124. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he has had any recent discussions with his counterparts in the European Union Foreign Affairs Council and with the European Union Commission in relation to the need to progress Ukraine’s European Union membership application to candidate status; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28451/22]
121. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs when a Passport Office will be established in the province of Ulster; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28421/22]
8. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his engagement with the leaders of the parties in Northern Ireland following the Stormont elections. [26028/22]
492. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if persons who have level-five or higher qualifications in special needs education but have no specific QQI childcare qualifications are eligible to work in a childcare facility where there is a shortage of suitably-qualified personnel with the resultant pressure in retaining services due to staff shortages; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27315/22]
316. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the grant aid that is available at present towards the provision of childcare facilities by community groups; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27199/22]
315. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if grant aid will be made available in respect of the retention of a childcare facility (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27185/22]
208. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications when the post office network will be enabled to provide additional government services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27173/22]
207. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications when additional financial supports will be introduced for the post office network; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27171/22]
22. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Health the progress to date in advancing a building project at a hospital (details supplied); when it will proceed to the next stage; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26864/22]
6. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Health when additional healthcare professionals (details supplied) will be recruited in view of long delays for children receiving appropriate therapeutic interventions and supports; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26865/22]
456. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection if school meals are included as part of a programme for a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25749/22]
51. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Justice if there are any outstanding legislative obligations for her Department arising from commitments made in the Stormont House Agreement; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26115/22]
26. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Justice the additional measures that will be implemented by her Department and by agencies under the remit of her Department in relation to tackling the scourge of illegal drugs throughout the country; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26117/22]
391. 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. [25651/22]
284. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Education if additional financial resources, both current and capital, are being provided in 2022 to enable the provision of additional special classes at primary and post primary level in areas in which there is an increasing demand for such classes (details supplied); if additional places will be available for the forthcoming school year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25605/22]
167. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if measures under the PEACE PLUS Programme will assist in the strengthening of collaboration in further education and training; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25380/22]
121. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the proposals to introduce new courses in further education and training on a cross-Border basis in co-operation with colleges in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25381/22]
57. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment when improved financial supports will be introduced to assist in the development of enterprise centres in view of their importance in the creation of employment opportunities in areas such as counties Cavan and Monaghan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25362/22]
14. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if specific additional financial supports will be introduced in 2022 to assist in the development of enterprise centres in view of their importance in providing workspace for start-up businesses and small enterprises; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25361/22]
302. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Health when funding will be allocated for a project (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25255/22]
164. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science when a proposed building project (details supplied) will proceed to the next stage; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25303/22]
149. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will give detailed consideration to issues raised in correspondence from a national representative body (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25317/22]
112. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Defence if Dún Úi Néill, County Cavan which is a purpose-built barracks, will be re-opened in view of its considerable accommodation and location in the central Border area given his recent comments regarding the need to increase personnel in the Permanent Defence Forces by 3,000; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25316/22]
46. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of companies in counties Cavan, Monaghan and Louth, respectively that have applied for funding under the Irish Innovation Seed Fund Programme; the number that have been successful in each county; the total funding awarded in each county to date in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25262/22]
45. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the progress that has been made to date in the implementation in the Border region of the IDA Strategy Driving Recovery and Sustainable Growth 2021-2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25261/22]
16. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Taoiseach the agenda for the shared island dialogue concept in the wake of the Assembly elections in Northern Ireland. [24815/22]
6. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet subcommittee to oversee the State response to the Ukraine crisis will next meet. [24814/22]
697. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Health if workers in healthcare settings will be eligible for a payment (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24473/22]
625. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Justice if she will ensure in view of recent reports (details supplied) that there is full co-operation by statutory agencies under the remit of her Department with an ongoing inquiry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24922/22]
602. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Justice if applications for naturalisation will be progressed in cases in which the status is essential in order to take up employment as in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24417/22]
562. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will ensure higher education institutions that have on-campus accommodation refund in full deposits for accommodation paid by applicants who subsequently may not be able to take up the offer of accommodation due to a college placement elsewhere or failure to obtain a particular college placement at that time; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24098/22]
496. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason that a person (details supplied) is not entitled to the illness benefit given that he or she has been paying class A PRSI contributions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24543/22]
130. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of the findings of the Commission on Pensions report; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24675/22]
86. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection her Department’s progress in supporting unemployed persons back into work, including those in long-term unemployment under the Pathways to Work 2021-2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24676/22]
306. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Health the proposals, if any, to amend the Disability Act 2005 to enable children who need additional supports to have a right in law to appropriate services and not just an entitlement to an assessment of needs as provided for at present; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24046/22]
289. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the outcome of the consultations following the publication of the Initial State Report under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities; the next stage in the consultation process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24045/22]
713. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Health if he will ensure that costs in respect of the provision of a specific health service is reduced for patients (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22722/22]
353. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when he will allocate funding to local authorities for the 2022 Voids Programme in view of the importance of this scheme in bringing back to habitable use vacant council housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22756/22]
352. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when income eligibility limits for social housing for areas such as counties Cavan and Monaghan will be increased; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22755/22]
284. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Finance if he will support the inclusion of a representative organisation (details supplied) as a key stakeholder in all negotiations concerning the exit of banks from this State; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23431/22]
129. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will have discussions with the political parties in Stormont and with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland in relation to the need to ensure that an Executive is established at the earliest possible date following the assembly election; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22650/22]
110. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will have further discussions with the British Foreign Secretary and the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on the need for the British government to respond positively and without further delay to the unanimous requests of Dáil Éireann concerning the Dublin and Monaghan bombings of May 1974; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22651/22]
80. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when he will allocate funding to local authorities for the 2022 Voids Programme in view of the importance of this scheme in bringing back to habitable use vacant council housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22146/22]
78. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when income eligibility limits for social housing for areas such as counties Cavan and Monaghan will be increased; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22145/22]
48. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if her Department and the agencies under the remit of her Department will avail of funding under the Peace Plus Programme to develop tourism infrastructure in the Border region and on a cross-Border basis; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22161/22]
16. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if additional measures will be implemented to promote tourism in the Hidden Heartlands Region for the 2022 season in view of the difficulties facing this sector due to the pandemic since early 2020; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22162/22]
6. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his most recent engagement with the President of the United States of America. [20345/22]
289. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if there have been discussions at European Union level in relation to the need to provide assistance to farmers to mitigate the very substantial increase in fertiliser costs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21646/22]
226. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Education if assistance will be provided for a sector (details supplied) in view of increased costs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21648/22]