Parliamentary questions

Departmental Policies

Brian Stanley

621. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Health if the providers of online medical certificates including fit to return to work certificates, unfit for work, pre-employment medical certificates and prescriptions are approved by his Department. [18744/24]

Departmental Policies

Brian Stanley

622. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Health if the practice of the provision of online medical certificates is approved by the HSE and his Department; and if so, how a person can be judged as being fit or unfit for work without actually carrying out a medical examination. [18745/24]

Health Services Staff

Brian Stanley

676. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Health his Department’s position on the embargo on recruitment to the health service, specifically the situation where positions for nursing staff are vacant and persons are on panels at various hospitals. [18972/24]

Labour Activation Measures

Brian Stanley

26. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Social Protection the amount that was allocated in 2019 to 2023 to companies engaged by her Department in providing labour activation programmes; the number of clients they assisted; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17614/24]

Tillage Sector

Brian Stanley

76. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to improve supports for tillage farmers who are encountering great difficulties tilling and sowing due to excessive rain; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17613/24]

Public Sector Staff

Brian Stanley

455. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Justice if she will bring forward legislation to extend the retirement age for prison officers to 62 years given some of the current staff will pass the age of 60 years in the coming weeks and months. [17876/24]

Health Services

Brian Stanley

618. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Health to provide an update on the provision of a hospice for the midlands region; to outline the level of funding available; and the approximate timeline for provision of the facility. [17633/24]

Tourism Industry

Brian Stanley

15. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the details of the mitigation measures being considered to cover losses in ancillary tourist services, due to tourist accommodation being utilised for other uses; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16833/24]

Tourism Industry

Brian Stanley

31. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if her Department plans to provide tourist amenities at the Cúil Na Móna plant at Togher, Portlaoise, along with the three bogs in Laois, that is, Cúil na Móna, Coolnacartan and Cashel; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16832/24]

Poverty Data

Brian Stanley

95. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment his views on the scale of in-work-poverty, where, according to CSO data, the rate stands at 5.9%; and the role that a living wage plays in combatting this. [16835/24]

National Minimum Wage

Brian Stanley

121. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of times the Labour Employer Economic Forum subgroup on collective bargaining has met in 2024; and if he can provisionally indicate when the action plan on collective bargaining coverage to be presented to the European Commission as part of its transposition of the EU directive on adequate minimum wages will be published. [16834/24]

School Textbooks

Brian Stanley

186. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Education if her Department will review the tendering arrangements for secondary school books; and if consideration can be given to tendering in smaller lots, such as by school year or subject, to allow local bookshops to be able to tender; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17135/24]

Tax Exemptions

Brian Stanley

22. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Finance to address the inconsistency in VAT regulations and extend the VAT exemptions to psychotherapists and counsellors providing services and to ensure equal treatment with other professionals working in the sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17016/24]

EU Funding

Brian Stanley

155. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the total number of applications seeking to avail of the EU just transition community and enterprise grant scheme that were received up to the deadline of 28 February 2024; the number of these from counties Laois and Offaly; the successful applicants processed since 28 February; and the breakdown of the amount paid to applicants via the scheme to date. [15973/24]

EU Funding

Brian Stanley

156. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the total number of unapproved applicants for the EU just transition community and enterprise grant scheme; if these applications will be processed ahead of the proposed April deadline; and if she plans to extend the current delivery dates for, as yet, unprocessed applications beyond the dates of June 2024 to March 2026. [15974/24]

Public Transport

Brian Stanley

195. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Transport if he will provide details of all lands reserved for future public transport sites, such as train stations in Laois and Offaly; if he will provide any details to progress plans to deliver on those sites; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15962/24]

Road Tolls

Brian Stanley

196. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Transport when the contract with the operator of the M7-M8 Portlaoise toll expires; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15965/24]

Schools Building Projects

Brian Stanley

267. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Education the status of the planned building project for a school (details supplied) in Portlaoise, County Laois; and the projected timescale for construction of the new building to start. [15966/24]

Schools Building Projects

Brian Stanley

350. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Education the status of progress on the proposed new school (details supplied); if the project is in the capital school building programme; and the projected timeline for construction. [16594/24]

Legislative Process

Brian Stanley

383. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if a European citizen can seek remedies under section 160 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 to implement the legislation transposed into Irish law by the Houses of the Oireachtas under section 3 of the European Communities Act 1972, to give effect to the CJEU judgements against Ireland in Cases C-50/09 and C-215/06; if not, if he must transform further legislation to ensure compliance with Articles 2 to 4 of the EIA Directive, as amended by the Public Participation Directive 2003/35; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16685/24]