Parliamentary questions

Prison Visiting Committees

Patrick Costello

481. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Justice the progress made on the programme for Government commitment to review the existing functions, powers, appointment procedures and reporting processes for prison visiting committees. [23158/21]

Programme for Government

Patrick Costello

482. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Justice the progress made on the programme for Government commitment to establish a penal policy consultative council to advise on penal policy. [23159/21]

Legislative Measures

Patrick Costello

611. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Health if he will amend the Misuse of Drugs Act 1977 to allow for 0.3% THC specifically for the cultivation of industrial hemp in Ireland in line with other states such as the United States of America and Canada; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23076/21]

Programme for Government

Patrick Costello

693. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the work that has been completed by his Department to fulfil the Programme for Government commitment to fully explore the potential for growing fibre crops such as hemp considering whether these crops have a viable market; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23075/21]

Arts Funding

Patrick Costello

61. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the status and progress of the ten recommendations in the Life Worth Living report by the arts and culture task force, including recommendation No. 1 to establish a basic income pilot scheme for arts and culture. [21486/21]

Covid-19 Pandemic

Patrick Costello

105. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the status of the €50 million provided for the arts and culture live entertainment sector in Budget 2021 to survive and recover from the Covid-19 pandemic. [21487/21]

Tax Data

Patrick Costello

267. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Finance the estimated revenue that would be raised if the carbon tax was doubled and the 2030 levy target was doubled to €200 per tonne. [21370/21]

Road Traffic Accidents

Patrick Costello

802. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Justice the number of reported collisions and traffic incidents occurring at or 100 metres before or after Knockmaroon Hill, Chapelizod, Dublin 20 in each of the years 2015 to 2020 and to date in 2021, in tabular form. [21395/21]

Naturalisation Applications

Patrick Costello

815. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Justice the status of a naturalisation application by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21623/21]

Covid-19 Pandemic

Patrick Costello

998. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Health if a commitment will be made to allow for a process for persons to apply for an exemption from the mandatory hotel quarantine as provided under the relevant health Act for compassionate reasons before they make their journey abroad and return here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21711/21]

Special Educational Needs

Patrick Costello

81. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Education the schools which have been compelled to open ASD classes in Dublin 12; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20920/21]

Schools Building Projects

Patrick Costello

82. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Education the status of a school (details supplied) that is in tender for ASD classes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20921/21]

Special Educational Needs

Patrick Costello

83. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Education the status of plans to further compel schools to open ASD classes in Dublin 12; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20922/21]

State Examinations

Patrick Costello

93. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Education the protocols which are currently in place for a student with epilepsy should they have a seizure during a State examination; the process which a student must follow should they not be able to complete the exam owing to their condition; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21011/21]

Free Travel Scheme

Patrick Costello

103. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will consider establishing the free travel scheme as a standalone benefit as recommended by the Oireachtas Committee on Transport in 2018 (details supplied); the investigations which have been carried out on this matter to date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21010/21]

Israeli Settlements

Patrick Costello

880. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the actions he has taken to oppose any annexation or plans to apply Israeli sovereignty over territory which is part of Occupied Palestine in view of the commitments in the Programme for Government that Ireland’s interests are best served by active and engaged membership of the European Union and to give leadership within the EU. [20435/21]

Israeli Settlements

Patrick Costello

881. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he has raised the matter of illegal settlements in occupied Palestine officially with his EU partners in view of the present situation of continual efforts by Israel to create illegal settlements in Occupied Palestine which the Israeli Prime Minister has clearly indicated his intention that they will be permanent. [20436/21]

Israeli Settlements

Patrick Costello

882. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the immediate steps he plans to take at the UN Security Council to oppose the illegal Israeli settlements in Occupied Palestine; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20437/21]

Israeli Settlements

Patrick Costello

889. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the steps he will take to help ensure a meaningful election observation to ensure free and fair elections take place in the upcoming Palestinian legislative council election in view of the statement by EU Representative Sven Kühn von Burgsdorff (details supplied). [20544/21]

Israeli Settlements

Patrick Costello

890. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the steps that he has taken to prevent the targeting of EU-funded aid structures by Israel and subsequently condemn those given UN reports (details supplied) that in the first two months of 2021 the targeting of EU-funded aid structures by Israel tripled compared with the monthly average in 2020; the penalties Ireland and the EU will implement in response; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20545/21]

Autism Support Services

Patrick Costello

1057. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Education the provisions that have been made for the provision of ASD secondary school education for children in County Cork given the oversubscription of a school (details supplied) and the lack of alternative options; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20061/21]

Gaelscoil Issues

Patrick Costello

1085. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Education if any of the post-primary schools to open in 2021 will be an Irish-medium school; and if not, her contingency plans to provide for the wishes of those parents who have stated a preference for Irish-medium education. [20651/21]

Garda Data

Patrick Costello

1419. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Justice the number of calls that were received by the Garda Traffic Watch Service in 2020; the number of those calls that are allocated a number in the Garda PULSE system; the number of investigations under the road traffic acts that resulted from those calls; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19112/21]

Garda Procedures

Patrick Costello

1420. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Justice if it is official policy that Garda traffic watch do not inform persons calling the service of PULSE numbers for their complaints; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19113/21]

Health Services

Patrick Costello

1507. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Health when computerised medical examinations for membership of medical governing bodies will resume given that frontline workers are vaccinated against the effects of Covid-19; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18100/21]

Data Collection

Patrick Costello

1553. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Health if he will confirm that no dossiers are held on families impacted by epilim - sodium valproate historically or otherwise. [18246/21]

State Claims Agency

Patrick Costello

1554. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Health if the State Claims Agency attended any of the sodium valproate project group meetings; and, if so, the reason the agency would be in attendance of the meetings. [18247/21]

Vaccination Programme

Patrick Costello

1607. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Health the details of the NIAC guidelines (details supplied) which advise the allocation of MRA vaccines to the immunocompromised; and if it will be ensured that this is made clear during daily Covid-19 briefings which to date have indicated that there is no preferential vaccine for the immunocompromised. [18423/21]

Covid-19 Pandemic

Patrick Costello

1977. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Health if he will provide clarity on medical or humanitarian grounds for exemption from quarantine (details supplied); the decision making process behind making judgements on such cases; if travellers can apply for same pre-travel; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19476/21]

Beekeeping Industry

Patrick Costello

2446. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the actions his Department made in relation to reports of the importation of bees here from Italy (details supplied) to ensure that such importation does not result in the parallel importation of the small hive beetle which is prevalent in Italy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18338/21]

Beekeeping Industry

Patrick Costello

2447. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the action that has been taken by his Department to ensure that imported European strains will not interbreed with native bees affecting the unique biodiversity of Irish bees as was witnessed previously with the varroa mite given that Ireland has the purest remaining population of black bees in Europe; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18339/21]

IDA Ireland

Patrick Costello

5. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the guidelines his Department has given to the IDA to ensure its new office in Israel, in the conduct of its business, adheres to EU law and the exclusion of illegal settlements which are not recognised as part of the territory of Israel by EU law and therefore not part of the free trade agreement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17817/21]

Vaccination Programme

Patrick Costello

333. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Health the steps being taken to ensure vaccinations carried out by private hospitals are in keeping with HSE protocols. [17802/21]

Tax Code

Patrick Costello

312. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Finance his plans for the extension of the current 0% benefit-in-kind rate for electric vehicles when the current scheme expires in 2023. [16372/21]

Office of Public Works

Patrick Costello

408. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the estimated completion date of the construction works on the Lady Justice arch in Dublin Castle; the percentage of work that has been completed to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16511/21]

Northern Ireland

Patrick Costello

518. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the projected cost to the State of the implementation of the independent commission on information retrieval as committed to by the Government under the Stormont House Agreement. [16583/21]

Foreign Conflicts

Patrick Costello

537. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the actions taken by Ireland on the UN Security Council to progress the holding of an independence referendum in Western Sahara. [17591/21]

Foreign Conflicts

Patrick Costello

538. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the status of the appointment of an UN special envoy to Western Sahara. [17592/21]

Covid-19 Pandemic

Patrick Costello

539. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the assessments made by the EU on the impact of the ongoing delay on the Suez Canal on the supply of Covid-19 vaccines to the EU. [17594/21]

Vaccination Programme

Patrick Costello

1232. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Health the estimated impact of the ongoing delay on the Suez Canal on the supply of Covid-19 vaccines to Ireland. [17593/21]

Assisted Decision-Making

Patrick Costello

1097. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth when the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015 will commence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15532/21]

Vaccination Programme

Patrick Costello

1494. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Health when cystic fibrosis patients will receive the Covid-19 vaccines; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14409/21]

Covid-19 Pandemic

Patrick Costello

1660. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Health the admission policy under various levels in the COVID-19 Resilience and Recovery 2021 - The Path Ahead of patients and parents to bespoke outdoor gardens and areas in hospitals with specific reference to Children’s Health Ireland, Crumlin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15002/21]

Vaccination Programme

Patrick Costello

1709. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Health the specific provisions that have been made for the vaccination of housebound persons; when such vaccinations will take place in line with the wider vaccination groupings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15188/21]

Covid-19 Pandemic

Patrick Costello

321. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will consider an extension of opening hours for the Iveagh Gardens in summer 2021 in view of the continued restrictions impacting the availability of activities for citizens elsewhere. [12825/21]

Covid-19 Pandemic

Patrick Costello

351. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the reason for moving indoor visitor attractions to level 2 in COVID-19 Resilience and Recovery 2021 - The Path Ahead which is an increase from level 3 under which they previously operated; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13147/21]

Hospital Staff

Patrick Costello

933. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Health the status of nursing and consultant posts approved by the HSE in 2018 for the operation of the Women’s Health in Epilepsy programme and the implementation of the mandatory pregnancy prevention programme for women who are prescribed sodium valproate; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13311/21]

Medicinal Products

Patrick Costello

934. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Health if the number of women of childbearing potential in Ireland currently taking the drug sodium valproate is known; if there has been a reduction in the number since the restrictions placed on the licensing of the drug in 2018; the number of patients that are engaged with the prevent pregnancy prevention programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13312/21]

Electric Vehicles

Patrick Costello

128. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Transport if persons can avail of cable protectors in order to charge electric vehicles parked on-street from their homes in cases in which the cable runs over a small section of public pavement. [11324/21]

Civil Service

Patrick Costello

250. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will report on the commitment in action 45 of the National Migrant Integration Strategy to aim to have 1% of the Civil Service workforce from ethnic minorities; the arrangements his Department has put in place to identify the number of civil servants from ethnic minorities; the measures put in place to meet this target; the current proportion; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11992/21]