Parliamentary questions

Fishing Industry

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

270. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the annual budget for the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority in 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023; the projected budget for 2024; how much of this budget annually is funded through the European Maritime Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund; how much is funded directly from the Exchequer; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5844/24]

Fire Safety

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

248. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to clarify the body that has responsibility to ensure that all fire hydrants are working and fit for purpose, whether Uisce Éireann or the local fire services; if he is satisfied that the responsible body is ensuring that they meet their responsibilities to keep all fire hydrants working and operational across the State; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4998/24]

Air Services

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

180. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Transport if he has concluded his consideration of Derry City Airport’s economic assessment and supporting materials for a Dublin to Derry air route submitted to his Department in December 2022; and the progress he has made in delivering on the air connectivity review commitment under the New Decade, New Approach agreement since taking up office in 2020. [4744/24]

Road Network

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

197. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Transport to outline when and if the Government will sign off on the business plan for the TEN-T project in Donegal as submitted by the Donegal National Roads Office. [4066/24]

Schools Building Projects

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

265. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Education the current status of the planned improvement works and extension to a school (details supplied) [2349/24]

Schools Building Projects

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

316. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Education further to Parliamentary Question No. 590 of 17 January 2024, if she will urgently review the decision by her Department not to include a school (details supplied) in the school capital buildings programme. [3098/24]

Departmental Meetings

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

481. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will convene a meeting of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Bord Bia, BIM, the fishing producer organisations and co-ops (details supplied) at the earliest opportunity to plot a course for the urgent rejuvenation of the seafood industry in Ireland following the stark findings of the recent Bord Bia report “2023-2024 future focused” that the value of Irish seafood exports declined by 14% over the past year and how this compares with another European country and coastal states such as Norway with a similar population to the Republic of Ireland. [2751/24]

Disability Services

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

502. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth when Ireland will ratify the Optional Protocol to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. [2380/24]

Defective Building Materials

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

219. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will ensure that the Housing Agency is adequately resourced to service the enhanced defective concrete blocks grant scheme and to ensure that the backlog of applications is worked through as swiftly as possible. [2263/24]

Schools Building Projects

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

590. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Education when she can confirm that provision for a new school campus (details supplied) on a new greenfield site will be included in the school capital buildings programme, with a clear timeline for delivery. [1038/24]

Defective Building Materials

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

744. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will amend the enhanced defective concrete block grant scheme to allow for the testing of concrete foundations, following the findings of scientific studies undertaken on behalf of the National Standards Authority of Ireland. [56556/23]

Defective Building Materials

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

805. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he is aware that Donegal County Council recently tendered for the repair of a tranche of social houses damaged by defective concrete blocks and insisted on full adherence to the current building regulations, or any subsequent revision of the regulations, while grants issued to private homeowners accessing the enhanced defective blocks scheme are calculated based on 2007 regulations; and if he believes it is appropriate to ask those private homeowners to build homes to 17 year old building standards; the reason social and private houses damaged by defective concrete blocks in County Donegal are being repaired and rebuilt under different building regulations. [1175/24]

Defective Building Materials

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

817. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when his Department will provide clarification to local authorities on how to proceed with applications under the enhanced defective concrete block grant scheme from homeowners who requested a change of circumstance, considering the ongoing review of IS 465 by the NSAI and the uncertainty and lack of confidence with IS 465. [1349/24]

Fishing Industry

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

1278. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of reported/recorded lost fishing pots; the number of recovered fishing pots that had been reported/recorded lost on the Irish coast and in Ireland's waters overall for 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1723/24]

Period Poverty

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

1501. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on the work of the inter-departmental Period Poverty Implementation Group established two and a half years ago and chaired by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56560/23]

Period Poverty

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

1502. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Health the reason for the delay in progressing his commitments following Government support of the Free Provision of Period Products Bill 2021 and implementation of the recommendations of the Discussion Paper on Period Poverty jointly published by him and the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth three years ago; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56561/23]

Period Poverty

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

1503. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Health the dates on which the inter-departmental Period Poverty Implementation Group has met since its inaugural meeting on 8 July 2021 to date, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56562/23]

Period Poverty

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

1504. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Health the annual budgetary amount allocated to the work of the inter-departmental Period Poverty Implementation Group from 2021 to date, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56563/23]

Hospital Procedures

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

1570. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) in County Donegal will receive a diagnoses from a colonoscopy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56968/23]

Pharmacy Services

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

1590. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Health the reason for the delay for pharmacies in County Donegal not receiving ipramol at the same time as other pharmacies in the South of Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57082/23]

Hospital Transfers

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

1793. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Health if an urgent transfer can be arranged for a person (details supplied) in County Mayo to the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Dún Laoghaire; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1864/24]

Period Poverty

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

1817. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the annual budgetary amount allocated to the provision of a range of free, adequate, safe and suitable period products in all educational publicly-funded settings including schools, colleges and HEIs from 2021 to date, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56558/23]

Period Poverty

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

1818. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the breakdown of the €0.5 million allocated to each further and higher education institution in Budget 2024 for free period products, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56559/23]

Period Poverty

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

1819. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the nine further education and training colleges that undertook the ‘Worryfree’ pilot delivering free, sustainable period products and dispensers for students in participating ETBs, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56595/23]

Fishing Industry

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

5. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the projected financial loss to the vessels of the Irish fishing fleet arising from the actions of the UK and Scottish Governments in blocking them from fishing in their traditional fishing grounds around Rockall for the past number of years; and to provide an update on the status of negotiations with the UK and Scottish Governments, aimed at finding a resolution. [55295/23]

Inshore Fisheries

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

15. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the immediate financial support measures he can put in place for the Irish inshore fishing sector to address the deepening crisis in the industry that is threatening the livelihoods of inshore fishermen; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55722/23]

Public Parks

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

237. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform the reason the monument at An Grianán of Aileach, County Donegal has been closed to visitors for the past three weeks. [55926/23]

Hospital Transfers

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

505. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) in County Donegal can expect to be transferred from Letterkenny University Hospital to Galway University Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56127/23]

Hospital Appointments Status

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

510. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) in County Galway can expect to receive an appointment from Cappagh Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56205/23]

Driver Test

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

223. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Transport if an Irish citizen who passed a driving test in Ireland, held an Irish driver's licence, subsequently moved to the USA and held a licence there, before returning to Ireland, can renew the Irish licence without having to re-sit the test. [55102/23]

Social Welfare Payments

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

509. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Social Protection if a person is in receipt of carer's allowance and works part-time and is paid monthly, how her Department determines a person's weekly hours; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55309/23]

Agriculture Supports

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

597. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason for the delay in the BISS payment being made to a person in County Donegal (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54452/23]

Disability Services

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

710. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if urgent respite can be provided for a person (details supplied) in Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55265/23]

Defective Building Materials

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

34. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will publish written confirmation from the Banking and Payments Federation that homes remediated or rebuilt under the enhanced defective concrete block grant scheme will be mortgageable or remortgageable once completed. [54172/23]

Defective Building Materials

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

60. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to outline why defective concrete block homeowners in counties Donegal, Mayo, Clare and Limerick have been offered support through another limited grant scheme rather than an actual redress scheme similar to the pyrite remediation scheme. [54171/23]

School Transport

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

192. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Education if her Department will increase the rate of pay for school transport escorts to a level commensurate with special needs assistants; and the reason school transport escorts continue to have to sign on for unemployment benefits when schools are on holidays. [54246/23]

Fishing Industry

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

436. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will publish, in tabular form, the number of registered inshore and offshore fishing vessels in the ranges under 10, 10 to 12, 12 to 15 and over 15 metres licensed to catch fish for commercial reasons in Ireland for the past ten years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53417/23]

Fishing Industry

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

437. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the nature of the business relationship between Fexco and Bord Iascaigh Mhara in administering funding schemes for the fisheries sector; if there are direct employees of BIM available to answer queries the applicants may have on these schemes and particularly the application and drawdown of funding process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53418/23]

Fishing Industry

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

438. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he and his Department officials have considered introducing a market disruption fund for shellfish fishermen from EMFAF funding streams due to significant market disturbance in the last while; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53419/23]

Fisheries Protection

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

439. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will publish the basis and rationale for any proposed cut to the total allowable catch for pollock; if there are any scientific studies behind that proposal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53420/23]

Departmental Data

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

521. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Health to provide the following information in modular form the percentage of inpatients (excluding day cases) who were discharged after one day in hospital, for each Model 3 and Model 4 hospital, in each of the calendar years 2020, 2021 and 2022. [53281/23]

Departmental Data

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

522. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Health to provide, in modular form, the average length of inpatient stay (for all inpatients) for each Model 3 and Model 4 hospital, in each of the calendar years 2020, 2021 and 2022. [53282/23]

Medicinal Products

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

585. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Health if the drug phesgo can be administered by general practitioners; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53579/23]

School Transport

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

359. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Education the number of school transport escorts that are employed by schools across the State in each of the years 2016 to 2023, in tabular form. [53106/23]

School Transport

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

360. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Education the total amount of grants provided to schools for the employment of school transport escorts in each of the years 2016 to 2023, in tabular form.; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53107/23]

Defective Building Materials

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

87. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage further to Parliamentary Question No. 146 of 4 October 2023 and his assertion of an understanding that “once a home has been certified as being remediated under the scheme that it will be viewed by banks in the same way as other properties and therefore homes will not be required to be remediated to current building regulations”, if he has officially established from an organisation (details supplied) and other representative bodies for the banks and financial institutions in Ireland that homes remediated or rebuilt under the enhanced defective concrete block grant scheme will be mortgageable or re-mortgageable. [52666/23]

Passport Services

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

107. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will assist a person (details supplied) with getting a passport approved for educational purposes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52511/23]

Heritage Sites

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

228. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform if the OPW will consider referencing the connection of Red Hugh (Hugh Roe/ Aodh Ruadh) O’ Donnell to Dublin Castle in guided tours and information points at the castle; and if the OPW will consider erecting a plaque at Dublin Castle to commemorate this great leader in Irish history, similar to the plaque erected by Valladolid City Council in Spain in his memory. [52512/23]

School Staff

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

284. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Education if she is aware that retired teachers with a class A stamp lose the benefit of their supplementary pension if they step in to assist a local school as a substitute teacher; and if she will have this policy changed, considering that so many schools are impacted by the recruitment and retention crisis. [52381/23]

Fishing Industry

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

259. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will publish the Brexit pelagic fisheries support scheme application submitted by Ireland to the European Commission; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51642/23]