Parliamentary questions

Middle East

Richard Boyd Barrett

17. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Taoiseach for a report on his joint correspondence, along with the Spanish Prime Minister, to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on the situation in Gaza. [10615/24]

Passport Services

Richard Boyd Barrett

62. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs further to Parliamentary Question No. 151 of 29 February 2024, the steps a person (details supplied) can take to ensure they receive their renewed passport in their new name; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12446/24]

Arts Council

Richard Boyd Barrett

548. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the conditions imposed on arts companies that received funding grants from the Arts Council in relation to adherence to employment law; if sanctions are imposed on such companies if they are found to be in breach of employment law; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11614/24]

Broadcasting Sector

Richard Boyd Barrett

558. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media her Department's working definition of public service broadcasting; if the term should be taken to imply all activity by State-owned broadcasters, or only activity taken by such broadcasters in service of a defined public service mission; if there is a definition; whether there are plans to ring-fence funding for particular activity that meets this definition; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12335/24]

Broadcasting Sector

Richard Boyd Barrett

559. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media her views of the self-description by a company (details supplied) that it is a commercial public service broadcaster; whether her Department will take any action to publicly to clarify whether the term public service broadcasting is applicable to commercial providers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12336/24]

Housing Policy

Richard Boyd Barrett

615. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if a tenant’s top-up led them to accumulating arrears would he consider HAP rates for this case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11788/24]

Housing Schemes

Richard Boyd Barrett

684. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the reason part V council tenancies are excluded from the tenant purchase scheme when other tenants of council owned houses are included in the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12873/24]

Adoption Services

Richard Boyd Barrett

1119. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the progress to date of the DNA working group established to consider the potential role of DNA in the context of the provision of the statutory tracing service under the Birth Information and Tracing Act 2022 (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11869/24]

Adoption Services

Richard Boyd Barrett

1120. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth his views on how to approach birth information and tracing policy where a birth parent or other individual with access to relevant information is withholding information or otherwise failing to cooperate with an individual who is seeking out their birth information; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11870/24]

Adoption Services

Richard Boyd Barrett

1121. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the steps his Department has taken to inform adoptees and mother and baby home survivors of any potential role for DNA technologies in tracing birth information, given the diverse levels of technological literacy across society; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11871/24]

Home Care Packages

Richard Boyd Barrett

1269. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health the procedure for a new company providing home support to be placed on the approved providers list in CHO6; if the tendering process only occurs once per year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11805/24]

Covid-19 Pandemic

Richard Boyd Barrett

1300. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health if he is aware of reports that Covid testing laboratory staff employed by private providers were excluded from the Covid-19 recognition payment, although they carried out Covid testing on behalf of the HSE; if it was the deliberate policy of his Department or the HSE to exclude such workers; if so, to supply any details about how this policy was arrived at; his views on whether it is appropriate that workers in a persistently Covid-exposed environment and carrying out vital public health work during the height of the Covid-19 crisis would be excluded from a payment; if this was not HSE or his Department's policy, the steps those employed in Covid-testing laboratories in the relevant period can take to access the payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11959/24]

Health Services

Richard Boyd Barrett

1376. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health if he is aware of the scopolinem patch; if there are plans to make it available for medical card users; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12363/24]

Departmental Policies

Richard Boyd Barrett

1570. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if she has reviewed Water Safety Ireland's recommendations and compared them to those prevailing in Northern Ireland; if she plans to harmonise the lifeguarding season and equipment provisions between Ireland and Northern Ireland; her views on whether Northern Ireland's stringent lifeguarding recommendations play a role in Northern Ireland's impressive low drowning rate figures; if she has engaged with the relevant authorities in Northern Ireland; if she has engaged with all-Ireland bodies with a remit for lifeguarding, such as an organisation (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12257/24]

Public Transport

Richard Boyd Barrett

188. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Transport if it is the policy of Dublin Bus, the National Transport Authority, NTA, or any Transport for Ireland, TFI, bus operators to record bus drivers' bathroom breaks alongside identifying information; given the lack of bathroom facilities at some bus termini and the length of some bus routes, if he thinks such a policy is appropriate; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11244/24]

Public Transport

Richard Boyd Barrett

189. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Transport given the duty of care that bus operators have towards their employees, if he or the bus operators have considered the potential impact of any policy to record bus drivers' bathroom breaks alongside identifying information on the mental health of bus drivers on account of compromised privacy; if he or the bus operators have considered the potential impact on the physical health of bus drivers who may be putting off taking necessary bathroom breaks as a result of any policy to record bus drivers' bathroom breaks alongside identifying information; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11245/24]

Public Transport

Richard Boyd Barrett

190. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Transport which persons would have access to any identifiable records of bathroom breaks taken by bus drivers; what measures are in place to ensure that this access policy is adhered to; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11246/24]

Public Transport

Richard Boyd Barrett

191. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Transport the plans in place to make bathroom facilities available for drivers at all bus termini; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11247/24]

Cabinet Committees

Richard Boyd Barrett

6. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on social affairs and public services will meet next. [9317/24]

National Economic and Social Council

Richard Boyd Barrett

13. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the work of the National Economic and Social Council, a statutory agency operating under the aegis of his Department. [9318/24]