Parliamentary questions

Commission for the Economic Development of Rural Areas

Mattie McGrath

904. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Community and Rural Development and the Islands the implementation measures taken to date in respect of the 34 recommendations contained in the CEDRA report by specific expenditure or action detail in tabular form. [25301/20]

Commission for the Economic Development of Rural Areas

Mattie McGrath

905. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Community and Rural Development and the Islands the overall or full costs associated with undertaking and publishing the CEDRA report. [25302/20]

Rural Development Plan

Mattie McGrath

906. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Community and Rural Development and the Islands her views on whether the overarching control and decision-making measures pertaining to rural towns falls between Departments and agencies with a lack of a joined up approach including no central body taking charge of policy, strategy, funding and research of towns; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25303/20]

Rural Development Plan

Mattie McGrath

907. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Community and Rural Development and the Islands the attempts made to develop a place-based approach to rural policies which would emphasise bottom up policies supported by top-down supports; and her plans to decentralise central services to a point of contact closer to the citizen. [25304/20]

Town and Village Renewal Scheme

Mattie McGrath

908. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Community and Rural Development and the Islands if successful applicants to the 2019 town and village renewal scheme can have their match funding requirement of 20% reduced to 10% in line with the 2020 scheme due to the difficulty that community groups are facing in fundraising during the Covid-19 pandemic and risk the entire project collapsing as a result; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25317/20]

Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Mattie McGrath

29. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Finance the status of the uptake of the wage subsidy scheme; the number of refusals; the reasons for refusals; the number of successful appeals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24229/20]

Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Mattie McGrath

158. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if supports have been considered for the self-employed and small businesses that do not qualify for the restart grant or the enterprise support grant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24011/20]

Driver Test

Mattie McGrath

208. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Transport the number of applicants waiting for a driver test nationwide; the average waiting time for driver tests; the number of driver testers employed by the RSA; if additional testers will be employed to reduce waiting times; the efforts being made to reduce the waiting times in view of the large backlogs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23281/20]

Medical Cards

Mattie McGrath

623. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Health when the legislation to increase the income limit on medical cards will commence (details supplied). [23538/20]

Drugs Payment Scheme

Mattie McGrath

668. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Health if the reduction in the drugs payment scheme is going ahead in September 2020 as announced in budget 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23390/20]

Third Level Costs

Mattie McGrath

23. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the reason full fees are applicable for students in third level institutes when full services are not available to the students, for example, access to libraries and printing facilities; the supports available to students who struggle with online learning due to limited broadband facilities; if he will work with the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to introduce protections for students in student accommodation in terms of deposits and refunds in view of the difficulties encountered by many as a result of Covid-19; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22958/20]

School Transport

Mattie McGrath

163. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Education the number of students that have been refused school bus tickets in 2020; the number of appeals submitted against decisions to refuse school bus tickets; the number of appeals finalised; the number of successful appeals; the length of time it is taking to decide on appeals; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22964/20]

School Transport

Mattie McGrath

164. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Education the steps she will take to overhaul the school transport scheme, which fails hundreds of students annually; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22965/20]

Public Services Card

Mattie McGrath

201. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Social Protection when full appointments will be available for those applying for the public services card; the reason for the continued delay in making appointments available; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23001/20]

Covid-19 Pandemic

Mattie McGrath

263. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Health if his Department and the HSE will review and relax their admissions policy for maternity hospitals and wards to allow new fathers attend the postnatal ward to be with their partner and newborn child or children in view of the fact the policy was revoked at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22788/20]

Nursing Education

Mattie McGrath

264. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Health if his Department and the HSE will review their policy for student nurses renumeration and show regard to frontline workers that worked at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic in view of the fact that many students returning to college in coming weeks are facing into a period of hospital placement for which they will receive no pay however are forced to give up part-time work in other healthcare settings due to cross-contamination and to prevent the spread of Covid-19; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22789/20]

Covid-19 Pandemic

Mattie McGrath

265. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Health if a special provision will be made available for school principals to contact in relation to health-related queries and concerns in the school setting similar to that made available by the Department of Education for the reopening of schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22790/20]

EU Summits

Mattie McGrath

11. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Taoiseach the special measures he sought to reduce the burden on Ireland during the EU summit of leaders. [18478/20]

Water Supply

Mattie McGrath

107. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the estimated cost of repairing water leaks in Dublin in view of the fact approximately 57% of water in Dublin is lost through leaks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19257/20]

Crime Prevention

Mattie McGrath

243. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if her attention has been drawn to an article in a newspaper (details supplied); if no public funds provided to an organisation by her Department were used to pay the award of €43,470 as outlined in the article; if an audit will be carried out in order to clarify the issue; if programmes at the organisation will continue to receive funding; if not, if a public tender process will be considered; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19249/20]