Parliamentary questions

Minor Works Scheme

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor

75. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Education the qualifying criteria for schools to be eligible to receive the minor works grant; the schools in receipt of the grant in County Carlow; the reason schools were denied a grant; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24256/20]

School Transport

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor

389. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Education if there will be a review of the prohibition on persons over 70 years of age driving school buses; if she will consider the absence of legislation on health checks for public service drivers as a contributor to the rule; if the matter will be reviewed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24033/20]

Garda Operations

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor

595. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Justice if funding will be secured for a new Garda operational course in quarter 4 of 2020. [23791/20]

Garda Recruitment

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor

596. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Justice if a new recruitment campaign for the Garda band will happen in quarter 4 of 2020. [23792/20]

Garda Data

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor

597. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Justice the number of gardaí within the Carlow Kilkenny Garda division that have successfully completed the competency-based driving levels 3, 4 and 5 courses in 2018, 2019 and to date in 2020, in tabular form. [23793/20]

Garda Stations

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor

317. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform when Leighlinbridge Garda station, County Carlow will reopen. [21306/20]

School Funding

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor

684. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated cost to restore the standard capitation rate for pupils in primary schools to €200 which was the rate in 2010 prior to cuts; and her views on whether this is a diminishing cost in view of the falling enrolments in primary schools. [20299/20]

Post-Leaving Certificate Courses

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor

686. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Education and Skills if post-leaving certificate students prohibited from undertaking practical exams due to Covid-19 restrictions are to be graded under a predicted grade system; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20399/20]

Medicinal Products

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor

1443. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Health if ionafornid treatment in the rare disease progeria will be licensed here; if the State will be providing the financial burden of hospitals providing such treatment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20964/20]

Rent Supplement Scheme

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor

72. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her plans to make rent supplement more easily available to victims of domestic violence. [18973/20]

Local Authority Housing

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor

323. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government when the review of income thresholds to qualify for a place on a local authority housing list will be complete; when the review will be made public; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17968/20]

Social and Affordable Housing

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor

49. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government when the review of income thresholds to qualify for a place on a local authority housing list will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17376/20]

Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor

31. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if she will consider additional supports for local communities to hold replacement events in view of the cancellation of a number of festivals and other cultural events in counties Carlow and Kilkenny in recent months; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17283/20]

Flood Relief Schemes

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor

37. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the status of the development of a flood relief scheme on the border of counties Carlow and Kilkenny. [16804/20]

Army Barracks

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor

100. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Defence when works commenced on the new gymnasium at James Stephen's Barracks, Kilkenny; and when works on same will finish. [16439/20]

Rent Supplement Scheme

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor

140. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated full-year cost of increasing rent supplement limits by 10%. [16441/20]

Healthcare Policy

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor

183. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Health his plans for the elimination of HPV-related cancers within a generation here; the strategies that need to be implemented in the coming 12 months, acknowledging that the introduction of a catch-up programme for boys in sixth year for the HPV vaccine will accelerate this public health goal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16437/20]

Hospital Data

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor

185. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Health the number of cataract operations that were carried out at St. Luke's hospital, Kilkenny, in 2019 and to date in 2020. [16440/20]

Medicinal Products

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor

186. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Health when funding and approval for the immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab will become available for persons with bladder cancer which has migrated to their lungs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16442/20]

Social Welfare Offices

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor

382. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if local social welfare offices and staff are exempt from the payment of rates; the local authorities that operate under this premise; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15299/20]

Social and Affordable Housing

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor

412. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government when the review of income thresholds to qualify for a place on a local authority housing list will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15321/20]

School Transport

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor

504. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Education and Skills if a person over 70 years of age is permitted to drive a school bus; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15319/20]

English Language Training Organisations

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor

601. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Education and Skills if supports will be provided for ACELS, QQI and MEI accredited English language schools that were closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic in March to reopen in 2020; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15297/20]

State Examinations

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor

609. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Education and Skills if post-leaving certificate students prohibited from undertaking practical exams due to Covid-19 restrictions are to be graded under a predicted grade system; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15322/20]

Medical Cards

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor

1020. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Health the number of applications for a refund of phlebotomy charges incorrectly incurred by medical card patients in counties Carlow and Kilkenny; and the number of these applications that were approved and refused, respectively. [14822/20]

Medicinal Products

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor

1136. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Health if approval will be given to the immunotherapy drug osimertinib; if a timeline can be provided for its availability for lung cancer patients; and if not, the reason. [15318/20]

Covid-19 Pandemic

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor

574. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the reason a group (details supplied) has been excluded from the childcare sub-committee convened in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic to discuss the impacts on the childcare sector and plan for the future reopening of service; and if it will be included in future committee discussions. [13737/20]

Medicinal Products

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor

668. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Health when funding and approval for the immunotherapy drug Osimertinib will become available for persons with lung cancer; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13747/20]

Vaccination Programme

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor

679. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Health the status of the schools vaccine programme; if students who would ordinarily have received vaccinations but did not due to Covid-19 will receive their vaccines in the autumn roll-out of vaccinations nationwide; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13793/20]

Ambulance Service

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor

403. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Health when the €350,000 allocated to the ambulance base in County Carlow will be provided; when he expects works to begin; when County Carlow will have an ambulance base that is fit for purpose; and his views on whether it is unacceptable for a town the size of Carlow to not have its own ambulance base. [12842/20]

Dental Services

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor

519. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Health if dental patients on medical cards can access the National Treatment Purchase Fund to have pressing procedures undertaken; the waiting list time in the HSE schools programme for children under 16 years of age awaiting approved braces or HSE dental procedures; and if a breakdown of the procedure is unavailable, the timeline for these procedures to take place in view of the Covid-19 restrictions by county on waiting list numbers. [13406/20]

School Transport

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor

104. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on the prohibition of persons over 70 years of age to drive a school bus; his further views on whether this rule is ageist and discriminatory; and if he will consider the absence of legislation on health checks for public service drivers as a contributor to this rule and examining same. [12262/20]

Local Authority Housing

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor

877. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government when the review of income thresholds to qualify for a place on a local authority housing list will be completed; the timeline for publication; and if disproportionately low thresholds such as those in County Carlow will be amended upwards. [11852/20]

Trading Online Voucher Scheme

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor

774. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if the online trading voucher scheme has been cancelled (details supplied). [10815/20]

Driver Test

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor

849. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport when driver tests will resume (details supplied). [10990/20]

National Car Test

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor

864. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the reason it is acceptable for NCT centres to reopen and insist on card payments only (details supplied). [11084/20]

Community Employment Schemes

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor

1009. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if the embargo on community employment schemes is to be lifted; the time frame for this; and her plans to ensure that placements on Tús or community employment schemes are extended if and when they resume again due to the fact three months' experience were lost to participants when the schemes were suspended. [11195/20]

Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor

110. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Education and Skills if supports will be provided for ACELS, QQI and MEI accredited English language schools which were closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic in March to reopen in 2020 (details supplied). [9698/20]

Post-Leaving Certificate Courses

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor

140. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Education and Skills the way in which students that are taking part in a post-leaving certificate course and have yet to complete their practical exams due to Covid-19 restrictions are to be graded if their teachers have received no instruction from his Department to carry out predictive grading; and if his attention has been drawn to the fact that these students are fearful this lack of clarity will hinder them trying to secure a place in third-level. [9971/20]

Covid-19 Pandemic

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor

285. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation when or if sector by sector guidelines which will be required to be put in place will be issued; and if each sector will be given notice to implement such requirements as they prepare to reopen their business (details supplied). [9968/20]

Food Quality Assurance Scheme

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor

460. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if there will be a review of quality assurance payments in view of the fact that they are perceived as unfair to farmers that sell via the mart system. [9851/20]

Beef Industry

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor

461. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason factory fit cattle pricing fell approximately €150 a head to €3.53 per kilogram and the price drop was not passed on to the supermarket customer and the farmer suffered the price loss not the supermarket or the processor. [9852/20]

Public Services Card

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor

653. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the way in which a person can obtain a public services card during the Covid-19 pandemic due to restrictions. [9969/20]

Jobseeker's Allowance

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor

654. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the reason an 18-year-old person cannot sign on for jobseeker’s until after they receive their leaving certificate results (details supplied). [9970/20]

Apprenticeship Programmes

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor

188. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Education and Skills the programme in existence or being planned going forward for apprenticeships in Carlow town or county in view of the fact that Carlow is a manufacturing town. [7567/20]

Medical Cards

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor

560. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Health the date the medical card weekly income limit for persons over 70 years of age will be increased by €50 for a single person from €500 to €550 and by €150 for a couple from €900 to €1,050; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7593/20]

Commercial Rates

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor

1026. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if offices on contract of service (details supplied) with the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection are exempt from the payment of rates; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7309/20]

Dental Services

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor

700. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Health if assistance, financial or otherwise, will be provided to dental surgeries to cover the cost of PPE which will be required to be used as instructed by the Dental Council upon re-opening (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5821/20]

Driver Test

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor

1034. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the length of time persons will have to wait to do their driver test due to Covid-19; if extra driving lessons will be required; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6564/20]

Invalidity Pension

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor

1212. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will address a matter regarding the case of a person (details supplied). [5791/20]