Ceisteanna Parlaiminte

Covid-19 Pandemic

Bríd Smith

262. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health if his Department was notified by a company (details supplied) of a Covid-19 outbreak; if so, when; the actions taken; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26174/20]

Covid-19 Pandemic

Bríd Smith

294. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department was notified by a company (details supplied) of a Covid-19 outbreak; if so, when; the actions taken; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26173/20]

Covid-19 Pandemic

Bríd Smith

30. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Transport if his attention has been drawn to the fact that many persons, in complying with public health advice to refrain from travelling to particular countries during the Covid-19 pandemic, have incurred substantial losses as a result of airline companies’ refusal to refund them by stating that their flights are still departing; if he has had meetings with airlines to address the matter; his plans to compel airlines and or hotels to refund customers that cannot travel as a result of public health advice; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25832/20]

Work Permits

Bríd Smith

138. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the details of the operation of the employment permit scheme; and the number of employment permits by category including general permit and skills shortage permits that have been issued since 2010 to or on behalf of or following an application from a third party such as an employment agency that is not the employer involved or the employee. [25597/20]

Work Permits

Bríd Smith

139. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of general employment permits issued since 2010 to the meat processing sector. [25598/20]

Wage Subsidy Scheme

Bríd Smith

229. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Finance if the employment wage subsidy scheme will be reinstated at the full rate per week for the highly skilled staff and businesses working in the live events sector that are anxious to return to work; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24906/20]

Wage Subsidy Scheme

Bríd Smith

272. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Finance the number of workers in receipt of the employment subsidy scheme; the number of workers that received a top-up payment from their employer; the breakdown of the levels and top- ups provided by employers; and if his attention has been drawn to the fact that employer top-ups have risen as a response to the reduction in the employment subsidies provided by the State. [25595/20]

Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Bríd Smith

273. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Finance when he will publish a list of the companies that availed of the wage subsidy scheme; the amounts given to the companies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25596/20]

Covid-19 Pandemic

Bríd Smith

275. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the provisions for workers that have left or were in their final year of service in the public sector when the Public Service Superannuation (Age of Retirement) Act 2018 was passed to continue working in their positions; if workers aged 66 years of age and that were still working in their positions when this legislation was enacted can continue working in line with the new age limits in the Act; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24716/20]

Covid-19 Pandemic

Bríd Smith

295. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Media, Tourism, Arts, Culture, Sport and the Gaeltacht if her attention has been drawn to the hardship and distress the Covid-19 restrictions have caused to those previously working in the live events sector; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24906/20]

Covid-19 Pandemic

Bríd Smith

296. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Media, Tourism, Arts, Culture, Sport and the Gaeltacht if she will consider granting funding to the live events sector proportionate to the funds allocated to the Arts Council in 2020 in recognition of the fact that the sector accounts for 90% of all tickets sold here; if the critical lack of grant funding to the sector will be acknowledged; if a commitment will be given to a ringfenced fund for businesses in the sector that can remain viable until restrictions are lifted; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24907/20]

Covid-19 Pandemic

Bríd Smith

297. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Media, Tourism, Arts, Culture, Sport and the Gaeltacht if a voice will be given to the commercial live events sector in the recently announced task force in order to represent the substantial needs of the live events community; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24908/20]

Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment

Bríd Smith

493. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection if the pandemic unemployment payment will be reinstated at the full rate per week for the highly skilled staff and businesses working in the live events sector that are anxious to return to work; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24906/20]

Beef Industry

Bríd Smith

241. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if it is policy not to pursue additional capacity within the beef sector as stated by the Immigration Investor Programme Evaluation Committee; the details of the members of the committee; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24675/20]

Beef Industry

Bríd Smith

242. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on whether the policy to not to pursue additional capacity denies farmers access to markets and creates barriers to trade for consumers and farmers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24676/20]

Proposed Legislation

Bríd Smith

243. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if consideration has been given to providing a money message for the Island Fisheries Heritage Licence Bill 2017 if it is reintroduced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24677/20]

Agriculture Industry

Bríd Smith

244. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to change the industrialised business-led model of agriculture here which has led to a biodiversity, climate and water quality crisis, in addition to a substantial decline of small family farms; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24678/20]

Trade Agreements

Bríd Smith

107. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will report on the Mercosur deal and the way in which it will impact farming here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24346/20]

Exploration Licences

Bríd Smith

162. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Climate Action and Communication Networks the status of the commitment on page 36 of the programme for Government to end the issuing of new licences for exploration and extraction of gas on the same basis as the recent decision on oil exploration and extraction; the legislation that will be put forward in this regard; and the form it will take. [23788/20]

Pupil-Teacher Ratio

Bríd Smith

424. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Education further to Parliamentary Question No. 6 of 30 July 2020, if the school appealed the reduction of staff ratio allocated for the 2020-21 school year; the outcome of the appeal; the additional resources allocated to help the school deal with class sizes of 35 from different years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23789/20]