Parliamentary questions

Passport Services

Dara Calleary

49. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if a person born in the UK with no Irish decent but married to an Irish person and living in Ireland for almost 30 years can apply avail of an Irish passport without applying and paying for naturalisation. [11790/24]

Fire Service

Dara Calleary

666. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if retained firefighters will be included in pension age increase for uniformed workers. [12659/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Dara Calleary

781. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Social Protection if changes are going to be made to jobseekers allowance and X and O system to allow people working as care assistants/home help assistants to claim assistance (details supplied). [13081/24]

Health Services

Dara Calleary

1485. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Health the status of the appointment of a consultant neurologist at Mayo University Hospital, Castlebar, County Mayo; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12909/24]

Agriculture Schemes

Dara Calleary

294. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when TAMS applications will be processed; if he will expedite applications for time-sensitive measures such as replacement of silage slabs (need to be completed by May); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11198/24]

Defective Building Materials

Dara Calleary

72. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the reasons he has delayed sanctioning the SEAI to proceed with a bespoke scheme for participants in the defective concrete blocks scheme (details supplied). [8642/24]

Irish Language

Dara Calleary

245. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Education when she expects to publish the policy on Irish medium education outside the Gaeltacht; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7406/24]

Special Educational Needs

Dara Calleary

270. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Education if she is satisfied that the current assessment of need process sufficiently caters for students with severe visual impairment; what accommodations are to be made for severely visually impaired students when completing the test; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7559/24]

Special Educational Needs

Dara Calleary

271. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Education how many visiting teachers there currently are nationwide for students with visual impairments; if these visiting teachers are appropriately trained in new digital technologies available to assist students; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7560/24]

Dental Services

Dara Calleary

624. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Health if GMS dental patients who cannot access dentists in Ireland can travel to Northern Ireland (details supplied) to have procedures done and if not, can the HSE refund or part refund the costs. [8020/24]

Active Travel

Dara Calleary

178. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Transport to provide a list of all projects submitted by Mayo County Council for active travel funding under the announcement of 7 February 2024; how the successful projects within that list were chosen and how the other projects may be funded in the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7403/24]

Healthcare Policy

Dara Calleary

300. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Health if there are plans to extend mammograms for under 50 year-olds and over 69 year-olds. [6717/24]

Rural Schemes

Dara Calleary

623. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if her Department has received an application from a group (details supplied) via the community centres investment fund; if she recognises the importance of the organisation to Ballina and the strength of their funding application; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6088/24]

Pension Provisions

Dara Calleary

169. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he received a request from a company (details supplied) to sanction an increase for members of its pension scheme; if he is conscious that these pensioners are facing income pressures as a consequence of the lack of an increase; if he will give urgent attention to the request; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4758/24]

Pension Provisions

Dara Calleary

170. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the reason it is necessary for a company (details supplied) to seek ministerial permission for a pension increase; what investments have been made by the State in the fund; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4759/24]

Flood Relief Schemes

Dara Calleary

231. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform the current status of the Crossmolina flood relief scheme; what actions have been taken since the submission of the consultant's report to him recently; and to outline a timeline for progressing the scheme to construction. [3913/24]

Social Welfare Appeals

Dara Calleary

372. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Social Protection the current timeframe for social welfare appeals; what resources are in place to address appeals; if she will allocate extra resources to address backlogs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3915/24]

Immigration Policy

Dara Calleary

446. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Justice the current status of IIP applications that were submitted in advance of the February 2023 deadline; and the timeline for sports clubs that have submitted valid applications to be informed about the success or otherwise of their applications. [2620/24]

Beef Sector

Dara Calleary

637. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason for changes by an organisation (details supplied); if there are avenues for appeals for owners who have had their ratings changed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55390/23]

Local Authorities

Dara Calleary

323. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when details of voluntary redundancy schemes will be released to local authorities (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53675/23]

Dental Services

Dara Calleary

540. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Health for a list of dentists participating in the GMS scheme in County Mayo. [53399/23]

Medical Aids and Appliances

Dara Calleary

590. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Health if he will consider adding the cost of myopathy lenses to the public scheme (details supplied); if not, if his Department will cover the cost up to costs incurred of ordinary lenses which are covered by the public scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53676/23]

Rural Schemes

Dara Calleary

631. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development when the successful CLÁR measure 1 applicants will be announced; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53181/23]

Defective Building Materials

Dara Calleary

263. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if his Department is in receipt of a submission from SEAI in relation to the defective concrete blocks scheme; if he is aware of the delays being caused by SEAI not expanding its schemes as promised; and if he will treat their submission as a urgent priority. [53034/23]

Departmental Programmes

Dara Calleary

443. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Justice the current status of IIP applications that were submitted in advance of the February 2023 deadline; the timeline for sports clubs that have submitted valid applications to be informed about the success or otherwise of their applications; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53178/23]

Immigration Policy

Dara Calleary

403. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Justice when strand 4 endowment applications for the Immigrant Investment Programme will be processed; if she will outline the projected timeframes for processing of application under this strand; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51903/23]

Broadband Infrastructure

Dara Calleary

106. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the options available to a sports club (details supplied) in County Mayo seeking a fibre broadband connection when civil works have been deemed over budget; if he will intervene in this matter and insist on the works being carried out to facilitate this service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50671/23]

Flood Risk Management

Dara Calleary

132. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform further to Parliamentary Question No. 345 of 7 November 2023 if, given the time that had elapsed to date and given the duress being suffered by the community of Crossmolina as a result, he will place a deadline for the return of the information referred to from the OPW. [50420/23]

Student Accommodation

Dara Calleary

618. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he is aware that student accommodation providers with the backing of the colleges around the Dublin area are proposing to move to 51-week contracts for students from next year; if he will acknowledge that a student who wanted to avail of student accommodation again for next year will have to sign up to a new contract and pay for the summer months when they are not there at all; if he will engage with the colleges, with a view to cancelling this planned change; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49823/23]

Flood Risk Management

Dara Calleary

344. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform for an update on the flood relief scheme for Ballina, County Mayo. [47498/23]

Flood Risk Management

Dara Calleary

345. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform for an update on the flood relief scheme for Crossmolina, County Mayo. [47499/23]

Flood Risk Management

Dara Calleary

346. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform to provide an update on the flood relief scheme for Foxford, County Mayo. [47500/23]

Dental Services

Dara Calleary

1219. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Health to provide an update on the national school dentist scheme for 6th class children who have yet to be seen by a school dentist due to Covid (details supplied). [48095/23]

Septic Tanks

Dara Calleary

118. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if grants are available for inspected and condemned septic tanks that were not registered with a local authority in 2013 but have been registered in 2023, at a cost of €50. [46994/23]

Further and Higher Education

Dara Calleary

628. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will re-examine the rules pertaining to traineeships at ETB centres, specifically to allow school-levers enrolling on such courses to access the training allowance without being bound by the rule that states they must have been in receipt of a social welfare payment; if he agrees that his rule is very prohibitive and sends out the wrong message about work and training; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46073/23]

Budget 2024

Dara Calleary

642. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if students returning to third level education to complete a degree at the same level as one previously attained, but four years ago, are eligible for the reduction in student contribution as announced in Budget 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46336/23]

Covid-19 Pandemic

Dara Calleary

522. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Health for details on non-payment of the pandemic payment to a company (details supplied). [44805/23]

General Practitioner Services

Dara Calleary

525. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Health for an update on the non-EU doctor scheme; how many GPs have been recruited to date; to provide a breakdown, by county, of the number and location of GPs recruited; how many more are planned to be recruited in 2023 and 2024; the criteria for placement of recruited doctors across the country; what the national average of GPs-to-CHO population in the State currently stands at; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43746/23]

Departmental Funding

Dara Calleary

614. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the position regarding grant funding for a mens' shed in Mayo which was announced in November 2022 (details supplied). [43777/23]

Health Services

Dara Calleary

579. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Health the reason there are significant delays in COS Scheme - Community Opthalmic Physicians employed by HSE. [42205/23]

Housing Schemes

Dara Calleary

529. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if a person can apply for the local authority home loan if ground works have already started. [40330/23]

Departmental Policies

Dara Calleary

677. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Social Protection if there are plans to continue paying child benefit beyond the age of 18 years when the person is in full-time education. [35713/23]

Medicinal Products

Dara Calleary

1117. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Health if there are plans to add a condition (details supplied) to the long-term illness scheme. [35732/23]

Health Services

Dara Calleary

247. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Health if his Department has considered the introduction of a text messaging reminder service for HSE appointments; if he will agree that the degree of missed appointments is posing a strain to HSE services and resources; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34503/23]

Foreign Birth Registration

Dara Calleary

123. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs for an update on a foreign birth register application (details supplied). [34339/23]

Health Services Staff

Dara Calleary

810. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Health if he is aware that Irish physiotherapists who achieved qualifications in EU countries such as the Netherlands are unable to register with CORU; if he is aware that in order to register with CORU such qualified persons require 210 hours in cardiorespiratory physiotherapy completed in an acute hospital setting in the Republic of Ireland; if he will acknowledge that attaining such placements is increasingly impossible for such persons; if he will outline any changes in policy that his Department is pursuing in an effort to rectify this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34106/23]

Pharmacy Services

Dara Calleary

617. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Health if consideration will be given to the restoration of pharmacy fees slashed under FEMPI; if he will acknowledge that pharmacies are under threat as a result of the failure to restore fees; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32379/23]

Naturalisation Applications

Dara Calleary

279. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Justice if she will outline the circumstances in which waivers are sanctioned in naturalisation applications; if she will confirm the naturalisation application process; if she will outline the criteria to meet eligibility; if she will outline the current timeframes for processing applications; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30410/23]

Visa Applications

Dara Calleary

146. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Justice for an update on atypical visa applications processing times, which is affecting the nursing sector (details supplied). [29883/23]

Broadcasting Sector

Dara Calleary

345. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the financial assistance available for operating costs for community radio stations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29372/23]