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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
115. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the status of the recent review on the proposed North-South interconnector following his announcement that the Cabinet had noted this review; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15922/23]
114. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the up-to-date position concerning the proposed North-South interconnector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15921/23]
99. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the level of capital funding available to his Department in 2023; the general areas which will benefit from such investment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15759/23]
87. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if additional places in further education will be provided in 2023 and 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15760/23]
50. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the level of capital funding available to his Department this year for the upgrading of existing childcare facilities and the provision of new childcare accommodation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15754/23]
37. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if it is proposed to introduce a grant scheme to assist in the provision of large-scale pre-school accommodation and the upgrading of existing accommodation, as existing grant levels will not be sufficient to ensure adequate childcare accommodation in the coming years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15755/23]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
606. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Health when additional healthcare professionals (details supplied) will be recruited in view of long delays in children receiving appropriate therapeutic interventions and supports; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11155/23]
532. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Health the measures taken to improve the recruitment and retention of GPs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10807/23]
531. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Health the measures that will be implemented to address the shortage in GPs throughout the country particularly in rural areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10806/23]
411. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection if the provision of additional funding for a scheme will enable the inclusion of schools (details supplied) to avail of this support; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11579/23]
404. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Education the proposals, if any, there are to confer DEIS status on a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11551/23]
126. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Finance the number of County Cavan businesses that have applied for assistance under the temporary business energy support scheme to date; the number of County Monaghan businesses that have applied; the number of County Cavan applications that have been successful; the number of Monaghan applications that have been successful; the estimated value or worth of the support to date for each county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11324/23]