Questions and answers published after July 2012 can be viewed here. Viewing by Government Department is possible by term or specific dates from March 2016 onwards. Written answers are published as received from departments. To see parliamentary questions published before July 2012, search in Dáil debates.
Questions and answers for Dáil or Seanad term
Page 1 of 40
Tue, 16 Apr 2024
written
National Security
Patrick Costello
185. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence whether his Department or the Naval Service plans to conduct a security assessment on the potential of an attack on any proposed floating storage and regasification unit, during both its construction phase and after project completion; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16271/24]
Tue, 16 Apr 2024
written
State Properties
Patrick Costello
244. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform if he will provide an update on the OPW Jamestown Road workshop; the current and future utilisation of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16183/24]
Tue, 16 Apr 2024
written
State Properties
Patrick Costello
245. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform if he will provide an update on potential actions he will take to deal with the large amount of birds on OPW Jamestown Road workshop site, which is negatively impacting on nearby residents; if he will consider erecting some tethered hawk kites to deter birds from the area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16184/24]
Tue, 16 Apr 2024
written
Greyhound Industry
Patrick Costello
562. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he agrees that there is a significant difference in the assertion contained in a report commissioned by Greyhound Racing Ireland and published in 2021 (details supplied) and the assertion contained in a reply to a Parliamentary Question provided to the Minister by Greyhound Racing Ireland in relation to the importance of the greyhound industry as a provider of employment in this country; if he agrees that the claim contained in the industry-commissioned report in this respect is one of several examples of inaccurate and misleading information contained in that report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16678/24]
Tue, 16 Apr 2024
written
Healthcare Policy
Patrick Costello
679. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Health if will he publish the updated HSE palliative care strategy as a matter of urgency in line with recommendation 12 of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Assisted Dying report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16195/24]
Thu, 11 Apr 2024
written
Oideachas Gaeltachta
Patrick Costello
121. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Patrick Costello den Aire Oideachais cathain a bheidh an plean maidir le soláthar gaelcholáiste nó gaelcholáistí nua i gceantar Átha Cliath Theas réidh ag an Roinn Oideachais agus a thagair tú dó nuair a d'fhreagair tú ceist 476 le freagra 428 ar 20 Márta 2024. [15801/24]
Wed, 10 Apr 2024
written
Defence Forces
Patrick Costello
49. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence if he will outline, in light of the news that former members of the Defence Forces, operating as a company (details supplied) are training private militias, what actions are being taken by his Department to prevent such a situation reoccurring in future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15715/24]
Tue, 9 Apr 2024
written
Middle East
Patrick Costello
33. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the efforts his Department are making to ensure the ICJ meet to assess the accountability of Israel in relation to the preliminary ruling issued in the South African case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14800/24]
Tue, 9 Apr 2024
written
Cycling Policy
Patrick Costello
195. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Transport if his Department will liaise with Dublin City Council on funding options for the expansion of the highly successful now Dublin bikes scheme. [14049/24]
Tue, 9 Apr 2024
written
Work Permits
Patrick Costello
378. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the total number of active employment permits in the State (details supplied), broken down by type of permit, i.e. Critical, General, Other and SOC Code (4 digit). [14223/24]
Tue, 9 Apr 2024
written
Departmental Data
Patrick Costello
424. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Education to provide a list of all second-level education institutions aided by her Department that are located on public land, and a separate list of all second-level institutions aided by her Department that are located on land not in public ownership. [13982/24]
Tue, 9 Apr 2024
written
Departmental Data
Patrick Costello
425. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Education further to Parliamentary Question No. 276 of 23 January 2024, to list in tabular form the 103 new post-primary schools and 90 newly-established multi-denominational schools referenced, providing school roll numbers for all schools identified. [13983/24]
Tue, 9 Apr 2024
written
Mayoral Election
Patrick Costello
653. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if a referendum on a directly elected mayor for Dublin will take place on the same day as the 2024 local elections. [14575/24]
Tue, 9 Apr 2024
written
Wildlife Regulations
Patrick Costello
666. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage how many bird of prey licences were issued for taking birds from the wild from 2014 to date; and the breakdown of taking birds from the wild licences for each of those years, by species, gender and by location, in tabular form. [14717/24]
Tue, 9 Apr 2024
written
Prison Service
Patrick Costello
893. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Justice for an update on the work of the Prison Overcrowding Response Group; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14628/24]
Tue, 9 Apr 2024
written
Prison Service
Patrick Costello
894. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Justice her views on the increasing number of prisoners on remand in prisons here; the steps she is taking to tackle this issue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14629/24]
Tue, 9 Apr 2024
written
Prison Service
Patrick Costello
919. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Justice the actions being taken by her Department to alleviate overcrowding in the prison system; and the estimated timeline for returning the population to uniform single capacity cells and the use of community based sentencing to address this problem. [15030/24]
Tue, 9 Apr 2024
written
Health Services
Patrick Costello
1232. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Health if the National Gender Service believes that trans people need to be in their mid- to late twenties before they are mature enough to decide to pursue medical transition, as per a recent radio interview (details supplied). [13698/24]
Tue, 9 Apr 2024
written
Health Services
Patrick Costello
1233. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Health the reason that in a recent radio interview (details supplied), National Gender Service staff considered the process to access hormones via Tavistock to be too easy. [13699/24]
Tue, 9 Apr 2024
written
Health Services
Patrick Costello
1234. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Health if, following a recent radio interview (details supplied), the National Gender Service staff believe asexuals are entitled to the same medical care and at the same age as all other sexualities. [13700/24]
Tue, 9 Apr 2024
written
Health Services
Patrick Costello
1235. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Health if, when writing the Chief Clinical Officer's business case "Model of Care and Implementation Plan for Transgender care", it was intended that service users could be excluded from the Advisory Group due to their interest in their own healthcare being considered purely ideological. [13701/24]
Tue, 9 Apr 2024
written
Health Services
Patrick Costello
1236. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Health what consultation was done with the trans community before abandoning the Programme for Government's commitment to WPATH as per a recent article (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13702/24]
Thu, 21 Mar 2024
written
Defence Forces
Patrick Costello
53. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence if Ireland plans to recommit personnel to the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) mission. [13141/24]
Thu, 21 Mar 2024
written
Traffic Management
Patrick Costello
85. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Transport the level of engagement that the Department have had with local authorities regarding new rules which provide for zebra crossings without Belisha beacons; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13171/24]
Thu, 21 Mar 2024
written
Bus Services
Patrick Costello
121. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Transport for an update on the implementation of the BusConnects project. [13140/24]
Wed, 20 Mar 2024
written
Northern Ireland
Patrick Costello
64. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if in line with the recent report of Operation Kenova in Northern Ireland, he will advocate for a national day of commemoration on 21 June, for all of those who lost their lives during the Troubles on the islands of Ireland and Britain; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12458/24]
Wed, 20 Mar 2024
written
Middle East
Patrick Costello
80. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Ireland's position on the Egyptian authorities charging Gazans thousands of dollars to gain entry to their state; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13129/24]
Wed, 20 Mar 2024
written
Litter Pollution
Patrick Costello
125. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications for a breakdown of the amount of funding drawn down by each local authority from the anti-litter and anti-graffiti awareness grant scheme in 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13133/24]
Wed, 20 Mar 2024
written
Public Transport
Patrick Costello
173. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Transport the plans to deal with the provision of increased public transport in Dublin 8, particularly around Kilmainham-Inchicore which suffers from severe traffic congestion and proposed large housing developments which will bring additional demand to the area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12464/24]
Wed, 20 Mar 2024
written
Aviation Industry
Patrick Costello
215. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Finance if he will outline any approaches or negotiations engaged in by Ireland with other EU Member States to waive the exemption on aviation fuel tax for intra-community flights; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11532/24]
Wed, 20 Mar 2024
written
Schools Building Projects
Patrick Costello
358. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Education for a timeline for the commencement and completion of works for a school (details supplied) which was granted planning permission by An Bord Pleanála in April 2022; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11638/24]
Wed, 20 Mar 2024
written
Education Policy
Patrick Costello
476. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Education when her Department will seek to establish a gaelcholáiste in Dublin 8, given the number of feeder primary schools which have no geographically near Irish medium secondary school to attend; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12522/24]
Wed, 20 Mar 2024
written
State Bodies
Patrick Costello
635. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if the LDA intends to use the Davitt Road site in Drimnagh for housing which was previously earmarked for a primary health care centre; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12025/24]
Wed, 20 Mar 2024
written
Local Authorities
Patrick Costello
705. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage for an update in relation to the negotiations between him and the Minister for Rural and Community Development about hiring more dog wardens; how many additional dog warden positions will be created; where these positions will be assigned; how much additional funding will be made available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13152/24]
Wed, 20 Mar 2024
written
Residency Permits
Patrick Costello
803. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Justice the total number of instances where a fee of €300 was paid for the issuing of an IRP (formerly GNIB) card (including both registration and renewal) in the whole of 2023 and the total income from this activity. [11636/24]
Wed, 20 Mar 2024
written
Prison Service
Patrick Costello
939. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Justice for an update on the cultural audit of the IPS 2023 scheduled for 2023; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12675/24]
Wed, 20 Mar 2024
written
Asylum Seekers
Patrick Costello
966. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Justice what bespoke scheme, if any, exists for Palestinians fleeing the conflict in Gaza to come to Ireland. [13128/24]
Wed, 20 Mar 2024
written
Greyhound Industry
Patrick Costello
997. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine in what areas of the country is the greyhound racing industry one of the few meaningful sources of employment, as claimed in an industry-commissioned report published in 2021 (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12199/24]
Wed, 20 Mar 2024
written
Horticulture Sector
Patrick Costello
1038. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of recorded/confirmed dates of fireblight erwinia amylovora infections detections by his Department to date, per county; the steps his Department is taking to contain the spread of any further infections; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12826/24]
Wed, 20 Mar 2024
written
Healthcare Policy
Patrick Costello
1236. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Health the position for an update in relation to the HSE-led implementation group considering the Joint Committee on Health report on the proposed legislative recommendations in the Marie O'Shea report; how many times have the group met since being established; who are the members of the group; to identify the ten work-streams identified by the group; when the draft implementation action plan is likely to be finalised; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11643/24]
Wed, 20 Mar 2024
written
Abortion Services
Patrick Costello
1237. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Health to provide a timeline as to when the remaining two maternity hospitals are due to be in a position to offer full termination of pregnancy services, as prescribed in the 2018 Act; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11644/24]
Wed, 20 Mar 2024
written
Abortion Services
Patrick Costello
1238. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Health to provide an update in relation to the progression of the Health (Termination of Pregnancy Services) (Safe Access Zones) Bill 2023; and can he confirm that this bill will be completed in the lifetime of this current Dáil term; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11645/24]
Wed, 20 Mar 2024
written
Abortion Services
Patrick Costello
1239. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Health to clarify if the mandatory three-day waiting period before being able to access abortion services will be abolished; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11647/24]
Wed, 20 Mar 2024
written
Abortion Services
Patrick Costello
1240. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Health to clarify whether there are any penalties or complaints procedures in place in relation to healthcare workers causing wilful delay or obstruction to women seeking to access abortion services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11648/24]
Wed, 20 Mar 2024
written
Primary Care Centres
Patrick Costello
1325. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Health if he will announce a timeline for construction of the new primary health centre, including when a planning application will be made; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12024/24]
Wed, 20 Mar 2024
written
Departmental Data
Patrick Costello
1520. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Health the number of public health nurses for the Dublin south central area; the number of vacancies; the population of children in the catchment area of each; the average wait time to get an appointment, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13132/24]
Wed, 20 Mar 2024
written
Departmental Data
Patrick Costello
1571. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the number of dog wardens employed in each local authority in 2023; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13138/24]
Wed, 20 Mar 2024
written
Departmental Data
Patrick Costello
1572. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if her Department will increase funding available to the dog control units of local authorities to hire additional dog wardens; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13139/24]
Wed, 20 Mar 2024
written
Departmental Data
Patrick Costello
1596. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development for an update in relation to the negotiations between her and the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage about hiring more dog wardens; how many additional dog warden positions will be created; where these positions will be assigned; how much additional funding will be made available; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13151/24]
Thu, 7 Mar 2024
written
Energy Policy
Patrick Costello
148. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications when the eligibility rules will be published for the home energy upgrade loan scheme, and the expected timeline from submitting the application to drawing down the grant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11196/24]