Parliamentary questions

Ukraine War

Holly Cairns

511. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will provide details of the number of Ukrainian refugees currently being accommodated in an area (details supplied). [8612/23]

Legislative Reviews

Holly Cairns

655. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health if he will immediately publish the review of the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018. [8614/23]

Disabilities Assessments

Holly Cairns

656. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health the steps he is taking to regulate private providers of assessment of need for children and young people. [8615/23]

Forestry Sector

Holly Cairns

734. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the amount of monies that were unspent for 2022 and returned to the central Exchequer concerning forestry programmes. [8610/23]

Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence

Holly Cairns

73. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Justice the steps he is taking to fulfil the State’s obligations under the Istanbul Convention to address gender based violence [7412/23]

Health Services

Holly Cairns

121. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health the steps he is taking to support women who choose to have home births. [7410/23]

Medical Aids and Appliances

Holly Cairns

122. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health the steps he is taking to ensure children with disabilities are assessed and receive medical aids/equipment in a timely manner. [7411/23]

Energy Prices

Holly Cairns

52. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will provide details of any engagement that he has had with the Commission for Regulation of Utilities in relation to setting an upper limit on energy standing charges; if he will provide details of his engagement with the Commission with regard to carrying out a review of standing charges, particularly in view of recent price increases; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7747/23]

Public Transport

Holly Cairns

55. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Transport to provide interim funding for the provision of transport to enable young people in Beara, County Cork, to access disability services in Bantry, County Cork, until the permanent service is in place later in 2023. [7748/23]

Road Network

Holly Cairns

63. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Transport to ensure that a survey of the integrity of roadside banks on the N71 between Innishannon and Bandon is carried out, especially concerning the section between the junctions with the L-3204-0 and L-97103-1. [7758/23]

Bus Services

Holly Cairns

64. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Transport to provide an additional bus stop on the western side of Bandon to facilitate elderly residents. [7759/23]

Bus Services

Holly Cairns

65. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Transport to ensure that a bus stop is put in place in Ballinhassig, County Cork. [7760/23]

Bus Services

Holly Cairns

66. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Transport to ensure the reinstatement of the east bound bus stop on North Street, Skibbereen, County Cork. [7761/23]

Flood Risk Management

Holly Cairns

78. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform when the Skibbereen flood defence scheme will be complete, given current delays are holding up necessary road works on the N71. [7757/23]

Heritage Sites

Holly Cairns

97. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if a dedicated conservation management plan has been put in place for the Lough Hyne Marine Nature Reserve. [7756/23]

General Practitioner Services

Holly Cairns

210. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health the steps he is taking to ensure that SouthDoc out-of-hours GP service is operating in Castletownbere, County Cork. [7749/23]

General Practitioner Services

Holly Cairns

211. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health his plans to reopen a South Doc Service in Kinsale, County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7750/23]

Ambulance Service

Holly Cairns

212. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health to provide details on the number of rapid response vehicles operating in the Cork south-west area each day, including the number of hours each vehicle is available for. [7751/23]

Nursing Homes

Holly Cairns

213. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health the number of nursing home residents who availed of the fair deal scheme; the total cost to the Exchequer annually for the years 2018 to 2022, inclusive; the average payment per patient per year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7752/23]

Nursing Homes

Holly Cairns

214. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health the number of HSE-run nursing homes and privately run nursing homes that have participated in the fair deal scheme annually for the years 2018 to 2022, inclusive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7753/23]

Dental Services

Holly Cairns

215. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health the total funding for HSE dental services in the past five years in all LHOs in CHO4; the number of children waiting for dental services in these LHOs; their waiting times; the location in which children in these LHOs can have orthodontic treatment carried out; the number of orthodontists available to the HSE in these areas; the criteria being applied that determines whether a child qualifies for HSE funded orthodontic treatment; the number waiting for same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7754/23]

Health Services

Holly Cairns

216. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health the opening hours of each specialist menopause clinic by location, in tabular form as of 1 February 2022. [7755/23]

Education and Training Provision

Holly Cairns

95. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to outline his engagement with the Minister for Education concerning the provision of higher education training courses for special needs assistants. [6624/23]

Litter Pollution

Holly Cairns

138. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the steps he is taking to address litter and illegal dumping. [7429/23]

Special Areas of Conservation

Holly Cairns

227. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will outline all the funding mechanisms available to individuals or groups concerning the conservation of SACs. [7430/23]

Teacher Training

Holly Cairns

378. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Education if she will ensure that primary school teachers can still avail of online versions of courses during the summer months to contribute to their continuing professional development. [7426/23]

Disabilities Assessments

Holly Cairns

379. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Education if the programme of nominating NCSE would be nominating an appropriate person to carry out an assessment of educational needs on behalf of the HSE under the AON process, announced on 20 October 2022, is an emergency response to the AON crisis; if not, if it is a trial for a new approach to same; if she will outline which schools were involved in the announced process; the supports or funding these schools received; and if she will provide details of any monitoring and assessment of this announced process. [7427/23]

Disabilities Assessments

Holly Cairns

380. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Education if her Department has advised schools to use students' SSP within an assessment of need process; and if so, on what basis was this advice given; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7428/23]

Education and Training Boards

Holly Cairns

479. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to ensure that ETB tutors are given full-time contracts including holiday pay cover. [7431/23]

Education and Training Boards

Holly Cairns

480. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to ensure that the remuneration received by ETB tutors is allotted on an incremental basis comparable with other educational professionals and reflecting experience and years of service. [7432/23]

Medicinal Products

Holly Cairns

874. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health the steps he is taking to ensure that medications (details supplied) which are essential for immunocompromised persons to participate in socio-cultural life and employment will be made available under the drugs payment scheme. [7433/23]

Health Services Staff

Holly Cairns

875. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health his views on whether basic information about particular public appointments to HSE posts, namely, the date of the appointment, the relevant service location and the method of recruitment uses, for example, national recruitment panel, local interview or appointment by transfer, should be provided by the HSE in responses to Parliamentary Questions or to any interested parties wishing to access it; and if not, by what justification could this information be withheld by the HSE; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7434/23]

Mental Health Services

Holly Cairns

876. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 842 of 5 April 2022, 308 of 18 May 2022, 233 of 22 June 2022, 1117 of 12 July 2022 and 324 of 10 November 2022, the percentage of appointments to senior psychologist posts in the Cork adult mental health services between August 2017 and January 2021 that took place via unadvertised transfers; the exact service locations that is, the exact locations of the adult mental health teams where such appointments took place within the Cork HSE health services; the dates of each of these appointments, given that this information has not already been provided by the HSE, contrary to an assertion otherwise in the response to Parliamentary Question 324 of 10 November 2022 (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7435/23]

Pension Provisions

Holly Cairns

35. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Social Protection the steps she is taking to increase the pension entitlements of full-time family carers. [6115/23]

Registration of Births

Holly Cairns

38. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Social Protection her views on reforming the stillbirth registration process. [6114/23]

Adoption Services

Holly Cairns

71. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the steps he is taking in response the delays experienced by individuals seeking personal information under the Birth Information and Tracing Act 2022. [6118/23]

Early Childhood Care and Education

Holly Cairns

95. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the steps he is taking to support workers in the childcare and preschool sector. [6116/23]

Assisted Decision-Making

Holly Cairns

97. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the steps he is taking to provide information to individuals and families impacted by the commencement of the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015. [6120/23]

Mother and Baby Homes

Holly Cairns

101. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the role played by the Oak report in the development of the mother and baby homes redress scheme. [6117/23]

Mother and Baby Homes

Holly Cairns

106. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will provide details of his engagement with religious orders and pharmaceutical companies concerning making payments to the redress scheme for the survivors of mother and baby homes. [6119/23]

Electric Vehicles

Holly Cairns

125. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Finance the position regarding the fuel grant element of the disabled drivers and passengers scheme recipients if a disabled driver purchases an electric car; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6409/23]

Healthcare Policy

Holly Cairns

230. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the current status and proposed timeframe for the First 5 action to develop a dedicated child health workforce, adopting a population-based approach; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6407/23]

International Protection

Holly Cairns

238. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Justice the number of persons facilitated in relocating to Ireland under the Afghan admission programme; the number of people who have been accepted but are yet to be relocated; and the number of persons refused participation in the programme, including the rationale for said refusals. [6408/23]

Legislative Programme

Holly Cairns

309. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health the date he is working towards for Second Stage of the health (termination of pregnancy services (safe access zones)) Bill, the general scheme of which has been published. [6411/23]

Medical Aids and Appliances

Holly Cairns

310. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health the current waiting times for pre-application assessment for aids and appliances for those under 18 years of age in CHO 4; the length of time they have been waiting for the pre-application assessment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6412/23]

Health Services Staff

Holly Cairns

311. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health the number of lactation consultant positions in each CHO, including a breakdown to LHO level, the number of positions that are currently filled, the number that are currently vacant, and measures being undertaken to recruit personnel. [6413/23]

Health Services Staff

Holly Cairns

312. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health his plans to support public health nurses to separate and specialise workload, such as working with infants and children, or caring for elderly persons, in all LHOs within CHO 4. [6414/23]

Official Engagements

Holly Cairns

98. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Transport to outline his engagement with disabled persons’ organisations concerning legislation regulating e-scooters. [6186/23]

Electric Vehicles

Holly Cairns

99. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Transport his views on concerns expressed by visually-impaired persons in respect of e-vehicles and e-scooters. [6187/23]

Tax Code

Holly Cairns

114. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Finance his views on the requests by a representative body (details supplied) seeking the retention of the 9% VAT rate for hair and beauty services. [6183/23]

Special Educational Needs

Holly Cairns

252. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Education to provide children with Down's syndrome with early intervention facilities and accompanying home tuition, similar to the schemes available to children with ASD and autistic children [6181/23]

Teacher Training

Holly Cairns

253. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Education to provide the same financial support to registered post-primary teachers to upskill in order to teach home economics as is currently being offered to registered teachers to teach mathematics, physics and Spanish. [6182/23]

Medicinal Products

Holly Cairns

468. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health if he will ensure that a medication for hyperemesis (details supplied) is made available through the drugs payment scheme with a prescription from a GP. [6184/23]

Ambulance Service

Holly Cairns

469. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health the average response time of ambulances in west County Cork; the number of ambulances ordinarily based at each location; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6185/23]

Special Educational Needs

Holly Cairns

85. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Education the steps she is taking to increase the number of places in secondary schools for young people with autism in County Cork. [4782/23]

Special Educational Needs

Holly Cairns

112. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Education the steps she is taking to increase the lack of places in primary and secondary schools for young people with special educational needs and disabilities. [4783/23]

Bus Services

Holly Cairns

193. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Transport if he will provide interim funding for the provision of a bus service to enable young people in Beara, County Cork, to access day services in Bantry, County Cork, until the permanent service is in place later in 2023. [4800/23]

Work Permits

Holly Cairns

549. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Justice if he will reform the "atypical working visa" to enable doctors providing locum services to reside in the State for longer periods of time. [4799/23]

Health Services Staff

Holly Cairns

748. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health if he will work with the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment to reform the ‘atypical working visa’ to enable doctors providing locum services to reside in the State for longer periods of time. [4801/23]

General Practitioner Services

Holly Cairns

749. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health the steps he is taking to ensure that out-of-hours GP services can recruit and retain doctors, including non-EEA locums, to cover the service requirements. [4802/23]

Fishing Industry

Holly Cairns

803. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on the call by a fishing representative organisation (details supplied) for an equitable allocation of fishing opportunities to small-scale low impact fishers, using Article 17 to reallocate fishing rights to smaller scale, environmentally compatible, economically viable and socially responsible fishery activities, rewarding a positive history of compliance and ending the sole use of track records as the tool for allocating fishing opportunities by member states, and putting an end to the privatisation of fishery resource access. [4798/23]

Wastewater Treatment

Holly Cairns

98. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the steps he is taking to assist communities in improving wastewater infrastructure. [3404/23]

Housing Provision

Holly Cairns

126. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of social and affordable homes that were built in County Cork in the years 2021 and 2022. [3403/23]

Insurance Coverage

Holly Cairns

80. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Finance what steps he is taking to reform the provisions of flood insurance. [3064/23]

Insurance Industry

Holly Cairns

152. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Finance the steps he is taking to reduce the cost of insurance for the hospitality sector. [3063/23]

Waste Management

Holly Cairns

192. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications how his Department will support persons with long-term incontinence with respect to the disposal of medical incontinence wear; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3125/23]

Equality Issues

Holly Cairns

446. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science his views on a report (details supplied) concerning students with disabilities on placement. [3124/23]

Medical Aids and Appliances

Holly Cairns

593. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health if he will clarify that the contract for the national standardised list of community-funded aids and appliances and prescribing criteria is in place; and if he will outline the requirements for the equitable distribution of aids and appliances in each CHO for people who are blind or vision-impaired. [3126/23]

Medicinal Products

Holly Cairns

594. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health if he will meet with an organisation (details supplied) to address the ongoing risk of medicine shortages. [3127/23]

Patient Deaths

Holly Cairns

595. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health if a group has been established by his office or any other institution of his Department or HSE for the purpose of carrying out investigations into maternal deaths; if so, if he can clarify the rationale for such a group; the reason that such investigations are not conducted, as a matter of course, by HIQA; the budget for this group; the source from which it is allocated; the way that the group is constituted, including membership and governance structures; the person or body that the group reports to; if the establishment of the group has been subject to Houses of the Oireachtas or Cabinet-approval; and when reports and finding of the group will be made public. [3128/23]

Mental Health Services

Holly Cairns

596. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health if he will immediately provide the necessary capital funding to retain 18 beds in the acute mental health unit in Bantry Hospital. [3129/23]

Brexit Supports

Holly Cairns

659. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the amount of European Union Brexit funding that has been made available to the fishing sector, including a breakdown of all the relevant schemes; and his plans to provide further funding from EU Brexit funding to the sector. [3120/23]

Forestry Sector

Holly Cairns

660. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the amount of funding provided for afforestation annually for each of the years 2018 to 2022 inclusive, in tabular form, including a breakdown of the amounts provided to farmers, private forestry companies, community/non-profit groups, public/semi-state bodies, and any other relevant category. [3122/23]

Fishing Industry

Holly Cairns

661. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on the call by a fishing representative organisation (details supplied) to provide for specific small-scale fisher infrastructure investment to improve facilities in landing areas, strengthen short supply chains and food security, and prioritise decarbonisation of the small-scale fleet. [3123/23]

Transport Policy

Holly Cairns

59. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Transport his views on ensuring that Castletownbere is classified as a larger town within the Connecting Ireland plan to ensure that the Beara peninsula is assigned the necessary scale of routes. [2091/23]

Flood Risk Management

Holly Cairns

142. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will provide an update on the flood relief scheme in Bantry, County Cork. [2093/23]

National Car Test

Holly Cairns

201. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Transport the steps he is taking to improve the recruitment and retention of staff in NCT centres. [2687/23]

Tax Credits

Holly Cairns

211. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Finance if he will adjust the tax credit for renters to include students renting in a ‘rent-a-room’ or ‘digs’ type arrangement. [2683/23]

Quarrying Sector

Holly Cairns

238. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his views on introducing regulations concerning the use of rock-breaking equipment. [2685/23]

Social Welfare Payments

Holly Cairns

270. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will facilitate persons living on offshore islands to remotely sign on for jobseeker's payments. [2686/23]

Health Services Staff

Holly Cairns

384. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health the steps he is taking to retain and recruit recent nursing graduates to address the staffing shortage in the HSE. [2684/23]

Fishing Industry

Holly Cairns

398. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on the call by a fishing representative organisation (details supplied) regarding the differentiation of small-scale fishery products in the market through traceability, community-supported fisheries and direct, short-chain marketing schemes, empowering fishing organisations to become price makers. [2682/23]

Work Permits

Holly Cairns

54. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will add fishers to the critical skills occupations list to enable them to be eligible for employment under the critical skills permit system, reflecting skills and worker shortages in this vital area. [2268/23]

Energy Conservation

Holly Cairns

132. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications when the low-interest loans to enable homes to retrofit will be available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2287/23]

Post Office Network

Holly Cairns

133. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications his views on designating the post office network as the "offline gateway" of choice for persons availing of State services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2288/23]

Electricity Generation

Holly Cairns

135. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the status of the microgeneration scheme. [2422/23]

National Broadband Plan

Holly Cairns

136. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will ensure the provision of broadband to Brookdale, Riverstick, County Cork. [2423/23]

Waste Management

Holly Cairns

137. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the steps he is taking to encourage all local authorities to provide compost facilities at amenity sites to avoid this waste going to landfill. [2424/23]

Bus Services

Holly Cairns

290. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Transport the steps he is taking to ensure the provision of a bus service to enable young persons in Beara, County Cork, to access day services in Bantry, County Cork. [2298/23]

Driver Test

Holly Cairns

300. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Transport the number of staff, including full-time or part-time equivalents, employed in each driving test centre; the extent of staff shortages for each centre; and the steps he is taking to recruit and retain staff. [2447/23]

Bus Services

Holly Cairns

301. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Transport the steps that he is taking to improve the 226X service in County Cork. [2448/23]

National Car Test

Holly Cairns

302. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Transport the steps that he is taking to address delays in NCT centres. [2449/23]

Credit Unions

Holly Cairns

380. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Finance if he will outline his engagement with the credit union movement to fulfil the commitment in the programme for Government for credit unions to become a key provider of community banking. [2289/23]

Tax Code

Holly Cairns

381. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Finance his views on retaining the 9% tourism VAT rate for all of 2023 to support the hospitality sector. [2290/23]

Insurance Coverage

Holly Cairns

389. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Finance the steps that he is taking to ensure insurance providers offer reasonable flood insurance to households and businesses within flood relief scheme areas. [2426/23]

Tourism Funding

Holly Cairns

460. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if she will provide an update on the development of new infrastructure at Garrylucas Beach, Ballinspittle, County Cork, which was announced in April 2021. [2309/23]

Housing Schemes

Holly Cairns

588. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when the limits on the first home scheme will next be reviewed. [2305/23]

Housing Schemes

Holly Cairns

589. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the steps that he is taking to ensure that the limits for the first home scheme are being consistently applied in all local authorities. [2306/23]

Site Acquisitions

Holly Cairns

590. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his views on working with Cork County Council to secure a site currently for sale (details supplied) to build social and affordable housing. [2307/23]

Foreign Policy

Holly Cairns

630. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the details of his engagement with the Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran concerning recent protests for women’s rights and the treatment of protestors by state security services. [2425/23]