Parliamentary questions

Visa Agreements

Gary Gannon

461. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Justice if her attention has been drawn to the fact that Ireland is an outlier in Europe in relation to Colombian nationals requiring a short-stay visa to travel to Ireland, unlike the rest of the EU and the UK; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60356/22]

Health Services Staff

Gary Gannon

572. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Health the plans that are in place to improve the working conditions faced by occupational therapists; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60358/22]

Social Welfare Benefits

Gary Gannon

117. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason that those in receipt of illness benefit were not awarded a double payment in line with other welfare schemes; and the rationale for the omission. [59278/22]

After-School Support Services

Gary Gannon

509. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will consider supporting the after-school education support programme in the North Wall area of Dublin by allowing it to use and awarding it tenancy of the vacant North Wall community training centre on St. Lawrence Place in order take in more students given that the area is experiencing a sudden increase in population. [59279/22]

Official Engagements

Gary Gannon

49. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Defence if he will provide further clarity on the purpose and function of his attendance as a keynote speaker at the "Building the Ecosystem" event in October 2022 which promoted Ireland's interaction with the arms industry. [58444/22]

Legislative Measures

Gary Gannon

59. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education if she intends to bring forth legislation that will standardise the teaching of relationship and sexual education across all publicly funded Irish schools. [58616/22]

Education and Training Boards

Gary Gannon

85. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education if there are plans for the creation of new schools which fall under the remit of the City of Dublin Education and Training Board. [58407/22]

Social Welfare Benefits

Gary Gannon

259. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason that those with disabilities partaking in the National Learning Network are being excluded from receiving the disability allowance. [58622/22]

Further and Higher Education

Gary Gannon

283. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the reason that those with disabilities partaking in the National Learning Network are being excluded from receiving the disability allowance. [58621/22]

Middle East

Gary Gannon

102. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will take an initiative at EU or UN level to ensure that Israel will be held accountable for the apartheid regime it is perpetuating which deprives millions of Palestinians of their civil and political rights (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58377/22]

Third Level Costs

Gary Gannon

142. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if his attention has been drawn to the halving of the student assistance fund from €16.2 million to €8 million, which has returned the budget allocation of the student assistance fund to pre-Covid levels; if he has any plans to address this issue through a further allocation of funds to the student assistance fund; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58378/22]

Special Educational Needs

Gary Gannon

554. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education the roles that SENO and NEPS have regarding the new guidelines for assessments of needs. [54526/22]

Special Educational Needs

Gary Gannon

555. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education the reasoning behind NCSE being able to pass legal responsibility on to schools. [54527/22]

Special Educational Needs

Gary Gannon

556. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education if schools will be appropriately resourced to enable school principals or their nominated teacher, likely SETs, to complete the report of education needs form (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54528/22]

Special Educational Needs

Gary Gannon

557. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education if all nominated teachers, including SETs, are experienced enough to complete the report of education needs form. [54529/22]

Special Educational Needs

Gary Gannon

558. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education the reason that the NCSE is qualified to "nominate a person with the appropriate expertise to carry out an assessment of education needs"; if she will provide a clear definition of “appropriate expertise”; and if school principals and staff were consulted on this decision. [54530/22]

Immigration Policy

Gary Gannon

862. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Justice if her attention has been drawn to many people seeking asylum having been left out of the recent regularisation scheme for undocumented people, due to their not having the full residence requirement on the day that the scheme opened and could not apply, despite meeting the criteria of the scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54729/22]

Electoral Commission

Gary Gannon

92. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide an up-to-date timeline for the establishment of the Electoral Commission, along with expected budget and staffing requirements for 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53813/22]

Electoral Process

Gary Gannon

93. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide an update on the implementation of the provision for a pending electors list for persons aged 16 and 17 years, as set out under the Electoral Reform Act 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53814/22]

Foreign Birth Registration

Gary Gannon

99. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if there are any plans in place to speed-up the processing time of the foreign birth register at present (details supplied). [53812/22]