Ceisteanna Parlaiminte

North-South Interconnector

Brendan Smith

116. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he is aware of the total opposition of communities in Monaghan, Cavan and Meath to the present proposals regarding the proposed North-South interconnector, with particular reference to the concerns about transmission cables being put overground; if he will ensure that if the project proceeds, the transmission cables are put underground, as proposed for other major energy projects in this country and throughout the European Union; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15923/23]

North-South Interconnector

Brendan Smith

117. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he is aware of the inadequacy of the review of the proposed North-South interconnector carried out in 2018, given it did not take into account the concerns of householders, farmers and communities in respect of a number of aspects of this proposed project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15924/23]

Broadband Infrastructure

Brendan Smith

118. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the progress to date in the roll-out of the national broadband programme in counties Cavan and Monaghan; if he will outline the further progress that will be made throughout 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15976/23]

Business Supports

Brendan Smith

137. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Finance if he will provide an update on the operation of the temporary business energy support scheme to date; the number of businesses in counties Cavan and Monaghan that have applied; the number of businesses in each county that were successful in their applications; the estimated value or worth of the support to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15951/23]

EU Programmes

Brendan Smith

140. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform when the details of the PEACEPLUS programme will be announced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15968/23]

Vacant Properties

Brendan Smith

173. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when the 2023 allocation will be made to local authorities for the voids programme, given the importance of this scheme in bringing vacant local authority homes back to habitable use; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16010/23]

Health Services Staff

Brendan Smith

217. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the progress that has been made to date in enhancing the role of therapy assistants to provide treatment for children, particularly in disciplines where there are unacceptable delays in children accessing services, such as in counties Cavan and Monaghan, due to a lack of therapists; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15934/23]

Disability Services

Brendan Smith

249. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will consider the provision of respite services for children and adults with a disability by approved private providers where this is an inadequate public service at present, such as in counties Cavan and Monaghan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16001/23]

Disability Services

Brendan Smith

250. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth when additional respite places for children and adults with a disability will be provided in Cavan and Monaghan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16002/23]

Disability Services

Brendan Smith

251. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth when additional places will be provided for trainees (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16003/23]

Northern Ireland

Brendan Smith

275. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Justice the proposals, if any, to provide additional supports to the Independent Commission for the Location of Victims’ Remains in view of the absolute importance of this work; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15935/23]

An Garda Síochána

Brendan Smith

276. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Justice the up-to-date position regarding the provision of Garda services (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15974/23]

Healthcare Infrastructure Provision

Brendan Smith

300. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Health when a healthcare facility will become operational (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15915/23]

Disease Management

Brendan Smith

301. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Health if the issues raised in correspondence (details supplied) will be considered. [15916/23]

Forestry Sector

Brendan Smith

351. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the proposals, if any, to compensate farmers who have suffered substantial losses due to ash dieback; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15930/23]

Agriculture Schemes

Brendan Smith

352. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will have dribble bars included in the next TAMS programme due to the importance of this machinery on smaller-scale farms and on farms with heavy soils and in drumlin terrain such as Cavan and Monaghan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15931/23]

Water Quality

Brendan Smith

353. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will ensure that water quality reports for 2022 will be included in the review of the nitrates action programme in 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15932/23]

Agriculture Supports

Brendan Smith

354. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the measures that will be taken at EU and national level to help offset the additional farm input costs due to the increase in fertiliser costs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15933/23]

Pensions Reform

Brendan Smith

85. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection the progress to date on introducing a total contributions approach, aligning a person’s contributory pension more closely with the contributions they make; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15139/23]

Social Welfare Benefits

Brendan Smith

119. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of people in receipt of the working family payment to date this year; how this number compares with the same period in 2022; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15138/23]

Departmental Schemes

Brendan Smith

240. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Finance the progress to date in reviewing and improving the disabled drivers’ and disabled passengers scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14799/23]

School Transport

Brendan Smith

421. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Education when it is expected to finalise the review of the school transport scheme; if she will ensure that improvements to its existing operation will be introduced, taking into account the need to facilitate students on the transport service who are ineligible at present but where there is a history of students from an area going to a second-level centre; if such students could be considered eligible in the future operation of the scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15307/23]

Childcare Services

Brendan Smith

535. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth when grant approval will issue (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15422/23]

Defence Forces

Brendan Smith

13. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the role the Defences Forces play in fulfilling the security needs of the Border region; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14235/23]

Defence Forces

Brendan Smith

45. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence if he plans any review of existing defence structures in the Border counties; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14234/23]

School Staff

Brendan Smith

77. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Education if she will provide an update on the implementation of the new pay deal for school secretaries; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14188/23]

School Facilities

Brendan Smith

79. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Education the progress on the schools decarbonisation pathfinder programme; the number of schools are part of the programme; if there are plans to increase the number of schools in the programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14187/23]

Road Network

Brendan Smith

192. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Transport if he will ensure that adequate funding is allocated to a local authority in 2023 to advance proposed road projects (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14562/23]

Tourism Industry

Brendan Smith

212. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the outcome of discussions she has had with her counterpart in the British Government concerning the difficulties that will arise for the tourism sector on an all-island basis if the proposed electronic travel authorisation scheme is implemented as proposed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14558/23]

Sports Funding

Brendan Smith

213. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if a new sports capital programme will be announced at an early date in view of its importance in assisting sporting organisations to modernise and develop additional facilities, which are much-needed in many communities and across different sporting disciplines; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14576/23]

Housing Policy

Brendan Smith

225. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if a person can be considered for a local authority home loan where exceptional circumstances pertain in relation to one of the conditions of the scheme (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14554/23]

Undocumented Irish in the USA

Brendan Smith

238. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the outcome of any recent discussions he had with the United States authorities regarding the need to regularise the status of the undocumented Irish and have an appropriate visa programme put in place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14556/23]

Brexit Issues

Brendan Smith

239. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the outcome of any recent discussions with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and with the British Foreign Secretary concerning the difficulties that will be caused by the proposed electronic travel authorisation scheme as that legislation is currently framed; if he is aware of the concerns of some people travelling across the Border on this island on a regular basis, both residents and visitors; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14557/23]

Domestic Violence

Brendan Smith

326. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Justice the progress to date in providing a refuge centre in counties Cavan and Monaghan for victims of domestic abuse; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14546/23]

Care Services

Brendan Smith

364. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Health the progress to date in advancing a project to provide additional accommodation at a health care facility (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14585/23]

Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Brendan Smith

365. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Health when the outstanding Covid bonus payments will be made to health care workers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14586/23]

Local Authorities

Brendan Smith

144. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he can clarify, In relation to the rules and guidelines provided by him to local authorities to purchase homes with tenants in situ; the position of a tenant , in receipt of housing supports, facing eviction on grounds of sale but where the local authority are refusing to consider purchasing the home because the tenant, while registered with this local authority, and is actually housed in the jurisdiction of a neighbouring county and local authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14373/23]

Schools Building Projects

Brendan Smith

181. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Education the status of a school building project (details supplied); when this project will proceed to the next stage; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14317/23]

Northern Ireland

Brendan Smith

4. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on Brexit and Northern Ireland will next meet. [11295/23]

Northern Ireland

Brendan Smith

9. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the Britain and Northern Ireland division of his Department. [12838/23]

Road Projects

Brendan Smith

273. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Transport if he will give urgent consideration to the issues outlined in correspondence (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13135/23]

Foreign Birth Registration

Brendan Smith

533. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the measures that will be implemented to eliminate delays in the processing of foreign birth register applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13121/23]

Brexit Supports

Brendan Smith

1563. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will outline the details of funding allocations made to date under the BREXIT Adjustment Reserve Fund; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13119/23]

Forestry Sector

Brendan Smith

21. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the progress to date in reducing the delays in processing and finalising tree planting and tree felling licences; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11871/23]

Farm Costs

Brendan Smith

38. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if there have been discussions at the EU Agriculture Council in relation to the need to introduce measures to help offset the increased costs of fertilisers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11872/23]

Housing Provision

Brendan Smith

156. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide an update on measures to increase the supply of affordable housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11757/23]

Northern Ireland

Brendan Smith

3. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Taoiseach if he will provide a report on any recent discussions with political parties in Northern Ireland in regard to the shared island initiative. [11296/23]

Human Rights

Brendan Smith

122. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will give detailed consideration to all the issues outlined in a recent publication (details supplied); if he will raise these issues in appropriate fora such as the EU Foreign Affairs Council and the United Nations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11983/23]

Human Rights

Brendan Smith

123. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will seek a specific discussion at the EU Foreign Affairs Council in relation to the concerning issues outlined in a recent publication (details supplied) about the persecution of Christians around the world; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11984/23]

Tax Credits

Brendan Smith

78. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Finance his estimate of the number of persons in County Cavan who are eligible to claim the rent tax credit; his estimate of the number of persons in County Monaghan eligible to claim the rent tax credit; the number of persons in County Cavan currently claiming it; the number of persons in County Monaghan currently claiming it; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11325/23]