Parliamentary questions

Covid-19 Pandemic

Richard Bruton

71. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Transport if a relative can travel to a European country to provide care support to a daughter during recuperation from a serious operation; and if so, the person or body to which an application for travel should be submitted. [9177/21]

Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Richard Bruton

91. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Finance if a mechanism exists within the scope of the Covid restrictions support scheme, CRSS, to suspend, pause or cease receipt of payment of the direct support in order to make an application without penalty for support under the tourism business continuity scheme administered by Fáilte Ireland in the case of a business affiliated with an organisation (details supplied) that was not eligible for a full Covid restrictions support scheme payment but is in receipt of a partial payment towards sustaining their business costs during Covid restrictions; if no such mechanism exists, if he will request that officials in his Department contact the Office of the Revenue Commissioners and Fáilte Ireland to facilitate this mechanism; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9046/21]

Tourism Funding

Richard Bruton

107. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if her attention has been drawn to an issue affecting some businesses affiliated to an organisation with regard to the tourism business continuity fund scheme administered by Fáilte Ireland (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9045/21]

Land Development Agency

Richard Bruton

133. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his estimate of the total area of public lands owned by public bodies listed in schedule 1 and 2 of the draft Land Development Agency; the amount that may be suitable for housing; the projected acreage which can be activated for consideration of development master planning by the agency over the next five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9302/21]

School Enrolments

Richard Bruton

183. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Education if her Department can assist a new primary school in receiving feeder school status in an area when it faces difficulty in securing places for those graduating, as in the case of a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9142/21]

Further and Higher Education

Richard Bruton

219. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if students who received results from the November 2020 leaving certificate will have the opportunity to qualify for courses in autumn 2021 which have a health professions admission test, HPAT, entry requirement or a CAO process; and if a necessary change in closing dates can be made to accommodate same. [9145/21]

Vaccination Programme

Richard Bruton

288. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the fact that some large community general practitioner practices have arranged safe use of community halls for administering vaccines to those over 85 years of age (details supplied); and if arrangements will be made for this model to be used which has made considerable arrangements for the safety of patients. [9193/21]

National Car Test

Richard Bruton

84. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Transport if there are facilities for persons to postpone national car tests, NCTs, while they are trying to avoid all risky situations from a Covid-19 perspective. [8091/21]

Covid-19 Pandemic

Richard Bruton

166. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Finance if the banks can extend a mortgage break to borrowers during the present severe restrictions on economic activity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8739/21]

Human Rights Cases

Richard Bruton

328. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he has assessed the treatment of Uighur minorities and whether this conforms with international standards of human rights; and the latest initiatives in which the Government has been involved at European or international level on the question. [7922/21]

Special Educational Needs

Richard Bruton

378. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Education the number of special classes at primary level available in a school planning area (details supplied); if an assessment of under provision has been undertaken by the NCSE; the extent to which new special units have been included in any of the existing school development plans for the area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8122/21]

Energy Efficiency

Richard Bruton

448. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Education the actions planned to improve the energy performance of schools in view of the adoption of a target of cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 51% by 2050; if there will be new options for older buildings to adopt phased improvements; and her plans to become a partner in initiatives, for example, better energy communities in which a co-ordinated approach to a range of public and private buildings can be taken. [8732/21]

Covid-19 Pandemic

Richard Bruton

838. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Health the way in which he plans to use community pharmacists in the roll-out of the Covid-19 vaccination programme given their experience in rapid and effective vaccination. [8531/21]

Driver Licences

Richard Bruton

142. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Transport if plans are in train to make it mandatory for learner permit holders to sit a test and demonstrate proof they have failed before they apply for a successive learner permit. [6751/21]

National Driver Licensing Service

Richard Bruton

143. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Transport the number of times drivers have failed to attend for a scheduled driver test at NDLS centres in 2019 and 2020; the impact this had on waiting times; if the system for scheduling tests is robust enough to minimise waiting times; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6752/21]

Flexible Work Practices

Richard Bruton

241. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the support services the public service has put in place to support remote workers and in particular access to professional support for injury, stress and so on which may arise; and if these supports are done through in-house human resources or contracted out to outside professionals. [6479/21]

DEIS Scheme

Richard Bruton

440. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Education her plans to consider admitting new schools to DEIS status based on the new model developed by her Department; if so, when same will be scheduled; and if her attention has been drawn to the anomalous exclusion of a school (details supplied) from the scheme. [6872/21]

Crime Data

Richard Bruton

631. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Justice if the theft of bikes under threat of violence with or without offensive weapons is becoming a growing pattern of crime; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6873/21]

Long-Term Illness Scheme

Richard Bruton

737. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Health if he will consider extending long-term illness cover to HCU, that is, homocystinuria. [6469/21]

Vaccination Programme

Richard Bruton

748. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Health the items in the general practitioner vaccination contract over and above that which nurses do for less than a quarter of the hourly rate of doctors. [6498/21]