Parliamentary questions

Disadvantaged Status

Colm Burke

144. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Education if additional supports will be made available to DEIS schools to assist them in the coming academic year following a prior year in which a significant amount of learning was done either remotely or through home-schooling; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45573/21]

School Transport

Colm Burke

185. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Education if the school bus route for a school (details supplied) will be reviewed in order that it may include Ballyknockane Road; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45572/21]

Health Services

Colm Burke

183. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health when the Sláintecare project on the development of a national diabetes register will recommence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45323/21]

Health Services

Colm Burke

184. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health his views on the need for a national diabetes register; the reason there is no current register; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45324/21]

Trade Agreements

Colm Burke

193. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Finance the steps being taken to resolve the issues being experienced by importers of used cars from the UK in respect of proving the preferential origin of cars manufactured in the UK prior to 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44950/21]

National Broadband Plan

Colm Burke

10. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the reason an area (details supplied) is one of the few areas in the country not to have been prioritised to date in the implementation of the national broadband plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44059/21]

National Broadband Plan

Colm Burke

44. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if the implementation of the National Broadband Plan is on schedule for 2021; if not, the measures which can be taken in order to expedite it; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44060/21]

Energy Conservation

Colm Burke

148. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the status of the design of the new energy efficiency obligation scheme which will operate from 2022 to 2030; the envisaged targets for the scheme (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44313/21]

Legislative Measures

Colm Burke

180. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Transport the status of the introduction of legislation for the use of e-scooters and other such vehicles; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44311/21]

Regional Airports

Colm Burke

181. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Transport the supports that will be provided to regional airports to build back routes and services following the Covid-19 pandemic; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44312/21]

Tobacco Control Measures

Colm Burke

292. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health the steps his Department has taken to ensure that Ireland benefits from the inaugural Leadership Summit on Tobacco Control as it provides a clear opportunity for Ireland to re-establish its tobacco control credentials on the international stage; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44314/21]

Tobacco Control Measures

Colm Burke

293. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health the steps his Department will take to work with health ministries in other EU states to ensure that the conference outcomes will be progressed at a European level ahead of EU tobacco tax directive, the EU tobacco products directive, the EU cancer beating plan and the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control conference of parties scheduled for November 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44315/21]

Sports Funding

Colm Burke

299. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the position in respect of the release of monies under the 2018 sports capital programme and in particular the monies due to a club (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43587/21]

School Staff

Colm Burke

587. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Education the progress that has been made towards the regularisation of pay, pension and terms of employment for school secretaries and caretakers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42633/21]

Disease Management

Colm Burke

963. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health his plans to implement the National Hepatitis C Treatment Programmes into the Irish Prison Service as is set out in the HSE National Service Plan for 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41435/21]

Hepatitis C Incidence

Colm Burke

964. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health if Ireland is still on target to reach the World Health Organisation goal of eliminating hepatitis C by 2030; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41436/21]

Wastewater Treatment

Colm Burke

1593. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he plans to introduce a grant scheme for farmers who will be required to put in place waste water tanks separate from effluent holding tanks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42850/21]

School Admissions

Colm Burke

1078. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Education the action that can be taken to accommodate the transfer of a fifth-year student (details supplied) to the leaving certificate applied programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41310/21]

Hepatitis C Incidence

Colm Burke

1452. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health if he plans to implement national hepatitis C treatment programmes into the Irish Prison Service as is set out in the HSE National Service Plan for 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33396/21]

Hepatitis C Incidence

Colm Burke

1453. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health if Ireland is still on target to reach the World Health Organisation goal of eliminating hepatitis C by 2030; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33397/21]

Covid-19 Tests

Colm Burke

1514. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health if consideration will be given to the use of rapid antigen testing as the primary protocol of testing for international travellers departing from or arriving into Irish airports; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33786/21]

Assisted Human Reproduction

Colm Burke

1791. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health if in dealing with new legislation on surrogacy, it will contain a provision for the introduction of pre-authorised surrogacy agreements prior to conception to ensure that parental rights and responsibilities can be transferred at birth from the surrogate mother to the intended parents; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35113/21]

Covid-19 Pandemic

Colm Burke

1816. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health the procedures that will be put in place for persons who travel to Ireland and who have clear evidence that they have received a Covid-19 vaccine (details supplied); and if there has been any communication with the European Medicines Agency regarding the approval of this vaccine. [35557/21]

Mental Health Services

Colm Burke

1817. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health his plans to help tackle the extensive waiting lists for primary care psychological services and mental health services for children and adolescents in Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35558/21]

Health Services

Colm Burke

1818. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health the reflective practices that are in place to deal with medicolegal events; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35559/21]

Covid-19 Pandemic

Colm Burke

1819. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health the way the health system plans to deal with the predicted higher hospital admissions from long-Covid-19 symptoms; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35560/21]

Assisted Human Reproduction

Colm Burke

1840. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health if consideration is being given to the recommendations of a person (details supplied) in the report A Review of Children’s Rights and Best Interests in the Context of Donor-Assisted Human Reproduction and Surrogacy in Irish Law; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35111/21]

Special Educational Needs

Colm Burke

1945. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health the additional resources that have been allocated to help amend the extensive waiting time for children to receive special needs assessments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35584/21]

Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Colm Burke

2216. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health if his Department will provide additional support to the nursing home sector to ensure that it is not disadvantaged by the increase in cost associated with Covid-19; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36975/21]

Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Colm Burke

2293. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health the amount that has been provided to nursing homes under the temporary assistance payment scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37276/21]

Covid-19 Pandemic

Colm Burke

2448. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health if ten-pin bowling centres will be treated in the same manner as cinemas with regard to Covid-19 restrictions and permitted to reopen with social distancing guidelines put in place rather than applying the same restrictions which apply to pubs and restaurants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37864/21]

Departmental Schemes

Colm Burke

165. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Finance if consideration will be given to extending the help to buy scheme to first-time buyers who wish to buy second hand properties; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38818/21]

Public Procurement Contracts

Colm Burke

172. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if a review will be carried out into the reason a company (details supplied) which provides repair and re-resurfacing of kitchens, bathrooms, PVC windows and doors is not able to tender for work on the e-tenders portal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38821/21]

Maternity Leave

Colm Burke

254. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will consider proposals for the equal entitlement to mothers of children born through surrogacy to apply for maternity leave, maternity benefits and parental leave; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38217/21]

Medicinal Products

Colm Burke

400. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health when the gene therapy drug zolgensma will be approved for reimbursement by the HSE; if same will be made available at an early date to a person (details supplied) for the treatment of spinal muscular atrophy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31388/21]

Healthcare Policy

Colm Burke

113. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health the progress to date on identifying a site for the new elective hospital for Cork included in 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, County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28574/21]

Healthcare Policy

Colm Burke

130. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health if the new elective hospital for Cork included in the Sláintecare Implementation Strategy and Action Plan 2021-2023 will consist of both an inpatient and an outpatient facility; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28573/21]

Further and Higher Education

Colm Burke

28. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the protocols in place which would allow third-level institutions to canvass for and secure funding from private companies for the development of their facilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36761/21]

Technological Universities

Colm Burke

68. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if all of the necessary structures have now been put in place including the appointment of the board of management for the Munster Technological University; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36703/21]

Prison Service

Colm Burke

129. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Justice the Irish prisons that are providing a comprehensive hepatitis C and or infectious disease treatment programme within the prison facilities in view of the fact it is reported that up to 13% of the Irish prison population have hepatitis C; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36679/21]

Vaccination Programme

Colm Burke

155. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health if consideration will be given to further reducing the intervals between the first and second dose of a Covid-19 vaccine (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30464/21]

Pension Provisions

Colm Burke

288. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Education if consideration will be given to ensuring that home tutors governed by the home tuition scheme will be afforded the right to pensionability for their work; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35859/21]

Pension Provisions

Colm Burke

289. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Education if consideration will be given to applying a different PRSI class to the emoluments paid to home tutors governed by the home tuition grant scheme due to the fact that these tutors are essentially employees of her Department and their current PRSI status puts them at a serious disadvantage as a result of their lack of eligibility for pensionable PRSI contributions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35860/21]

Pension Provisions

Colm Burke

324. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Education the number of persons who receive income under the home tuition grant scheme by county in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36394/21]

Energy Usage

Colm Burke

190. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the status of recent power outages in the Rush and Lusk areas of north County Dublin; the frequency and reason for these outages; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35498/21]

Fire Safety

Colm Burke

221. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the action being taken by local authorities to ensure that landlords are complying with minimum standards and current fire safety regulations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35581/21]

Fire Safety

Colm Burke

222. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if a report is available from each local authority in respect of the action that they have taken over the past three years to ensure that landlords are fully compliant with the current fire safety standards; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35582/21]

Covid-19 Pandemic

Colm Burke

235. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the new procedures that will be put in place in circumstances in which a person travels to Ireland from non-EU countries after 19 July 2021 and in which they have clear evidence that they have received a Covid-19 vaccine; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35592/21]

Third Level Fees

Colm Burke

333. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if there are plans to decrease the cost of college fees if courses continue to be conducted online for the upcoming academic year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35583/21]

Online Safety

Colm Burke

346. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Justice if the implementation of the Harassment, Harmful Communications and Related Offences Act 2020 has made an impact on the issue of online bullying; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35585/21]