Ceisteanna Parlaiminte

Energy Conservation

Patrick Costello

100. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the total annual budget of the SEAI on an annual basis; the number of applicants for various grants; and the average grant award and number of rejected applications for the past five years, in tabular form. [28939/21]

Swimming Pools

Patrick Costello

119. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media when children’s swimming lessons will resume in line with public health advice; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28548/21]

Middle East

Patrick Costello

142. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the amount of the recently announced €1.5 million funding which will be made available to ensure access to education in occupied Palestine in view of the challenges of access to education for Palestinian children, as demonstrated by UNICEF 2018 State of Palestine- Country report on out-of-school children report. [28409/21]

Election Monitoring Missions

Patrick Costello

303. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs further to Parliamentary Question No. 425 of 18 May 2021, if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the OSCE Election Observation Mission to Armenia is headed by an Irish citizen; if, in view of this he will review the decision not to deploy any Irish election observers to these elections especially those observers that are vaccinated against Covid 19; if he will now give active consideration to nominating experience Irish election observers from the current and previous rosters that have experience of elections in Armenia; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28403/21]

Election Monitoring Missions

Patrick Costello

304. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs his plans to replace the 2018 election observation roster; if any preparation work has been done on this to date; if Department officials have been in formal contact with the Public Appointments Service seeking them to organise a professional recruitment competition; if the existing roster can be increased to take account of observers that no longer wish to travel internationally; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28404/21]

Election Monitoring Missions

Patrick Costello

305. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs further to Parliamentary Question No. 425 of 18 May 2021, if he will explain the reason that insurance premiums are being paid for election observers when no Irish election observers have been deployed for over a year; if, in view of zero deployments he will seek a rebate of premiums paid; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28405/21]

Defence Forces

Patrick Costello

325. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Defence if he will seek to have the plaque at the monument to the Defence Forces in Merrion Square, Dublin 2 amended to correct the misspelling of the word emanate which appears as eminate. [27857/21]

Visa Applications

Patrick Costello

476. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Justice when the processing of long stay visa applications will be resumed (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27472/21]

Education Policy

Patrick Costello

142. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the status of the Programme for Government commitment to promote biodiversity initiatives across primary, post-primary and third-level sectors and ensure that schools, colleges and universities across the country play an active role in providing areas to promote biodiversity. [26952/21]

EU Directives

Patrick Costello

159. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the proposed directive on artificial intelligence and Digital Services Act would render Ireland the EU’s super enforcer of these new regulations for technology companies based here; his views on whether the current delays in enforcing GDPR decisions by the DPC will undermine the potential for further investment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27181/21]

Data Protection

Patrick Costello

160. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the US Senate is considering a draft Bill that targets jurisdictions with inadequate enforcement of data protection law (details supplied); his views on the situation; and if he regards the prospect of EU data export controls as a threat to the digital services sector. [27184/21]

Departmental Properties

Patrick Costello

133. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Defence further to Parliamentary Question No. 351 of 5 May 2021, the operational use that the Defence Forces have for this site. [26803/21]

Pension Provisions

Patrick Costello

239. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Transport if he will seek an assurance that CIÉ will await the outcome of the High Court application being made by the CIÉ pension trustees before engaging in further discussions in relation to the pension trustees 1951 scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25587/21]

Strategic Infrastructure

Patrick Costello

356. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if battery energy storage system developments are fast-tracked for planning purposes given they are treated as strategic infrastructure in the planning process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26087/21]

Election Monitoring Missions

Patrick Costello

425. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs his views on the importance of international election observation; if he will list by country since February 2020 the election observation missions that the OSCE and EU sought nominations for from his Department; the number nominated in each case; the 2021 budget for election observation; the amount spent to date; if he will nominate Irish election observers from the current and previous rosters that are vaccinated against Covid-19 to OSCE and EU election observation missions in view of ongoing Covid-19 vaccination programmes; when he plans to recruit new observers to the roster; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26044/21]

Programme for Government

Patrick Costello

143. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Education the status of measures her Department has undertaken to date to fulfil the programme for Government commitment that the Government will develop inclusive and age appropriate curricula for relationships and sexuality education and social, personal and health education across primary and post-primary schools, including an inclusive programme on LGBTI+ relationships. [25097/21]

Health Services Staff

Patrick Costello

408. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Health if his Department will subsidise counselling psychologists in training in Ireland in a way similar to clinical psychologists in training are, that is, salary for work experience and fees subsidised in view of the huge benefit this would be to encourage more persons to study this area and alleviating the huge waiting lists for counselling services. [25243/21]

Vaccination Programme

Patrick Costello

143. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Defence the number of Defence Forces personnel present on UN duty who were offered a Covid-19 vaccination through the UN since December 2020; the number that received it; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25053/21]

Vaccination Programme

Patrick Costello

144. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Defence the details of UN arrangements for vaccinations of peacekeepers; if the Defence Forces were part of those arrangements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25054/21]

Vaccination Programme

Patrick Costello

145. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Defence the number of Defence Forces personnel on UN duty who received a Covid- 19 vaccination from the host country from December 2020 to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25055/21]