Parliamentary questions

Public Transport

Willie O'Dea

133. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Transport his views on whether it is appropriate that many transport companies are insisting that a non-refundable deposit be made in order for individuals to avail of the free travel scheme; if he will put a stop to this practice; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23533/24]

Driver Test

Pádraig O'Sullivan

134. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Transport the current average waiting time for driving tests in Cork; the progress that has been made in reducing the waiting times; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23597/24]

Driver Test

Pádraig O'Sullivan

135. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Transport the current average waiting time for driving tests conducted through Irish in Cork; the progress that has been made in reducing the waiting time; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23598/24]

Pension Provisions

Róisín Shortall

136. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Transport if he will respond to matters raised in correspondence (details supplied) regarding the CIÉ 1951 superannuation scheme; if his Department will take into account the court judgment mentioned; whether those employed under this scheme, who are currently entitled to a pension, will receive their pension increase in a timely manner; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23604/24]

Driver Licences

Matt Carthy

137. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Transport the US states with which Ireland operates driving licence exchange agreements; his plans to increase the number of states with which such arrangements are operated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23609/24]

Road Signage

Brendan Griffin

138. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Transport if additional traffic calming measures, including further raised pedestrian crossings will be installed on the N86 in the vicinity of a school (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23610/24]

Road Projects

Rose Conway-Walsh

139. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Transport to provide an update on the badly needed Newport-Derrada road scheme in Mayo; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23618/24]

Road Projects

Pearse Doherty

140. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Transport if plans are in place to widen Curreen Bridge, County Donegal on the Glenties side of Fintown on the R250; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23635/24]

Bus Services

Pauline Tully

141. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Transport the details of the Local Link services currently available in counties Cavan and Monaghan, respectively; and if there are plans for an additional route to connect Smithboro with Monaghan town. [23682/24]

Bus Services

Fergus O'Dowd

142. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Transport to seek an update on the plans to increase the number of wheelchair-accessible public buses within County Louth in the coming years to provide greater independence to wheelchair users; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23746/24]

Rail Network

Martin Kenny

143. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Transport the timeline on the progression of the Navan rail line; and the most up-to-date estimated cost, including a breakdown of current and capital spend. [23753/24]

Rail Network

Martin Kenny

144. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Transport the timeline on the progression of the western rail corridor; and the most up-to-date estimated cost, including a breakdown of current and capital spend. [23754/24]

Road Projects

Martin Kenny

145. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Transport the timeline on the upgrade works for the N2/A5; and the most up-to-date estimated cost, including a breakdown of current and capital spend (details supplied). [23755/24]

Public Transport

Verona Murphy

146. Deputy Verona Murphy asked the Minister for Transport if research/scoping work has been carried out on plans for additional trains due to the increase in the population size of Portlaoise town and county; and how many trains are needed to service Portlaoise when a third level Institute is constructed. [23781/24]

Driver Test

Pádraig O'Sullivan

147. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Transport when a person (details supplied) will receive a date for a driving test; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23923/24]

Road Projects

Maurice Quinlivan

148. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Transport to discuss what progress has been made in the construction of the Coonagh-Knockalisheen road; when he anticipates it being completed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23934/24]

Air Safety

Richard Boyd Barrett

149. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Transport if he is aware of reports that planes associated with the flight school, charter flights and flight clubs at Weston Airport are operating outside of designated flight paths; if there are records monitoring the adherence of pilots to their designated flights; to supply any available records; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23940/24]

Road Safety Authority

Ivana Bacik

150. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Transport the reason for the continued vacancies of two positions on the board of the Road Safety Authority since 1 January 2024; when the vacancies will be filled; his views on the board's capacity to manage recent increases in road deaths with a barely quorate seven members, instead of the full complement of nine; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23942/24]

Employment Rights

Bríd Smith

151. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Transport the number of drivers directly employed by CIÉ tours; the number of drivers contracted by CIÉ tours to operate their services; the steps the company can take to ensure all drivers either directly employed or contracted abide by current regulations related to maximum working time driving and breaks and so on; if the NTA has any role in the implementation and enforcement of such regulations as they apply to transport sector and to the tourism sector specifically; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23948/24]

Bus Services

Brendan Smith

152. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Transport the up-to-date position regarding the provision of a service (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23969/24]

Medical Records

David Stanton

153. Deputy David Stanton asked the Minister for Transport the length of time D501 medical reports administered by the Road Safety Authority remain valid; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23970/24]

Medical Records

David Stanton

154. Deputy David Stanton asked the Minister for Transport if D501 medical reports administered by the Road Safety Authority are recognised by Bus Éireann; if not, the reason why; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23971/24]

Driver Test

David Stanton

155. Deputy David Stanton asked the Minister for Transport if consideration has been given to facilitating the "walk around test", which is required as part of the process of acquiring a category D driving licence to drive a bus, to be taken immediately after an applicant passes the driving test itself; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23972/24]

Driver Licences

David Stanton

156. Deputy David Stanton asked the Minister for Transport to outline the various processes involved in obtaining a category D driving licence to drive a bus in Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23973/24]

National Car Test

Cathal Crowe

157. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Transport if there is a legal requirement for car tyres to be of a certain size, quality and minimum load bearing capacity; if so, if these requirements are clearly communicated to all NCT test centres and those who work in the tyre and puncture repair sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23975/24]

Road Projects

Michael Fitzmaurice

158. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Transport if his Department has instructed Transport Infrastructure Ireland to withhold funding for overlay of national roads or national secondary roads in counties Mayo, Galway and Roscommon; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24039/24]

Transport Infrastructure Ireland

Michael Fitzmaurice

159. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Transport the budget for Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) for 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24042/24]

Road Projects

Michael Fitzmaurice

160. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Transport if funding has been withdrawn from Transport Infrastructure Ireland by his Department for the three road projects (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24043/24]

Road Projects

Michael Fitzmaurice

161. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Transport if the budget has been cut to Transport Infrastructure Ireland for overlay works on national roads and national secondary roads countrywide; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24044/24]

Bus Services

Paul Murphy

162. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Transport if he is aware of the delays experienced by 15B bus route users on 17 May (details supplied); if he will provide an explanation as to the reason there was not one 15b in two hours but five 15 As; and what is Dublin Bus's strategy to deal with accidents when they occur. [24094/24]

Tax Exemptions

Michael Healy-Rae

163. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Finance if exceptions can be made with regard to the vacant property tax (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23559/24]

Middle East

Bríd Smith

164. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Finance if he will outline, given his powers to freeze, seize or otherwise impose restrictive measures on assets for the purpose of combating terrorism under the Criminal Justice (Terrorist Offences) Act 2005, and that the construction of settlements in the West Bank meets the definition of terrorist activity under that Act, as it is carried out with the intention of seriously destabilising or destroying the fundamental political, constitutional, economic or social structures of a state or an international organisation, the measures he intends to impose to prevent the financing of organisations carrying out terrorist activity in the West Bank; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23622/24]

Tax Exemptions

Brendan Griffin

165. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Finance if lands that have received business tax relief for fixed terms will be exempted from the residential lands zoned tax; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23731/24]

Tax Data

Ged Nash

166. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Finance the number of disposals of a business by a parent to a child in the years 2020 to 2023 inclusive; the number of disposals of companies valued at over €10 million for each of the relevant years where the business is being transferred to the next generation of children; his plans to introduce a new €10 million cap on the retirement relief capital gains tax exemption; the estimated number of businesses/individuals will be impacted by the planned changes in the first year of the new regime; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23824/24]

Tax Exemptions

Jim O'Callaghan

167. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Finance further to Parliamentary Question No. 244 of 14 May 2024, under the Value-Added Tax (Refund of Tax) (No. 15) Order 1981 (people with disabilities can claim a VAT refund on aids and appliances that help them carry out daily activities at home or at work), if the Government has any plans to review the process by which this tax refund is claimed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23920/24]

Housing Schemes

Pádraig O'Sullivan

168. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Finance if he will address concerns in correspondence (details supplied); if there are any suitable schemes available to this person; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23922/24]

Mortgage Interest Rates

Cian O'Callaghan

169. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Finance if there is a customer/economic impact assessment for an interest rate scheme (details supplied); if this assessment is required for new schemes entering the market; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23925/24]

Tax Exemptions

Richard Bruton

170. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Finance if he has received a submission to extend a VAT exemption to counsellors and psychotherapists; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23935/24]

Insurance Coverage

Steven Matthews

171. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Finance if his attention has been drawn to concerns of sports/recreation clubs regarding the lack of insurance cover available to cover children's summer camps (details supplied); if he plans to engage with this sector on this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23976/24]

State Bodies

Mattie McGrath

172. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Finance to explain the arrangement that NAMA/Nalm had with a company (details supplied) in relation to a hotel; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24109/24]

State Bodies

Mattie McGrath

173. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Finance to provide an explanation on transactions (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24110/24]

Flood Relief Schemes

Cathal Crowe

174. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform if the Office of Public Works can prioritise works adjacent to Kildysart graveyard, County Clare, to stop the burial ground being flooded by the Shannon river tidal waters; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23786/24]

Public Sector Pensions

John Lahart

175. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform his plans in response to queries from persons who are concerned that there will be a break in the parity between retired civil and public servants and existing civil servants when it comes to retiring; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23796/24]

Waterways Issues

Michael Healy-Rae

176. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform if he will report on issues regarding a river in County Kerry (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23825/24]

National Monuments

Brendan Griffin

177. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform if his office will facilitate a meeting between the head of monuments and a person in County Kerry (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23894/24]

Flood Relief Schemes

David Stanton

178. Deputy David Stanton asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform the role, if any, his Department plays in the repair and replacement of private housing estate walls and fences damaged by flooding; if he has given consideration to the replacement of private walls and fences in east Cork affected by flood damage in the wake of Storm Babet; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23992/24]

EU Directives

Seán Haughey

179. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will work for the strongest possible transposition into Irish law of the EU Directive on Adequate Minimum Wages, with a view to encouraging and supporting collective bargaining; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23529/24]

Wage-setting Mechanisms

Michael McNamara

180. Deputy Michael McNamara asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment when he intends to sign the new ERO for security officers into law, which would increase the wages of thousands of low paid security officers and alleviate some of the most painful consequences of this cost-of-living crisis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23539/24]

Wage-setting Mechanisms

Violet-Anne Wynne

181. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment when he plans to sign the new draft ERO into law given the considerable delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23552/24]

Employment Schemes

James Browne

182. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of Enterprise Ireland-supported jobs for 2019 and 2020 in County Wexford, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23566/24]