Ceisteanna Parlaiminte

Blind Welfare Allowance

Carol Nolan

606. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health if he will consider lowering the 100% taper rate of the blind welfare allowance in view of the fact it is regarded as too steep and creates an income plateau for some persons; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4567/20]

Blind Welfare Allowance Data

Carol Nolan

607. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health if his Department will digitalise its records in order that it can easily retrieve statistics on the number of blind and vision impaired persons who have received its supports; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4571/20]

Patient Transport

Carol Nolan

608. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health if the new transport support payment scheme will not only provide transport to health-related appointments but will also be available to those who need transport to and from work in cases where they are unable to drive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4575/20]

Disability Support Services

Carol Nolan

613. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health if his Department will resource local authorities in order that they can subsequently ensure that the accessibility needs of persons who are blind and vision impaired can be implemented; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4587/20]

Disability Support Services

Carol Nolan

614. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health his plans to ensure that each local authority puts an access officer in place in line with the Disability Act 2005; if the necessary resources and training will be provided; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4589/20]

Disability Services Funding

Carol Nolan

615. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health if his Department will ring-fence adequate funding to facilitate a project (details supplied) and its associated costs in continuing to better support the evolving access needs of students with print disability in further and higher education; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4592/20]

Disability Support Services

Carol Nolan

616. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health if his Department will seek to officially recognise and support an organisation (details supplied) as a complementary service provider to support and strengthen the structures to become more individualised, equipped and responsive to the needs of children with impaired vision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4593/20]

National Children's Hospital

Carol Nolan

792. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health if he has engaged with the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board since it made its decision to pursue legal action against a company (details supplied); his views on the action being taken by the board; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5251/20]

State Bodies

Carol Nolan

793. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the National Immunisation Advisory Committee has no representative from a society (details supplied); the length of time the position has been vacant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5252/20]

Abortion Services Provision

Carol Nolan

794. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health the work being carried out with respect to revising the model of care applied to terminations of pregnancy; the person or body he has assigned to revise the model of care; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5254/20]

Hospital Groups

Carol Nolan

801. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 161 of 13 November 2019, if an independent external facilitator to engage in a consultative process in respect of Midland Regional Hospital Portlaoise has been appointed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5330/20]

Felling Licences

Carol Nolan

901. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the actions taken to date to resolve the ongoing issue relating to delays in the processing of felling licences; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4050/20]

Veterinary Medicines

Carol Nolan

935. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will re-examine regulations that would prohibit merchants from selling and administering animal preventative remedies without a prescription from a veterinary surgeon in view of the significant challenges the Covid-19 crisis is generating in the agriculture sector and in further view of the fact that the implementation of these regulations could create significant financial burdens for already overstretched farmers and providers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5129/20]

Felling Licences

Carol Nolan

936. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of tree felling licences granted to farmers since January 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5130/20]

Ministerial Meetings

Carol Nolan

937. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he has engaged with a company (details supplied) with a view to ensuring that financial and supply arrangements with Irish farmers are maintained going forward; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5131/20]

Beef Industry

Carol Nolan

938. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if emergency intervention measures for beef farmers will be introduced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5132/20]

Dairy Sector

Carol Nolan

942. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he has engaged with the European Commission on the need to introduce a private storage aid scheme for the dairy sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5242/20]

Animal Welfare

Carol Nolan

943. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the way in which veterinary medicinal products and medicated feed regulations adopted by the European Council on 26 November 2018 and due to come into effect from 28 January 2022 will impact on the points of sale of dosing products for animals and the points of sale to obtain such products by farmers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5246/20]

Agriculture Scheme Expenditure

Carol Nolan

944. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the way in which he plans to disburse or use the approximately €25 million underspend from the BEAM scheme; if a further BEAM scheme will be introduced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5264/20]

Ministerial Meetings

Carol Nolan

945. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he has had engagements with the European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development from 1 March 2020 to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5265/20]

Young Farmers Scheme

Carol Nolan

946. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of applications made under the young farmer scheme since it was introduced by county in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5266/20]

Departmental Consultations

Carol Nolan

947. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of internal and external consultancy reports commissioned by his Department in each of the years 2014 to 2019 and to date in 2020; the details and cost of each; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5267/20]

Trade Agreements

Carol Nolan

948. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if there have been developments in concluding a beef trading deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5268/20]

Warmer Homes Scheme

Carol Nolan

960. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he will consider including the blind pension and disability allowance as qualifying payments for entitlement to the warmer homes scheme in the same way as jobseeker's allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4557/20]

Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Carol Nolan

974. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if 6% of hedgerows will be included in calculations relating to carbon sequestration figures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4216/20]

Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Carol Nolan

975. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if an analysis will be carried out on the way in which carbon sequestration capabilities are calculated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4217/20]

Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Carol Nolan

976. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the reason for the non-inclusion of hedgerow and grassland sequestration potential here in the current calculation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4218/20]

EU Directives

Carol Nolan

987. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if it will be ensured that all public bodies prepare for the implementation of the EU web accessibility directive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4559/20]

EU Directives

Carol Nolan

988. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he will consider making a progress report on the implementation of the EU web accessibility directive available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4560/20]

Broadcasting Sector

Carol Nolan

989. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he will consider urging the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland, BAI, to set production targets for home-produced programmes to be broadcast with audio description as a matter of urgency; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4594/20]

Broadcasting Sector

Carol Nolan

990. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he will consider allocating a proportion of the television licence fee to be spent on production of audio description for home-produced programmes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4595/20]

Energy Efficiency

Carol Nolan

1007. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if funding will be urgently allocated to the SEAI for the better energy community scheme in order to ensure that communities and businesses can avail of the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5128/20]

Just Transition Commissioner

Carol Nolan

1008. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment when he last met with the Just Transition Commissioner; the funding provided to the commissioner; if he is satisfied that the commissioner has sufficient staff and secretariat facilities to enable him to carry out his work; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5247/20]

Just Transition Commissioner

Carol Nolan

1009. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the status of his most recent engagement with Bord na Móna as part of the just transition strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5248/20]

Just Transition Fund

Carol Nolan

1010. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the status of the application to the platform for coal and other carbon-intensive regions in transition.; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5249/20]

National Broadband Plan

Carol Nolan

1011. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the status of the implementation of the national broadband plan in counties Laois and Offaly; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5250/20]

Disability Services Provision

Carol Nolan

1045. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will consider consulting persons who are blind and visually impaired at each stage in a project or large-scale service change in order that the process will be fully accessible in order to allow persons who are blind or visually impaired to take part independently; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4550/20]

Disability Services Provision

Carol Nolan

1046. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will consider including an equality impact study in a large-scale transport infrastructure project or service change to assess the impact on persons with disabilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4551/20]

Disability Services Provision

Carol Nolan

1047. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if resources will be provided to ensure that public transport services operate audible announcements on all public transport nationally and at platforms and stops to enable those with insufficient vision to have access to the same basic information as the sighted population; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4552/20]

Disability Services Provision

Carol Nolan

1048. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if it will be ensured that all public transport operators will prepare for the implementation of the EU web accessibility directive which will make sure that all websites and apps are accessible; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4554/20]

Disability Services Provision

Carol Nolan

1049. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if funding will be committed to embedding accessibility standards into the design of all new stations and bus stops; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4555/20]

Disability Services Provision

Carol Nolan

1050. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if funding will be provided to public transport providers in order to provide mandatory standardised disability awareness training; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4556/20]

Disability Services Provision

Carol Nolan

1052. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if funding will be provided to retrofit public transport vehicles that do not have an alert vehicular acoustic system and which have been purchased with public funds; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4583/20]

Early Childhood Care and Education

Carol Nolan

1128. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the status of the access inclusion model for pre-school children; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5270/20]

Rural Regeneration and Development Fund

Carol Nolan

1137. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the projects supported by the rural regeneration and development fund in 2019, by county in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5241/20]

JobPath Programme

Carol Nolan

1145. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her plans to discontinue the JobPath scheme at the end of 2020; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4045/20]

Workplace Equipment Adaptation Grant

Carol Nolan

1162. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if the workplace adaption grant to those on community employment schemes will be extended; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4549/20]

Social Welfare Rates

Carol Nolan

1163. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if the basic social welfare rate will be increased for the blind pension and disability allowance by at least €20 per week; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4563/20]

Disability Support Services

Carol Nolan

1164. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if an organisation (details supplied) and blind and vision impaired persons will be consulted as part of the research process in view of the fact research will provide quantitative estimates of the cost of disability; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4564/20]

Free Travel Scheme Eligibility

Carol Nolan

1165. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will consider changing the eligibility criteria for access to the free travel scheme to include those with a long-term eye condition which renders their level of vision insufficient to meet criteria for a driver licence; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4565/20]

Blind Person's Pension Payments

Carol Nolan

1166. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if the income trough caused in cases in which the income of a blind or vision impaired person exceeds eligibility for the minimum blind pension rate due to the loss of their fuel allowance, living alone allowance and household benefits package will be re-examined; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4566/20]

Blind Welfare Allowance

Carol Nolan

1167. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if a change will be made to the blind welfare allowance in order that it is not counted when assessing means for disability allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4568/20]

Workplace Equipment Adaptation Grant

Carol Nolan

1168. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will consider administering the workplace adaption grant consistently nationwide; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4569/20]

Workplace Equipment Adaptation Grant

Carol Nolan

1169. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if a national awareness campaign will be funded in order to proactively promote the employee retention grant scheme and workplace adaption grant to employers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4570/20]

Social Welfare Rates

Carol Nolan

1170. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if an organisation (details supplied) will be officially recognised as a complementary service provider to support and strengthen the structures already in place through the Intreo service; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4572/20]

Social Welfare Rates

Carol Nolan

1171. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if her Department will engage with an organisation (details supplied) in relation to barriers in accessing Intreo services for blind and vision impaired persons; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4573/20]

Social Welfare Rates

Carol Nolan

1172. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if the requirement that work is of a rehabilitative nature will be removed from the blind pension; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4574/20]

Housing for People with Disabilities

Carol Nolan

1213. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if his Department will recognise an organisation (details supplied) as a key stakeholder and will involve it in the consultation process for new design projects or redesign to ensure that the needs of persons who are blind or vision impaired are taken into account; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4586/20]

Rental Sector

Carol Nolan

1225. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if a rent freeze will be introduced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4048/20]

Social and Affordable Housing

Carol Nolan

1226. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if the introduction of the affordable housing schemes will be prioritised; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4049/20]

Electoral Process

Carol Nolan

1260. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if he will consider allowing those with impaired vision to cast their ballots either by telephone or electronically in view of the fact that negative experiences with electronic voting cannot be allowed to prevent persons living with sight loss from exercising their right to a secret ballot; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4590/20]

Commercial Rates Exemptions

Carol Nolan

1261. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if his Department will encourage local authorities to use their discretion and remove business rates from the premises in which the shops of an organisation (details supplied) operate; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4591/20]

Turf Cutting

Carol Nolan

1314. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if the protection of the turf cutting tradition will be ensured; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4219/20]