Parliamentary questions

Health Services Staff

Dessie Ellis

788. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Health if there are plans to engage with various professions, sectors and employers to ascertain if the qualifications of Ukrainian nationals are acceptable here to create employment opportunities; if so, if they can be rapidly facilitated to work, particularly in sectors in which Ireland currently has shortages in the economy, such as general practitioners and the health service; if he will engage with Ministerial colleagues in this regard; if he will consider putting in place a mechanism to identify employment vacancies in local areas to simplify and facilitate the rapid employment of Ukrainian refugees; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14521/22]

Health Services Staff

Dessie Ellis

789. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Health the plans that are in place to recruit extra staff for the HSE and Tusla to deal with the unprecedented level of demand for services if the estimated number of Ukrainian refugees arrive in Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14523/22]

Ukraine War

Dessie Ellis

971. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Health if he has considered putting in place regional trauma centres for Ukrainian child refugees; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14516/22]

Ukraine War

Dessie Ellis

972. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Health if he will put in place services for those Ukrainian refugees arriving in Ireland who may be suffering from trauma as a result of the war in the Ukraine and that fluent speakers are placed to assist those who may not understand English; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14524/22]

Ukraine War

Dessie Ellis

973. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Health if he will consider putting in place a formal mechanism to allow retired persons with specific skills to assist on a voluntary basis in the effort to accommodate a large influx of Ukrainian refugees in local communities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14525/22]

Ukraine War

Dessie Ellis

1170. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if she will initiate outreach to local communities via the community response fora in relation to the provision of information and soliciting the support and buy in of local communities to become positive advocates and active participants in developments in their areas to accommodate the Ukrainian persons who have been displaced by the war in Ukraine; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14526/22]

Disability Services

Dessie Ellis

622. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Health the staffing levels and waiting lists for the Finglas children’s disability network team; the number of speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, psychologists who are currently working as part of the team; if each member of the team is working with the Finglas team full-time; the number of vacancies for each position; the number of children who are currently attending the services; the number of children who are currently on the waiting list for each of these services; the current waiting times for each service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10880/22]

Apprenticeship Programmes

Dessie Ellis

243. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the apprenticeships that are currently available; the number of vacancies available for each of these apprenticeships; the number of new applications for each of these apprenticeships; the number of applicants accepted for each of these apprenticeships; the number of school hours for each apprenticeship; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8884/22]

Registration Certificate

Dessie Ellis

297. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Health the wait times for appointments for registering a birth and registering a death; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8894/22]

Covid-19 Pandemic

Dessie Ellis

1614. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Health the plans for updating EU Digital COVID Certificates to show that a person has had the booster vaccination (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1099/22]

Nursing Homes

Dessie Ellis

1675. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Health the restrictions that are in place currently for those visiting public nursing homes; if there are plans to put in additional restrictions in the near future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1308/22]

Social Welfare Schemes

Dessie Ellis

656. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Social Protection the criteria for qualifying for the short-term enterprise allowance; if previous experience in Ireland or abroad disqualifies persons from qualifying for the allowance; if an applicant can appeal a decision should their application for the allowance be rejected; if so, the grounds on which an appeal can be made; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41534/21]

Health Services Staff

Dessie Ellis

1703. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Health the number of occupational therapists currently attending to appointments at the Wellmount Health Centre, Finglas, Dublin 11; the number of appointments per week currently available at the health centre; if any of the occupational therapists assigned to the health centre been redeployed throughout the past year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34993/21]

Health Services Staff

Dessie Ellis

2597. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Health the number of psychologists currently assigned to the CAMHS team in Ballymun, Dublin; his plans to reassign any psychologist based there; when a replacement will be expected; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38303/21]

National Children's Hospital

Dessie Ellis

2598. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Health the variance to the budget by expense category of the new national children's hospital in tabular form in view of the reports that it is set to cost €1.7 billion, up from the original estimated cost of circa €400 million; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38304/21]

Health Services Staff

Dessie Ellis

526. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Health the number of occupational therapists employed to work in a centre (details supplied); the number available for appointments for those on the waiting list at the centre; if any of these therapists have been redeployed to other services in the past year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29790/21]

Covid-19 Pandemic

Dessie Ellis

416. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Health if those members of staff who had been transferred from mental health services to supplement Covid-19 services will be returned to mental health services; and if so, when this will occur; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28892/21]

Health Services Staff

Dessie Ellis

417. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Health the status of the commitment made in the programme for Government to fill positions for consultants, psychiatric nurses and in peer support in mental health services in hospitals (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28893/21]

Hospital Services

Dessie Ellis

418. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Health the number of persons presenting at accident and emergency units for Beaumont Hospital, the Mater Hospital and James Connolly Memorial Hospital, Blanchardstown, from 1 January 2020, by month in tabular form, to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28894/21]

Grant Payments

Dessie Ellis

172. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the number of applications for grant funding that were made under the live performance support scheme; the number of applications that were successful; the criteria and scoring system for determining whether an application is successful or not in tabular form; the number of applicants who received more than one grant; the number of grants they received; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34261/21]

Special Educational Needs

Dessie Ellis

154. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Education if there will be a review of NCSE policy with the aim to achieving a more efficient system that ensure an increase the number of ASD units in mainstream schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28491/21]

Special Educational Needs

Dessie Ellis

160. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Education the grants and funding available to schools that are unable to provide ASD units due to either lack of space, lack of staff or lack of other resources; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28492/21]

Electricity Supply Board

Dessie Ellis

142. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the role he has with regard to the management or otherwise of the ESB; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23694/21]

Housing Issues

Dessie Ellis

318. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of persons to date on the housing list; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23700/21]

Homeless Accommodation

Dessie Ellis

319. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of children to date in homeless accommodation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23701/21]

Housing Schemes

Dessie Ellis

320. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of persons on HAP by county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23702/21]

Homeless Accommodation

Dessie Ellis

321. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of persons on the homeless housing list; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23703/21]

Housing Schemes

Dessie Ellis

322. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the cost of supporting HAP; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23704/21]

Direct Provision System

Dessie Ellis

563. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the current number of residents in a centre (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23687/21]

Direct Provision System

Dessie Ellis

564. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the timeline for ending the direct provision system in operation in Balseskin, County Dublin; the steps he will take to achieve same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23688/21]

Direct Provision System

Dessie Ellis

565. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he has concerns regarding the safety or otherwise of residents at a centre (details supplied) particularly with regard to the interaction of the residents with each other in the centre; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23689/21]

Vacant Properties

Dessie Ellis

41. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his attention has been drawn to the fact that 58 apartments have lain idle since their construction almost 15 years ago at Prospect Hill, Finglas (details supplied); when these vacant properties will be allocated to those on the housing list; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13094/21]

Vaccination Programme

Dessie Ellis

549. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the fact that a number of elderly persons have had to wait for almost two hours while being exposed to the elements for their Covid-19 vaccine at the Helix, DCU (details supplied); if he will ensure that mechanisms are put in place in particular for the elderly in which they can have shelter from the extreme heat or rain and that they can freely use the toilet facilities without fear of losing their place in the queue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22769/21]

Addiction Treatment Services

Dessie Ellis

145. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the detox ten-bed unit in St. Michael’s Ward, Beaumont Hospital is currently closed; the status of the unit; when it will reopen as a detox unit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20961/21]

Passport Services

Dessie Ellis

861. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of staff currently working in the passport section; if staff from the passport section have been redeployed to other Departments during the current level 5 lockdown; if so, their role in those Departments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19512/21]

Vacant Properties

Dessie Ellis

148. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the details of the €7,746,404 payment (details supplied) made by Dublin City Council to the receivers with regard to the vacant 58 units at Prospect Hill, Finglas in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17924/21]

Vacant Properties

Dessie Ellis

149. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if the payments totalling €7,746,404 made by Dublin City Council to the receiver for the 58 vacant units at Prospect Hill, Finglas includes the potential or projected costs of the refurbishment of any or all of the individual units; if the figure does not include such costs, the projected costs to Dublin City Council of refurbishing any or all of the units; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17925/21]

Special Educational Needs

Dessie Ellis

558. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Education the resources required for an ASD unit to be put in place at a school; the resources that can be provided to the school by the NCSE; the additional resources the school must provide from its current funding sources; if there are other funding sources to assist the school to provide ASD units; the reason that may be given by a school that decides it cannot provide an ASD unit or additional places; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16349/21]

Special Educational Needs

Dessie Ellis

559. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Education her plans to work with primary or post-primary schools in Ballymun, Dublin 11, to assist in providing ASD units for children in the area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16350/21]

Covid-19 Pandemic

Dessie Ellis

154. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Justice the mechanisms in place to inform persons whose attendance at court is requested that the courts are closed as a consequence of Covid restrictions given persons are currently being requested to attend court without being notified of the court's closure; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16109/21]

Vaccination Programme

Dessie Ellis

192. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Health if those who have particular underlying conditions which make them more vulnerable to the potential side effects of certain Covid vaccines, for example those who require blood-thinning medication, those who have hypertension and so on, can be offered the option of being vaccinated with another vaccine which does not give rise to those side effects; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16115/21]

Vacant Properties

Dessie Ellis

646. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his attention has been drawn to the fact that 58 apartments have been idle since their construction almost 15 years ago (details supplied); when these vacant properties will be allocated to those on the housing list; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14361/21]

Vacant Properties

Dessie Ellis

678. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the estimated cost of providing security on a site (details supplied) that has been vacant since construction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14910/21]

Vacant Properties

Dessie Ellis

681. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the projected cost of the 58 apartments that have been idle since construction in 2005 in an area (details supplied) including the cost being paid to the receivers by Dublin City Dublin Council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14923/21]

Special Educational Needs

Dessie Ellis

903. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Education if plans are in place to put ASD units in primary or post-primary schools in Ballymun, Dublin 11 in the near future; the number of children with a Ballymun address on the waiting list for a placement; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15140/21]

Special Educational Needs

Dessie Ellis

904. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Education the number of children on waiting lists for placements in ASD units from an area (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15141/21]

Hospital Facilities

Dessie Ellis

920. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Health the actions he plans to take to end the practice of imposing parking fees at all public hospitals given that they have proved a costly burden on those attending the hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13179/21]

Mental Health Services

Dessie Ellis

207. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Health the status of the mental health services at the pine and ash wards in Connolly Hospital Blanchardstown; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12273/21]

Mental Health Services

Dessie Ellis

208. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Health the mental health services that are currently available at Connolly Hospital Blanchardstown; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12274/21]

Mental Health Services

Dessie Ellis

209. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Health the number of staff, the role of each and availability of each that are currently attached to the mental health services at Connolly Hospital Blanchardstown; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12275/21]