Parliamentary questions

Special Educational Needs

Colm Burke

403. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Education if a school (details supplied) will be considered for additional special educational needs accommodation in view of the fact that there is large demand for such places in the area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54057/21]

School Accommodation

Colm Burke

407. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Education if her Department has undertaken a review of all temporary accommodation agreements for schools that have been in operation for more than five years to identify and prioritise areas to commence construction of school premises to ensure value-for-money is achieved in the long-term as per recommendations set out in the Oireachtas Committee of Public Accounts examination of the 2018 and 2019 Appropriation Accounts for Vote 26 – Education and Skills published February 2021; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54153/21]

School Accommodation

Colm Burke

408. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Education if her Department has undertaken a review of all temporary accommodation agreements for schools that have been in operation for more than five years to identify and prioritise areas to commence construction of school premises; if the review process will be completed by year end 2021; if a copy of the findings will be made available to the Oireachtas Committee of Public Accounts as per recommendations set out in the Oireachtas Committee of Public Accounts examination of the 2018 and 2019 Appropriation Accounts for Vote 26 – Education and Skills published February 2021; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54154/21]

School Accommodation

Colm Burke

409. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Education if her Department will consider conducting a re-evaluation of all current school extension proposals to ensure that consideration is given to projected intake at schools over the next decade as per recommendations set out in the Oireachtas Committee of Public Accounts examination of the 2018 and 2019 Appropriation Accounts for Vote 26 – Education and Skills published February 2021; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54155/21]

Immigration Policy

Colm Burke

513. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Justice the status of proposals to regularise undocumented migrants; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53995/21]

Immigration Policy

Colm Burke

514. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Justice the breakdown of undocumented migrants living in each county; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53996/21]

Immigration Policy

Colm Burke

515. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Justice the way statistics regarding the number of undocumented migrants are ascertained; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53997/21]

Immigration Policy

Colm Burke

516. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Justice the supports in place to assist undocumented migrants; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53998/21]

Disability Services

Colm Burke

580. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health when there will be full return of adult disability day services in the Cork north Lee area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54127/21]

Disability Services

Colm Burke

581. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health the number of healthcare services, including adult disability day services and respite services, that have resumed at full service level in the south and south west HSE area to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54128/21]

Departmental Schemes

Colm Burke

29. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the role that his Department is playing in the development of a low-cost loan scheme to support households to undertake retrofitting programmes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53552/21]

Departmental Schemes

Colm Burke

38. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the engagement his Department has had with other Departments on possible supports for householders in private accommodation for retrofitting to complement the social homes retrofit programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46329/21]

Bus Services

Colm Burke

154. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Transport the way in which it is planned to improve the efficiency and regularity of the current Bus Éireann bus service in and around Cork city; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53554/21]

Public Transport

Colm Burke

163. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Transport the progress to date of programmes to retrofit vehicles in order that public transport infrastructure is more accessible to persons with disabilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53553/21]

Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Colm Burke

218. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Transport the measures he will put in place to ensure that Cork Airport is supported during its current closure and following its reopening in November 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47849/21]

Home Schooling

Colm Burke

293. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Education the reason home tuition applications are only accessible from mid-summer each year when educational welfare officers, CAMHS and schools management are on holidays given that this greatly hinders submission of comprehensive applications in time for the beginning of the school year; if this can be brought back earlier in the year to spring; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53784/21]

Home Schooling

Colm Burke

294. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Education the actions her Department will take to reduce and ultimately eliminate the backlog in processing applications for home tuition which results in students missing part of the school year and tutors being unable to work; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53785/21]

Home Schooling

Colm Burke

295. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Education if her Department will designate home tutors as employees of her Department given that there is a long-term educational relationship between tutors and their students in a large number of cases; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53786/21]

Home Schooling

Colm Burke

296. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Education if her Department will institute a process to replace time lost through delays in processing home tuition applications; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53787/21]

Home Schooling

Colm Burke

297. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Education the reason home tuition has not yet been sanctioned for a pupil (details supplied); when it is likely to be sanctioned given that this tutorage is essential for the pupil; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53788/21]

Covid-19 Pandemic

Colm Burke

356. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health if a business (details supplied) is regarded as a casino for the purposes of Covid-19 restrictions which were not permitted to open during Covid-19; the exact date that casinos were entitled to reopen under public health guidelines; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53789/21]

Medical Cards

Colm Burke

155. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost of introducing an automatic entitlement to a medical card for all persons over 70 years of age; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53489/21]

Medical Cards

Colm Burke

156. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost of reducing the weekly gross income limit for the over 70s medical card for single persons and couples by €50, €100, €150 and €200, respectively; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53490/21]

Broadband Infrastructure

Colm Burke

150. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the details of the negotiations taking place between National Broadband Ireland and other broadband infrastructure providers in respect of providing additional fibre broadband infrastructure to premises that do not have a fibre broadband connection in place and are located on the boundary between areas covered under the national broadband plan and areas that already have broadband infrastructure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52696/21]

Banking Sector

Colm Burke

283. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Finance his views on whether the Central Bank tracker investigation is an important tool in rebuilding trust in banking institutions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53008/21]

Banking Sector

Colm Burke

284. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Finance when the results of the Central Bank tracker investigations which are completed will be published in respect of banks (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53009/21]

Banking Sector

Colm Burke

285. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Finance if Central Bank enforcement notices will continue to be produced and published in respect of investigations completed on domestic banking firms, particularly banks (details supplied); the proposed schedule for these publications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53010/21]

Passport Services

Colm Burke

409. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the total number of passports that have been issued from 1 April 2021 to 15 October 2021, by the number of passports issued online, the number of passports issued in cases in which the applications were by post and the number of passports issued for the first-time to the applicants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52038/21]

School Staff

Colm Burke

502. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Education if a school (details supplied) will be allowed to retain teacher number 15 for the 2021-2022 school year in a temporary capacity until the end of the school year in view of the fact that the school had 365 pupils enrolled as of 30 September 2021; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52377/21]

Health Services Staff

Colm Burke

894. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health if immediate action will be taken for the recruitment of an additional 100 neurology nurse specialists in order that Ireland can comply with international guidelines (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52343/21]

Health Services Staff

Colm Burke

895. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health if immediate action will be taken to recruit an additional 16 neurology nurse specialists in Cork University Hospital (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52344/21]

Disability Services

Colm Burke

903. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health the action that is being taken in order to provide respite care to persons with a disability in County Cork, in particular a person (details supplied); if there are plans to open up respite care services which were previously available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52379/21]

Nursing Homes

Colm Burke

1063. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health the funding that is being specifically allocated to support individual nursing homes in implementing the Covid-19 Nursing Homes Expert Panel recommendations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53115/21]

Nursing Homes

Colm Burke

1064. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health if the fair deal budget for 2022 will be cognisant of the escalating cost environment nursing homes are operating in and recognise cost increases within it; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53116/21]

Nursing Homes

Colm Burke

1065. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health the advice that was received from National Immunisation Advisory Committee regarding plans to provide staff in nursing homes with a booster vaccination; if he considers this group that are in contact with high-risk patients should receive such; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53117/21]

Nursing Homes

Colm Burke

1066. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health the status of the antigen testing initiative that was rolled out for select nursing homes; if he will share their views on the roll out of testing in nursing homes across the country, with the view of adding to the suite of measures to protect nursing home residents and staff; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53118/21]

Nursing Homes

Colm Burke

1067. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health the plans at community level and the dedicated funding for the winter period that will be provided to support and protect nursing homes and their residents; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53119/21]

Visa Applications

Colm Burke

82. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Justice the progress to date on the processing of visas, including family reunification applications, for Afghan nationals arising from the fall of the democratically elected Government in Afghanistan; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51544/21]

Departmental Strategies

Colm Burke

151. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Justice the way it is envisaged the extra €6.7 million for the youth justice strategy will be invested; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51545/21]

Departmental Schemes

Colm Burke

221. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Education if he will confirm that the lost home tuition hours for a pupil who was sanctioned home tuition six weeks late (details supplied) can be reclaimed during the school year, with the said lost hours being utilised either over school holidays, out of school hours or at weekends; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51844/21]

Apprenticeship Programmes

Colm Burke

260. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number of businesses in Ireland that availed of the apprenticeship incentivisation scheme in 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51853/21]

Departmental Strategies

Colm Burke

261. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the progress that is being made to reduce the proportion of adults in Ireland without basic digital skills from 47% to 20% as is set out in the Adult Literacy, Numeracy and Digital Literacy 10-Year Strategy for Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51854/21]

Third Level Education

Colm Burke

262. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the way in which the funding for capital works and equipment at UCC and the Munster Technological University will be disbursed; if the funding will be put to use in the current academic year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51855/21]

Medicinal Products

Colm Burke

319. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health if he will provide a list of all orphan medicines reimbursed by the State from 2019 to date; the date of the drugs group decision and the date of reimbursement in each case in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51818/21]

Disease Management

Colm Burke

320. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health when his Department plans to publish a successor strategy for rare diseases following the expiration of the National Rare Disease Plan for Ireland in 2018; the work that is ongoing in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51819/21]

Medicinal Products

Colm Burke

321. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health when his Department will publish the review conducted by a company (details supplied) into the governance structures in relation to the HSE drug reimbursement process that was submitted to his Department in January 2020; the actions that have been taken by him and his Department with regard to the recommendations made by the report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51820/21]

Tax Code

Colm Burke

84. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Finance if his Department will ensure e-cigarettes and other so-called risk products are taxed at the same rate as traditional cigarettes in the forthcoming review of the EU Tobacco Excise Directive to make them less attractive to young smokers following publication of data from the Food and Drug Administration in the United States of America showing disposable e-cigarettes use among high school students increased from 2.6% in 2019 to 26.5% in 2020, a 1,000% increase; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51409/21]

Departmental Data

Colm Burke

200. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Justice the number of visa applications, citizenship applications and domestic residence permission applications that have been processed to date in 2021, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51546/21]

Departmental Data

Colm Burke

201. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Justice the number of citizenship applications and visa applications that were submitted in 2020; the number processed to date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51547/21]

Hospital Facilities

Colm Burke

137. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health the progress which has been made to date in identifying a site for the new elective hospital in Cork under the Sláintecare Implementation Strategy and Action Plan 2021-2023; if consideration will be given to the site at St. Stephen’s Hospital, Sarsfield Court, Glanmire; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45571/21]