Ceisteanna Parlaiminte

School Enrolments

Emer Higgins

100. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Education if she is aware of the lack of post-primary school places for feeder schools in Dublin mid-west; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52807/23]

School Transport

Emer Higgins

111. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Education her Department's correspondence with Bus Éireann in relation to the decision to not allow bus drivers over the age of 70 to drive school routes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52808/23]

Passport Services

Emer Higgins

173. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the status of the Irish passport redesign; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50202/23]

Emergency Services

Emer Higgins

281. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Transport to provide an update on whether Weston Airport is to host a search and rescue operation; and what impact this might have on local noise levels on the area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50209/23]

National Transport Authority

Emer Higgins

169. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Transport for an update on any planned reviews by the NTA in the Adamstown/Lucan area to facilitate the growing population and growing demand following both the build out of the Adamstown and Clonburris strategic development zones and the integration of Ukrainian beneficiaries of temporary protection into the local community; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52229/23]

School Accommodation

Emer Higgins

273. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Education to outline plans to tackle the chronic shortage of school places across Lucan, Clondalkin, Newcastle and Rathcoole, where school building projects are progressing too slowly to cope with the surge in demand resulting, in some cases, in children in category one for their local post primary school being placed up to 194th and 229th on waiting lists. [52233/23]

Departmental Funding

Emer Higgins

494. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth what efforts are being made to ensure that an organisation (details supplied) can continue to provide a much-needed service for children following the announcement of reduced funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51958/23]

Childcare Services

Emer Higgins

521. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the way the charter of accounts for core funding aligns with the practical and financial realities in the childcare sector, given the COA's complex requirements seem excessive, particularly for small providers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52413/23]

Health Services

Emer Higgins

575. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Health the reasons behind the discontinuation of funding for a project (details supplied), facilitated by the HSE and the Clondalkin drugs and alcohol task force; what measures are being taken to ensure the continued support of the vulnerable community members previously served by this project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51957/23]

Tax Code

Emer Higgins

86. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Finance if he can provide an update on Ireland’s membership of the crypto-asset reporting framework and any proposed legislative change to tax reporting relevant to the exchange of information between members; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51396/23]

School Accommodation

Emer Higgins

218. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Education the updated timeline for the delivery of a new school accommodation for post-primary schools (details supplied), given the tender process has been completed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51774/23]

Public Transport

Emer Higgins

58. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Transport what plans he has with respect to the use of contactless payments by the NTA; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51583/23]

Public Transport

Emer Higgins

59. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Transport for an update on the procurement process by the NTA for appointing a contractor to oversee the roll-out of contactless payments technology for rural and urban bus services. [51584/23]

Bus Services

Emer Higgins

60. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Transport to provide an update on the trial of contactless payments happening on Local Link services in rural areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51585/23]

Defence Forces

Emer Higgins

38. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence if plans are in place to protect undersea cables running through Irish waters against potential sabotage; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50203/23]

Air Corps

Emer Higgins

63. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence to outline plans for the Irish Air Corps Museum and the Heritage Project, and for the curated historical aviation artefacts displayed in the Baldonnell Museum at a hangar in Casement Aerodrome; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50331/23]

Dublin Bus

Emer Higgins

143. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Transport to provide an update on what actions are being taken to address the ongoing reliability issues and frequent service cancellations of Dublin Bus routes, specifically the 60 and 151 servicing the Clondalkin area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50631/23]

School Admissions

Emer Higgins

255. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Education the reason a small rural school in County Dublin would have no feeder secondary school assigned (details supplied), which in turn leaves students at a disadvantage in securing a school place in an area that has a shortage of school places; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50974/23]

Driver Test

Emer Higgins

96. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Transport to provide an update on what steps are being taken to address the significant backlog and lack of availability for driving tests, which is currently resulting in no available appointments until 2025 and is causing substantial employment issues for those requiring a full driving licence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49364/23]

Industrial Relations

Emer Higgins

43. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Health the status of negotiations between Fórsa and the HSE over industrial action; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49011/23]

Mental Health Services

Emer Higgins

71. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Health if he will respond to reports of high and unmanageable stress levels amongst CAMHS staff; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49010/23]

Postal Services

Emer Higgins

172. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications to provide an update on what measures are being taken to ensure An Post uses Eircodes effectively, considering recent incidents where letters are being misdelivered due to a failure to use the Eircode system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49106/23]

Taxi Regulations

Emer Higgins

197. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Transport on the recent notification issued by a taxi service platform to its drivers (details supplied) which appears to push drivers into accepting more jobs under the threat of exclusion from the platform; if such a practice is being investigated for potential anti-competitive behaviour that could unfairly disadvantage taxi drivers and undermine market competition; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49121/23]

Road Safety

Emer Higgins

24. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Transport given increased scooter and bicycle usage, if he will consider measures or campaigns to enhance visibility, such as promoting the use of lights, reflectors, and high visibility jackets in the upcoming winter months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48847/23]

Bus Services

Emer Higgins

268. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Transport the current plans or investigations to improve reliability and cater to the growing commuter demand in Clondalkin, Chapelizod, Ballyfermot and Tallaght, given the constant service disruptions and overcrowding on the 76/76a bus route; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48411/23]

Revenue Commissioners

Emer Higgins

333. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Finance the number of Revenue Commissioners staff assigned to anti-smuggling activities, across all areas of illicit trade, in each of the past ten years. [48611/23]

State Properties

Emer Higgins

339. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform to provide an update on the issue of public access from the N4 to Castletown House; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47321/23]

Redundancy Payments

Emer Higgins

386. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he is satisfied with the manner in which a company (details supplied) managed its recent redundancy process, particularly in light of reports suggesting that affected employees were requested to sign for tax treatments on their pensions before receiving the relevant figures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47382/23]

School Enrolments

Emer Higgins

535. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Education the ongoing liaison her Department has had with South Dublin County Council regarding the review of its Development Plan and the need to provide an additional second level school in the school planning area of Newcastle/Rathcoole located in Newcastle Village, County Dublin; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48482/23]

Local Authorities

Emer Higgins

652. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if, given the discrepancies in the clawback calculations from FOI responses received from Dublin City Council (€24,000) and South Dublin County Council (€40,000), and noting that legislation mandates consistent clawback rules for homes resold within 20 years, he will clarify the proper implementation of the clawback, as per the Planning and Development Act 2000 and the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2002; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48033/23]

Health Services

Emer Higgins

1371. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Health the steps that are being taken to ensure continued support and services for stroke patients, given the absence of allocated funds in Budget 2024 for national stroke strategy services in 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48819/23]

Further and Higher Education

Emer Higgins

1392. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the steps that are being taken to ensure that adult education tutors receive a contract offering terms and conditions equivalent to their full-time counterparts in the further education and training sector (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47748/23]

Housing Policy

Emer Higgins

203. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if home extensions that commenced in the period between the issuing of circular PL 04/2023 and the guidance note for local authorities on a temporary waiver in respect of development contributions, which seemed eligible based on the circular but were not included in the guidance note, are eligible for the development waiver, given that they were commenced on the strength of the circular. [47178/23]

Medical Qualifications

Emer Higgins

196. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Health to clarify if CORU's draft registrations plans will dilute standards from level 9 to level 8 criteria for training and remove vital elements of training such as personal therapy and supervision within training; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46928/23]

Pension Provisions

Emer Higgins

209. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform the year in which a person who worked in a semi-State company and took early retirement in 2010, should have ceased paying the pension levy. [46153/23]

Business Supports

Emer Higgins

236. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he could provide an overview of the new increased cost of business scheme; to confirm whether the scheme will be based on individual rate numbers rather than being per business; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46654/23]

Schools Building Projects

Emer Higgins

262. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Education if she will provide an update on a school building project (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46171/23]

Special Educational Needs

Emer Higgins

306. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Education the reason for her Department's decision not to approve accessibility modifications, including a ramp for wheelchair access to the PE hall and a wet room/shower facility, in the recent SEN room reconfiguration project at a school (details supplied), given the importance of promoting equality of access as stated in section 6 of the Education Act 1998 (c); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46703/23]

Sports Funding

Emer Higgins

23. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media to increase support for grassroots clubs in the League of Ireland; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45607/23]

Film Industry

Emer Higgins

65. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if her Department has had discussions with major film and TV studios on potential plans to expand their operations in Ireland; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45606/23]

Tax Code

Emer Higgins

111. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Finance whether an employer can provide part of an employee's annual bonus as a voucher under the small benefit exemption; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45647/23]

Business Supports

Emer Higgins

137. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the reason businesses with penal rates of €63,700 and €55,200 are excluded from the SME support scheme; how the Government intends to support major employment contributors, such as those in the hospitality sector, particularly in the face of the current cost of living crisis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45650/23]

Parental Leave

Emer Higgins

206. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide a definitive date by which a baby must be born in order for parents to avail of the additional two weeks of parental leave; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45655/23]

Crime Prevention

Emer Higgins

213. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Justice if she acknowledges the long-term benefits of supporting organisations such as CASP Clondalkin Addiction Support Programme, which aim to reduce crime through addiction recovery and support; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45658/23]

Medical Qualifications

Emer Higgins

274. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Health if he is aware of concerns raised regarding the potential implications of CORU draft registration standards for psychotherapy training and if the proposed standards ensure the highest quality of care for clients; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45656/23]

Job Losses

Emer Higgins

190. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he is satisfied that a company (details supplied) sufficiently handled the consultation process for upcoming redundancies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44734/23]

Film Industry

Emer Higgins

291. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if she is aware of buyout contracts that disadvantage Irish creatives in the audio-visual industry (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44731/23]

Hospital Services

Emer Higgins

510. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Health regarding the recent shift to charge €30 for blood tests in hospitals, the reason for this change; the measures being considered to address the resultant financial burden on patients; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44732/23]

Road Safety

Emer Higgins

511. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Health if hospitals routinely conduct blood tests for alcohol or drug traces in patients admitted after serious car accidents; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44733/23]

Defence Forces

Emer Higgins

63. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence for a statement on members of the Defence Forces pay; how it compares with members of An Garda Síochána; and whether there are any plans for pay increases.; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44366/23]