Parliamentary questions

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]

Prison Service

Colm Burke

349. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Justice if she can provide detailed information in respect of the treatment of prisoners within the clinic setting in the prison for dealing with hepatitis C and infectious diseases; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35594/21]

Prison Service

Colm Burke

350. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Justice if her Department will work with the Department of Health, the HSE and the Irish Prison Service to put in place a comprehensive programme within each prison for the treatment of prisoners who have hepatitis C or any other infectious disease; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35595/21]

Vaccination Programme

Colm Burke

438. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health the way he plans to provide vaccination to the thousands of undocumented persons who are residing in Ireland; the process that will be put in place in relation to same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29052/21]

Local Authorities

Colm Burke

102. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if consideration will be given to the proposals set out in a report (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35145/21]

Local Authorities

Colm Burke

103. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if consideration will be given to a revision of the current public funding model as per the recommendations of a report (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35146/21]

Maternity Leave

Colm Burke

140. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Social Protection if she 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 she will make a statement on the matter. [35112/21]

Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment

Colm Burke

358. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Social Protection if consideration will be given to extending the eligibility for the pandemic unemployment payment beyond 7 September 2021 for third-level students who previously worked in the live music sector but cannot do so at the present time due to Covid-19 given the nature of their employment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34292/21]

Housing Provision

Colm Burke

26. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of new local authority homes completed in Cork city from January 2020 to June 2021; the amount spent on local authority housing in Cork city in the same period; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33756/21]

Rental Sector

Colm Burke

84. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the work his Department has undertaken with the Residential Tenancies Board to ensure that landlords who are not registered with the board but have properties let out to tenants will meet their legal requirements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33757/21]

Covid-19 Pandemic

Colm Burke

102. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the preparations made by the Government for the recommencement of international travel in Ireland and plans to allow for usage of the EU digital Covid certificate; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33759/21]

Middle East

Colm Burke

121. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the way in which Ireland is using its position on the United Nations Security Council to bring about progress in dealing with the conflict in Gaza and the occupied territories; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33758/21]

Electricity Generation

Colm Burke

185. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if a final design of a microgeneration support scheme has been approved; if the scheme will be implemented as planned for July 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34035/21]

Airport Policy

Colm Burke

76. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Transport the timeline for completion of works being carried out on the runway at Cork Airport; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33782/21]

Airport Policy

Colm Burke

77. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Transport when fully vaccinated international travellers that hold an EU digital Covid certificate will be allowed to enter Ireland without having to carry out mandatory quarantines; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33784/21]

Airport Policy

Colm Burke

78. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Transport if clarification will be provided to staff in Cork Airport regarding a reopening date for international travel; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33783/21]

Covid-19 Tests

Colm Burke

79. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Transport 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. [33785/21]

Departmental Schemes

Colm Burke

104. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if serious consideration will be given to increasing the funding under the 2021 sports capital and equipment programme in view of the large number of applications received by her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33185/21]

Financial Services

Colm Burke

223. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Finance if he has legislative plans to ensure equal access to financial services and products for cancer survivors in view of circumstances in which cancer survivors, particularly those who suffered cancer at a young age, are being denied access to mortgages, bank loans or insurance (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33183/21]

Prison Service

Colm Burke

510. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Justice if there is clear access to data on the prevalence of hepatitis C amongst the prison population in Ireland; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33393/21]

Prison Service

Colm Burke

511. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Justice if surveys have been carried out in any Irish prisons in the past five years in respect of hepatitis C and its prevalence amongst the prison population in Ireland; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33394/21]

Primary Care Centres

Colm Burke

547. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health the details of all primary care centres which have been opened in each year since 2011; the location of each; the number of general practitioners in each centre; the details of the HSE services that are being provided from the centres; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25625/21]

Tax Code

Colm Burke

337. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Finance if additional supports will be provided to small traders who rely on imports from outside the EU in view of the decision to apply VAT on items imported from outside the EU valued under €22 from 1 July 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30763/21]

Local Authorities

Colm Burke

569. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the amount due to each local authority in respect of arrears which are currently due from residential tenancies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30640/21]

Wind Energy Guidelines

Colm Burke

577. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the progress that has been made in respect of the review of guidelines governing the erection of wind turbines in particular, the restrictions which apply with regard to their distance from the nearest dwelling house; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30701/21]

School Funding

Colm Burke

740. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Education if consideration will be given to reinstating the schools library grant which was abolished in Budget 2008 given the support would be of enormous benefit to children; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31086/21]

Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment

Colm Burke

1038. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if the pandemic unemployment payment will not be taken into account when assessing a student’s eligibility for SUSI; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30738/21]

Flexible Work Practices

Colm Burke

15. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the status of the national remote work strategy; the details of the implementation of the strategy; the progress being made to ensure that remote working will be a viable option post-Covid-19; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30177/21]

Brexit Supports

Colm Burke

80. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the status of the new Brexit impact loan scheme; when the scheme is expected to be launched; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30178/21]

Missing Persons

Colm Burke

182. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Justice her views on the request by the coroner for Galway for the establishment of a centralised database for unidentified human remains (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28064/21]

Workplace Relations Commission

Colm Burke

208. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the progress that has been made in respect of bringing forward legislation following on from the Supreme Court judgement in a case (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30351/21]

Energy Conservation

Colm Burke

226. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if consideration will be given in 2021 to revisiting a home (details supplied) which has previously received works under the SEAI warmer homes scheme which is not currently eligible for a second visit under the SEAI one home one visit policy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30347/21]

Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Colm Burke

60. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of loans approved for each State-backed loan scheme by his Department by county in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30213/21]

Capital Expenditure Programme

Colm Burke

135. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Education the status of the Capital Plan 2016-2021; the number of projects that remain to be commenced; her plans for the schools that need capital investment but are not included in the current plan; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29957/21]

Rail Network

Colm Burke

214. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Transport the status of the electrification of the Malahide to Drogheda rail line; the timetable for the work; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29162/21]

Early Childhood Care and Education

Colm Burke

16. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the funding that was provided to childcare services in Cork under the ECCE programme since the beginning of 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28568/21]

Childcare Services

Colm Burke

68. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the measures taken by his Department to support the professional and career development of childcare workers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28567/21]