Parliamentary questions

Passport Services

Charles Flanagan

770. Deputy Charles Flanagan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the way that a person (details supplied) can apply for a business passport given that there is no facility to apply for a business passport online, the form cannot be downloaded from the passport website and an emergency in-person appointment with the passport service says explicitly do not use this service for second or business passports; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20630/22]

Consular Services

Charles Flanagan

401. Deputy Charles Flanagan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he plans to approve the establishment of a resident full-time Irish consulate in Western Australia; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17492/22]

Flexible Work Practices

Charles Flanagan

957. Deputy Charles Flanagan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if there are indications of the performance of the recently launched connected hubs app further to the report on the funding for digital hubs under the connected hubs funding stream; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18022/22]

Digital Hubs

Charles Flanagan

958. Deputy Charles Flanagan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if her Department will examine the option of longer-term agreements between businesses and hubs which will allow more structured remote working; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18023/22]

Departmental Funding

Charles Flanagan

959. Deputy Charles Flanagan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development when the first funding allocations will be made from the new Community Centres Investment Fund; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18024/22]

Departmental Funding

Charles Flanagan

960. Deputy Charles Flanagan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if consideration will be given to widening the Community Centres Investment Fund to include a strand specifically for communities to establish a community centre when none currently exists; if her Department has identified the locations that might benefit from this; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18025/22]

Rural Schemes

Charles Flanagan

961. Deputy Charles Flanagan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the way that her Department is supporting research into rural development priorities to ensure effective Government policies, especially for persons in the midlands region; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18027/22]

Charitable and Voluntary Organisations

Charles Flanagan

297. Deputy Charles Flanagan asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if her Department or any agency funded by her Department require that any director of a charity whose term of office exceeds nine years is obliged to resign as a condition of that charity being allocated public funding. [14734/22]

Social Welfare Benefits

Charles Flanagan

625. Deputy Charles Flanagan asked the Minister for Social Protection if consideration is being given to increasing the household benefits package supports given the increase in energy costs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14645/22]

Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment

Charles Flanagan

626. Deputy Charles Flanagan asked the Minister for Social Protection the total number of unique recipients of the pandemic unemployment payment by county; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14646/22]

Fuel Prices

Charles Flanagan

64. Deputy Charles Flanagan asked the Minister for Finance his plans to increase the amount of 7.5 cent per litre allowed under the diesel rebate scheme for operators holding a valid haulage licence having regard to the serious challenges facing the transportation sector arising from increased fuel costs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13209/22]

Voluntary Sector

Charles Flanagan

221. Deputy Charles Flanagan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if his Department or another Department require that a voluntary or non-executive director of any charitable organisation or company whose term of service is in excess of nine years is mandated or required to step down as a condition of maintenance or receipt of public funds. [13030/22]

Forestry Sector

Charles Flanagan

828. Deputy Charles Flanagan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of forestry licences issued to applicants in counties Laois and Offaly in 2020 and 2021. [10958/22]

Forestry Sector

Charles Flanagan

829. Deputy Charles Flanagan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of applicants awaiting the issue of a forestry licence in counties Laois and Offaly. [10959/22]

Healthcare Infrastructure Provision

Charles Flanagan

367. Deputy Charles Flanagan asked the Minister for Health if he will provide a progress report on the refurbishment and new building development planned for Abbeyleix Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10669/22]

Nursing Homes

Charles Flanagan

368. Deputy Charles Flanagan asked the Minister for Health the status of the reopening of daycare services at St. Vincent’s Community Nursing Home and Abbeyleix Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10670/22]

Schools Building Projects

Charles Flanagan

504. Deputy Charles Flanagan asked the Minister for Education if she will take the appropriate steps to make the necessary funding available to facilitate works commencing on a school building (details supplied) without further delay in view that full planning permission has now been granted by Laois County Council for the construction of the new school. [9992/22]

Traffic Management

Charles Flanagan

260. Deputy Charles Flanagan asked the Minister for Transport if his attention has been drawn to the excessive number of HGVs driving through the town of Abbeyleix on a daily basis in order to avoid the M7 and M8 toll fare; if he will examine the matter (detail supplied) with a view towards resolving the issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8239/22]

Departmental Schemes

Charles Flanagan

268. Deputy Charles Flanagan asked the Minister for Finance when he expects the review of the disabled drivers and disabled passengers scheme will be completed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7987/22]

Tax Reliefs

Charles Flanagan

305. Deputy Charles Flanagan asked the Minister for Finance if he will consider abolishing the current disregard amount in place in respect of tax relief on college fees for PAYE parents who are not eligible for assistance through the SUSI grant scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8410/22]

Tax Reliefs

Charles Flanagan

552. Deputy Charles Flanagan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will consider abolishing the current disregard amount in place in respect of tax relief on college fees for PAYE parents who are not eligible for assistance through the SUSI grant scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8411/22]

Disability Services

Charles Flanagan

754. Deputy Charles Flanagan asked the Minister for Health when it is expected that supports such as the motorised transport grant and mobility allowance will be restored for disabled drivers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7987/22]

Energy Policy

Charles Flanagan

215. Deputy Charles Flanagan asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he supports the development of green hydrogen fuel as an alternative energy source; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7348/22]

Special Educational Needs

Charles Flanagan

335. Deputy Charles Flanagan asked the Minister for Education if a diagnosis is required in order for a pupil in a mainstream schools to access support from a special needs assistant in view of the delays in accessing appointments for early intervention and assessments; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7296/22]

Health Services Staff

Charles Flanagan

430. Deputy Charles Flanagan asked the Minister for Health if HSE staff who were redeployed to contact tracing and community testing during the Covid-19 pandemic have now returned to their original posts with particular reference to speech and language and occupational therapists in the CHO8 area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7312/22]

Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Charles Flanagan

65. Deputy Charles Flanagan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will take appropriate steps to ensure that the pandemic bonus payment will be paid to front-line nurses in the Irish Prison Service who worked over the past period of almost two years dealing with both suspected and positive Covid-19 patients in challenging circumstances in prisons; if he will acknowledge that prison nurses played a vital role in the protection of the State’s prisoners from the consequences of Covid-19 through the use of personal protective equipment, managing the isolation and quarantining of prisoners, cocooning the elderly and more vulnerable prison population by means of ongoing PCR testing of prisoners and in the latter stages of the pandemic through vaccination and ongoing care; and if he will confirm qualification for the bonus payment in view of this essential and emergency frontline pandemic work by prison nurses. [7103/22]

Human Rights

Charles Flanagan

472. Deputy Charles Flanagan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if it is the intention of the Government to formally adopt and apply the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance working definition of anti-Semitism which has been supported by many governments worldwide and the European Council, European Commission and European Parliament. [5659/22]

Prison Service

Charles Flanagan

547. Deputy Charles Flanagan asked the Minister for Justice the rules and regulations applicable to the use of personal or other mobile phones by persons serving detention in a prison (details supplied). [5861/22]

Health Services

Charles Flanagan

664. Deputy Charles Flanagan asked the Minister for Health when speech and language therapy will be provided to address the complex needs of a child (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6109/22]

Road Projects

Charles Flanagan

39. Deputy Charles Flanagan asked the Minister for Transport when funding will be made available to progress to phase 3 of the N52 Tullamore Kilbeggan link road scheme in the context of having been identified as a key piece of infrastructure for the economic and development of the wider Tullamore area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5204/22]

Naval Service

Charles Flanagan

442. Deputy Charles Flanagan asked the Minister for Defence the steps he plans to take to ensure that the Naval Service has access to a primary radar system as referenced in the 2015 White Paper on Defence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4396/22]

School Transport

Charles Flanagan

470. Deputy Charles Flanagan asked the Minister for Education if a review of school transport needs will be carried out for a school (details supplied) in respect of school transport under the primary school transport scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4477/22]

School Transport

Charles Flanagan

471. Deputy Charles Flanagan asked the Minister for Education if school transport will be provided to pupils (details supplied) in view of the fact that they are entitled to school transport; if capacity will be increased on existing services to facilitate them; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4478/22]

School Transport

Charles Flanagan

472. Deputy Charles Flanagan asked the Minister for Education if funding is available to LocalLink which is willing to provide school transport for a school (details supplied) in which a number of parents are experiencing difficulties in transporting their children to school due to a private operator ceasing operations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4479/22]

General Practitioner Services

Charles Flanagan

803. Deputy Charles Flanagan asked the Minister for Health the steps he plans to take to ensure that residents in Portlaoise, County Laois and surrounding areas have access to the services of a local registered general medical practitioner; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5083/22]

Social Welfare Payments

Charles Flanagan

289. Deputy Charles Flanagan asked the Minister for Social Protection if she plans to amend the eligibility criteria for the free fuel allowance scheme in a case in which the income of a person slightly exceeds the allowed threshold and the person has no savings. [3975/22]

Special Educational Needs

Charles Flanagan

391. Deputy Charles Flanagan asked the Minister for Education when she expects a school (details supplied) to receive clarification from her Department regarding the policy of integration from an ASD unit to a mainstream classroom; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3403/22]

Dental Services

Charles Flanagan

631. Deputy Charles Flanagan asked the Minister for Health the steps that will be taken to ensure that dental treatment will be available to a family (details supplied) that has been waiting many years for treatment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3395/22]

Small and Medium Enterprises

Charles Flanagan

158. Deputy Charles Flanagan asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the steps he is taking to support small shop owners who are facing increasing electricity and utility costs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2797/22]

Small and Medium Enterprises

Charles Flanagan

159. Deputy Charles Flanagan asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the grant supports available to small shop owners who wish to make their premises more environmentally sustainable; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2798/22]

Schools Building Projects

Charles Flanagan

700. Deputy Charles Flanagan asked the Minister for Education when the appropriate level of capital funding will be provided to facilitate the building of a new school at a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [62946/21]

Schools Building Projects

Charles Flanagan

841. Deputy Charles Flanagan asked the Minister for Education the current position on the application for expansion of a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2273/22]

Covid-19 Pandemic

Charles Flanagan

842. Deputy Charles Flanagan asked the Minister for Education if she will take steps to make antigen tests more widely available to primary and post-primary schools in view of the changes to the close contact rules which have come into effect in January 2022; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2295/22]

Hospital Waiting Lists

Charles Flanagan

1676. Deputy Charles Flanagan asked the Minister for Health the status of the 82 children with spina bifida and or hydrocephalus currently requiring urgent orthopaedic surgery and review; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1313/22]

Health Services

Charles Flanagan

1677. Deputy Charles Flanagan asked the Minister for Health the steps he is taking to ensure services and treatment of children with spina bifida and or hydrocephalus are sufficient to their needs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1314/22]

Covid-19 Tests

Charles Flanagan

1888. Deputy Charles Flanagan asked the Minister for Health if he will take steps to make antigen tests more freely available in view of the changes to the close contact rules which have come into effect in January 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2296/22]

Health Services

Charles Flanagan

553. Deputy Charles Flanagan asked the Minister for Health when counselling, psychology services, occupational therapy and speech and language therapy will be provided to address the complex needs of a child (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62618/21]

Illegal Dumping

Charles Flanagan

127. Deputy Charles Flanagan asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the work by his Department in conjunction with other relevant State bodies in enabling the use of CCTV to combat dumping, particularly in environmentally sensitive areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61515/21]

Electricity Generation

Charles Flanagan

128. Deputy Charles Flanagan asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the steps taken to ensure security of electricity supply for the forthcoming winter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61516/21]

Schools Building Projects

Charles Flanagan

388. Deputy Charles Flanagan asked the Minister for Education when the appropriate level of capital funding will be provided to facilitate the building of a new school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61252/21]