Parliamentary questions

State Examinations

Gary Gannon

341. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education if her attention has been drawn to reports in the media that the leaving certificate orals were not up to standard this year; if candidates who seek an appeal will be provided with a full transcript of the oral interview or just a transcript of their own voice; and if the guidance from SEC to oral language interviewers was issued on 23 March 2021, three days prior to examinations commencing. [32787/21]

Student Accommodation

Gary Gannon

366. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if his attention been drawn to the steep increase in on-campus student accommodation costs in UCD; if he has had any engagement with UCD or the university’s student union on this matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32786/21]

Student Accommodation

Gary Gannon

381. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if his attention has been drawn to the steep increase in on-campus student accommodation costs in UCD; his views on whether this will be a barrier for those that wish to study in the university; if he has had engagement with UCD or the university’s student union; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32784/21]

Departmental Budgets

Gary Gannon

125. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the funds from the social housing budget returned unspent to the Exchequer from his Department in each of the years 2017 to 2020, in tabular form. [32490/21]

Special Educational Needs

Gary Gannon

149. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education the estimated cost of implementing the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004 in today’s terms within a similar timeframe adjusting for inflation and accounting for the €397 million figure over five years outlined in the NCSE's 2006 implementation report on page 20. [32491/21]

Social Welfare Schemes

Gary Gannon

172. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost of increasing the domiciliary care allowance from €309.50 to €330 per week; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32485/21]

Social Welfare Schemes

Gary Gannon

173. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost of expanding the free travel scheme to include persons in receipt of the domiciliary care allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32486/21]

Social Welfare Schemes

Gary Gannon

174. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost of increasing the annual carer's support grant from €1,850 to €2,000; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32487/21]

Social Welfare Schemes

Gary Gannon

175. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost of making the carer's allowance a qualifying payment for the fuel allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32488/21]

Social Welfare Schemes

Gary Gannon

176. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost of increasing the income disregard for carer's allowance from €332.50 to €350 per week for a single person and to €700 for a couple; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32489/21]

Cabinet Committees

Gary Gannon

12. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on education last met; and when it will next meet. [29413/21]

Trade Agreements

Gary Gannon

31. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment his position on the TRIPS waiver. [24198/21]

Education and Training Provision

Gary Gannon

323. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the reason for the removal of the vocational training opportunities scheme and back to education initiative courses from a college (details supplied). [30403/21]

Departmental Functions

Gary Gannon

15. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the work of the international and European Union division of his Department. [29412/21]

Urban Development

Gary Gannon

9. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the role of his Department in the north east inner city initiative. [28387/21]

Rail Network

Gary Gannon

250. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Transport if he will make the preliminary business case for MetroLink and the outcomes of the feasibility studies in relation to MetroLink and the Review of the Transport Strategy for the Greater Dublin Area publicly available; if these studies were extended to include the feasibility of the MetroLink to come out as far as Firhouse and Ballycullen and connect on to Tallaght; the position regarding extending the MetroLink out to the Dublin south-west area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29848/21]

Local Authorities

Gary Gannon

351. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his views on the fact that to date since the regulations were introduced Galway City Council has only received five planning applications for change of use for short-term letting and that staff appointed by his Department to deal with short-term letting have not yet been appointed as following a recruitment process, no suitable candidates were available to take up a two-year contract; and his further views on whether there is a need for greater resources in this area to support stretched staff in council planning departments. [29850/21]

School Staff

Gary Gannon

436. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education the estimated costs of establishing and running the supply panels for primary and special schools in the school year 2020-2021; and her views on retaining this important staffing support in the 2021-2022 school year to ensure that pupils are taught by qualified teachers in the event of teacher absence in a school. [29846/21]

School Funding

Gary Gannon

437. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education if there is funding available to primary and post-primary schools to purchase sensory room equipment for children with additional needs, including autism and Down syndrome; and if not, her plans to provide adequate funding to schools in the future (details supplied). [29847/21]

Schools Building Projects

Gary Gannon

438. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education the progress made and timelines for the provision of a permanent building for a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29849/21]