Ceisteanna Parlaiminte

Driver Licences

Holly Cairns

238. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Transport if persons here with a UK driver licence that was issued in exchange for a Zimbabwean licence will be able to exchange their current driver license for an Irish driver licence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38104/20]

Community Banking

Holly Cairns

282. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Finance the progress his Department has made on implementing a new community banking service operated by An Post to be made available in all post offices throughout the country, as stated in the debate on the Private Members’ motion of 16 November 2016 on the post office network; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38528/20]

Student Accommodation

Holly Cairns

404. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the steps he is taking to ensure student renters have additional rights including the establishment of a legal definition of rental deposits, limiting rental deposits to the value of one month’s rent and implement a deposit protection scheme which would see deposits lodged with an independent third party such as the Residential Tenancies Board; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38885/20]

Residential Tenancies Board

Holly Cairns

405. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his views on providing additional investment in the Residential Tenancies Board in order that it can proactively investigate cases and to ensure properties are registered with the board; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38886/20]

Home Tuition Scheme

Holly Cairns

490. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Education the reason tuition was provided on a household basis rather than an individual basis under the summer provisions when there were two or more eligible children in the same family; the reason the appeals mechanism was removed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38108/20]

Social Welfare Inspections

Holly Cairns

559. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Social Protection if it is an accepted practice for social welfare inspectors to carry out unannounced visits to the homes of persons receiving social welfare payments; if so, the guidelines and protocols the inspectors operate under; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38111/20]

Carer's Allowance

Holly Cairns

577. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will amend the carer’s allowance and benefit requirements to allow persons to be working, self-employed or on a training or education course outside the home for 30 hours a week; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38525/20]

Direct Provision System

Holly Cairns

607. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth further to Parliamentary Question No. 171 of 10 September 2020, how he reacted effectively to issues raised in relation to services provided across the justice sector under a hashtag (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38521/20]

Student Accommodation

Holly Cairns

635. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science his views on whether an overreliance on the private market for student accommodation has contributed to the issues students and their families are facing regarding getting refunds on accommodation costs and deposits. [38884/20]

Higher Education Institutions

Holly Cairns

673. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if his attention has been drawn to a series (details supplied) on the working conditions in the higher level education sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38530/20]

Third Level Staff

Holly Cairns

674. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if his attention has been drawn to the 440 academic staff in universities and institutes of technology that were in continuous employment in excess of two years but not on a contract of indefinite duration; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38531/20]

Third Level Staff

Holly Cairns

675. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if his attention has been drawn to the 11,200 lecturers working on a temporary or casual basis in recent years across universities and institutes of technology; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38532/20]

Employment Rights

Holly Cairns

683. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the steps he is taking to address workers' rights for postgraduate researchers in universities and institutes of technology, ITs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38876/20]

Covid-19 Pandemic

Holly Cairns

684. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if the NPHET advice on restrictions for third level institutions will be regularly shared; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38877/20]

Nursing Staff

Holly Cairns

685. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will work with the Minister for Health to ensure all student nurses and midwives are paid for the work they do in hospitals as part of mandatory placements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38878/20]

Student Accommodation

Holly Cairns

686. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science his views on whether an overreliance on the private market for student accommodation has contributed to the issues students and their families are facing regarding getting refunds on accommodation costs and deposits. [38879/20]

Student Universal Support Ireland

Holly Cairns

687. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the steps he is taking to ensure that student perspectives and experiences will feature in the full-scale review of SUSI; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38880/20]

Student Universal Support Ireland

Holly Cairns

688. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if the full-scale review of SUSI will include engagement with the Department of Social Protection to review the back to education allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38881/20]

Employment Rights

Holly Cairns

689. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if his attention has been drawn to postgraduate students being required to engage in unpaid teaching in some HEIs; and the steps he is taking to address this practice. [38882/20]

Higher Education Institutions

Holly Cairns

690. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if his attention has been drawn to continuing staffing gender gaps in third level education institutions including that in 2019 more women work in part-time temporary academic jobs with the gap increasing in recent years to 71% in universities and 63%; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38883/20]

Social Media Regulation

Holly Cairns

720. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Justice further to Parliamentary Question No. 171 of 10 September 2020, the number of officials engaged in social media listening as part of their communications duties; the grade of each; the way in which she has reacted effectively to issues as they arose relating to services being provided across the justice sector; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38112/20]

Residency Permits

Holly Cairns

738. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Justice if her attention has been drawn to persons being updated on their application for a stamp 4 by a post-it affixed to their passport; if this is standard practice; the action being taken as a result; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38522/20]

International Protection

Holly Cairns

739. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Justice the rationale for the practice of international protection seekers denied leave to remain being summoned monthly to the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service, INIS, or the Garda National Immigration Bureau, GNIB, at Burgh Quay, Dublin 2 during level 5 restrictions to report for possible deportation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38523/20]

Nursing Home Accommodation

Holly Cairns

815. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health if he will review the visiting restrictions in nursing homes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38105/20]

Mental Health Services

Holly Cairns

816. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health the way in which the implementation of the immediate priority to ensure that short-term additional supports are available for persons who are making the transition from CAMHS to GAMHS at 18 years of age given the issues and vulnerabilities that can prevail as outlined in Sharing the Vision: A Mental Health Policy for Everyone; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38107/20]

Departmental Staff

Holly Cairns

884. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 214 of 17 September 2020, the number of officials engaged in actively listening to public views and concerns from the outset of the Covid-19 pandemic collating commentary on social and traditional media; the grade of each official; the way in which decision-making in his Department has been impacted by this process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38524/20]

Wildlife Protection

Holly Cairns

972. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his attention has been drawn to an incident of inappropriate snaring of animals (details supplied) in County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38109/20]

Wildlife Protection

Holly Cairns

973. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the guidelines under which Department employees or those working on behalf of his Department set snares or other traps for badgers will be made available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38110/20]

Wage-setting Mechanisms

Holly Cairns

154. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the status of the implementation of Action 1.14 of the National Strategy for Women and Girls 2017-2020 to increase the minimum wage to €10.50 per hour over the next five years, relying on the recommendations from the Low Pay Commission on the level of adjustment each year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36378/20]

Legislative Measures

Holly Cairns

155. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the status of the implementation of Action 1.15 of the National Strategy for Women and Girls 2017-2020 to bring forward legislation in response to problems caused by the increased casualisation of work and to strengthen the regulation of precarious work among men and women; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36379/20]

Road Signage

Holly Cairns

208. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Transport if temporary multi-coloured crossings are allowed on public roads under the Roads Act 1961; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36385/20]

Health Promotion

Holly Cairns

551. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Education if her attention has been drawn to the ERSI/HSE report Talking about Sex and Sexual Behaviour of Young People in Ireland; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37100/20]

Covid-19 Pandemic

Holly Cairns

552. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Education further to Parliamentary Question No. 431 of 10 November 2020, the number of the 195 appeals made to the Primary Appeals Board that cited the availability of classrooms for social distancing in the context of Covid-19; if any school was allowed to retain a post or gain an additional teaching post based solely or partially on facilitating social distancing or using additional classrooms in the context of Covid-19; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37101/20]

State Examinations

Holly Cairns

553. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Education the redress or opportunity for a review for a student (details supplied) whose leaving certificate marks were significantly downgraded by the standardisation process; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37104/20]

Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Holly Cairns

595. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Social Protection the steps she is taking to amend the wage subsidy scheme guidelines to enable persons with disabilities to engage in apprenticeships programmes while receiving the subsidy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37106/20]

Gender Equality

Holly Cairns

600. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the progress in achieving Action 1.21 of the National Strategy for Women and Girls 2017-2020 to undertake a package of measures to tackle the gender pay gap; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36380/20]

Gender Equality

Holly Cairns

601. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the details of progress in achieving Action 1.22 of the National Strategy for Women and Girls 2017-2020 (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36381/20]

Domestic Violence

Holly Cairns

614. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if his attention has been drawn to a report by an organisation (details supplied) showing a sharp increase in women and children fleeing domestic violence during Covid-19, including 3,450 women and 589 children contacted a domestic violence service for the first time; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36383/20]

Domestic Violence

Holly Cairns

635. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth his views on establishing a national development plan to address the sharp increase in women and children fleeing domestic violence during Covid-19 as outlined in the report by an organisation (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37103/20]

Apprenticeship Programmes

Holly Cairns

646. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the steps he is taking to remove barriers for those with disabilities that may not be able to work full-time from accessing apprenticeships; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37105/20]

Domestic Violence

Holly Cairns

662. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Justice if her attention has been drawn to a report by an organisation (details supplied) showing a sharp increase in women and children fleeing domestic violence during Covid-19, including 3,450 women and 589 children that contacted a domestic violence service for the first time; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36382/20]

Domestic Violence

Holly Cairns

683. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Justice her views on establishing a national development plan to address the sharp increase in women and children fleeing domestic violence during Covid-19 as outlined in the report by an organisation (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37102/20]

Occupational Therapy

Holly Cairns

737. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health the status of the panel for occupational therapy roles in the HSE areas of south Lee and Cork west; the number remaining on the panel; the length of time the panel has been in place; when the panel is expected to conclude; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36384/20]

Education Policy

Holly Cairns

860. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the ESRI-HSE report Talking about Sex and Sexual Behaviour of Young People in Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37098/20]

Education Policy

Holly Cairns

861. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the ESRI-HSE report Talking about Sex and Sexual Behaviour of Young People in Ireland finding that a significant group of young persons are not receiving information or advice from their parents on relationships and sex and its suggestion that initiatives to target quality sex education via internet platforms and television should be considered; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37099/20]

Cycling Policy

Holly Cairns

49. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Transport the steps he is taking to ensure the development of cycling networks separate from greenways in rural areas. [35797/20]

Cycling Facilities

Holly Cairns

70. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Transport the steps he is taking to ensure the development of safe cycling routes to rural schools and the provision of cycling parking facilities within schools in rural areas. [35796/20]

Radon Control Strategy

Holly Cairns

102. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Environment, Climate and Communications his views on subsidising radon testing services to encourage more household testing for this cancer-causing radioactive gas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36088/20]

Driver Licences

Holly Cairns

144. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Transport his views on extending driver licences for those whose licences expire between 1 September and 30 November 2020 for seven months due to ongoing backlogs in the NDLS system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36087/20]

Wind Energy Generation

Holly Cairns

44. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Environment, Climate and Communications the steps he is taking to ensure that fishing communities are consulted on the development of any offshore wind energy projects and the way the principles of a just transition will be applied; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35748/20]