. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the measures that he is taking to increase public and community-owned and led renewables projects; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45787/22]

Energy Policy

Darren O'Rourke

110. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications when the energy security review will be published; the immediate actions that he will take to improve the State’s energy security and independence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45784/22]

Energy Prices

Darren O'Rourke

112. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the reason that he opposed decoupling gas from electricity prices at the European Energy Council in October 2021; if he now supports the proposal to decouple gas from electricity prices; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45785/22]

EU Programmes

Darren O'Rourke

134. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the amount of funding that Ireland has applied for under the REPowerEU programme; the projects for which the funding would be allocated towards; the maximum amount of funding that Ireland is entitled to under this programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46013/22]

Renewable Energy Generation

Darren O'Rourke

135. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications further to Parliamentary Question No. 146 of 8 September 2022, if he will confirm that 3,678.966MW of renewable energy production is contracted under the renewable energy feed in tariff schemes, and is therefore not obliged to refund the Public Service Obligations if the wholesale electricity price is higher than the REFIT reference price, while just 633.48MW of renewable energy is contracted under the renewable electricity support scheme, and is therefore obliged to refund the Public Service Obligations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45402/22]

Energy Policy

Darren O'Rourke

151. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the estimated full-year revenue from introducing a price-cap on inframarginal generators in Ireland at a rate of €180 per megawatt hour, compared to current wholesale electricity prices; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45855/22]

Energy Prices

Darren O'Rourke

161. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the steps that his Department can take to mitigate the gas price increases that are being experienced by some Approved Housing Bodies and their tenants who are paying commercial energy rates as a result of a district heating system. [45931/22]

Energy Prices

Darren O'Rourke

162. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will provide an update on the work of the District Heating Steering Group that was formed under the Climate Action Plan 2021; and if this group is examining ways in which residential units can exit district heating systems that are subject to commercial energy rates. [45932/22]

Climate Change Policy

Darren O'Rourke

167. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will provide a list of reports used, and consultants availed of, in the preparation of the sectoral emission ceilings, broken down by the reports used for each sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45976/22]

Climate Change Policy

Darren O'Rourke

168. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will publish all of the modelling and economic analysis used in the preparation of the sectoral emission ceilings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45977/22]

Departmental Reports

Darren O'Rourke

169. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will publish the McKinsey Report on the cost of decarbonisation up to 2050; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45978/22]

Climate Change Policy

Darren O'Rourke

170. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the reports used and consultants availed of in the preparation of the sectoral emission ceiling, by sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45979/22]

Departmental Reports

Darren O'Rourke

171. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will publish a report (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45981/22]

School Transport

Darren O'Rourke

352. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education if she will provide clarity on the mandatory retirement age of both school bus drivers and school bus escorts who work on the school transport scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45968/22]

Public Transport

Darren O'Rourke

177. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Transport the total cost of the recent expansion of the youth travel card discounts to private bus operators; the estimated full-year cost; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45229/22]

Trade Missions

Darren O'Rourke

67. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if a trade mission to Australia will commence before the end of 2022. [44612/22]

Energy Policy

Darren O'Rourke

113. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the topics that are being examined by the consumers, vulnerable households’ and businesses’ subgroups of the Energy Security Emergency Group; the latest proposals they have submitted to the Energy Security Emergency Group; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44946/22]

Bus Services

Darren O'Rourke

134. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Transport if there are plans to include Dublin Bus H1 route on a 24-7 basis. [44596/22]

Cycling Facilities

Darren O'Rourke

135. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Transport the estimated full-year cost of establishing a public bike scheme in County Sligo consisting of 14 bike stations and 140 bikes. [44597/22]

Bus Services

Darren O'Rourke

136. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Transport the number of bus users travelling on each bus route operated by Bus Éireann in Waterford in 2021 and to date in 2022, in tabular form. [44598/22]

Rail Network

Darren O'Rourke

137. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Transport the number of tickets sold for the Dublin-Wexford train line in 2021 and to date in 2022, in tabular form; and the breakdown of tickets sold between adult single, adult return, student single, student return, child single and child return. [44599/22]

Bus Services

Darren O'Rourke

158. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Transport if his attention has been drawn to some private bus operators that are refusing to apply the youth travel card discount to weekly bus tickets and are only applying the 50% discount to daily tickets; if he will outline the intention of the youth travel card scheme in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45147/22]

Tax Data

Darren O'Rourke

160. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Finance the tax and other revenue that are paid to the State from the operations of the Corrib gas field in each of the years 2017 to 2021 and to date in 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44367/22]

Tax Yield

Darren O'Rourke

165. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Finance the estimated full-year yield that would be generated by establishing three new income tax bands of 49% on earnings between €125,000 and €185,000, 57% on earnings between €185,001 and €242,500 and 66% on earnings over €242,501. [44605/22]

Revenue Commissioners

Darren O'Rourke

166. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Finance the estimated full-year cost in 2023 if the number of dog teams within the Revenue Commissioners increased to 42. [44606/22]

An Garda Síochána

Darren O'Rourke

184. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the Garda stations that currently have electric vehicle charging points in tabular form. [44613/22]

Tourism Promotion

Darren O'Rourke

198. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if Tourism Ireland plans to open an office in Melbourne. [44614/22]

An Garda Síochána

Darren O'Rourke

433. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Justice the number of Garda cars and motorcycles attached to the Meath roads policing unit as of 31 December 2020 and 6 September 2022, in tabular form. [44600/22]

Bench Warrants

Darren O'Rourke

434. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Justice the number of bench warrants outstanding in the Meath Garda division as of 6 September; and the number that are outstanding for a period in excess of two years. [44601/22]

Prison Service

Darren O'Rourke

435. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Justice the number of full-time nurse officers employed by the Irish Prison Service as of 31 August 2020, 31 August 2021 and 6 September 2022, in tabular form. [44602/22]

Disability Services

Darren O'Rourke

539. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Health the estimated number of additional therapy hours that would be generated with a 20% increase in whole-time equivalent therapy positions to children's disability network teams. [44607/22]

Health Services Staff

Darren O'Rourke

540. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Health the number of consultant urologists recruited per CHO in each of the years since 2019, in tabular form. [44608/22]

Health Services Staff

Darren O'Rourke

541. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Health the number of positions in the community intervention teams for County Meath that are currently vacant; the titles of these posts; and when each of these vacancies will be filled in tabular form. [44609/22]

Health Services Staff

Darren O'Rourke

542. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Health the number of full-time community psychologist based in CHO8 in 2020, 2021 and to date in 2022, in tabular form. [44610/22]

Departmental Meetings

Darren O'Rourke

641. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he spoke with his counterpart during his recent visit to Singapore. [44603/22]

Food Industry

Darren O'Rourke

642. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the value of sheep meat imported from New Zealand in 2021 and the first half of 2022. [44604/22]