Parliamentary questions

Hospital Staff

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

350. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Health the number of posts removed from profile as a result of the memorandums CEO ref. 09954 and 10166 of 2023, by grade for Letterkenny University Hospital, in tabular form; the number of headcount posts and the WTE to which these relate; the number which were new posts; the number which were replacement posts or vacant posts; and the number which were related to absence/leave cover. [51770/23]

Health Services Staff

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

351. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Health the number of posts removed from profile as a result of the memorandums CEO ref. 09954 and 10166 of 2023, by grade for CHO1, in tabular form; the number of headcount posts and the WTE to which these relate; the number which were new posts; the number which were replacement posts or vacant posts; and the number which were related to absence/leave cover. [51771/23]

Hospital Staff

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

352. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Health the number of job offers which have been withdrawn as a result of the memorandums CEO ref. 09954 and 10166 of 2023, by grade for Letterkenny University Hospital, in tabular form; and the number of headcount posts and the WTE to which these relate. [51772/23]

Health Services Staff

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

353. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Health the number of job offers which have been withdrawn as a result of the memorandums CEO ref. 09954 and 10166 of 2023, by grade for CHO1, in tabular form; and the number of headcount posts and the WTE to which these relate. [51773/23]

Schools Building Projects

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

78. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Education to provide urgent clarification on the timeline for the construction and handover of the new three-school campus at Buncrana, County Donegal, in response to recent media reports that this long-delayed and vital project will not be completed until 2030; and if she will honour the previously-made commitments to fast-track this project. [51162/23]

Fishing Industry

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

138. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he and his Department officials will meet with several organisations (details supplied), following their withdrawal from the North West Herring Group; if he can confirm a date when such a meeting can take place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51408/23]

Ambulance Service

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

518. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Health to provide an update on plans by the National Ambulance Service to develop a permanent ambulance base at Buncrana, County Donegal. [50705/23]

Patient Files

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

584. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Health if he is aware of the release on social media of videos that show patients' medical records and files stored in unsecured premises at a hospital (details supplied); to confirm that none of the medical records that are being stored there have been stolen or removed after the recent intrusion; what security measures the hospital has deployed at the site where the records were held to protect the medical records; the procedures needed for storing patient medical records; if Letterkenny University Hospital has an inventory of all the medical records that have been stored there; and if the hospital has plans to upgrade security or plans to move the files stored there to a more secure facility. [51116/23]

Education Policy

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

137. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Education her views on submissions that her Department has received to date from the teacher representative unions in the State about the challenge of accommodating children and students from Ukrainian refugee families; her plans to provide the necessary resources to schools and teachers for this purpose; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50311/23]

Educational Disadvantage

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

138. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Education to outline how she plans to reduce class sizes in DEIS schools across Donegal in response to the challenge for teachers in trying to accommodate a diverse range of needs in the large class groups, in particular practical subjects, due to the lack of physical space in rooms; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50312/23]

School Staff

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

139. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Education her plans to address the challenge of teacher retention and supply at schools across Donegal; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50313/23]

National Educational Psychological Service

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

140. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Education if she will provide the necessary resources to ensure the availability of a comprehensive National Education Psychological Service at schools across Donegal. [50314/23]

Fishing Industry

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

200. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he and his Department are aware of the current livelihood-threatening market disturbance to the brown crab (cancer pagurus) fishery, whereby processors are now not taking any landed produce due to there being no buyers for export live or otherwise; what measures can be taken to identify new markets; what immediate supporting interventions can be made to support the industry during this current market volatility; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50299/23]

Public Transport

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

111. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Transport to outline the progress by the National Transport Authority on the introduction of a virtual/digital Leap card for use on smartphones; if he can provide an exact date for introduction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49806/23]

Fishing Industry

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

378. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he and his Department officials will meet with representatives of the National Inshore Fishermen's Association (NIFA), the National Inshore Fisheries Forum (NIFF) and the North West Regional Inshore Fisheries Forum (RIFF) following their withdrawal from the Quota Management Advisory Committee (QMAC); if he can confirm a date when such a meeting can take place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49495/23]

Common Fisheries Policy

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

387. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will work to ensure that any future agreements between the EU and Third (non-EU) Countries about access to Irish waters under the jurisdiction of the Common Fisheries Policy include a stipulation that they face the same stringent control and conservation regime as the Irish fleet, particularly with regard to mixed species catch. [49652/23]

Gender Equality

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

461. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he has developed an online reporting system for the 2023 Gender Pay Gap reporting cycle which will consist of a central portal where all employer reports will be uploaded and can be accessed publicly; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49805/23]

Defective Building Materials

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

102. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he is aware of the growing anger and frustration amongst affected homeowners in Donegal and other counties at the serious limitations of the enhanced defective concrete block grant scheme; and if he will immediately work on an actual redress scheme similar to the pyrite remediation scheme rather than this second limited grant scheme. [48828/23]

Public Sector Staff

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

37. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Education if his Department will urgently review the pay and working conditions of all of the school transport bus escorts across the State, similar to the approach taken in recent times with school secretaries and caretakers, and leading to a similar outcome; and if he will correspond with the Minister for Social Protection, seeking a seamless support to the school transport bus escorts when they have to seek social welfare support, due to the 69 days they receive no pay every year. [49001/23]

Driver Test

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

223. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Transport when a person (details supplied) in County Donegal can expect an invite for a test date for her driving test; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47598/23]