Parliamentary questions

Meat Processing Plants

Peter Burke

441. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Health if his Department will approve additional funding to the Food Safety Authority of Ireland in order that it can adequately fund both its and local authority veterinary services due to the important role both play in local meat plants and abattoirs; his views on proposals from the authority to further cut local authority allocation for 2020 by approximately 13%; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the majority of the service contracts are due to expire on 30 June 2020 and to date there appears to be no agreement on funding to sustain the immediate or long-term future of the service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11970/20]

Medical Cards

Peter Burke

506. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Health when changes to the medical card eligibility criteria will be implemented to enact the policy change regarding income thresholds for persons over 70 years of age as announced in budget 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12319/20]

National Broadband Plan

Peter Burke

636. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he will direct National Broadband Ireland to prioritise a site in County Westmeath due to its cultural importance regarding broadband provision (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12053/20]

Child Abuse

Peter Burke

771. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will order an independent statutory inquiry into an organisation (details supplied) on foot of recent reports; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12376/20]

Legislative Measures

Peter Burke

792. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if consideration has been given to amending the Pensions Act 1990 to allow for collective bargaining by an association (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12194/20]

Employment Rights

Peter Burke

805. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the status of employees who return to work after being on the temporary wage subsidy scheme in relation to holidays; if the employer must still offer contracted holiday days despite the period when the business did not trade; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11774/20]

Employment Rights

Peter Burke

806. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the way in which workers who were forced onto the pandemic unemployment payment due to their employers ceasing trading will be treated in terms of statutory entitlements once they return to their former employment; if a full complement of holidays must be offered to them by their employers even though they were off the company books for a number of months; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11775/20]

Redundancy Payments

Peter Burke

807. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if a business that takes on 90% of its previous staff but lays off 10% for commercial reasons will be liable for redundancy payments; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11776/20]

Back to Education Allowance

Peter Burke

829. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she has considered amending the criteria for the back to education allowance to allow for the pandemic unemployment payment to be considered as a qualifying payment in relation to eligibility; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11999/20]

Student Accommodation

Peter Burke

879. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if his Department is engaging with companies and landlords that run purpose-built student accommodation unaffiliated to universities or technological universities that have not offered students a refund on unused accommodation and associated costs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11860/20]

Heritage Sites

Peter Burke

940. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if assistance will be provided to a key global heritage site (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12052/20]

Covid-19 Pandemic

Peter Burke

946. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if her Department has liaised with the Departments of Health and the Taoiseach on reviewing the possibility of reducing the 2 m social distancing to one metre in cultural and arts venues and for live music with the use of masks; if she is considering initiatives for artists and musicians to support them financially during this difficult period; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12208/20]

Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Peter Burke

80. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Finance if the Revenue Commissioners will be directed to amend the temporary wage subsidy scheme to allow for employers in the tourism industry to take on staff full-time under the scheme who may have worked reduced hours in January and February 2020 due to the off season; if he has considered the effect that this anomaly will have on the tourism industry taking on staff when their hours worked in January and February would have been significantly lower than the current demand; if measures will be taken to address this anomaly; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11014/20]

Third Level Staff

Peter Burke

168. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Education and Skills if a body which receives funding from his Department will review a decision relating to a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10533/20]

Summer Works Scheme

Peter Burke

216. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of an appeal by a school (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10779/20]

Springboard Programme

Peter Burke

219. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Education and Skills when an announcement will be made in relation to springboard funding for 2020-2021; when colleges such as Athlone Institute of Technology will be notified regarding its allocation in order to prepare for the year ahead; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10805/20]

Home School Community Liaison Scheme

Peter Burke

235. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his Department is working with the Department of Children and Youth Affairs to find a solution for a school (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11043/20]

Schools Building Projects

Peter Burke

261. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 271 of 13 May 2020, if his Department has reviewed further information sent to it by a school (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11138/20]

Enterprise Ireland

Peter Burke

411. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation if applicants will be accepted to the GradStart programme by a business (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10676/20]

Hospital Services

Peter Burke

641. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Health when services will resume at Roscommon University Hospital for a person (details supplied). [11200/20]