Ceisteanna Parlaiminte

Climate Change Negotiations

Sorca Clarke

43. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the level of consultation that has taken place regarding the proposed peatlands climate action scheme with local residents of the affected areas. [8204/21]

Office of Public Works

Sorca Clarke

191. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if the Office of Public Works will open consultation or hold an online briefing with residents affected by the construction of new flood defences on both the east side and the west side of the River Shannon in Athlone, County Westmeath; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8202/21]

Office of Public Works

Sorca Clarke

192. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if the Office of Public Works will provide a timeline for completion of the flood defence projects on the east and west sides of the River Shannon in Athlone, County Westmeath. [8203/21]

International Students

Sorca Clarke

560. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if international travel for foreign third level students is deemed essential travel. [8205/21]

International Students

Sorca Clarke

561. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number of international students arriving for study that have entered Ireland in each week since the beginning of the year in tabular form. [8206/21]

Health Services Provision

Sorca Clarke

714. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Health the reason the business case for a second diabetes clinical nurse specialist, CNSp, post, which was approved locally, was rejected by the Ireland East Hospital Group for Mullingar Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8146/21]

Health Services Staff

Sorca Clarke

716. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Health the urgent steps he is taking to address the vacancy levels as of the 1st of February of over 75 whole-time equivalent staff at Regional Hospital Mullingar; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8148/21]

Driver Licences

Sorca Clarke

29. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Transport the reason a person (details supplied) has been waiting over two months for their C licence application to be processed by the NDLS, having submitted all necessary paperwork on 8 December 2020. [7570/21]

Penalty Points System

Sorca Clarke

30. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Transport the reason a person (details supplied) has been waiting over two months for a vital statement from the NDLS on the non-existence of penalty points on their licence. [7571/21]

National Driver Licensing Service

Sorca Clarke

31. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Transport the steps he will take to address the ongoing issues with members of the public contacting the NDLS regarding documentation necessary to their continued employment which is being severely affected by unanswered emails and call holding times of up to 50 minutes. [7572/21]

Vaccination Programme

Sorca Clarke

693. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Health the most recent medical advice regarding pharmacists providing Covid-19 vaccinations. [6328/21]

Hospital Waiting Lists

Sorca Clarke

718. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Health the number of patients currently waiting on bone anchor hearing aids, by hospital, in tabular form. [6408/21]

Hospital Data

Sorca Clarke

719. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Health the number of bone anchor hearing aids fitted in each of the years from 2018 to 2020 in Tullamore Hospital. [6409/21]

Hospital Data

Sorca Clarke

720. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Health the number of bone anchor hearing aid procedures due to take place in Tullamore Hospital in 2021; and the number that took place in each of the years from 2018 to 2020. [6410/21]

Hospital Waiting Lists

Sorca Clarke

721. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Health the input surgeons have in the decision-making process of prioritising those suffering from hearing loss for bone anchor hearing aids. [6411/21]

National Broadband Plan

Sorca Clarke

20. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the current timeline under the National Broadband Plan for the roll-out of a fibre connection to a premises (details supplied). [6254/21]

Covid-19 Pandemic

Sorca Clarke

157. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the communication and consultation he has had with CORU regarding the 15 week placement requirement for final year social studies students; and the flexibility that was discussed regarding those due to graduate this semester. [6074/21]

Student Universal Support Ireland

Sorca Clarke

158. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if SUSI grants will be available to students in circumstances in which a final year social care student cannot take up placement due to Covid-19 restrictions and is required to repeat the placement module. [6075/21]

Covid-19 Pandemic

Sorca Clarke

179. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Justice the requirements regarding PPE, face masks and hand sanitisation by members of An Garda Síochána when entering a private home. [6088/21]

Vaccination Programme

Sorca Clarke

224. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Health if there have been communications from medical representative groups or other lobbyists seeking exclusivity on the provision of vaccinations to an age group, to a group of persons with underlying medical conditions or a group of persons within a specific geographic region thereby impacting the pace of vaccine roll-out due to the exclusion of other qualified persons capable and willing to vaccinate for Covid-19; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6260/21]

Parental Leave

Sorca Clarke

510. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth when the announced extension to parental leave will come into effect as per Budget 2021. [5941/21]

Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries

Sorca Clarke

512. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the steps he will take to ensure that at least one bound copy of the final report of the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes is available for public reading and reference in each public library in line with envisaged reopening following the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions. [5966/21]

Covid-19 Pandemic

Sorca Clarke

284. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Health if transplant recipients and patients undergoing dialysis are to be prioritised for Covid-19 vaccine; the vaccination group they are in; and when they can expect to receive a vaccination.. [4870/21]

Covid-19 Pandemic

Sorca Clarke

289. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Health the additional mental health supports available to front-line health workers given they are now in the midst of the greatest pressures they have faced since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic and while exhausted continue to persevere, despite high levels of stress and anxiety, to protect the public and keep the health service from collapse; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4907/21]

Brexit Preparations

Sorca Clarke

187. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Finance if additional customs staff have been put in place at points of entry and exit from the country to meet the increased documentation demand following Brexit. [3654/21]

Brexit Issues

Sorca Clarke

188. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Finance if he will report on two vehicles that arrived at customs on 9 January 2021 and were subsequently held for 26 hours with no communication from customs which resulted in their having to leave the loads behind as delivery slots had been missed; and if his attention has been drawn to the fact that his singular event led to a loss of revenue of approximately €1,200 per vehicle as items on board were perishable this excluding the cost of diesel, drivers' wages and other overheads. [3655/21]

Flood Relief Schemes

Sorca Clarke

251. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if the environmental assessment has commenced; the expected completion date; and if planning permission has been sought in respect of the programme of strategic maintenance and the removal of the pinch points in the Shannon Callows developed by the Shannon working group with €7 million funding being provided by the Office of Public Works. [3646/21]

Flood Relief Schemes

Sorca Clarke

252. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the status of the 25 schemes that have commenced of the 34 new schemes to be delivered for the Shannon area; and the status of the other nine identified schemes which have not yet commenced. [3647/21]

Flood Relief Schemes

Sorca Clarke

253. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the frequency with which the Shannon working group will meet in 2021. [3648/21]

Defence Forces Data

Sorca Clarke

418. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Defence the number of apprentices in relation to rates of pay for enlisted personnel of the Permanent Defence Force at points one to three of the pay-scale inclusive in tabular form. [3649/21]

Defence Forces Data

Sorca Clarke

419. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Defence the number of members at the rank of private grade one in relation to rates of pay for enlisted personnel of the Permanent Defence Force, Army. [3650/21]

Defence Forces Data

Sorca Clarke

420. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Defence the number of members at the rank of seaman third class in relation to rates of pay for enlisted personnel of the Permanent Defence Force, Naval Service in tabular form. [3651/21]

Defence Forces Data

Sorca Clarke

421. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Defence the number of members at the rank of private two star in relation to rates of pay for enlisted personnel of the Permanent Defence Force, Army. [3652/21]

Defence Forces Data

Sorca Clarke

422. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Defence the number of members at the rank of seaman second class in relation to rates of pay for enlisted personnel of the Permanent Defence Force, Naval Service. [3653/21]

Felling Licences

Sorca Clarke

881. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if a person (details supplied) was required to apply for a felling licence prior to the recent tree felling carried out on the land; and if such a licence was granted. [3656/21]

Flood Relief Schemes

Sorca Clarke

99. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the proposed timescale for the completion of a scheme in view of the recent approval of An Bord Pleanála for the Office of Public Works-funded scheme in Springfield, Clonlara. [3254/21]

School Facilities

Sorca Clarke

202. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Education the current timeline for the completion of the playing pitch at a school (details supplied). [3252/21]

Vaccination Programme

Sorca Clarke

387. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Health the position regarding family carers now considered as likely to be categorised as front-line workers in relation to the roll-out of the Covid-19 vaccination; and when a decision on their categorisation will be made. [3226/21]

Covid-19 Pandemic

Sorca Clarke

396. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Health his plans for the Covid-19 vaccination schedule to be operating seven days per week and outside standard office hours, given the exponential growth of the virus in our communities and the urgency to ensure the maximum roll-out is achieved to ensure public health is maintained. [3250/21]

Eating Disorders

Sorca Clarke

397. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Health the total allocation for the treatment of eating disorders and by comparison the amount expended on actual treatment of eating disorders and in which an underspend occurred by which the unspent moneys were utilised in each of the years 2018 to 2020, in tabular form. [3251/21]

Vaccination Programme

Sorca Clarke

401. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Health the cohort of vaccine recipients to which student teachers belong; if they will be classed alongside others in the education sector; and if not, the reason consideration was not given to the Teaching Council requirement of face-to-face teaching, which would lead these student teachers to be in the same work environment as qualified colleagues and subject to the same risk. [3264/21]

Vaccination Programme

Sorca Clarke

424. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Health when pharmacists will be offered the Covid-19 vaccination, given the nature of their work, which involves high levels of face-to-face contact with the public. [3302/21]

National Parks and Wildlife Service

Sorca Clarke

253. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of district conservation officers, wildlife inspectors, conservation rangers and ecologists who were recruited for the National Parks and Wildlife Service in each of the past three years, in tabular form. [2926/21]

Housing Adaptation Grant

Sorca Clarke

254. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the estimated annual cost if the budget for housing adaptation grants for older persons and persons with disability was increased by 5%. [2927/21]

Defence Forces Deployment

Sorca Clarke

275. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Defence the number of Permanent Defence Force personnel ordinarily based at Aiken Barracks, Dundalk. [2924/21]

Army Barracks

Sorca Clarke

276. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Defence if funding will be provided for the upgrade of former University Service Army Complement, USAC, block at Dún Uí Mhaoilíosa, County Galway; when works will commence; and the estimated completion timeframe and estimated cost of such works. [2925/21]

Invalidity Pension

Sorca Clarke

356. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of invalidity pension applications received by her Department in 2020; the number of applications that were approved; the number of applications refused; and the number of applications still ongoing. [2929/21]

Crime Data

Sorca Clarke

442. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Justice the number of persons arrested and successfully prosecuted for driving while disqualified in each of the past three years in tabular form. [2928/21]

Health Services Staff

Sorca Clarke

669. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Health the number of graduate nurses and midwives in 2019 and 2020 who have been provided full-time permanent contracts. [2930/21]

Hospital Staff

Sorca Clarke

670. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Health the number of job vacancies at Midland Regional Hospital Mullingar by department, job title and the length of time each position has been vacant. [2931/21]