Ceisteanna Parlaiminte

Childcare Services

Bríd Smith

92. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will establish a publicly owned childcare service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19266/24]

Early Childhood Care and Education

Bríd Smith

103. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will abolish childcare fees in 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19267/24]

International Protection

Bríd Smith

113. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to outline his accommodation plans for international protection applicant refugees; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19263/24]

Human Rights

Bríd Smith

145. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if he is aware of the recent report that Irish protesters were told at a pro-Palestine protest camp in Berlin that they were not allowed to speak Irish by German police; if he agrees that this is an unacceptable development and infringes a person's right to speak a language of their choice and is a dangerous precedent to set; if he will clarify if this violates any article of the European Convention on Human Rights or any other legislation; if he intends to raise this matter with his German counterpart with a view to expressing his concerns that Irish citizens were instructed not to speak their national language and under which legislation was this ordered; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18937/24]

Public Transport

Bríd Smith

187. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Transport if he is aware of difficulties facing Dublin Bus and other transport providers in recruiting and retaining maintenance staff; the steps his Department is taking to ensure staff shortages do not hinder the roll out of BusConnects or plans to expand the bus transport system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18749/24]

Public Transport

Bríd Smith

188. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Transport the staff numbers in maintenance and mechanics for Dublin Bus, Bus Éireann and a company (details supplied); the details of any shortages of staff in these areas; the plans by these companies to ensure that staff numbers in these key areas are filled; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18750/24]

Public Transport

Bríd Smith

189. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Transport if Dublin Bus, Bus Éireann and a company (details supplied) use directly employed labour in the maintenance of their bus fleet; the scale of these companies' use of contract labour or outside companies for the same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18751/24]

Social Welfare Schemes

Bríd Smith

438. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection the available State supports for people with disabilities seeking work or already working; if she plans to improve supports; if there are proposals to change these supports in any way in the foreseeable future; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18800/24]

Immigration Policy

Bríd Smith

497. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Justice to provide, in tabular form, by month and nationality, the number of people who have been refused permission to land in the past 12 months; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19048/24]

Citizenship Applications

Bríd Smith

498. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Justice if she will clarify the reason a person (details supplied) who attended the citizenship ceremony at the National Concert Hall on 26 February 2024, has still not received their certificate eight weeks later; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19052/24]

Visa Applications

Bríd Smith

242. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Justice if there are plans to employ more staff or take additional steps to deal with the significant backlog of applications for visas, renewals and extensions that are taking a long time to process (details supplied); the steps her Department will take to reduce the unacceptable waiting times; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18477/24]

Disabilities Assessments

Bríd Smith

552. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will provide advice to the mother of a young child (details supplied) who has been on the waiting list for an assessment of need for almost eight months with no indication of when they will be assessed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17745/24]

Health Services

Bríd Smith

620. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health if he is aware that Ireland currently screens newborn babies for fewer diseases than 75% of EU member states; if he is aware that only one new test has been delivered in the intervening years since the establishment of the Newborn Screening Advisory Committee in 2019; if he will agree to a comprehensive newborn screening programme that is adequately resourced and ensures that babies born in Ireland are screened for the EU average of 18 conditions at a minimum; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17638/24]

Local Elections

Bríd Smith

648. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health if a HSE worker who is currently employed at the grade of general dental surgeon: 1597, is eligible to run for local election; if there is a list of specific grades which are ‘designated by order of the Minister for Health and Children’; if so, to outline what they are; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17857/24]

Employment Rights

Bríd Smith

93. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment how he is ensuring that workers in the technology sector facing redundancies are protected; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17048/24]

Employment Rights

Bríd Smith

115. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment his plans to improve job quality and pay in the childcare sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17046/24]

Legislative Process

Bríd Smith

122. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will ensure the Industrial Relations (Provisions in Respect of Pension Entitlements of Retired Workers) Bill 2021 will progress through Committee Stage; if not, how he will ensure the rights of retired workers are protected when their pensions are being altered; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17047/24]

Fire Safety

Bríd Smith

67. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide, in tabular form, the apartment blocks and duplexes in Dublin South-Central currently eligible for the interim remediation scheme for the funding of emergency fire safety defect works; when the legislation to support the remediation of defects in apartments and duplexes will be introduced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16786/24]

Cabinet Committees

Bríd Smith

9. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on environment and climate change will meet next. [15185/24]

Cabinet Committees

Bríd Smith

18. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on the economy and investment will next meet. [15186/24]