393. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Health if a renewed emphasis will be placed through messaging and advertising on the need to implement adequate sanitation measures in all public premises and the need to follow public health guidelines in view of the increase in Covid-19 numbers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15656/22]
361. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Justice the proposals she has to extend the present provision whereby a minister of religion can obtain a further extension beyond six years of temporary permission to remain in this State if that applicant does not wish to submit a citizenship application and is not proposing to remain in Ireland long-term; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15725/22]
296. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth when provision will be made for resettlement workers within each local authority area; if it is proposed to establish a single point of contact for persons newly arrived in Ireland due to the war waged on Ukraine; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15654/22]
220. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he has had any recent discussions with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland in relation to Acht na Gaeilge; the timescale for the enactment of this legislation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15658/22]
219. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the progress to date in establishing the civic advisory panel in Northern Ireland; if this is a devolved issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15657/22]
208. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when affordable housing schemes will become operational; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15668/22]
182. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Transport if he has had discussions with airlines operating routes from eastern Europe to Ireland in relation to the recent increase in air fares particularly impacting on people seeking refuge as a result of the brutal invasion by Russia of Ukraine; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15655/22]
142. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the outcome of the most recent discussions at the European Union Foreign Affairs Council in relation to the application submitted by Ukraine for membership of the European Union; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15341/22]
117. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the outcome of his most recent discussions with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland in relation to the need to implement the Stormont House Agreement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15342/22]
69. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if consultations will take place with representative groups in relation to the roll-out of his Department’s Capital Programme in 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15372/22]
12. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if new grant aid schemes will be introduced in 2023 in respect of the upgrading of existing childcare facilities and the provision of new accommodation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15371/22]
85. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Defence if he will consider reopening army barracks such as Dún Úi Neill, County Cavan, a modern army facility which was closed in 2012, in view of the changed security situation in Europe; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15420/22]
76. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if the application for membership of the European Union submitted by Georgia was discussed at recent meetings of the Foreign Affairs Council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15400/22]
637. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection her plans to review eligibility criteria for the fuel allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14827/22]
506. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Education when an application for additional services at a school (details supplied) will be approved; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14407/22]
279. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the administrative arrangements in place for the roll-out of the PEACEPLUS programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14727/22]
259. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Finance if he will consider the issues raised in correspondence by an organisation (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14428/22]
116. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment his strategy to tackle mandatory retirement clauses in existing employment contracts; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14826/22]
80. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of the report of the Commission on Pensions; the expected timescale for Government decisions on its recommendations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14869/22]
24. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection the timescale for the Government response to the recommendations of the Pensions Commission with particular reference to an essential ending of forced retirement at 65 years of age; the consultations that have been carried out to date by her Department with relevant interest groups; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14664/22]
398. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Health when a project (details supplied) will proceed to the next stage; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13755/22]
352. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Justice the progress to date in preparing legislation relevant to community-based CCTV; the likely timeline for the enactment of such legislation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13638/22]
239. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if there have been discussions at the EU Foreign Affairs Council in relation to the need to progress as quickly as possible the EU membership of Ukraine; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13737/22]
173. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if additional financial support will be provided for the post office network in view of the importance of post offices delivering public services and in particular their importance in assisting persons who do not have access to broadband or information technology in sourcing public services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13756/22]
171. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the proposals there are to enable the post office network to deliver more public services; the measures that will be implemented to support the network to remain viable and maintain the maximum possible number of post offices throughout the country given that they are an essential part of the fabric of local communities and provide important services at a local level. [13736/22]
156. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Education if she will ensure that a school (details supplied) is included under the new DEIS programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13458/22]
103. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Education when she plans to announce details of the extended DEIS programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13405/22]
45. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Defence his views on and response to the call by the Commission on Defence Forces for the enhancement of the Defence Forces structures across the cyber domain. [13196/22]
22. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Defence the action that has been taken in view of the White Paper on Defence that the ability to effectively defend Defence Forces’ networks from cyber-attacks is an essential capability that must be retained and developed. [13197/22]
141. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection the timescale for the Government response to the recommendations of the Pensions Commission with particular reference to an essential ending of forced retirement at age 65; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13162/22]
75. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the position regarding the introduction of the artist basic income guarantee pilot scheme project; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13424/22]
103. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if an analysis has been carried out on an all-Ireland basis in relation to skills shortages throughout the island of Ireland; the proposals to arrange training and the provision of relevant courses on a cross-border basis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12867/22]
63. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the proposals there are to have further engagement with the Department in Northern Ireland in relation to further co-operation in further education on a cross-Border and all Ireland basis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12865/22]
351. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when payments under the scheme of support announced for the pigmeat sector will issue to farmers; if he will ensure that payments issue without delay in view of the serious financial pressures facing this sector at present; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12310/22]
219. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if his attention has been drawn to the European Union requirements as part of the Clean Energy Package for countries with less than 50% renewable electricity in their energy mix to limit renewable electricity curtailment to less than 5% annually; his views on the fact that in 2020 Ireland dumped 11.4% of available renewable wind energy; if he has engaged with EirGrid, ESB Networks and the Commission for the Regulation of Utilities to introduce immediate measures to utilise this surplus renewable energy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12246/22]
218. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if his attention has been drawn to the measures being undertaken by local authorities and or approved housing bodies to utilise some of the large volumes of renewable energy that is currently dumped to help address fuel poverty in social housing; if he has engaged with the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage on the matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12245/22]
217. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if his attention has been drawn to the volume of renewable energy in kWh that was dispatched down due to constraints and curtailment on the energy network in 2020; if he or his officials has calculated the potential retail value of this renewable energy; if he or his officials has examined the work of a not-for-profit organisation (details supplied) established to create solutions to divert surplus renewable energy which would otherwise be wasted to Irish homes with a primary focus on those in fuel poverty; if he has engaged with EirGrid, ESB Networks and with the Commission for the Regulation of Utilities on finding solutions to utilise some of the renewable energy that is being dumped to help address fuel poverty; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12244/22]
212. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he or his officials are aware of the work of a not-for-profit organisation (details supplied) established to create solutions to divert surplus renewable energy which would otherwise be wasted to Irish homes with a primary focus on those in fuel poverty; if he has engaged with local authorities or approved housing bodies on the issue of finding solutions within the social housing sector to utilise the renewable energy that is being dumped to help address fuel poverty; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12248/22]
202. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will ensure adequate funding is allocated to local authorities in 2022 to continue the much-needed housing voids programme in view of the success of the programme in 2020 and 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12063/22]
195. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will improve without further delay the income eligibility limits for social housing for areas such as counties Cavan and Monaghan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12062/22]
78. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Transport if he will consider the issues outlined by a representative organisation in correspondence (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12064/22]
12. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Transport if he will give further consideration to the introduction of specific funding on an annual basis to local authorities for the local improvement scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12061/22]
195. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Health if he will consider the issues raised in correspondence (details supplied) in relation to the need to improve services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11899/22]
132. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the present position regarding the roll-out of the national broadband plan in respect of counties Cavan and Monaghan; the further progress that is expected in this roll-out during 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10463/22]
110. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the up-to-date position concerning the review commissioned by his Department in respect of the proposed North-South interconnector project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10462/22]
64. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if additional resources will be provided for the marketing of Hidden Heartlands in view of the recent reconfiguration of tourism regions and the particular challenges facing part of that region due to Brexit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10503/22]
58. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the progress to date at EU level in introducing new tourism-specific funding supports for member states; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10504/22]