Parliamentary questions

Domestic Violence

Sorca Clarke

167. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Justice if she has had engagement with organisations (details supplied) or similar agencies to tackle the increase in domestic violence; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [62374/21]

National Broadband Plan

Sorca Clarke

173. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if clarity will be provided on the National Broadband Plan including investors; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61977/21]

Departmental Schemes

Sorca Clarke

174. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if the low-cost loan scheme for retrofitting residential homes is open for applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61978/21]

Public Transport

Sorca Clarke

199. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Transport if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the National Transport Authority Connecting Ireland plan provides no public transport on R392 between Ballymahon, County Longford and Mullingar, County Westmeath; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61979/21]

Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Sorca Clarke

205. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Finance if he is considering the reintroduction of the employee wage subsidy scheme in view of the current restrictions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61226/21]

United Nations

Sorca Clarke

367. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if his Department has engaged with bodies regarding the development of a United Nations binding treaty on business and human rights; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61974/21]

United Nations

Sorca Clarke

368. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he plans to bring forward gender responsive human rights and environmental due diligence legislation to ensure businesses respect human rights across their activities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61975/21]

United Nations

Sorca Clarke

369. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if a report has been completed on whether the voluntary guidelines in Ireland’s National Plan on Business and Human Rights has had an impact on improving respect for human rights; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61976/21]

Covid-19 Pandemic

Sorca Clarke

473. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if it is planned to introduce health regulations in relation to the holding of in-person third-level examinations between the end of November and Christmas 2021 in the Technological University of the Shannon, Athlone in view of the risk that the institute might become a super-spreader events and cause Covid-19 to be reintroduced by students returning home for Christmas to households throughout the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61227/21]

Agriculture Schemes

Sorca Clarke

46. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will remove the proposed age limit for women to receive increased TAMS grant aid. [60802/21]

Regional Development

Sorca Clarke

115. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment his views on whether his Department can be central to helping reimagine and redevelop town and city centres. [60859/21]

Living Wage

Sorca Clarke

144. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the status of his Department's work on the implementation of a living wage. [60860/21]

Covid-19 Tests

Sorca Clarke

329. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Health the requirement for persons who have previously tested positive for Covid-19 and hold a valid HSE recovery certificate in relation to the new international travel Covid-19 testing measures. [61002/21]

Departmental Consultations

Sorca Clarke

28. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the actions that have been taken in relation to the engagement and consultation with retired workers' organisations given to Dáil Éireann during the Industrial Relations (Provisions in Respect of Pension Entitlements of Retired Workers) Bill 2021; and the progress of such engagement and consultation to date. [60590/21]

Post Office Network

Sorca Clarke

39. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if a commitment to delivering Government services through the post office network has been sought by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60878/21]

Post Office Network

Sorca Clarke

40. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the estimated cost to the Exchequer to maintain the post office network at existing standards; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60879/21]

Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment

Sorca Clarke

89. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Social Protection if the pandemic unemployment payment, jobseeker’s allowance and jobseeker’s benefit payments will revert to collection in post offices; if so, when this is expected to take place; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60877/21]

Departmental Schemes

Sorca Clarke

129. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the status of the planned statutory sick pay scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59992/21]

Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Sorca Clarke

202. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Finance if the Covid restrictions support scheme will be extended for publicans and nightclub owners whose business hours have been restricted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59993/21]

Covid-19 Pandemic

Sorca Clarke

328. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Education if she will address a matter regarding the mask mandate (details supplied). [60296/21]

Disability Services

Sorca Clarke

616. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Health if a person (details supplied) can expect a date for allocation to a full-time residential care facility as recommended at a multi-discipline team meeting held on 19 November 2021 which included representations from disability services, older persons and primary care services. [60423/21]

Home Care Packages

Sorca Clarke

617. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) can expect to return home with the necessary homecare support system in place until such a time when a place in a full-time residential care home is secured. [60424/21]

Vaccination Programme

Sorca Clarke

641. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Health the distribution of the booster vaccines to general practitioners by county, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60562/21]

Community Development Projects

Sorca Clarke

714. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the grants and funding available under the community section of her Department; if consideration has been given to increasing supports considering community and voluntary organisations cannot currently fundraise; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60561/21]

Housing Policy

Sorca Clarke

90. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage further to Parliamentary Question No. 372 of 17 November 2020, the actions taken to date, the interim outcomes, the recommendations made and the final decision in relation to income eligibility for social housing supports in each local authority area. [59209/21]

Social Welfare Benefits

Sorca Clarke

127. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Social Protection the average processing time of paternity benefit applications since being introduced. [59368/21]

Covid-19 Tests

Sorca Clarke

169. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Health the additional supports that will be put in place to ensure quick and local access to PCR testing given the level of additional needs of the service users of a facility (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59156/21]

Trade Missions

Sorca Clarke

142. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if a trade mission to Australia is planned for early in 2022. [58522/21]

Environmental Policy

Sorca Clarke

169. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the status of the banning of single use plastics; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59122/21]

Bus Services

Sorca Clarke

182. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Transport the amount that will be invested in the public service obligation bus fleet by route in 2022. [58523/21]

Office of Public Works

Sorca Clarke

214. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the Garda stations within the Roscommon and Longford Garda division that were refurbished by the Office of Public Works in 2020 and to-date in 2021; the nature of refurbishment works that were carried out on each station; and if each work project is completed or still ongoing in tabular form. [58515/21]

Sports Organisations

Sorca Clarke

237. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the action that has been taken to date to facilitate the return of the quarterly meetings as committed to earlier in 2021 with Face Ireland. [58454/21]

Sports Organisations

Sorca Clarke

238. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when the next meeting with an organisation (details supplied) will go ahead given the repeated requests by the organisation to discuss a number of issues; and the status of the request to set up a functioning wildlife advisory council. [58455/21]

Housing Schemes

Sorca Clarke

258. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the criteria a single father who co-parents his children must meet in order for his social housing application to include himself and his children qualify for a suitably sized local authority property. [58894/21]

Housing Schemes

Sorca Clarke

259. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if it is an essential requirement that the single parent applicant must be in receipt of children’s allowance in order for dependent children to be included on a social housing application. [58895/21]

Housing Schemes

Sorca Clarke

260. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will examine the case of a person (details supplied) in which there is a discrepancy in the funding awarded under the private housing grants scheme and the funding received; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58896/21]

Consular Services

Sorca Clarke

271. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if there are plans to increase the number of staff located at the Irish Embassy in Canberra. [58526/21]

Freedom of Information

Sorca Clarke

278. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of freedom of information requests that are currently with his Department seeking an internal review of a decision in tabular form. [58849/21]

Freedom of Information

Sorca Clarke

279. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of complaints that have been made to the Office of the Ombudsman regarding Freedom of Information requests to his Department. [58850/21]

Defence Forces

Sorca Clarke

294. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Defence the number of new horses that joined the Defence Forces school of equitation in 2020 and to date in 2021; the number of horses that left the school of equitation in 2020 and to date in 2021; and if funding has been provided in 2022 to purchase additional horses. [58512/21]

Schools Refurbishment

Sorca Clarke

326. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Education when refurbishment works will be completed at a school (details supplied); and the estimated cost of these works. [58513/21]

Education Welfare Service

Sorca Clarke

327. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Education the estimated cost in 2022 of increasing the number of educational welfare officer posts by 25 and of increasing the number of senior educational welfare officer posts by ten in tabular form. [58514/21]

Schools Administration

Sorca Clarke

346. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Education the guidance or instruction that was issued to schools regarding the withholding of school supplies from children in cases in which school fees remain outstanding. [58851/21]

Education and Training Boards

Sorca Clarke

369. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Education the buildings currently in use by Longford Westmeath Education Training Board that are either owned, leased or rented on a full or part-time basis which have been assessed as having asbestos in the buildings; and the actions that have been taken to ensure the health and safety of employees and former employees to assess the health impact that asbestos had in counties Longford and Westmeath in tabular form. [59121/21]

Prison Service

Sorca Clarke

482. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Justice the number of persons currently in prison for burglary and who are due to be released in 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026, in tabular form. [58524/21]

Court Judgments

Sorca Clarke

483. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Justice the number of successful convictions obtained under section 31(2) of the intoxicating Liquor Act 1988 in 2019, 2020 and to-date in 2021, in tabular form. [58525/21]

Hospital Services

Sorca Clarke

558. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Health if a birthing pool is located in the maternity unit at Mullingar Regional Hospital. [58516/21]

Health Services

Sorca Clarke

559. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Health the estimated additional capacity an increase of €5 million in respite care services would provide. [58517/21]

Hospital Staff

Sorca Clarke

560. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Health if funding will be provided for the recruitment of an additional full-time consultant paediatric orthopaedic surgeon for Mullingar Regional Hospital. [58518/21]

Disability Services

Sorca Clarke

561. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Health if the 27 additional expert staff to process assessments of needs were filled after funding for these additional staff was announced in Budget 2021. [58519/21]