Parliamentary questions

Social Welfare Schemes

Gary Gannon

174. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost of increasing the annual carer's support grant from €1,850 to €2,000; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32487/21]

Social Welfare Schemes

Gary Gannon

175. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost of making the carer's allowance a qualifying payment for the fuel allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32488/21]

Social Welfare Schemes

Gary Gannon

176. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost of increasing the income disregard for carer's allowance from €332.50 to €350 per week for a single person and to €700 for a couple; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32489/21]

Cabinet Committees

Gary Gannon

12. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on education last met; and when it will next meet. [29413/21]

Trade Agreements

Gary Gannon

31. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment his position on the TRIPS waiver. [24198/21]

Education and Training Provision

Gary Gannon

323. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the reason for the removal of the vocational training opportunities scheme and back to education initiative courses from a college (details supplied). [30403/21]

Departmental Functions

Gary Gannon

15. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the work of the international and European Union division of his Department. [29412/21]

Urban Development

Gary Gannon

9. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the role of his Department in the north east inner city initiative. [28387/21]

Rail Network

Gary Gannon

250. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Transport if he will make the preliminary business case for MetroLink and the outcomes of the feasibility studies in relation to MetroLink and the Review of the Transport Strategy for the Greater Dublin Area publicly available; if these studies were extended to include the feasibility of the MetroLink to come out as far as Firhouse and Ballycullen and connect on to Tallaght; the position regarding extending the MetroLink out to the Dublin south-west area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29848/21]

Local Authorities

Gary Gannon

351. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his views on the fact that to date since the regulations were introduced Galway City Council has only received five planning applications for change of use for short-term letting and that staff appointed by his Department to deal with short-term letting have not yet been appointed as following a recruitment process, no suitable candidates were available to take up a two-year contract; and his further views on whether there is a need for greater resources in this area to support stretched staff in council planning departments. [29850/21]

School Staff

Gary Gannon

436. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education the estimated costs of establishing and running the supply panels for primary and special schools in the school year 2020-2021; and her views on retaining this important staffing support in the 2021-2022 school year to ensure that pupils are taught by qualified teachers in the event of teacher absence in a school. [29846/21]

School Funding

Gary Gannon

437. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education if there is funding available to primary and post-primary schools to purchase sensory room equipment for children with additional needs, including autism and Down syndrome; and if not, her plans to provide adequate funding to schools in the future (details supplied). [29847/21]

Schools Building Projects

Gary Gannon

438. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education the progress made and timelines for the provision of a permanent building for a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29849/21]

Special Educational Needs

Gary Gannon

208. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education the number of applications from schools seeking an exceptional review for the past three years by the proportion of applications that were successful and rejected, respectively and the proportion of applications that were made by developing schools and established schools, respectively in tabular form; the success rate of these applications; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29035/21]

Education Policy

Gary Gannon

209. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education her views on whether the current bridging method is inappropriate for developing schools given that the current cycle of every two years is a quarter of a student’s life in primary school; if she will consider using a one-year bridging cycle for developing schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29036/21]

Education Policy

Gary Gannon

210. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education if the school inclusion model pilot has been completed; when the review of this pilot will be made available; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29037/21]

State Examinations

Gary Gannon

211. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education if her Department will review the potential use of the accredited grades model beyond 2021 in particular for students who experience exceptional circumstances such as, bereavement or illness over their sixth year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29038/21]

State Examinations

Gary Gannon

212. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education if her attention has been drawn to calls from by organisation (details supplied) to have students who, while sitting their State exams, experience a medical emergency such as a seizure and are therefore unable to complete their exam, be accommodated to sit them at a later date but before CAO offers; if she is considering this proposal; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29039/21]

Special Educational Needs

Gary Gannon

213. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education the average length of time between the application for an exception review being submitted to the outcome of the review being communicated; and the average length of time it takes for a review to take place in cases of successful applications. [29040/21]

Education Schemes

Gary Gannon

214. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education if rural DEIS schools are included in the home school community liaison scheme; if not, the cost of bringing these schools into the scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29042/21]