Parliamentary questions

Covid-19 Pandemic

Martin Browne

137. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the approach Ireland is taking to supporting India as it deals with a surge in Covid-19 cases; the engagements he has had on the waiving of intellectual property rights to Covid-19 vaccines; his views on such a waiver; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24916/21]

Vaccination Programme

Martin Browne

229. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Health the number of immunocompromised patients vaccinated to date; and his views on whether this is a sufficient number to ensure the safety of this vulnerable group prior to the easing of restrictions. [24778/21]

Alcohol Pricing

Martin Browne

230. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Health his plans to introduce minimum unit pricing prior to the north; and the reason for moving away from an all-island approach to this policy. [24779/21]

Housing Policy

Martin Browne

315. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the income limit for social housing in County Tipperary is €5,000 lower than neighbouring counties; and his plans to address this situation. [23611/21]

Departmental Schemes

Martin Browne

316. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his views on plans to raise HAP limits given the current thresholds are far below the current rental prices of housing throughout the country. [23612/21]

Heritage Sites

Martin Browne

359. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his views on the deterioration of a wealth of heritage at Knocklofty House in Clonmel, County Tipperary which is falling into a state of disrepair; his plans to save the unique architectural, design and artistic features of the property; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24519/21]

Housing Policy

Martin Browne

360. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the progress being made in relation to the social housing reform agenda as referred to in Parliamentary Question No. 470 of 28 April 2021; if his attention has been drawn to the difficulty that persons on HAP are facing in having issues with their living conditions addressed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24520/21]

Coillte Teoranta

Martin Browne

981. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department accept, process and approve Coillte tree felling licence applications in a manner different to the standards that apply to private applications. [24193/21]

Voluntary Sector

Martin Browne

431. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if his attention has been drawn to concerns of some smaller scouting groups that their financial reserves may be absorbed by an organisation (details supplied) to meet the legal responsibilities of the organisation arising from recent controversies; his views on these concerns among scouting groups that were too small to avail of company status; the requirements of the obligations of the organisation in that regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22696/21]

Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services

Martin Browne

131. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Health the number of CAMHS teams operating in north County Tipperary; if one team is carrying out work in two areas in the area; the distribution of CAMHS teams across north County Tipperary; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22488/21]

Tourism Policy

Martin Browne

109. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media her views on promoting tourism in towns in County Tipperary such as Cashel, Cahir and Tipperary; her further views on the need for investment in infrastructure that would entice tourists from tourism attractions such as the Rock of Cashel into the towns themselves; her plans to allow for the quick emergence of the tourism and hospitality sector in County Tipperary as restrictions ease; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21967/21]

Public Transport

Martin Browne

254. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Transport his views on making supports available to taxi drivers given the role they have played throughout the pandemic and the impact the pandemic has had upon their livelihoods; his views on suggestions (details supplied); if he plans to make a rescue package of supports available to the sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22235/21]

Heritage Centres

Martin Browne

311. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the status of plans for the tourist interpretative heritage centre in Cashel, County Tipperary; and if a location for the centre has been identified. [21663/21]

Housing Assistance Payment

Martin Browne

470. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his attention has been drawn to the discrepancy between social housing income limits in County Tipperary and neighbouring counties; and his plans to address this issue. [21585/21]

School Transport

Martin Browne

565. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Education if her Department has carried out a review of the school transport schemes in view of the difficulties many parents in rural Ireland have in securing spaces due to distance limits. [21586/21]

School Transport

Martin Browne

566. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Education if an allowance in the school transport scheme will be made for the parents of a child with additional needs to send their child to a school other than the closest one to them if it is better equipped for their child’s needs. [21587/21]

School Transport

Martin Browne

567. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Education the number of applications for bus tickets under the school transport scheme in County Tipperary by year; and the number of appeals to decisions under the scheme by year. [21588/21]

School Transport

Martin Browne

593. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Education the position regarding the case of a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary who has been refused a school bus ticket to Newport due to the fact that Doon is 300 metres closer to their home. [21999/21]

Technological Universities

Martin Browne

766. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the progress made towards giving Thurles and Clonmel university towns status; the approximate date by which such status will be formally announced; the requirements such status will make of his Department in terms of further investment in the Thurles and Clonmel campuses; his views on the benefits this status will give to County Tipperary as an educational hub; his further views on the benefits this status will have for educational access locally; his vision for the future of the LIT campuses in Clonmel and Thurles; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22071/21]

Forestry Sector

Martin Browne

1134. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on the way the number forestry licences with ecology input processed between November 2020 to February 2021 equates to one licence per ecologist per week given that 21 full-time equivalent ecologists have been employed; his views on whether this work rate is below that which is needed to address the crisis in the forestry sector; when the ecology target of 220 licences will be achieved; and the number of full-time ecologists that will be needed to achieve this target. [21352/21]