Ceisteanna Parlaiminte

Departmental Meetings

Colm Burke

246. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Finance if officials within his Department do not meet with representatives of the tobacco industry, in adherence to Article 5.3 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, which Ireland has ratified (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3990/23]

Tax Code

Colm Burke

265. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Finance to confirm that he will give serious consideration to retaining the 9% VAT rate on tourism and hospitality beyond 28 February 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4268/23]

Third Level Education

Colm Burke

543. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he intends to put additional supports in place to assist third level students in dealing with changing to alternative college courses, and those considering dropping out of college altogether, given that there has been an increased dropout rate for third level college courses among students who completed their Leaving Certificate during the Covid-19 pandemic in June 2020 and June 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4011/23]

Inshore Fisheries

Colm Burke

762. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if consideration will be given to providing additional financial support to the inshore fishing industry to assist it with the disruption to sector’s markets as a direct result of the unjust war in Ukraine and the Covid-19 pandemic; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4012/23]

Inshore Fisheries

Colm Burke

763. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine what action his Department is taking to support the inshore fishing industry in order to keep the sector viable; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4013/23]

Tourism Promotion

Colm Burke

6. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if she will confirm the action that her Department is taking to market and promote the island of Ireland overseas as an attractive place to visit in 2023; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3203/23]

Wastewater Treatment

Colm Burke

145. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the action his Department intends taking in respect of approximately 500 standalone sewage treatment plants, which were erected to facilitate the development of housing estates over fifteen years ago and which currently do not meet current environmental standards, and as a result have not been taken in charge by Irish Water; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3673/23]

Housing Provision

Colm Burke

162. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the supports the Governments intend putting in place to assist the development of residential apartment blocks in view of the fact that the cost of erecting same far exceeds the sale value once completed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3672/23]

Wastewater Treatment

Colm Burke

101. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage what supports will be put in place to assist Irish Water and local authorities to develop up-to-date sewage treatment facilities in order to facilitate new residential development; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3739/23]

Wastewater Treatment

Colm Burke

102. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide a list of the sewage treatment plants by local authority area which currently do not meet environmental standards and as a result, have not been taken in charge by Irish Water in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3740/23]

Budget 2023

Colm Burke

94. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Finance if he will confirm and outline all budget 2023 measures that have taken effect since the start of 2023; when further measures from budget 2023 will take effect; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3054/23]

Business Supports

Colm Burke

147. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Finance if consideration will be given to increasing the rebate available under the temporary business energy support scheme up to €10,000 per month or 80% of the eligible cost; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2764/23]

Personal Public Service Numbers

Colm Burke

412. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Social Protection the total number of personal public service numbers issued between 1 January 2022 and 31 December 2022, broken down by the nationalities to whom they were issued, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3242/23]

Electricity Generation

Colm Burke

667. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department has engaged with electricity companies in respect of limits the companies have set regarding the amount of energy they will purchase from a standalone farm or a group of farmers who operate an anaerobic digester plant (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3213/23]

National Car Test

Colm Burke

32. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Transport the action his Department is taking to reduce the NCT test wait time backlog, given the average wait time for an NCT test has now passed five months in 31 centres across the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1951/23]

Public Transport

Colm Burke

105. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Transport if he will provide details in respect of the newly launched local hackney pilot programme; the number of rural areas this programme will operate in; if consideration will be given to extending the programme to other rural areas going forward; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1952/23]

Flood Risk Management

Colm Burke

135. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the current position of the Glashaboy flood relief scheme; when work will commence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1915/23]

Flood Risk Management

Colm Burke

159. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the current position of the Blackpool flood relief scheme; when work will commence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1916/23]

Third Level Fees

Colm Burke

282. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if serious consideration will be given to a proposal (details supplied) in relation to the €1,000 fee reduction for undergraduate students in view of the huge additional cost incurred in repeating or changing courses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2504/23]

Fishing Industry

Colm Burke

390. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide an update as to the agreements that have now been reached following his recent meetings with the fishing industry in respect of the EU-Norway negotiations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2498/23]

Energy Conservation

Colm Burke

97. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the action his Department is taking to accommodate homeowners in the conversion of existing domestic heating systems, that is, oil burners and boilers to hydrotreated vegetable oil fuel, in view of the fact that it would assist homeowners in retrofitting their homes more feasibly and the conversion to HVO fuel would lead to an immediate reduction in carbon emissions in home heating; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1239/23]

Banking Sector

Colm Burke

104. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if consideration will be given to the establishment of a new local community banking system in conjunction with An Post, similar to the successful model of community banking as developed in New Zealand, in view that it would allow all rural post offices to remain viable into the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1320/23]

Banking Sector

Colm Burke

105. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if consideration will be given to combining credit union services and An Post services in certain rural communities where post offices may not be sustainable on their own; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1321/23]

Rail Network

Colm Burke

221. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Transport if he will clarify, as part of the new plans for the metropolitan rail network proposed for Cork, the timetable frequency changes that will be required from Mallow to Tralee stations to coincide with increased frequency proposed from Cork to Mallow stations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1095/23]

Tax Code

Colm Burke

334. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Finance if consideration will be given to reclassifying hydrotreated vegetable oil as a home heating fuel, in view of the fact that it is currently rated as a transport fuel and is therefore more expensive to purchase than kerosene; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1240/23]

Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Colm Burke

645. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence if he will clarify the total number of Defence Forces personnel who will receive the Covid pandemic recognition payment in view of the fact that over 2,000 members provided support to essential services, in particular both in our hospitals and in the vaccination centres; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1135/23]

School Staff

Colm Burke

658. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Education the reason home tutors who provided tuition under the July provision summer programme have not been paid; if she will clarify when payments will now be made; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [63167/22]

School Staff

Colm Burke

669. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Education the way that her Department is proposing to deal with applications for leave from secondary and primary school teachers given that in cases in which leave is refused teachers are likely to resign and may go to work in other jurisdictions resulting in the loss of teachers who have built up valuable experience to date to the Irish educational system; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [63301/22]

School Staff

Colm Burke

697. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Education if consideration will be given to recommendations of a motion (details supplied) whereby post-primary teachers who relocate or transfer to another school would maintain their permanent-CID status and would not lose benefits from their previous role, given the lack of a transfer system for post-primary teachers is a key factor in the current teacher retention crisis; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [63592/22]

Public Sector Pay

Colm Burke

784. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Education the reason that part-time tutors working with the ETB were not included under the recent national pay agreement for public sector pay increases; if consideration will be given to including them; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1894/23]

Education and Training Boards

Colm Burke

790. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Education the hourly rates of pay for full-time and part-time tutors in the ETB for those who commenced tutoring prior to 2011 and since 2011; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1961/23]

Third Level Costs

Colm Burke

1042. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if consideration will be given to the granting of interest-free loans to students entering a graduate programme in medicine; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1328/23]

Third Level Costs

Colm Burke

1043. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if consideration will be given to allowing graduate students entering medicine to be treated as undergraduate students in order that they may be eligible for the SUSI grant scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1329/23]

Third Level Admissions

Colm Burke

1044. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if consideration will be given to increasing the number of places in third level institutions for medicine; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1330/23]

Citizenship Applications

Colm Burke

1099. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Justice the current timeframe for the processing of citizenship applications; the number of applications processed in each of the years 2020 to 2022, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1098/23]

Citizenship Applications

Colm Burke

1100. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Justice the current timeframe for the processing of citizenship applications in view of the fact that it is over 35 months since an application (details supplied) was first lodged; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1099/23]

Health Services

Colm Burke

1182. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health when the routine eye examinations and glasses for persons with medical cards under the community ophthalmic services scheme fee increase will come into effect; the amount of an increase that there will be; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63295/22]

Health Services

Colm Burke

1183. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health the proposed start date for the implementation of the proposals in the National Clinical Programme for Ophthalmology; and the start date for the transfer of care of children aged 8+ years to local private optometrists; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63305/22]

Health Services

Colm Burke

1184. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health if funding is in place for the development of the community model for eye care, which covers cataract assessment, paediatrics and macular disease; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63306/22]

Health Services

Colm Burke

1185. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health the current waiting time for access to ophthalmology services in respect of each HSE division; the total number currently waiting for an appointment, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63307/22]

Disability Services

Colm Burke

1269. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health if he will provide a timeframe for the addition of adult ADHD services in HSE area CHO 4; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63631/22]

Medicinal Products

Colm Burke

1270. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health if he will provide details in respect of the approval process for Oxycontin and drugs containing oxycodone by the HPRA; if the guidance has changed since it was first approved on the Irish market; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63635/22]

Medicinal Products

Colm Burke

1271. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health the number of opioids licensed for use in Ireland that have been dispensed as part of a public drug scheme or in a HSE hospital, psychiatric facility or primary care setting and by a private GP from 2011 to date in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63636/22]

Medicinal Products

Colm Burke

1272. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health his views on whether clinical guidance and licensing guidance should be reviewed on oxycontin in the context of litigation in other countries; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63637/22]

Medicinal Products

Colm Burke

1273. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health the total number of new medications licensed in the State for dealing with depression, stress and anxiety medications since 1 January 2019 to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63638/22]

Vaccination Programme

Colm Burke

1274. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health the timeframe to move the HPV programme from a two-dose programme to a single dose programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63639/22]

Vaccination Programme

Colm Burke

1275. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health the way that it is intended to monitor the HPV programme for effectiveness in view of the intention to move the HPV programme from a two-dose programme to a single dose programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63640/22]

Vaccination Programme

Colm Burke

1276. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health when the HPV programme will be reviewed for clinical effectiveness in view of the intention to move the HPV programme from a two-dose programme to a single dose programme; if it is intended to return to a two-dose programme should this prove negative; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63641/22]

Vaccination Programme

Colm Burke

1277. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health the way that is it intended to reach the 90% coverage rate for the HPV vaccine given that NIAC has advised that this is essential for an effective single-dose programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63642/22]

Vaccination Programme

Colm Burke

1278. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health the way that the move of the HPV programme from a two-dose programme to a single dose programme may affect the target date for the elimination of cervical cancer in Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63643/22]