Ceisteanna Parlaiminte

Covid-19 Pandemic

Holly Cairns

202. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will allow all retail to operate click-and-collect services during level 4 and 5 restrictions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15934/21]

Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Holly Cairns

203. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will provide the retail sector with advanced notice of the lifting of restrictions to enable a safe reopening; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15935/21]

Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Holly Cairns

204. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment his views on reactivating the future growth loan scheme long-term loan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15936/21]

Fuel Sales

Holly Cairns

225. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the details of fines issued for offences relating to the marketing, sale and distribution of prohibited fuels in low-smoke zones by county; the number of fines; the amounts fined; the number of fines collected in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14318/21]

Proposed Legislation

Holly Cairns

262. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the progress of the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15929/21]

Railway Stations

Holly Cairns

284. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Transport the number of train stations, including DART stations, which have lifts by county; his plans to upgrade the accessibility of train stations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14324/21]

Railway Stations

Holly Cairns

285. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Transport the steps that will be taken to address ongoing issues with lifts at Limerick Junction, Seapoint, Clontarf, Shankill and Clonsilla train stations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14325/21]

Córas Iompair Éireann

Holly Cairns

411. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Transport if his attention has been drawn to issues regarding the CIÉ pension scheme for retired Bus Éireann drivers (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15919/21]

Value Added Tax

Holly Cairns

440. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Finance his views on retaining the 9% tourism VAT rate at least up until 2025 to assist recovery and provide certainty for tourism businesses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14307/21]

Wage Subsidy Scheme

Holly Cairns

441. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Finance his views on extending the employment wage subsidy scheme until 31 January 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14309/21]

Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Holly Cairns

442. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Finance the steps he is taking to ensure that concession-based moratoriums are being provided to tourism and hospitality businesses by Irish banks and lenders until the Covid-19 restrictions are lifted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14310/21]

Insurance Coverage

Holly Cairns

510. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Finance the steps he is taking to ensure property owners at risk of flooding have fair access to insurance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15920/21]

Value Added Tax

Holly Cairns

511. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Finance his views on reducing the VAT rate to 21% to assist the retail sector during the pandemic; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15921/21]

Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Holly Cairns

512. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Finance his views on a further six-month moratorium on bank term loans for businesses to support cash flow; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15922/21]

Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Holly Cairns

513. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Finance his views on additional mortgage deferment for employees whose income has been impacted by Covid-19; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15923/21]

Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Holly Cairns

514. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Finance the steps he is taking to remove the policy of excluding employees working in businesses that avail of the employment wage subsidy scheme from new mortgage applications and other personal funding applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15924/21]

Flood Relief Schemes

Holly Cairns

524. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the steps he is taking to address deficiencies in the Bandon flood relief scheme (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14339/21]

Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Holly Cairns

559. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if she will provide the hospitality and tourism sector at least one month's notice for when they will be allowed to reopen; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14315/21]

Arts Funding

Holly Cairns

560. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the steps she is taking to run the live performance support scheme until 31 December 2021; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14316/21]

Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Holly Cairns

561. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the steps she is taking to ensure that one-off payments to support artists and support crews does not come from existing or announced arts funding; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14317/21]

Fur Farming

Holly Cairns

589. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the financial grants or other supports provided by Údarás na Gaeltachta to fur farms since 2009. [15925/21]

Commercial Rates

Holly Cairns

635. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his views on extending the local authority commercial rates waiver for tourism and hospitality businesses until 31 January 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14311/21]

Homelessness Strategy

Holly Cairns

636. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his views on extending the moratorium on evictions until 31 December 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14337/21]

Water Services

Holly Cairns

733. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his views on using section 19 of the Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013, which his predecessor decided not to invoke; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15926/21]

Disability Services Provision

Holly Cairns

734. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the steps he is taking to ensure that the consultation for the National Housing Strategy for Persons with Disabilities 2022-2027 is accessible to persons with no Internet access, persons who have difficulties using technology and persons with visual impairments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15927/21]

Legislative Programme

Holly Cairns

783. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the progress of the maritime jurisdiction Bill; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15930/21]

Human Rights

Holly Cairns

784. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the details of his recent visit to Iran including discussions on human rights violations and the treatment of women; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15931/21]

School Curriculum

Holly Cairns

845. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Education the position regarding the pedagogical value of homework for primary and post-primary students; the way in which research in the field informs teaching and learning practices; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14326/21]

State Examinations

Holly Cairns

846. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Education if junior certificate woodwork practical exams can be completed with the assistance of a SNA in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14327/21]

Covid-19 Pandemic

Holly Cairns

952. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Education the steps she is taking to ensure that students with underlying conditions will be supported to continue online learning from home; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15900/21]

Community Employment Schemes

Holly Cairns

970. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Social Protection her views on altering the requirements to qualify for the community employment programme from 12 months on the relevant payments to six months to enable more persons to be eligible; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14328/21]

Community Employment Schemes

Holly Cairns

971. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Social Protection her views on extending the employment of all persons in the community employment programme until at least 31 December 2021 given the difficulty in replacing persons during the Covid-19 pandemic; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14329/21]

Community Employment Schemes

Holly Cairns

972. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of persons employed under the community employment programme who have not received any of the training her Department is obliged to provide; if their participation will be extended by one year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14330/21]

Social Welfare Appeals

Holly Cairns

973. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to the fact that of the 7,410 appeals for refused disability allowance processed in 2020, 63% were either allowed, partly allowed or revised; the implications this has for the initial assessment process; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14331/21]

Parental Leave

Holly Cairns

974. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Social Protection the steps she is taking to provide maternity, paternity and parental leave to persons whose child was born via surrogacy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14332/21]

Disability Allowance

Holly Cairns

975. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to the call by an organisation (details supplied) for a humane application process for disability allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14333/21]

Community Employment Schemes

Holly Cairns

1043. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Social Protection her views on expanding the range of training available to participants in the community employment programme to enable greater chances of future employment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15937/21]

Community Employment Schemes

Holly Cairns

1044. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Social Protection her views on providing funding for additional activation officers to assist organisations in recruiting for community employment programme employees during the Covid-19 pandemic; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15938/21]

Community Employment Schemes

Holly Cairns

1045. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Social Protection the process by which activation officers for the community employment programme are searching for and recruiting eligible persons to participate in the programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15939/21]

Community Employment Schemes

Holly Cairns

1046. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Social Protection the way activation officers for the community employment programme match eligible persons in their area of responsibility with the relevant organisations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15940/21]

Community Employment Schemes

Holly Cairns

1047. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Social Protection her views on expanding the eligibility criteria for the community employment programme from persons living on one of the offshore islands and currently receiving a community employment qualifying payment for six months or more to persons living on one of the offshore islands, peninsulas or other rural areas more than 20 km from a large town; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15941/21]

Community Employment Schemes

Holly Cairns

1048. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Social Protection the steps she is taking to develop and enhance the community employment programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15942/21]

Community Employment Schemes

Holly Cairns

1049. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons employed in the community employment programme in County Cork in each of the years 2015 to 2020, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15943/21]

Community Employment Schemes

Holly Cairns

1050. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Social Protection the absolute and relative number of persons who have successfully entered employment after participating in the community employment programme in each of the years 2015 to 2020; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15944/21]

Community Employment Schemes

Holly Cairns

1051. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Social Protection the absolute and relative number of persons who have returned to social protection payments after participating in the community employment programme in each of the years 2015 to 2020; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15945/21]

Birth Certificates

Holly Cairns

1072. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the steps he is taking in relation to birth certificates which are known to be falsified; the way in which he is engaging with the persons affected; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14338/21]

Parental Leave

Holly Cairns

1104. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the progress of the parents' leave and benefit (amendment) Bill; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15928/21]

SOLAS Training and Education Programmes

Holly Cairns

1113. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will address the issue of a participant (details supplied) in a Solas apprenticeship who is unable to progress due to a delay in receiving examination results; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14319/21]

Apprenticeship Programmes

Holly Cairns

1114. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the steps he is taking to address the backlog in the processing of examinations and assessments for participants in apprenticeships; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14320/21]

Apprenticeship Programmes

Holly Cairns

1115. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will establish a mechanism to include apprenticeship students in discussions on the way Covid-19 strategy implementation will affect both on-the-job and off-the-job phases of apprenticeships; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14321/21]