Parliamentary questions

School Facilities

Seán Canney

262. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Education if she will oversee the introduction of new guidelines to develop new school playground guidelines and an analysis of spaces and funds for outdoor school areas which provide an appropriate opportunity to address the different needs of children; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52050/23]

School Facilities

Seán Canney

263. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Education if she recognises that a problem exists with schools installing sensory playground equipment, given that schools are afraid of litigation and children with sensory needs are losing out as a result; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52051/23]

School Curriculum

Seán Canney

264. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Education if she will oversee the introduction of the Brain Calm Programme to the curriculum in primary schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52052/23]

Special Educational Needs

Seán Canney

267. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Education if she will provide the formula used in calculating EAL posts with schools applying for such posts, as is the case already with NEEAL posts where the formula is shared, as this would assist schools in their application; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52092/23]

Housing Schemes

Seán Canney

323. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he is aware that landlords who enter a HAP agreement are having their HAP payments suspended if the tenant fails to pay their portion to HAP (details supplied); if he will amend the system that all HAP payments will continue to be made whilst the tenant remains in the house; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52111/23]

Early Childhood Care and Education

Seán Canney

506. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he is aware that his Department is requiring early year service providers who are receiving core funding to submit accounts for their facilities in a format which is not in accordance with the Revenue Commissioners (details supplied); if he will rectify this situation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52260/23]

Hospital Appointments Status

Seán Canney

572. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Health the status of a surgery referral for a person (details supplied). [51919/23]

Health Services Staff

Seán Canney

581. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Health the reason the current HSE recruitment freeze was extended to all HSE staff except consultants, doctors in training and 2023 graduate nurses and midwives (details supplied); his plans to reverse the recruitment freeze; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51994/23]

School Accommodation

Seán Canney

214. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Education if she will instruct her Department to put a plan in place to deliver the necessary temporary accommodation for a school (details supplied) to ensure that the school can take in the cohort of over 150 students on a waiting list for next September from the catchment area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51739/23]

School Accommodation

Seán Canney

215. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Education if she will instruct her Department to put a plan in place to deliver the necessary temporary accommodation for a school (details supplied) to ensure that the school can take in the cohort of over 150 students on a waiting list for next September from the catchment area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51740/23]

School Transport

Seán Canney

216. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Education if she will provide a school bus service from east Galway city and Oranmore to a school (details supplied) where there is no secondary gaelscoil; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51742/23]

School Facilities

Seán Canney

266. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Education if her Department will fund the purchase of land to install an off-road set-down area at a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51100/23]

Agriculture Schemes

Seán Canney

397. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if a young farmer who started farming in 2023, who has a herd number and who applied for BISS in 2023 and who has leased land for five years in January 2023 can enter the new tranche of ACRES; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50731/23]

Pension Provisions

Seán Canney

105. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will consider allowing people on partial pensions the benefit of a full budget increase, as opposed to a pro-rata increase in pension income, as many people dependant on a partial contributory pension are failing to take advantage of the full benefit of budget increases, despite having to meet the full cost of rising cost of living prices; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50152/23]

School Funding

Seán Canney

187. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Education when the outcome of the EAL appeal submitted by a school (details supplied) will be available; if she is aware that this school needs clarity on matter urgently, as the EAL allocation was reduced by 50%; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49347/23]

Social Welfare Benefits

Seán Canney

286. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will consider increasing the working limit for eligibility for home carers from 18.5 hours to 21.5 hours to allow for an increase in the number of carer's available to care for vulnerable people; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49380/23]

Medical Aids and Appliances

Seán Canney

495. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Health if he will conduct an investigation into the rising costs of mobility aids, including wheelchairs, mobility aids, silicone socks and prosthetic limbs as the cost of prosthetic limbs for both upper and lower limb amputees has increased 50% since Brexit and silicone socks used by amputees now cost over €1,000, which equates to five weeks income for many people dependant on social protection payments; if he will further put plans in place to support people with physical impairments to ensure that all those who require such supports can access them in a timely manner; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49379/23]

Foreign Birth Registration

Seán Canney

127. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs for an update on an application for foreign birth registration (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48478/23]

Road Tolls

Seán Canney

204. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Transport if he will ascertain the number of staff employed by the road toll companies since Covid; if the companies can reduce tolls due to the fact that all tills are cashless; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47305/23]

Road Safety

Seán Canney

205. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Transport the reason the lay-bys are closed on the M17/M18 motorways and the M6 motorway, when drivers are encouraged to rest but there is no place to pull in; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47306/23]

Road Safety

Seán Canney

210. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Transport if he is aware that the speed limit reviews being carried out by local authorities are paused pending instructions from his Department, which is delaying the implementation of safety measures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47387/23]

Taxi Licences

Seán Canney

267. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Transport if he will amend the rules to allow a SPSV driver’s licence holder switch from a WAV licence to a standard taxi licence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48389/23]

Tax Code

Seán Canney

334. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Finance if he intends to amend the tax treatment of interest-free loans from parents to their children; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48624/23]

Consumer Rights

Seán Canney

415. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will introduce a measure to protect persons who pay up front for services and the supplier of the services closes their business prior to the service being delivered, such as orthodontic services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48590/23]

EU Directives

Seán Canney

790. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Justice if she will consider not turning the clocks back one hour this winter to facilitate persons who suffer from seasonal affective disorder; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47307/23]

Animal Culls

Seán Canney

890. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the plans in place to cull the wild deer herd, which is causing serious risk to motorists as they are coming onto public roads in darkness; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47372/23]

Patient Files

Seán Canney

1110. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Health if patient records from prior to 2001 are available from Merlin Park Hospital, Galway, and University Hospital, Galway; and if so, whether those records can be released to a patient (details supplied). [47358/23]

Education and Training Provision

Seán Canney

1407. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will provide the necessary funding to Galway Roscommon Educational Training Board for the purchase of a site in Roscommon for the provision of an apprenticeship programme centre in Roscommon; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48004/23]

Departmental Programmes

Seán Canney

1447. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development when she intends to give a start date for the new Leader Programme to the companies who will administer the scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47361/23]

Departmental Programmes

Seán Canney

1448. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if she is carrying out a review of the funding allocated to Galway under the Leader Programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47362/23]

Agriculture Schemes

Seán Canney

70. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he is aware that organic farmers are being discriminated against under ACRES due to the scoring system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46300/23]

Agriculture Schemes

Seán Canney

73. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he plans to review the proportionality of financial penalties being imposed on farmers for administrative errors; if he believes that his Department is taking account of proportionality in deciding penalties; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46303/23]

Hen Harriers

Seán Canney

87. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will consider giving priority to ACRES applications where hen harrier designations exist, given these farmers currently have a designation but no compensation is available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46299/23]

Fodder Crisis

Seán Canney

102. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will introduce a fodder support scheme for farmers in the Shannon Callows who lost their fodder due to the flooding of the Callows in summer 2023 and who are now without fodder for the winter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46302/23]

Agriculture Schemes

Seán Canney

109. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine for further details on the increased budget being made available for the ewe premium scheme; the amount per ewe; when will it be paid; if the criteria or terms and conditions will change; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46301/23]

Housing Schemes

Seán Canney

191. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Finance if he will consider allowing one member of a couple to get their share of the help to buy scheme if their partner previously benefited in their own right; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46231/23]

Primary Medical Certificates

Seán Canney

198. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Finance when he expects to have the long awaited revised qualifying criteria for the primary medical certificate which will be fit for purpose; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46406/23]

Public Procurement Contracts

Seán Canney

208. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform if he is aware that the new e Tender platform is not functioning and does not have the ability to accept submissions; if he will investigate this serious situation for contractors; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46123/23]

Health Services Staff

Seán Canney

532. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Health what efforts are being made to ensure that people working as healthcare assistants who have overseas nursing qualifications can register as nurses in Ireland in a streamlined process to address the current shortage of nurses in Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46221/23]

Pension Provisions

Seán Canney

538. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Health what benefit accrued to a person (details supplied) having paid into two pensions since 2017, as they retired on a full pension in 2017, and has since returned to work on a part-time basis; if no benefit is accruing to them or can accrue to them, if the pension contributions can be returned; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46246/23]

Insurance Coverage

Seán Canney

162. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Finance if he is aware that small construction consultants are experiencing difficulties in obtaining professional indemnity cover, with the limit of indemnity being reduced from €6.5 million to €2 million in some cases, and a rise in premium of a multiple of four times; this is putting consultants in serious danger of not being able to carry out public works; if he will investigate the matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44998/23]

Public Sector Pensions

Seán Canney

176. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform if he will investigate the public service pension entitlement of a person (details supplied), a retired OPW employee; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44932/23]

Disability Services

Seán Canney

461. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will investigate the lack of facilities for children with disabilities in second level education in Galway, where families have no alternative but to put their children into mainstream education; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44859/23]

Medicinal Products

Seán Canney

545. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Health if he will provide funding for new treatments and new drugs in order to give every patient the best possible outcome for their treatment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44901/23]

Health Services

Seán Canney

549. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Health if he will provide funding to patients who have to travel to hospital for treatments who have no access to public transport and are not capable of driving; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44939/23]

Teacher Training

Seán Canney

180. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Education if student teachers who have completed 240 ECTS in home economics and Irish secondary school teaching at a college (details supplied) and achieved a level 8 degree, are now qualified to teach; if this can be confirmed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43531/23]

School Accommodation

Seán Canney

181. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Education for an update in relation to the provision of school accommodation for a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43541/23]

School Accommodation

Seán Canney

182. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Education for an update in relation to the provision of school accommodation for a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43542/23]

School Accommodation

Seán Canney

183. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Education for an update in relation to the provision of school accommodation for a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43543/23]

Educational Disadvantage

Seán Canney

188. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Education if she will meet with a person (details supplied) to discuss the allocation model used to distribute HSCL to secondary schools in the DEIS scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43587/23]