Parliamentary questions

Veterinary Services

Jackie Cahill

323. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine what his Department's current position is with regard to plans to take over the running of local authority veterinary services; what stage those negotiations are at; when he can see them reaching conclusion; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4659/24]

Naturalisation Applications

Jackie Cahill

103. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Justice the average turnaround for a naturalisation application currently; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4339/24]

Recycling Policy

Jackie Cahill

170. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications why the machines for the new deposit return scheme are twice the price in Ireland that they are in other European countries; if he sees this as an issue; if he envisages this will hinder uptake by retailers in installing these machines; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3541/24]

Recycling Policy

Jackie Cahill

171. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will consider making the cost of the machines for the new deposit return scheme refundable over a five year period considering the current rebate is only over a three year period and only comes to a maximum of €6,000 whereas the cost of the machines can be closer to €14,000, considering the machines are not profit making for the businesses installing them and therefore the businesses should receive a full rebate for their installation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3542/24]

Civil Service

Jackie Cahill

210. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform further to Parliamentary Question No. 192 of 23 November 2023, if the new Civil Service Arbitration Board has started issuing hearing dates; if not, when it plans to do so; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3519/24]

Air Safety

Jackie Cahill

125. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Education where primary schools can get support if carbon dioxide monitors are showing high levels of carbon dioxide in the school building; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3281/24]

International Protection

Jackie Cahill

290. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to detail the payments being paid to operators of accommodation for international protection applicants; if he will also provide details of the nightly rate per person for a private hotel that is offering both accommodation and meals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2206/24]

Energy Usage

Jackie Cahill

81. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications to review the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56906/23]

Energy Usage

Jackie Cahill

106. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications to review the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1050/24]

Taxi Licences

Jackie Cahill

191. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Transport if the area knowledge module of the taxi licence exam in Ireland will be updated to take account of the use of satellite navigation (details supplied) and Eircodes as common practice in the industry, considering a taxi driver in Nenagh, County Tipperary is expected to answer questions in this module on local area knowledge in Carrick-on-Suir, County Tipperary,; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56753/23]

Public Sector Pensions

Jackie Cahill

374. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform for an update on his work to ensure that retired members of An Garda Síochána retain pension parity in line with increases awarded to serving members of An Garda Síochána; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56339/23]

Public Sector Pensions

Jackie Cahill

375. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform to ensure that members of An Garda Síochána who retired after 1995 on full service receive the same rate of pension as those who retired prior to 1995; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56340/23]

School Staff

Jackie Cahill

466. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Education when payments for teachers and SNA’s who facilitated the Home-Based Summer Programme in 2023 will be issued; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56327/23]

School Funding

Jackie Cahill

613. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Education the reason a competition was held for the funding of STEM grants to primary schools, given this is a core curricular area and a key priority for Government; the legislation this competition was run under; what oversight measures were in place; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1321/24]

School Funding

Jackie Cahill

614. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Education if she believes the lottery system for the provision of STEM grants to primary schools was the fairest way to divide available resources; the reason a lottery was held when the number of applications exceeded expectations; if the possibility of a lottery system was explained to schools prior to the application deadline; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1322/24]

School Funding

Jackie Cahill

615. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Education what criteria, if any, applied to the initial reading of applications for STEM funding for primary schools; if none, the purpose of reading the applications; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1323/24]

School Funding

Jackie Cahill

616. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Education how it is envisaged that a school which did not receive funding for STEM applications will engage in STEM activities to the same level as neighbouring schools that received funding under the lottery process; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1324/24]

School Funding

Jackie Cahill

617. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Education if it is the case that STEM grants made available to primary schools in 2024 will be lower than those awarded in December 2023; if so, how much lower; what funding is expected to be made available to the remaining unsuccessful schools, which number approximately 2,000; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1325/24]

Social Welfare Eligibility

Jackie Cahill

856. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Social Protection the supports that are available for a self-employed person who has to stop working for a period of time due to a diagnosed illness; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56326/23]

Social Welfare Benefits

Jackie Cahill

911. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Social Protection the financial assistance, for maintenance and care related costs and so on, available to those who are vision impaired and have a guide dog; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57166/23]

Immigration Status

Jackie Cahill

1140. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Justice the average turnaround for a spouse of an Irish national application currently; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1772/24]

Assisted Animal Reproduction

Jackie Cahill

1171. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department will be in the position to sanction the use of multi-breed artificial insemination straws from 1 January 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56450/23]

Forestry Sector

Jackie Cahill

1172. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the quantity of bark that is being imported into the country for use by nurseries and horticulture, per month in 2023, in tabular form; if this bark is being certified or checked for bark beetle at the point of export and the point of import; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56451/23]

Forestry Sector

Jackie Cahill

1173. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the visits his Department has made to Scotland and other regions affected by the bark beetle to inspect the timber being imported into Ireland to ensure it is free of bark beetle; how many visits were made; when they were made; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56452/23]

Forestry Sector

Jackie Cahill

1174. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of personnel employed to inspect timber at the point of import into Ireland for bark beetle; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56453/23]

Forestry Sector

Jackie Cahill

1175. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will consider banning the import of timber from regions affected by the bark beetle, on grounds of biosecurity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56454/23]

Information and Communications Technology

Jackie Cahill

1220. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his Department’s plans to upgrade its IT infrastructure and improve the online application process for all payment schemes; his plans to implement a system by which applications are assessed to ensure all necessary documentation has been submitted to allow applicants ample opportunity to submit complete applications ahead of deadlines; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56949/23]

Industrial Disputes

Jackie Cahill

1458. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Health for an update on his work to resolve the industrial action currently underway by HSE staff who are members of a union (details supplied), including their action to not respond to elected representatives’ Parliamentary Questions and direct HSE representations; when he expects this to be resolved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56293/23]

Grant Payments

Jackie Cahill

1833. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to detail the nature of documents previously accepted by SUSI as proof of estrangement or irreconcilable estrange of an applicant from their parents, for the purposes of assessing the means of a grant application; the number of cases between 2018 and 2023 that included a letter from a social workers, a court order, evidence from An Garda Síochána, and/or any other form of documentation that sufficed to prove estrangement, in each respective year, in tabular form; if he will detail the legislative basis under which SUSI will not accept a sworn affidavit as proof of estrangement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57232/23]

Road Projects

Jackie Cahill

1872. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development how many dead-end private lanes across all local authorities, which have applied for the local improvement scheme and have been approved, but are awaiting funding to complete the works for each local authority, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1318/24]

International Protection

Jackie Cahill

213. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of IPAs and BoTPs that are currently being accommodated in towns (details supplied) in Tipperary; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55667/23]

Grant Payments

Jackie Cahill

198. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Transport to address the anomaly where a taxi or hackney driver can avail of a €17,500 grant for the purchase of an M1 category accessible vehicle, but a school transport operator, who also requires accessible transport for the young people they transport, cannot; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54460/23]

School Staff

Jackie Cahill

305. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Education her Department's current position on the establishment of a relocation scheme for post-primary teachers; the outcome of her Department's review of the teacher relocation scheme report that was provided to her Department by a teacher's union working group a number of months ago; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54604/23]

Social Welfare Schemes

Jackie Cahill

477. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide an update on her efforts to extend the free travel pass to people with epilepsy who cannot drive due to their condition; when she hopes to bring this into action; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54771/23]

General Practitioner Services

Jackie Cahill

760. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Health if it is possible for a person on a GP visit card to be assigned to another GP practice locally, in circumstances where they wish to change GPs but other GPs in the area are stating that they do not have spare capacity to take a patient on; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54550/23]

Third Level Costs

Jackie Cahill

874. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if the recently announced reduction in student fees for the 2023-2024 academic year applies to a student who is paying full fees while undertaking a second level 8 degree, having already attained a level 8 degree; if this fee reduction applies to an individual undertaking a level 9 Masters Degree who is not in receipt of SUSI supports; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54932/23]

Septic Tanks

Jackie Cahill

51. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the details of the increase in septic tank grants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53930/23]

Local Authorities

Jackie Cahill

70. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his proposals for strategic ten-year development plans for local authorities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53931/23]

Road Safety

Jackie Cahill

169. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Transport if there are plans to introduce legislation to make it mandatory for the users of e-scooters to wear helmets and protective gear while operating the vehicles on public roads; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54335/23]

Tax Reliefs

Jackie Cahill

182. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Finance if an individual who has agreed to purchase farm land, and who has the contracts signed in December 2023, but with a sale that will close in January 2024, still qualifies for 2023 agricultural relief based on the fact that they have an agreement in place in December 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54338/23]

Industrial Disputes

Jackie Cahill

243. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Social Protection for an update on her efforts to close the 15% pay gap between Tús and CE supervisors (details supplied); the reason the Principal Officer in her Department working on this did not recently meet with officials in the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform as planned; if Tús supervisors will receive the update promised to them on 8 December 2023; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54294/23]

Animal Culls

Jackie Cahill

300. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his Department plans to introduce a nationwide cull of American mink as part of the recently announced alien species management plan; if local conservation and angling groups will be asked for submissions on this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53254/23]

Invasive Species Policy

Jackie Cahill

324. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage further to Parliamentary Question No. 236 of 9 November 2023, the reason the bounty on mink to protect ground nesting birds between 2012 and 2015 is no longer in operation; the reason it was not extended beyond 2015; what findings informed the decision to cease this policy and scheme; the proof he has that this scheme was successful or otherwise; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53677/23]

Invasive Species Policy

Jackie Cahill

325. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage how many mink are currently in the wild in Ireland; if action is not taken to cull mink numbers, how many mink will be wild in Ireland in 2030, 2035 and 2040, respectively; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53678/23]

Invasive Species Policy

Jackie Cahill

326. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if the number of mink in Ireland is growing exponentially; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53679/23]

An Garda Síochána

Jackie Cahill

409. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Justice if all operational gardaí are currently recertified or qualified to use batons, handcuffs and incapacitant spray, if they meet a public order situation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53746/23]

Invasive Species Policy

Jackie Cahill

427. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine what bio-security measures are currently in place to appropriately assess imported timber given the current risk posed by the great spruce bark beetle; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53285/23]

Invasive Species Policy

Jackie Cahill

428. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine in light of the current threat posed by the great spruce bark beetle, if his Department is of the view that the facilities and biosecurity measures are currently in place for the assessment and quality control of timber when imported are sufficient; if the Department has any plans to re-assess or change these measures to appropriately address this threat; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53286/23]

Invasive Species Policy

Jackie Cahill

429. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if every timber shipment imported is examined to ensure it is of the highest quality and it does not pose a biosecurity risk; how timber imports are examined - by visual assessment or by x-ray; if shipments are actively being checked for the great spruce bark beetle; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53287/23]

Invasive Species Policy

Jackie Cahill

430. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department has any plans to liaise with the relevant authorities in Northern Ireland to co-ordinate an all-island approach with regard to measures taken to prevent the importation of the great spruce bark beetle; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53288/23]