Parliamentary questions

Corporation Tax

Mairéad Farrell

39. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Finance if his attention has been drawn to the recent OECD report on corporate tax statistics published 8 July 2020 (details supplied); his plans to enact measures to stop businesses registered here that are engaging in corporate tax abuse from availing of Covid-19 financial supports; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16145/20]

Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Mairéad Farrell

80. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Finance the tax treatment of the temporary wage subsidy scheme and the pandemic unemployment payment; the means by which the liability will be calculated; the way in which the Revenue Commissioners plan to collect same; the tax treatment in instances in which liabilities due exceed unused tax credits for 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16346/20]

Corporation Tax

Mairéad Farrell

81. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Finance if his attention has been drawn to the new OECD report on corporate tax statistics published on 8 July 2020 (details supplied); his plans to enact measures to stop businesses registered here engaging in corporate tax abuse from availing of Covid-19 financial supports; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16347/20]

Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Mairéad Farrell

50. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation if measures are being put in place to ensure that companies with sufficient cash reserves are not unnecessarily availing of Covid-19 financial support thus reducing the pool of funds available for those companies that need it. [15767/20]

Rail Network

Mairéad Farrell

165. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport when he plans to publish the rail review report on the western rail corridor from Athenry, County Galway, to Claremorris, County Mayo; when a decision on the report will be made; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14704/20]

Shannon Airport Facilities

Mairéad Farrell

264. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if an aircraft (details supplied) was given approval to land and refuel at Shannon Airport on 1 July 2020; if the aircraft was approved to transport weapons, munitions or other military materials through Shannon Airport; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15961/20]

Freedom of Information

Mairéad Farrell

365. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the number of requests submitted under freedom of information legislation to her Department in each of the years 2009 to 2019; the average initial estimated cost of FOI requests in each of the years; the quantity and value of estimated costs that were in excess of the overall maximum fee in each year; the quantity of requests in each year pursued by the applicant after having been provided with an initial estimated cost; and the average fee paid by applicants that received information from her Department under FOI legislation in each year, in tabular form (details supplied). [15465/20]

Direct Provision System

Mairéad Farrell

899. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the estimated cost of dismantling direct provision; and if there is to be increased funding to her Department to this end. [16035/20]

Disability Services Provision

Mairéad Farrell

1140. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Health the status of the effectiveness of the HSE framework for the resumption of adult disability day services; if he will obtain feedback from user groups such as a group (details supplied) to hold the HSE accountable for the satisfactory outcome of its plan; and the way in which the State can better support the thousands of carers and their loved ones who are now facing stress and frustration while the adult disability day services are not fully resumed. [15352/20]

National Children's Hospital

Mairéad Farrell

1318. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Health the reason work has stopped on the national children’s hospital; if there are legal proceedings under way on the project; the estimated cost to the State of such legal proceedings; the number of days lost due to legal proceedings; and the cost to the State per day of delays to the project. [16108/20]

Water Services

Mairéad Farrell

273. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if the Local Government (Financial Provisions) Act 1997 outlined a central funding model for water services and removed the power of local authorities to make charges for supply of water for domestic purposes; the funding per year estimated by his Department to be made available for the provision of water services through this new funding model; the funding made available to date for the provision of water services as a direct result of the Act; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13854/20]

Planning Issues

Mairéad Farrell

274. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if planning applications relating to proposed developments on State-owned land that are submitted to a local authority by State bodies, such as the National Parks and Wildlife Service under the auspices of the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, are required to be published publicly in regional newspapers and viewable free of charge in public buildings such as those at local authority headquarters, county libraries and or post offices; the penalties that exist for non-compliance with such planning requirements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13855/20]

Education and Training Boards

Mairéad Farrell

370. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Education and Skills if her attention has been drawn to the ongoing statutory non-compliance across the ETB sector in respect of the issuing of annual pension statements to employees (details supplied); the steps that can be taken to ensure the matter is rectified; and if adequate additional resources will be provided to ETBs to remedy the situation and give comfort and assurance to ETB staff members that they will not be adversely affected by unforeseen errors which have been allowed to prevail by their employers not adhering to their statutory requirements. [13790/20]

National Educational Psychological Service

Mairéad Farrell

159. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated full year cost of recruiting ten additional psychologists for the National Educational Psychological Service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8378/20]

State Examinations

Mairéad Farrell

178. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Education and Skills the process that will be followed regarding the calculated grades system in the case of students whose families have provided home schooling sometimes in the form of a private tutor in the best interests of the educational development of their child; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8538/20]

Hospitals Building Programme

Mairéad Farrell

526. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Health if construction work on a new radiation oncology unit at University Hospital Galway has commenced; when the project is set to be completed; the estimated cost of the project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8379/20]

Misuse of Drugs

Mairéad Farrell

527. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Health if his Department or the HSE will launch a public awareness campaign in 2020 on the dangers of casual drug use; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8380/20]

Covid-19 Pandemic

Mairéad Farrell

561. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Health the phase in the Roadmap for Reopening Society and Business which applies to the return to work of speech and language and occupational therapists; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8547/20]

Rural Transport Services

Mairéad Farrell

868. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the estimated full year cost of a 15% budget increase for LocalLink; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8381/20]

Seaweed Harvesting

Mairéad Farrell

1163. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the funding streams available to support traditional seaweed harvesters in maintaining their boat and safety equipment; his plans to make funding available into the future for harvesters finding it increasingly difficult to ensure a sustainable, full-time livelihood out of managing and harvesting seaweed; the avenues available to individual traditional seaweed harvesters to voice concerns about the seaweed harvesting industry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8382/20]

Exchequer Deficit

Mairéad Farrell

107. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Finance the estimated deficit the State will have accrued in public finances as a direct result of the Covid-19 pandemic; his views on whether Ireland will be necessitated to access funds through the European Stability Mechanism to meet such a deficit; his further views on whether the flexibility of the European Central Bank to deviate from capital key purchase targets and acquire specific quantities of Eurozone countries’ bonds should be exploited in the coming months to fund an economic recovery and ensure the State returns to growth in 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6424/20]

State Examinations

Mairéad Farrell

374. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will address a series of matters with regard to the calculated grades system (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6826/20]

Health and Safety Authority

Mairéad Farrell

607. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the way in which the Health and Safety Authority will fulfil its role in enforcing worker safety for employments as per the return to work safely protocol; the additional resources which will be provided to ensure random inspections of workplaces in order to assess the implementation of safeguards; the number of HSA workplace inspectors employed; her plans for an increase of such inspectors to adequately address the implementation of worker safety protocols; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6423/20]

Covid-19 Pandemic

Mairéad Farrell

762. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Health the number of patients in dialysis that have tested positive for Covid-19; if there have been deaths in dialysis units of patients that had tested positive for Covid-19; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6422/20]

EU Directives

Mairéad Farrell

1021. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the details of requests made by the European Commission on compliance with the fourth railway package; the response provided to such requests; the actions he is of the view are necessary in order to fully comply with the transposition of EU Directive 2016/2370 into national law; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6425/20]

Covid-19 Pandemic

Mairéad Farrell

33. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his views on whether in the context of the threat posed by the spread of Covid-19, US soldiers transiting through Shannon Airport should be prohibited from entering the terminal building at Shannon by which they spend a significant length of time in close contact with airport employees and other civilian air passengers in the duty free and airport restaurant areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4821/20]

Harbours and Piers Development

Mairéad Farrell

1330. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the amount provided under the capital investment plan, Building on Recovery, Infrastructure and Capital Investment 2016–2021, for the pier development on Inis Oírr; the amount spent to date; the progress to date; the projected timeline for commencement of works; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4820/20]

Rail Services

Mairéad Farrell

1073. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the details of requests made by the European Commission in relation to privatisation of Irish Rail under the EU’s fourth railway package; the response provided to such requests; his plans to transpose EU Directive 2016/2370 into national law and open up the market for Irish domestic rail passenger services and the governance of rail infrastructure here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3674/20]