Ceisteanna Parlaiminte

Health Services

Willie O'Dea

356. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the fact that therapeutic venesection is not being provided at present in the mid-West; when this vital and normal service will be provided in the mid-West for patients suffering from haemochromatosis and who are currently iron-overloaded, which is endangering their health; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49197/22]

Social Welfare Benefits

Willie O'Dea

228. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to the fact that her Department currently has a backlog of over 80,000 applications for exceptional needs’ payments, which is contradictory to the notion of financially assisting a person with an urgent exceptional need; her plans to deal with this significant backlog; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48826/22]

School Transport

Willie O'Dea

386. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Education if her attention has been drawn to the large number of pupils from Castleconnell, County Limerick who are attending a school (details supplied), but are unable to avail of the free school transport which they have applied for; if she will sanction extra resources to deal with their case; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48181/22]

Dental Services

Willie O'Dea

688. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Health if a dentist will be suggested for a person (details supplied) given that all dentists in Limerick are full and they are not accepting new patients; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48447/22]

Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Willie O'Dea

267. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Health when agency staff (details supplied) will receive the €1,000 pandemic bonus payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47502/22]

Health Services Staff

Willie O'Dea

476. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Health when a job evaluation application by a person (details supplied) will be completed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45434/22]

Nursing Homes

Willie O'Dea

622. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Health if there are any plans to streamline the process for the recruitment of non-European Union healthcare workers for the nursing home sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45093/22]

Pension Provisions

Willie O'Dea

1057. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to the fact that her Department is deeming persons in receipt of approved retirement funds to be still engaged in self-employment and not to be eligible for benefit payment for 65-year-olds; her views on this interpretation of the legislation by her officials; if the matter will be clarified for the many holders of approved retirement funds under 65 years who will in due course be affected by this interpretation of the legislation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42013/22]

Employment Schemes

Willie O'Dea

1066. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection her plans to provide pay restoration to those on the job initiative scheme and the community employment scheme, similar to pay restoration provided for the public service in recent years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42194/22]

Grant Payments

Willie O'Dea

1328. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science when he will make a decision on whether to allow graduate entry medical students to apply for the SUSI student grant scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43205/22]

Departmental Funding

Willie O'Dea

1338. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if following the recent meeting between officials of his Department and a charity (details supplied) he will consider increasing funding for the charity given the eleven-fold increase in the number of clients since the initial funding was awarded by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43462/22]

Fishing Industry

Willie O'Dea

28. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the progress that he has made in implementing the various supports and schemes recommended by the Seafood Sector Taskforce. [38547/22]

Forestry Sector

Willie O'Dea

29. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of his work in relation to afforestation licensing. [38546/22]

Language Schools

Willie O'Dea

414. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the standards that are in place for the teaching of English at English language schools in Ireland; if the biometric system for attendance is used by many of the schools regulated; if there is an appeal policy within the biometric system to enable a student to explain a minimal lateness; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38451/22]

Mental Health Services

Willie O'Dea

98. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Health the improvements in dementia care that have been put in place over the past two years; the further developments that are planned; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37465/22]

Care of the Elderly

Willie O'Dea

174. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Health the number of integrated care programme for older persons teams that are now in place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37466/22]

School Uniforms

Willie O'Dea

549. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Education her plans regarding schools that do not allow generic options for uniforms in contravention of Circular 0032/2017; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37346/22]

Social Welfare Appeals

Willie O'Dea

605. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason that a carer's allowance appeal by a person (details supplied) was withdrawn by the carer's allowance section after they had submitted it in March 2020; the reason that there has been no communication since with the applicant; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37261/22]

Departmental Policies

Willie O'Dea

652. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection if she has given consideration to allowing a sliding scale back-to-school allowance to allow families that are just above the household income threshold to receive a portion of the allowance to assist with the rising cost-of-living; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38093/22]

Children in Care

Willie O'Dea

155. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth his plans to increase the rate paid for the fostering allowance that has not been increased since 2009; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36358/22]

Antisocial Behaviour

Willie O'Dea

20. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Justice if there will be changes to laws relating to knife crime; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35649/22]

Departmental Policies

Willie O'Dea

79. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Justice her plans to strengthen bail laws; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35648/22]

Public Sector Staff

Willie O'Dea

23. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Finance further to Parliamentary Question No. 67 of 18 May 2022, the number of appointments to the grade of assistant principal in the Limerick region; the reason for the significant deviation between appointments following competition from the open streams of both the Public Appointments Service and Revenue competitions versus the number of appointments from interdepartmental competitions; if there should be some level of parity between the streams; if Revenue envisions requesting candidates from this stream for appointment to the Limerick region in the near future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34677/22]

School Admissions

Willie O'Dea

89. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Education further to Parliamentary Question No. 557 of 21 June 2022, if she will re-examine the case as it falls within section 29 F(1) of the Education Act (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34679/22]

Tax Code

Willie O'Dea

211. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Finance if he has plans to allow the help-to-buy scheme to be used for the purchase of second-hand homes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34279/22]

Heritage Schemes

Willie O'Dea

261. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his attention has been drawn to the fact that churches and places of worship, which are protected structures and have historical and cultural value have received a smaller proportion of the overall heritage grants available in recent years; the action he will take to deal with this issue; if the overall funding for heritage grants will be increased; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33898/22]

Special Educational Needs

Willie O'Dea

615. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Education her plans to address the lack of ASD units in primary schools in Limerick; the details of the new ASD units coming on stream in Limerick in September 2022; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34223/22]

School Transport

Willie O'Dea

616. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Education if she plans to include schools (details supplied) in the School Transport Programme.; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34232/22]

State Examinations

Willie O'Dea

617. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Education if her attention has been drawn to the consternation among pupils and teachers of Irish over the recent Junior Certificate exam paper; her views that the strong focus on literature and creative writing in the Irish exam with no oral element which could be detrimental to the language in the long run given that it could discourage students from opting for the higher-level Leaving Certificate paper; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34239/22]

Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Willie O'Dea

804. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Health when Irish Prison Service nurses will receive the pandemic bonus payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33866/22]

Passport Services

Willie O'Dea

120. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of applications for passports from counties Clare and Tipperary for each county to date in 2022, in tabular form; the number of passports issued; the number of outstanding applications for passports currently awaiting processing in each county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32950/22]

School Admissions

Willie O'Dea

557. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Education if she will review the case of a student (details supplied) who was not offered a place in first year at a local secondary school in Limerick; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32099/22]

Departmental Data

Willie O'Dea

705. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Justice if her attention has been drawn to the fact that some of the security provisions put in place to protect a person (details supplied) have been withdrawn, despite an agreement that they would have this protection for life; and the reason these security measures are now being withdrawn; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32571/22]

Vaccination Programme

Willie O'Dea

826. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Health when a vaccine compensation scheme will be introduced in this country to fasttrack compensation for people who have been damaged as a result of taking vaccines (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32573/22]

Vaccination Programme

Willie O'Dea

916. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Health when a vaccine compensation scheme will be introduced in this country to fast-track compensation for persons who have been damaged as a result of taking vaccines as in the case of a person (details supplied); if the recommendations made by the Meenan Committee are acceptable to the Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32797/22]

Credit Unions

Willie O'Dea

33. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Finance his plans to expand the credit union sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30326/22]

Tax Yield

Willie O'Dea

76. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Finance the way that the tax receipts for the first five months of 2022 compare with the same period in 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30327/22]

Capital Expenditure Programme

Willie O'Dea

96. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if capital expenditure to date in 2022 is within profile; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30528/22]

Fiscal Policy

Willie O'Dea

106. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his views on the assessment by the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council that the current unexpected inflation highlights some issues with the design of spending rules; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30529/22]

Sports Funding

Willie O'Dea

441. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if she will consider increasing the funding available for minority sports such as basketball; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29246/22]

Departmental Correspondence

Willie O'Dea

1091. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection if consideration has been given to providing correspondence from her Department in a simpler fashion, particularly for elderly people; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29247/22]

Health Services

Willie O'Dea

1388. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Health the reason that botox treatment has been stopped given that the treatment was working for a patient (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28869/22]

Energy Policy

Willie O'Dea

102. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the status of the review of the security of supply of Ireland’s electricity and natural gas systems. [28446/22]

Energy Policy

Willie O'Dea

123. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will provide an update on the work of the District Heating Steering Group. [28447/22]

Departmental Investigations

Willie O'Dea

233. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will meet with persons (details supplied) who are calling for a public inquiry into the Department of Agriculture investigation into animal health problems on their farm in the mid-1990s. [28322/22]

Departmental Strategies

Willie O'Dea

42. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the progress she has made in developing a Dark Skies Strategy for Ireland. [27681/22]

Covid-19 Pandemic

Willie O'Dea

76. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Health when all persons who are due to receive the pandemic bonus payment will receive it; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26812/22]

Agriculture Schemes

Willie O'Dea

126. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the targeted measures that will be included in the new agri-environment scheme under CAP to ensure that farmers are rewarded for results that help to tackle the biodiversity crisis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26937/22]

Climate Change Policy

Willie O'Dea

201. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the progress that has been made by the carbon farming working group on developing a system for calculating the amount of carbon sequestered on farmland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26934/22]

Health Services Staff

Willie O'Dea

700. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Health the measures that he is taking to resolve the issues which have led to industrial action being taken by medical scientists in public hospital laboratories; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26562/22]