Ceisteanna Parlaiminte

Covid-19 Pandemic

Richard Bruton

883. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Health if there is data to track the extent to which persons who flew into Ireland during January 2021 were associated with the spread of Covid-19 and the import of new variants of Covid-19 from Brazil or South Africa. [13052/21]

Post Office Network

Richard Bruton

81. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he has studied the proposals in a report (details supplied) for the support mechanism for postal services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11626/21]

Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Richard Bruton

221. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Finance if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the Covid-19 restrictions support scheme is being denied to dog training, grooming and day care businesses on the grounds that they could have remained open, which would be entirely out of step with the provisions of level 5; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11954/21]

Public Sector Staff

Richard Bruton

244. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if there are limits on the amount of sick leave a public servant can take; the provisions available to a person who is suffering repeated bouts of illness; and whether annual leave entitlement can be affected. [11673/21]

National Development Plan

Richard Bruton

251. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the submissions which he has received on the review of the National Development Plan 2018-2027; and if he will classify them into the key categories. [12040/21]

Covid-19 Pandemic

Richard Bruton

439. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Education if new directives are being considered on mask wearing or other safety precautions in the context of the reopening of schools. [11436/21]

State Examinations

Richard Bruton

470. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Education if her attention has been drawn to the fact that some schools are choosing to hold a mock leaving certificate examination as soon as students return while others are not; if guidelines have been issued on the way such mock exams should be used in arriving at predictive grades; her views on the potential for such an exam to be an unfair reflection of a students work after such a long absence; and her views on whether a potential inequity may arise between schools that do and those that do not run mock exams. [11674/21]

Education and Training Provision

Richard Bruton

487. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Education if her attention has been drawn to the fact that those doing a private masters course to enter primary teaching face the cost of specialist immersive courses in Irish but do not qualify for the support available to those in other colleges; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11874/21]

DEIS Scheme

Richard Bruton

503. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Education if she will consider allocating additional resources to acutely disadvantaged schools which could be used flexibly to address their requirements to enable the gap to be closed given the reduction in class size at primary level in recent years and the fact that the increment of additional resources available to DEIS band 1 schools has reduced and there is no evidence that the gap in performance by such schools has narrowed. [12016/21]

Covid-19 Pandemic

Richard Bruton

517. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Education if the shortening of the Easter school break has been considered in the context of the discussions on the return to education. [12083/21]

Covid-19 Pandemic

Richard Bruton

886. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Health his views on whether it is appropriate to relax further the visiting opportunities for residents of nursing homes who have been isolated for a long time given the Covid-19 vaccination programme in nursing homes has been completed; and if he will consider the merit in considering the vaccination of one visitor per resident to make visiting nursing homes safer. [11675/21]

Hospital Car Parks

Richard Bruton

978. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to a report undertaken on the impact of hospital car park charges on those undertaking a sustained level of treatment; his views on policies which put a cap on such charges for patients; and his further views on whether a national protocol could be developed to address same. [11997/21]

Medical Cards

Richard Bruton

979. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Health if his Department has issued guidance on discretionary medical cards in respect of providing temporary cover during periods of intense care, such as for cancer patients in order that the stress of medical bills would be relieved for a period. [11998/21]

Debt Collection

Richard Bruton

980. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Health if hospitals have protocols in place governing the activity of debt collectors pursuing outstanding medical bills in order that there would be reasonable practices respecting the stress that some patients are under. [11999/21]

Covid-19 Pandemic

Richard Bruton

163. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Education if the phased reopening of schools will give priority to children with special needs in mainstream classes who have been particularly impacted by the move to online alternatives. [10693/21]

Driver Licences

Richard Bruton

113. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Transport the way in which a member of a religious order who has been posted to the UK can get a fresh Irish driver licence to present to the UK authorities in a situation in which his or her existing licence was extended during Covid-19 but has now expired given such options are not catered for on the website. [9948/21]

Covid-19 Pandemic

Richard Bruton

204. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Finance if his attention has been drawn to the fact that persons who have recovered from Covid-19 are being denied mortgage protection for a period of six months resulting in persons who have paid a deposit on their home being put in a position in which they cannot complete the purchase (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10097/21]

Special Educational Needs

Richard Bruton

461. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Education if the reopening plan of schools for children with special needs includes those that are in mainstream classes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10083/21]

School Admissions

Richard Bruton

463. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Education if her attention has been drawn to the difficulty in getting secondary school placements for those leaving sixth class at a school (details supplied); if an assessment of the need for extra school places has been identified in the relevant school planning area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10102/21]

Carer's Allowance

Richard Bruton

589. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Social Protection if she plans to review the means limits for the carer’s allowance which have been in place for many years given that an hourly rate for 18.5 hours is well below the average industrial wage. [10462/21]