Parliamentary questions

Bus Éireann

Darren O'Rourke

248. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Transport if there are plans to increase the frequency of Bus Éireann route 245x from four to six services in each direction on the Cork to Dublin route. [43886/21]

Coast Guard Service

Darren O'Rourke

249. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Transport if funding will be provided for the refurbishment of the Irish Coast Guard building in Howth, County Dublin; and if so, when this work will commence. [43887/21]

Office of Public Works

Darren O'Rourke

292. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if funding will be provided for works (details supplied) in County Meath. [43879/21]

Sports Funding

Darren O'Rourke

303. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the estimated expenditure on high performance sports in 2020 and 2021; and the expected expenditure for 2022. [43897/21]

Defence Forces

Darren O'Rourke

387. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Defence the renewal and replacement programme that is in place by his Department and the military authorities for weaponry and other military equipment in the years 2022 and 2023; and when tenders for same will be issued. [43881/21]

Naval Service

Darren O'Rourke

388. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Defence if a contract to replace the LÉ Eithne will be put out to tender before the end of 2021. [43882/21]

School Attendance

Darren O'Rourke

429. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education the number of educational welfare officer positions nationwide that need to be filled. [43888/21]

Schools Refurbishment

Darren O'Rourke

430. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education the number of applications from primary and post primary schools in County Meath that her Department received for works to be carried out under the 2021 summer works scheme. [43889/21]

Social Insurance

Darren O'Rourke

482. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated additional revenue that would be generated if the higher rate of the employer social insurance contributions rose by 2%, from 11.05% to 13.05%, on earnings in excess of €140,000 per year. [43880/21]

Prison Service

Darren O'Rourke

560. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Justice the estimated full year cost of recruiting three additional full-time occupational psychologists and six additional psychologists for the Irish Prison Service in tabular form. [43890/21]

Departmental Data

Darren O'Rourke

561. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Justice the number of successful prosecutions obtained under section 8 of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 1993 for the years of 2019, 2020 and to date in 2021, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43891/21]

An Garda Síochána

Darren O'Rourke

562. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Justice if a recent contract for the provision of new Garda roads policing unit vans was put out to tender and if so, when the new vans will come into the fleet. [43892/21]

An Garda Síochána

Darren O'Rourke

563. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Justice if there are plans in 2022 to replace any of the helicopters or aircraft in the Garda air support unit. [43893/21]

Government Communications

Darren O'Rourke

564. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Justice if she has spoken to the United States Secretary of Homeland Security to date in 2021. [43894/21]

Road Traffic Offences

Darren O'Rourke

565. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Justice the number of fixed penalty notices that gardaí issued for parking on double yellow lines in 2020 and to date in 2021, in tabular form. [43896/21]

Mental Health Services

Darren O'Rourke

713. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Health the position regarding the need for additional specialist rehabilitation units and psychiatric intensive care units. [43898/21]

Hospital Staff

Darren O'Rourke

714. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Health if funding will be approved for the recruitment of an additional full-time consultant paediatric endocrinologist for CHI Temple Street. [43899/21]

Hospital Staff

Darren O'Rourke

715. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost of recruiting 20 additional full-time Parkinson's disease nurse specialist posts in 2022. [43900/21]

Hospital Staff

Darren O'Rourke

716. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Health the number of full-time transplant and pulmonary hypertension pharmacists at the Mater Hospital in each of the years of 2018, 2019, 2020 and to date in 2021, in tabular form. [43901/21]

Health Services Staff

Darren O'Rourke

717. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Health the number of additional full-time speech and language therapists, psychiatrists and psychologists recruited for early intervention and school age assessments teams in 2020 and to date in 2021, in tabular form. [43902/21]

Hospital Staff

Darren O'Rourke

718. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Health the recruitment process used to advertise for nurses and other medical staff in community hospitals. [43903/21]

Hospital Staff

Darren O'Rourke

719. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Health if he is satisfied with the number of cranial facial specialists for paediatrics here; and his plans to recruit additional specialists. [43904/21]

Government Communications

Darren O'Rourke

810. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he has spoken formally with the United States Secretary of Agriculture to date in 2021. [43884/21]

Road Safety

Darren O'Rourke

101. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Transport the number, type, that is, fatal, serious, and minor and location of collisions recorded on each national road and motorway in each of the years 2015 to 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41943/21]

Local Authorities

Darren O'Rourke

108. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Transport the amount that each local authority received under the bridge rehabilitation capital fund in 2020 and to date in 2021, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42061/21]

Local Authorities

Darren O'Rourke

109. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Transport the amount each local authority received under the safety improvement works capital fund in 2020 and to date in 2021, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42062/21]

Local Authorities

Darren O'Rourke

110. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Transport the amount local authority received under the community involvement scheme fund in 2020 and to date in 2021, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42063/21]

Road Projects

Darren O'Rourke

111. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Transport the amount of funding that has been provided by the Government for the A5 upgrade in each year since the original commitment was made in 2007; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42064/21]

Rail Network

Darren O'Rourke

112. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Transport if the construction of the National Train Control Centre is on budget; the amount that has been spent to date on the National Train Control Centre; the estimated amount that will be spent in total; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42065/21]

Transport Policy

Darren O'Rourke

113. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Transport the amount of funding for transport projects that has been bid for and or awarded under the European Regional Development Fund in 2020 and to date in 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42066/21]

Transport Policy

Darren O'Rourke

114. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Transport the amount of funding for transport projects that has been bid for and or awarded under the PEACE+ programme in 2020 and to date in 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42067/21]

Transport Policy

Darren O'Rourke

115. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Transport the amount of funding for transport projects that has been bid for and or awarded under the Connecting Europe Fund to date in 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42068/21]

Aviation Industry

Darren O'Rourke

116. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Transport the total amount granted or loaned to Irish airlines and aviation companies during 2020 and 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42069/21]

Aviation Industry

Darren O'Rourke

122. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Transport when he plans to review and publish an updated national aviation policy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42186/21]

Legislative Programme

Darren O'Rourke

123. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Transport when he plans to publish a drone policy for Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42187/21]

Údarás na Gaeltachta

Darren O'Rourke

274. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the breakdown of the refurbishment costs carried out by Údaras na Gaeltachta on its factory premises in the Baile Ghib Gaeltacht in County Meath over the past four years in tabular form (details supplied). [42130/21]

Renewable Energy Generation

Darren O'Rourke

334. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if information will be provided on his Department's review of siting and size conditions for rooftop solar panels on homes and the review of exemptions for educational and community buildings as part of the current development of interim planning regulations; if further information will be provided on the stated need to consider environmental assessment reporting before finalisation; when the interim planning regulations will be submitted to the Houses of the Oireachtas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42070/21]

Electoral Process

Darren O'Rourke

484. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Defence the process of getting postal ballots to serving and retired members of the Defence Forces to ensure they are received and returned in time; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41937/21]

Social Welfare Code

Darren O'Rourke

720. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will outline the rationale for the averaging rule as it applies to State pension calculations; if she accepts that this rule has the effect of reducing the total pension award of persons who take on temporary part-time work at an early age; if there are any plans to review this rule, process; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42812/21]

Third Level Education

Darren O'Rourke

846. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will provide a list of third-level institutions that will be resuming classes this term with the majority of their students still learning remotely; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42676/21]

Third Level Education

Darren O'Rourke

847. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he has directed third-level institutes to resume in person teaching; if students who have no choice from their college but to continue remote learning will receive a full or partial rebate on their college fees given they are not receiving the same experience as their counterparts in other colleges who will be returning to in person learning; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42677/21]

Third Level Education

Darren O'Rourke

848. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if it will be made clear to students the way the return to third-level education will be undertaken under the current restrictions; if clarity will be given to students on whether they will return to campus or will continue to conduct their education primarily online in view of the fact students are becoming increasingly frustrated with the lack of clear communication from third- level institutions and from his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42678/21]

EU Directives

Darren O'Rourke

46. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the status of Ireland’s position on the EU Digital Services and the Digital Markets Acts. [40895/21]

International Bodies

Darren O'Rourke

135. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the percentage of the total EU contribution to the Energy Charter Treaty secretariat Ireland’s contribution represents. [40893/21]

International Bodies

Darren O'Rourke

136. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if his Department has conducted a risk assessment of liabilities arising from potential legal challenges under the ISDS mechanisms of the Energy Charter Treaty. [40894/21]

International Bodies

Darren O'Rourke

137. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if his Department has conducted a risk assessment of liabilities arising from potential legal challenges under the ISDS mechanisms of the Energy Charter Treaty. [40896/21]

Natural Gas Grid

Darren O'Rourke

147. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the status of upgrades to the Moffat pipeline. [41116/21]

Data Centres

Darren O'Rourke

148. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the predicted increase in gas demand by data centres by 2030. [41117/21]

Data Centres

Darren O'Rourke

149. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment; Climate and Communications if a strategic review has been conducted on the impact data centres will have on meeting renewable energy targets or emissions targets; and if any consultation with the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment has commenced on this issue. [41118/21]

Data Centres

Darren O'Rourke

150. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if emissions from data centres are included under the EU Emissions Trading Scheme. [41119/21]