Parliamentary questions

Heritage Sites

Mairéad Farrell

140. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Transport to provide an update on the transfer of Dunguaire Castle to Galway County Council; when the process is expected to be complete; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17077/24]

Fisheries Protection

Mairéad Farrell

7. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if stock management operations on Lough Corrib SAC, that is, the removal of invasive and-or non-native freshwater fish such as pike, are exclusively an operational matter for Inland Fisheries Ireland; if the inland fisheries division or the Minister have any input or function regarding stock management operations on Lough Corrib SAC; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16828/24]

Public Procurement Contracts

Mairéad Farrell

8. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications his views on a matter (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16829/24]

School Transport

Mairéad Farrell

95. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Education the steps her Department has taken to ensure sufficient capacity in the school transport scheme in County Galway for September 2024; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16264/24]

School Enrolments

Mairéad Farrell

96. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Education her plans to address overcrowding in secondary schools in Galway city and surrounding areas; her advice to parents who are currently struggling to find a place for their child in a local secondary school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16263/24]

Greenways Provision

Mairéad Farrell

204. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Transport if he will provide an update on the current status of the Connemara Greenway project; the next steps in relation to this; and the estimated timeline of is construction. [16261/24]

Special Educational Needs

Mairéad Farrell

351. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Education the reason for the reduction of funding for pupils in the Summer Programme over the past two years; if this decision will be reviewed; the engagement she has had with teachers in relation to this; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16596/24]

Refugee Resettlement Programme

Mairéad Farrell

587. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth further to Parliamentary Question No. 1156 of 20 March 2024, if he can confirm that under the protocol, when purpose-built student accommodation is selected for use, the sign-off for this is required by both Ministers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16265/24]

Student Accommodation

Mairéad Farrell

754. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he is aware of the crisis that has now arisen in Ireland's study abroad sector where visiting international students are not able to source accommodation as the investment fund-owned providers of purpose-built student accommodation has brought in 51-week leases, and the students' home universities are not in a position to pay the cost of the additional ten-to-12-week leases; if his Department has conducted any analysis of the impact these 51-week leases could have on the study abroad sector, which is worth €220 million per annum to the economy and employs 350 staff members; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16040/24]

Rural Schemes

Mairéad Farrell

770. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development further to Parliamentary Question No. 230 of 24 January 2024, if further funding will be made available to Galway County Council to deal with the backlog of LIS applications and reopen the scheme to new applications; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15975/24]

Inland Fisheries

Mairéad Farrell

100. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if the recent appointment of a deputy CEO at Inland Fisheries Ireland under section 24(3) of the Inland Fisheries Act 2010 was a tacit acknowledgement that the position of CEO is currently vacant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14342/24]

Inland Fisheries

Mairéad Farrell

101. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications in light of the recent appointment in Inland Fisheries Ireland of a deputy CEO, what procedures were followed as per the Public Service Management Act 2004; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14343/24]

Inland Fisheries

Mairéad Farrell

105. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he and his officials in the Inland Fisheries Division fully support the repugnant position of conserving and validating the presence of invasive/non-native freshwater fish such as pike in Lough Corrib SAC due to potential angling tourism revenue; if Fáilte Ireland has a veto over the application of the EU Habitats Directive when promoting catch and release angling for invasive/non-native freshwater fish present in Lough Corrib SAC; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14492/24]

Departmental Funding

Mairéad Farrell

588. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media what grant funding is currently available for small music venues; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15352/24]

Local Authorities

Mairéad Farrell

597. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of vacancies in Galway City Council and Galway County Council; if he is aware of recruitment difficulties within local authorities; if local authorities will be given additional resources to recruit staff in their respective housing sections; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13611/24]

Departmental Data

Mairéad Farrell

604. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of staff employed in Galway City Council and Galway County Council housing departments, respectively, each year since 2013; the number of applications on the social housing waiting list for Galway City Council and Galway County Council in the same time period; the number of people accessing homeless services in Galway City Council and Galway County Council each year since 2013, in tabular form. [13739/24]

Business Supports

Mairéad Farrell

763. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Social Protection if she has considered providing a grant to businesses to increase accessibility in their premises for wheelchair users and other persons with mobility impairments; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14360/24]

Departmental Contracts

Mairéad Farrell

1136. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth further to Parliamentary Question No. 1156 of 20 March 2024, if the contracts awarded to these providers was directly awarded or whether a competitive tender took place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14645/24]

Childcare Services

Mairéad Farrell

1166. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth further to Parliamentary Question No. 431 of 24 January 2023, what changes, if any, have been made to the scheme since last year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15167/24]

Research and Development

Mairéad Farrell

1698. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if his Department is aware of the progress of the EU Partnership in ‘Innovative Advanced Materials for Europe (IAM4EU)’ which is being discussed by AMI20230 and the European Commission, if they are aware of the exclusion of materials for health/biomedical devices and bioengineering as a priority sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14644/24]