Ceisteanna Parlaiminte

Taxi Licences

Martin Browne

154. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Transport his views on whether the penalties that are imposed on those operating as taxis or small public service vehicle operators without an SPSV licence are sufficient to deter those illegal operators from resuming these illegal practices afterwards; if he is satisfied with the system in its current form; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that registered and legal operators are unhappy with the system which they say does not work for them and that their operating costs increase significantly as a result of illegal operators; his plans to improve the system to ensure compliance with SPSV legislation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4296/21]

Culture Ireland

Martin Browne

286. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the funding allocated to Culture Ireland for the promotion of Irish arts globally in 2019, 2020 and 2021, in tabular form. [4208/21]

Commercial Rates

Martin Browne

309. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if businesses whose ability to trade effectively are reduced due to local roadworks projects have an entitlement to seek a discount in commercial rates; his views on local authorities being facilitated by central Government for such instances; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3631/21]

Fire Safety

Martin Browne

349. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if a matter in regard to a fire safety issue for a person (details supplied) will be addressed. [4262/21]

EU Meetings

Martin Browne

402. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if EU security and defence issues were discussed at the December 2020 EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting. [4209/21]

Schools Building Projects

Martin Browne

466. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Education the status of the educate together school in Clonmel, County Tipperary, which was promised in 2013; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4124/21]

Medical Aids and Appliances

Martin Browne

519. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons who applied for hearing aids under the treatment benefit scheme in 2018, 2019 and 2020; the cost in each year; and when the hearing aid grant was last reviewed. [4205/21]

Vaccination Programme

Martin Browne

775. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Health the stage at which, in the vaccine roll-out plan, volunteers in community groups who are providing services to vulnerable persons, such as meals on wheels, are included. [4008/21]

Hospital Data

Martin Browne

803. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Health the number of cataract surgeries that were carried out at Nenagh Hospital in 2019 and 2020, in tabular form. [4210/21]

Horticulture Sector

Martin Browne

898. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the steps his Department has taken to facilitate the horticulture industry to move away from peat use (details supplied); and the measures that have been put in place before the end of horticultural peat harvesting. [4003/21]

Horticulture Sector

Martin Browne

899. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if a reduction in peat use in the commercial horticulture sector is envisaged for 2021-2022. [4005/21]

Departmental Staff

Martin Browne

908. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the estimated full-year cost of recruiting three extra full-time archaeologists to deal with forestry applications within his Department. [4206/21]

Beef Exports

Martin Browne

909. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the exports of beef to the USA in volume and value in 2019 and 2020, in tabular form. [4207/21]

Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Martin Browne

172. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Education the supports in place for those families with inadequate Internet access or devices for their children to engage with learning from home fully while schools are closed (details supplied). [3023/21]

Carer's Allowance

Martin Browne

225. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Social Protection her views on the length of time an applicant can be expected to wait for a decision regarding carer's allowance; and if her attention has been drawn to the case of a person who has been waiting since July 2020 for a decision regarding the allowance and is in financial difficulty as a result. [3022/21]

Covid-19 Pandemic

Martin Browne

820. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Health the position of family carers in the vaccination allocation sequencing under the national Covid-19 vaccination programme; and if for the purposes of the of the roll-out of the vaccine programme, family carers fall under the category of healthcare workers or a particular grade of key workers. [44925/20]

Medical Aids and Appliances

Martin Browne

843. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Health the amount spent annually on medical devices and products that are purchased from the UK; if arrangements are in place to continue purchasing such items and products; if his attention has been drawn to potential issues with such purchases that may arise due to Brexit; the consequences of these impacts for patients; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45011/20]

Health Services Funding

Martin Browne

914. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Health the amount allocated towards eating disorder treatment in the HSE in each of the past five years; the amount that was spent in each year; his views on the adequacy of the funding and the supports and treatments available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1055/21]

Rural Development Plan

Martin Browne

18. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development her views on the need for rural communities to have an appropriate range of services of all kinds available locally to ensure their needs can be met in their local communities; her views on whether communities that can provide for themselves are happier communities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44157/20]

Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Martin Browne

88. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development her views on the way in which the operators of community services centres are facing considerable fees for water at a time when their ability to generate income has been limited; if she will consider addressing the issue; her further views on the supports that are needed for community councils and organisations given the impact of Covid-19; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43335/20]

Hospital Services

Martin Browne

517. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Health the process that was involved in the considerations that were made in order to arrive at the decision to repurpose St. Brigid’s District Hospital, Carrick-on-Suir, County Tipperary; and if his attention has been drawn to the way that this impacts on the ability of sick family members to remain close to their families or in the community. [44180/20]

Hospital Services

Martin Browne

518. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Health his views on the importance of persons receiving convalescent or palliative care to remain close to their families; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44181/20]

Hospital Services

Martin Browne

519. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Health if the two facilities that are to act as alternatives for persons that would otherwise receive convalescent or palliative care at St. Brigid’s, Carrick-on-Suir, County Tipperary have been identified; if so, if he will provide details of same; if the facilities will be run by private operators; and the projected cost of using same. [44182/20]

Covid-19 Pandemic

Martin Browne

86. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science his views on the impacts that the Covid-19 restrictions have had on the mental health of third level students; the measures he has taken to ease their introduction to third-level in the current environment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43336/20]

Departmental Staff

Martin Browne

144. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the estimated amount it would cost in 2021 to recruit two additional full-time petroleum exploration specialists for his Department. [43109/20]

Ministerial Meetings

Martin Browne

239. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the number of times she has meet the director general of TG4 (details supplied) in the past three months. [43108/20]

Ministerial Meetings

Martin Browne

294. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he has spoken formally with the South Korean ambassador to Ireland in the past three months; and if so, the issues discussed. [43104/20]

Garda Youth Diversion Projects

Martin Browne

445. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Justice the estimated cost in 2021 if the budget for Garda youth division projects increased by 7.5%. [43105/20]

Garda Deployment

Martin Browne

446. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Justice the number of gardaí by rank attached to Garda human trafficking investigation and co-ordination unit as of 7 December 2020. [43106/20]

Private Security Authority

Martin Browne

447. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Justice if she has formally met with the CEO of an organisation (details supplied) since her appointment; and if so, when she will next meet the CEO. [43107/20]

Dental Services

Martin Browne

539. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Health the date on which the next national recruitment campaign for dental nurses will commence. [43100/20]

Nursing Staff

Martin Browne

540. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Health the number of full-time spinal specialist nurses working in each of the paediatric hospitals in each of the past three years in tabular form. [43101/20]

Nursing Staff

Martin Browne

541. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost in 2021 of recruiting seven extra clinical nurse co-ordinators for children with life-limiting conditions. [43102/20]

Hospital Appointments Status

Martin Browne

146. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the case of a person (details supplied) who requires an assessment at the National Rehabilitation Clinic, Dun Laoghaire to be expedited; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42506/20]

Nursing Education

Martin Browne

175. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Health his views on the valuable contribution that student nurses have made to the health system; the number of unpaid hours worked by student nurses since the beginning of March 2020; the cohort of student nurses in percentage terms who worked in Covid-19 related care; his views on whether the decision by many nurses to move abroad to work is due in part to some feeling unappreciated by his Department; his plans to improve relations between his Department and the sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42505/20]

School Transport

Martin Browne

291. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Education if financial assistance will be provided to the family of a child with special needs that have to pay for a seat on a private bus to take their child to school as there are no buses serving them for a school which is 6 km away. [42565/20]

Health and Safety Inspections

Martin Browne

36. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on the findings of a centre (details supplied) and HSA reports into meat factories across the country; his views on the findings of those reports in terms of Covid-19 and non-Covid-19 standard breaches; the date his attention was drawn to the contents of those reports; the measures that have been taken by his Department regarding these findings; his views on not publishing these reports at the time; his views on the overall operations of these facilities in view of these reports; the measures that have been taken to address those shortcomings; his views on the working conditions of staff at these facilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41517/20]

Covid-19 Pandemic

Martin Browne

58. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the actions he has taken to ensure marts can operate productively should level 5 restrictions be reintroduced. [41615/20]

Post Office Network

Martin Browne

114. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications his views on the future of the post office network (details supplied); and his plans to avoid these closures and loss of services and jobs. [41380/20]

Credit Unions

Martin Browne

196. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Finance if his attention has been drawn to the fact that due to Covid-19 a credit union (details supplied) has been forced to postpone paying the annual loan interest rebate repayments and dividends to its customers as it cannot hold an AGM to do so; if he will address the lack of legislation to hold an online AGM; if he will contact the Central Bank on the matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41916/20]

Special Educational Needs Staff

Martin Browne

338. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Education when the advertised SNA vacancy in a school (details supplied) will be filled. [41522/20]

Data Protection

Martin Browne

376. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Social Protection the measures in place to ensure social welfare reviews and investigations are compliant with GDPR requirements of her Department. [41174/20]

Social Welfare Eligibility

Martin Browne

377. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Social Protection if a person in receipt of a social welfare payment has the right to privacy regarding personal spending when providing bank statements to her Department. [41175/20]

Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Martin Browne

832. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if agriculture students attending Teagasc colleges will be eligible for the same financial supports as other third-level students. [41727/20]

Animal Diseases

Martin Browne

833. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if compensation will be provided to poultry farmers affected by avian influenza. [41728/20]

Agriculture Schemes

Martin Browne

834. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if an appraisal has been carried out of the outworking of the mandatory reduction obligation contained within the BEAM scheme; and if he will amend the criteria in light of the challenges created by Covid-19. [41729/20]

Climate Change Policy

Martin Browne

835. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to provide payments to farmers in respect of the carbon that is released from the atmosphere as a result of their soils and hedgerows. [41730/20]

Forestry Sector

Martin Browne

838. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of backlogged forestry licences in the system; his views on claims to the COFORD Advisory Council that the figure could be as many as 4,600; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41800/20]

Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment

Martin Browne

63. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to the difficulties faced by artists and creatives in accessing the pandemic unemployment payment due to the delays caused by the PRSI checks; if her attention has been further drawn to the fact that it is leaving persons that had received payment in March 2020 unable to access the payment during the current restrictions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37319/20]

Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries

Martin Browne

90. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth his views on concerns that survivors of an institution (details supplied) and their relatives regarding the possibility that unmarked graves and remains may remain at the site; if consideration will be given to enabling digs to take place on land around the site considering the owner of land is willing to allow that; the status of the progress being made relating to the forthcoming report and the data contained within the report of the commission of investigation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40772/20]