Parliamentary questions

Public Sector Pensions

Noel Grealish

270. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will clearly outline the maximum lump sum and pension benefits payable for civil and public service retirees in all grades from junior to senior; if there are caps on any part of applicable pensions whether a retiree is in a junior or senior grade; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52810/22]

Covid-19 Pandemic

Noel Grealish

682. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Health when staff who worked in nursing homes during the Covid-19 pandemic period will receive their €1,000 bonus payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53396/22]

Health Services

Noel Grealish

326. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Health if the Government will call for an extension of medical device directive certificates (details supplied) until the notified body capacity is resolved, in order to maintain patient access to vital medtech that are already safely in use in the market, given that as much as 85% of the 500,000 devices covered under the previous medical devices directive are yet to be certified under the new MDR due to bottlenecks in the overburdened notified bodies system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52494/22]

Energy Conservation

Noel Grealish

185. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will introduce a grant towards the purchase of battery units for solar panels, which provide electricity at night-time and create the opportunity to sell excess solar electricity to the national grid; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51322/22]

Energy Conservation

Noel Grealish

186. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the number of companies currently acting as one-stop-shops for retrofitting of homes under the Government’s energy upgrade scheme; the criteria that must be met by a company to obtain such a status; if he expects their numbers to increase in the near future; if he will allow more smaller private contractors to get involved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51323/22]

Energy Conservation

Noel Grealish

187. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the current expected waiting time for a home to avail of a deep retrofit under the national home energy upgrade scheme, by county; the main causes of delays in homes being able to avail of the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51324/22]

Energy Conservation

Noel Grealish

188. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the current average cost of a deep retrofit under the national home energy upgrade scheme; if he intends to further increase grant-aid to counter the rapidly rising costs involved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51325/22]

Energy Conservation

Noel Grealish

189. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the number of applications that have been received to date for grant-aid towards deep retrofitting of homes, by county; the number of grants that have been paid to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51326/22]

Driver Licences

Noel Grealish

253. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Transport if there is a system in place where a person who travels extensively for work and needs to exchange their UK driving licence for an Irish driving licence can retain the UK licence until the Irish licence is printed to enable them to continue to travel; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51893/22]

Planning Issues

Noel Grealish

347. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of the 31 local authorities that have housing applications lodged with An Bord Pleanála; the number of housing applications lodged; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51755/22]

School Transport

Noel Grealish

463. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Education if there are plans to change or remove the upper age limit for driving a school bus from 70 years of age; if he will increase the number of bus drivers eligible to drive a school bus; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51754/22]

Health Service Executive

Noel Grealish

718. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Health if the HSE has plans to set targets for green procurement in 2022 and in 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51321/22]

Medicinal Products

Noel Grealish

789. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Health if the drugs pentoxyphylline and clasteon are available in Ireland; if so, if there is a shortage of these drugs; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that doctors are prescribing these drugs that are in short supply; if a person who has been prescribed these drugs from a doctor in an Irish hospital can seek a prescription to obtain these drugs from the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51756/22]

Primary Medical Certificates

Noel Grealish

213. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Finance further to Parliamentary Question No. 414 of 8 September 2022, the status of the disabled drivers' medical board of appeal; if a new board has been appointed; when it will commence hearing appeals; the estimated timeframe to clear the backlog of appeals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50812/22]

Forestry Sector

Noel Grealish

472. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if felling licences which were issued in 2019 can be extended for another year, given that Covid-19 restrictions prevented felling taking place for large parts of 2020, and that there is now a backlog and waiting lists for contractors; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50813/22]

Departmental Funding

Noel Grealish

185. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will outline the funding allocations for the Western Lakes draft management plan for loughs Corrib, Mask, Carra, Conn, Cullin, Arrow and Sheelin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49769/22]

International Agreements

Noel Grealish

281. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Finance his views on suggestions from the European Commission and some European Union member states that an enhanced cooperation procedure should be used for the implementation in the EU of pillar two of the OECD agreement on international taxation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50283/22]

International Agreements

Noel Grealish

282. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Finance if he is concerned that the use of an enhanced cooperation procedure at EU level in the realm of taxation would impinge on the ability of Ireland and other small EU member states to retain their sovereignty over taxation matters; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50284/22]

Wildlife Protection

Noel Grealish

319. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if the regulations which he recently made to protect the basking shark cetorhinus maximus under Section 23(2)(a) of the Wildlife Act 1976, entitled the Wildlife Act 1976 (Protection of Wild Animals) Regulations 2022, can be policed and enforced by Inland Fisheries Ireland out to the 12-mile jurisdictional limit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49770/22]

Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries

Noel Grealish

540. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will establish a DNA database for families and survivors of mother and baby homes to enable extended family to identify relatives; when such a database could be established; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49771/22]