Parliamentary questions

Tax Reliefs

Jackie Cahill

182. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Finance if an individual who has agreed to purchase farm land, and who has the contracts signed in December 2023, but with a sale that will close in January 2024, still qualifies for 2023 agricultural relief based on the fact that they have an agreement in place in December 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54338/23]

Industrial Disputes

Jackie Cahill

243. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Social Protection for an update on her efforts to close the 15% pay gap between Tús and CE supervisors (details supplied); the reason the Principal Officer in her Department working on this did not recently meet with officials in the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform as planned; if Tús supervisors will receive the update promised to them on 8 December 2023; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54294/23]

Animal Culls

Jackie Cahill

300. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his Department plans to introduce a nationwide cull of American mink as part of the recently announced alien species management plan; if local conservation and angling groups will be asked for submissions on this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53254/23]

Invasive Species Policy

Jackie Cahill

324. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage further to Parliamentary Question No. 236 of 9 November 2023, the reason the bounty on mink to protect ground nesting birds between 2012 and 2015 is no longer in operation; the reason it was not extended beyond 2015; what findings informed the decision to cease this policy and scheme; the proof he has that this scheme was successful or otherwise; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53677/23]

Invasive Species Policy

Jackie Cahill

325. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage how many mink are currently in the wild in Ireland; if action is not taken to cull mink numbers, how many mink will be wild in Ireland in 2030, 2035 and 2040, respectively; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53678/23]

Invasive Species Policy

Jackie Cahill

326. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if the number of mink in Ireland is growing exponentially; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53679/23]

An Garda Síochána

Jackie Cahill

409. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Justice if all operational gardaí are currently recertified or qualified to use batons, handcuffs and incapacitant spray, if they meet a public order situation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53746/23]

Invasive Species Policy

Jackie Cahill

427. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine what bio-security measures are currently in place to appropriately assess imported timber given the current risk posed by the great spruce bark beetle; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53285/23]

Invasive Species Policy

Jackie Cahill

428. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine in light of the current threat posed by the great spruce bark beetle, if his Department is of the view that the facilities and biosecurity measures are currently in place for the assessment and quality control of timber when imported are sufficient; if the Department has any plans to re-assess or change these measures to appropriately address this threat; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53286/23]

Invasive Species Policy

Jackie Cahill

429. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if every timber shipment imported is examined to ensure it is of the highest quality and it does not pose a biosecurity risk; how timber imports are examined - by visual assessment or by x-ray; if shipments are actively being checked for the great spruce bark beetle; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53287/23]

Invasive Species Policy

Jackie Cahill

430. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department has any plans to liaise with the relevant authorities in Northern Ireland to co-ordinate an all-island approach with regard to measures taken to prevent the importation of the great spruce bark beetle; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53288/23]

Invasive Species Policy

Jackie Cahill

431. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine following the discovery of the great spruce bark beetle in Scotland, if there is any co-ordination between the Department and the relevant Scottish authorities to ensure the great spruce bark beetle is not present in timber shipments coming to Ireland; if there is any certification or authentication process verifying that the beetle is not present in timber shipments coming from Scotland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53289/23]

Flood Risk Management

Jackie Cahill

448. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine why a person (details supplied) was excluded from the Shannon Callows Flood Scheme; if he will review this decision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53772/23]

Nursing Homes

Jackie Cahill

607. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Health how the fair deal scheme applies in the case of joint tenancy of a farm of land; if the annual cap can be applied to the land when it is owned in joint tenancy and where the surviving joint tenant cannot be considered as a ‘successor’ when they will not strictly be inheriting the land, but rather assuming full ownership through the principles of joint tenancy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53773/23]

EU Meetings

Jackie Cahill

154. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs for a report on his attendance at the EU Foreign Affairs Council in Kyiv; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50241/23]

Trade Sanctions

Jackie Cahill

180. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs what action Ireland is taking with European partners in relation to further strengthening sanctions on Russia; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50240/23]

Childcare Services

Jackie Cahill

454. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will address the major bureaucratic hurdles facing childcare providers in Ireland, particularly in relation to the need to produce two separate sets of accounts for both TUSLA and POBAL in order to avail of core funding (details supplied); if he is aware that many accountants are refusing to complete these accounts for childcare providers due to their unnecessary complexities; how he intends to reduce the bureaucratic burden on childcare providers so that they can focus on the job they are trained to do and are exceptionally good at; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52934/23]

Invasive Species Policy

Jackie Cahill

109. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine how many staff are employed at Irish ports to examine imported timber for bark beetles; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52593/23]

Invasive Species Policy

Jackie Cahill

110. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine what percentage of timber being imported into Ireland is being examined for bark beetles; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52594/23]

Invasive Species Policy

Jackie Cahill

111. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the tonnage of timber imported into Ireland to date in 2023, by month, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52595/23]