Parliamentary questions

Ukraine War

Sorca Clarke

328. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the engagement that his Department has had with the relevant stakeholders in relation to the refugees arriving from Ukraine and the coordination of services, supports and resources which are presently being delivered in an ad-hoc manner by volunteers attempting to meet the needs of those fleeing the Russian invasion. [28547/22]

Ukraine War

Sorca Clarke

345. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Justice the engagement her Department has had with the relevant stakeholders in relation to the refugees arriving here from Ukraine and the co-ordination of services, supports and resources which are presently being delivered in an ad-hoc manner by volunteers attempting to meet the needs of those fleeing the Russian invasion. [28549/22]

Ukraine War

Sorca Clarke

364. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Health the engagement that his Department has had with the relevant stakeholders in relation to the refugees arriving from Ukraine and the coordination of services, supports and resources which are presently being delivered in an ad-hoc manner by volunteers attempting to meet the needs of those fleeing the Russian invasion. [28546/22]

Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements

Sorca Clarke

3. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Taoiseach the engagement that he or his Department have had with the British Government and Prime Minister since the Assembly elections in Northern Ireland on 5 May 2022. [24925/22]

Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements

Sorca Clarke

4. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Taoiseach the engagement that he or his Department have had with the political leaders in Northern Ireland following the Assembly elections. [24924/22]

Post Office Network

Sorca Clarke

78. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the engagement that he has had with all of the stakeholders regarding the concerns raised by an organisation (details supplied) concerning the post office commercial service contract July 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27492/22]

Construction Industry

Sorca Clarke

255. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the engagement that his Department has had with representatives of construction industry regarding the expected delays to building projects due to the increase in building and fuel costs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27493/22]

An Garda Síochána

Sorca Clarke

590. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Justice the number of gardaí in counties Longford and Westmeath who have completed a one-day competency-based driver level one assessment, which allows gardaí to drive patrol cars but not turn on their sirens or flashing blue lights in 2020, 2021 and to date in 2022, in tabular form. [27776/22]

An Garda Síochána

Sorca Clarke

591. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Justice the number of gardaí in counties Longford and Westmeath who have completed the competency-based driver level two assessment, which allows gardaí to pursue vehicles at high speeds, use the sirens and turn on the flashing blue lights in 2020, 2021 and to date in 2022, in tabular form. [27777/22]

An Garda Síochána

Sorca Clarke

592. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Justice the number of gardaí in counties Longford and Westmeath who have not completed either level one or level two of the competency-based driver assessment. [27778/22]

An Garda Síochána

Sorca Clarke

593. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Justice the number of gardaí in counties Longford and Westmeath who have faced disciplinary action for using the siren or flashing blue lights without a level two competency-based driver assessment, in tabular form. [27779/22]

Departmental Staff

Sorca Clarke

728. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Health the number of workers in his Department and in each office or agency under the aegis of his Department that are not employed directly but are employed by a private company. [27775/22]

National Maternity Hospital

Sorca Clarke

11. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Health if he will immediately implement a fast thorough review of the existing National Maternity Hospital given that it will be some time before the new national maternity hospital is built (details supplied). [26034/22]

Health Services

Sorca Clarke

91. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Health the consideration that he and his Department have given to the requests by an organisation (details supplied) for a new contract to replace the existing 23-year-old contract for public eye-care and for the expansion of services accessed in the community. [26033/22]

Tax Code

Sorca Clarke

224. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Transport if he will give consideration to abolishing the extra administrative charges applied to motorists who renew their motor tax every three or every six months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27178/22]

Social Welfare Eligibility

Sorca Clarke

280. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will implement both a widening of the eligibility criteria and an increase in the amount paid under the back-to-school clothing and footwear allowance given the enormous rise in the cost of living. [27180/22]

Departmental Reviews

Sorca Clarke

390. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Health if he will implement a review of Ireland's maternity hospitals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27179/22]

Defibrillators Provision

Sorca Clarke

435. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the supports that are available to rural communities for the purchase, maintenance and upgrade of defibrillators. [27177/22]

Departmental Policies

Sorca Clarke

88. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Defence the measures that his Department is taking to reduce this nation’s dependence on the UK to defend our sovereignty particularly now when we are celebrating a centenary of our independence from the UK; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26921/22]

Departmental Reviews

Sorca Clarke

167. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Justice if the terms of reference have been drafted for the proposed external review of the policies processes and procedures in operation for the calculation of prisoner sentences; and if she has identified a suitable person to conduct this independent review. [26919/22]

Departmental Funding

Sorca Clarke

246. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his proposals to allocate funds from the European Crisis Reserve. [26920/22]

Special Educational Needs

Sorca Clarke

449. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Education if she will review the decision to refuse an application for assistive technology for a pupil (details supplied). [26472/22]

Medicinal Products

Sorca Clarke

683. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Health the steps that he and his Department are taking to tackle the continued shortage of hormone replacement treatments across the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26470/22]

Health Services Staff

Sorca Clarke

684. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Health the number of community optometrists contracted to provide services by CHO area in 2020 and 2021 and to date in 2022, in tabular form. [26471/22]

Social Welfare Payments

Sorca Clarke

111. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Social Protection if consideration will be given by her Department to a once-off cost of living increase for social welfare recipients considering the increased costs of fuel and the rising costs of living. [24649/22]

Social Welfare Schemes

Sorca Clarke

150. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Social Protection if consideration will be given by her Department for a review of the entitlement to the fuel allowance considering the increased costs of fuel and the rising costs of living. [24648/22]

Census of Population

Sorca Clarke

161. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Taoiseach if a review of Census 2022 is planned; and if so, when this is expected to take place. [24374/22]

Housing Policy

Sorca Clarke

336. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when a review of the income eligibility limits for social housing will be reviewed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24932/22]

Northern Ireland

Sorca Clarke

425. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the engagement he or his party has had with the political leaders in Northern Ireland following the Assembly Elections. [24931/22]

Defence Forces

Sorca Clarke

429. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Defence the consideration that has been given to offer shorter term contracts those in the Defence Forces who are in a position to continue to serve as they approach retirement given the retention and recruitment crisis in the forces; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24373/22]

Commemorative Medals

Sorca Clarke

432. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Defence the total cost associated with the awarding of the 1916 centenary commemorative medal to include the manufacturing, distribution and ancillary costs. [24769/22]

Immigration Status

Sorca Clarke

615. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Justice if consideration has been given to extending the stamp 2 visas for holders of same that are due to expire on 31 May to September 2022 given the potential impact on the holders' academic studies, the industries in which they worked during the high summer season and the current constraints on An Garda Síochána in relation to processing same. [24768/22]

Small and Medium Enterprises

Sorca Clarke

166. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the engagement he and his Department have had with SME's who are struggling with fuel and inflationary costs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24041/22]

Ambulance Service

Sorca Clarke

344. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Health the reason that medical card holders who are resident in nursing homes are being denied their right to a public ambulance to transport them to either outpatient or inpatient hospital appointments and that families are being presented with accumulating bills from private ambulance providers. [24034/22]

Ambulance Service

Sorca Clarke

345. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Health the reason that private ambulances are being utilised by nursing homes for the transport of medical card holders who cannot be transferred by wheelchair taxi to hospital in cases in which the national ambulance service or another ambulance service (details supplied) could provide this service either freely or for a nominal fee. [24035/22]

Hospital Waiting Lists

Sorca Clarke

346. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Health the number of patients who are awaiting an appointment with a genetic counsellor in the department of clinical genetics, Crumlin Children’s Hospital. [24036/22]

Hospital Waiting Lists

Sorca Clarke

347. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Health the number of patients who are awaiting an appointment with a genetic counsellor in the department of clinical genetics, Crumlin Children’s Hospital in each of the years 2020, 2021 and to date in 2022, in tabular form. [24037/22]

Disease Management

Sorca Clarke

348. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Health the number of persons under 18 years of age who have diagnosis of ataxia telangiectasia; and the treatment that is available to them in Ireland. [24038/22]

Disease Management

Sorca Clarke

349. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Health the way a child with a diagnosis of ataxia telangiectasia can access clinical trials outside of Ireland. [24039/22]

Departmental Schemes

Sorca Clarke

362. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the engagement he and his Department have had with those in the agrifood sector who are struggling with fuel and inflationary costs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24040/22]

Irish Communities Abroad

Sorca Clarke

90. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs when the last meeting of the Interdepartmental Committee on Diaspora Policy was held; if engagement has taken place since with groups that work with returning Irish citizens to address the shortcomings experienced in the areas of visa processing times for non-European Union spouses, foreign birth registrations and the application of the habitual residence condition; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22997/22]

Bus Éireann

Sorca Clarke

233. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Transport the number of passengers that have used Bus Éireann route 115 Mullingar to Dublin in both directions in 2019, 2020, 2021 and to date in 2022, in tabular form. [23106/22]

Office of Public Works

Sorca Clarke

297. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the number of full-time qualified roofers and tilers employed by the OPW as of 1 January 2021 and 1 May 2022, in tabular form. [23102/22]

Naval Service

Sorca Clarke

463. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Defence the number of applications and the number that were commissioned under the Naval Services direct entry scheme in each of the years from 2018 to 2021 and to date in 2022, in tabular form. [23120/22]

Social Welfare Rates

Sorca Clarke

554. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated full year cost if the disability allowance increased by €5 per week. [23108/22]

Third Level Admissions

Sorca Clarke

608. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the estimated cost of a 10% increase in full-time undergraduate speech and language therapy students. [23103/22]

Third Level Admissions

Sorca Clarke

609. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the estimated cost of a 10% increase in full-time undergraduate occupational therapy students. [23104/22]

Third Level Admissions

Sorca Clarke

610. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the estimated cost of a 10% increase in full-time undergraduate psychology students. [23105/22]

An Garda Síochána

Sorca Clarke

638. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Justice further to Parliamentary Question No. 657 of 22 February 2022, if she has received the necessary information from the Garda authorities to answer the question. [23109/22]

An Garda Síochána

Sorca Clarke

639. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Justice the number of drones owned by An Garda Síochána and the number currently in use as of 3 May 2022, [23110/22]