414. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health if he will fast-track besremi reimbursement approval and call for an immediate reassessment of besremi by the NCPE given the current shortage of Pegasys; if he is aware that the NHS in England has approved besremi for interim use and that there is a clear precedent that could be followed to protect patient safety and continuity of care; his views on the case of a person (details supplied) who is desperate to secure besremi as an urgently needed treatment option; the measures they can take in the interim; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45517/24]
145. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health if he will accept all of the recommendations of the National Radiation Therapist Review report; if he will commit to full implementation of the recommendations on adequate staffing levels to safeguard vital cancer services into the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45440/24]
1299. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the total number of alternative education establishments/settings (excluding Youthreach services) which operate outside of the traditional mainstream education system within the State; the geographical location of each setting; the criteria laid down for the establishment of an alternative education setting; the total number of students who reengage with the traditional mainstream education system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43937/24]
112. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Finance if he will reconsider allowing the children of landlords registered with the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) to claim the rent tax credit; if he will specifically refer to a case (details supplied); if he will explain the rationale for excluding this cohort; to indicate if there are plans to include this group in the future, or offer an exemption if the tenancy and landlord are RTB compliant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43593/24]
160. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if the planned legislation to preserve privately held records relating to Ireland’s institutional past will include financial records so that important information about money made from forced labour or the fees demanded from families of unjustly incarcerated women and children, or the forced export of children, is retained and available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43452/24]
843. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he is aware that Department officials engaged with the Teachers Union of Ireland at the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) on aligning the Youthreach programme with the second level school calendar year at their last discussion at the WRC in early June 2024; if there will be an outcome to the discussions within the lifetime of the current Dáil; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42748/24]
352. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Education if she plans to support the call by Education Equality for the Government to compel schools to confine religious faith formation and worship to a period outside core school hours, in order to uphold families’ human and constitutional rights to freedom of religion and belief, and to vindicate the rights of teachers who do not wish to indoctrinate children into a faith they do not themselves hold; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42749/24]
215. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the reason a complex (details supplied) in Inchicore has still not had a surveyor visit although this was expected to happen in June as part of the fire remediation scheme; if he will acknowledge that apartment owners are not in a position to pay for this work despite an organisation’s pressure to do so with the promise that they will be reimbursed when funding has been allocated; to provide a timeframe for when funding will be made available for remediation works at this complex; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42177/24]
153. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Transport when free travel for children under nine years will commence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42157/24]
102. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Transport if he can detail the costs of the contract awarded to a company (details supplied) for the proposed ticketless public transport system; to further detail what discussion his Department has had with the NTA on this project, and its costs; to clarify if he or his officials examined free public transport as an alternative to this costly project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42040/24]
70. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Transport if he is aware that the company (details supplied) recently awarded a lucrative contract of over €2 billion by the NTA to install ticketless operations on Irish public transport also has lucrative contracts in Israel; if his Department has examined if the company are complicit in terms of supporting Israel's apartheid separation policies through its toll road operations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42068/24]
73. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Transport if he is intending to introduce any legislative changes or measures to improve pay and working conditions in the Irish aviation sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30464/24]
670. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health if he is aware that medical card holders are regularly being charged for sick notes and other letters that were once provided free of charge by GPs; his views on this practice; if he plans to engage with GPs to ensure that those with medical cards are provided with doctor's letters without cost; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41461/24]
666. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health if there are plans to provide dialysis treatment in Wicklow soon to accommodate people from the areas of Wicklow and Wexford who have to travel to access treatment (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41400/24]
549. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth when he will implement the Government’s commitment to introducing an international protection child payment to children living in direct provision; to outline a timeframe for when this will happen; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41299/24]
448. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Justice if she will provide an update on the visa application for a person (details supplied) whose parents and siblings have lived in Ireland since 2021; if she will acknowledge and act on the fact that the person’s life is under constant threat; if she will take compassionate steps to grant the visa so the person can come to live in safety with their family; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41303/24]
348. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when the report on deposit protection systems will be published and the recommendations enacted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40920/24]
136. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he supports designating LNGs or data centres as strategic infrastructure (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41395/24]
135. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the steps he will take the address the legal weaknesses of the Government moratorium on liquefied natural gas infrastructure exposed by a recent High Court judgment. [41394/24]
210. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Education the number of special needs assistants and special needs teachers working under her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38923/24]
638. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health if he intends to ban the use of commercial sunbeds, given that research has shown the increased likelihood of melanoma in those who use them; if he is aware that An Tánaiste has recently said they should be banned; the steps being taken to do so; to provide a timeframe for the ban; if there plans for a public awareness campaign as to the danger of using them in the interim; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35998/24]
375. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if, under section 26 of the Disability Act 2005, each public body is required to have an access officer; the number and which local authorities have employed local access officers to improve public services for people with disabilities; if she will encourage local authorities to fill these roles immediately; the way local authorities fund these roles; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36186/24]
1888. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) who urgently needs surgery for a severe coronary issue will receive same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35610/24]
1805. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health if he will clarify when non-medical job opportunities at the new Children’s Hospital will be advertised so that local people can apply; will there be a reserve of positions for local people and will he indicate when and where the positions will be advertised; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35105/24]
1699. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health the stage reached in developing ADHD services for CH0 7t; if these services are now operational given it was stated that they would be by quarter 3 of 2023; the services that are now available; if further services are planned; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34351/24]
925. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection if she has plans to reintroduce the household benefits package for carers, many of whom are struggling to make ends meet, while carrying out invaluable work; if there are also plans to scrap means testing for those applying for carers allowance; if there are any further supports planned for those engaged in this important work; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34097/24]
627. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Education the reason work on a school (details supplied), has not yet commenced despite a promised date of week beginning 19 August 2024; will she acknowledge the urgency and pressing need for this work to begin; to clearly outline what the delay is; when this vital work will start; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35104/24]
An Act to amend the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013 to make provision for an Animal Sentience Committee with functions relating to the effect of government policy on the welfare of animals as sentient beings.
2048. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health if he is aware of the vital role that clinical nurse midwife specialists play in the public health services; when they can expect recommended incremental pay increase; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31211/24]
2047. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health if he is aware that the Expert Review Body on Nursing and Midwifery recommended that the CNM2 salary scale would be extended by the addition of one further scale point and the introduction of a long-service increment; if he is aware that to date this has not been applied to that grade; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31210/24]
287. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Justice if it has been drawn to her attention the distress and hardship that much-needed migrant workers suffer as a result of not being able to bring their families to live with them; that the family reunion policy has been under review for the past 12 months, and this delay is compounding the distress of working migrants; if she will urgently examine the rules that prevent families being reunited with a view to abolishing the salary check and the waiting period to ensure that families can be united as soon as possible; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30619/24]
29. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he is planning further legislative changes to the minimum rates of pay and work conditions for security officers in the security industry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30467/24]
25. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he is aware of the recent threats by residential waste management companies to increase waste removal prices due to the loss of profits; if he is considering price controls or other measures to mitigate further increases in the cost of living; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30465/24]
6. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he is planning to abolish sub-minimum wage rates in light of recent recommendations by the Low Pay Commission and the ESRI report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30466/24]
124. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Justice if, in light of the planned withdrawal of service by criminal law practitioners on several dates in July, she will move quickly to deliver an independent, meaningful, time-limited and binding mechanism to determine the fees paid to criminal barristers by the Director of Public Prosecutions and under the criminal justice (legal aid) scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29236/24]
385. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the estimated time for when a child (details supplied) will be in receipt of the speech therapy they urgently need following a recent diagnosis of level 2 autism; if early interventions are necessary to enable an autistic child to reach their fullest potential; if he will take steps to ensure this child receives the early interventions to help them do so; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28296/24]
212. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Education if she is aware of the situation regarding the ending of a shared access arrangement of a school hall between schools (details supplied); if an immediate solution will be provided to resolve the situation; her views on the fact that many of the children in the school have never had physical education indoors and this important part of the curriculum can only be delivered depending on the weather; the status of the construction of the new urgently-needed building; when it will be completed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28013/24]
317. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his attention has been drawn to the work that an organisation (details supplied) carries out, and its desire to provide a much-needed national wildlife rehabilitation and teaching hospital and ancillary services; if he is aware that a suitable site was identified at St. Ita’s, and that the organisation had been working with Fingal County Council in this regard; if there are plans to allow the organisation to progress this important project; if not, whether he will commit to helping the organisation identify a suitable, accessible site and resource it to provide this much-needed hospital and services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26948/24]
156. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if workers in the security industry are guaranteed pay rises, as per the employment regulation order (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26837/24]
137. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the measures being taken to protect a heritage site (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26593/24]
115. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he plans to include an assessment on difficulties Travellers experience in accessing and retaining open housing applications in the new NTRIS currently being considered; if he will acknowledge that this is an outstanding issue in the current NTRIS since 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26398/24]
62. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the PSEHRD assessment his Department has undertaken regarding reported difficulties by Travellers to open housing applications and retain open application (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26399/24]
83. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the actions the Government is considering in relation to the implementation of the adequate minimum wage Directive; if certain policy changes will be included (details supplied); the other policy changes being considered; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25806/24]
46. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if he has any plans to provide extra supports to students from Gaza, in light of the awful situation they and their families have endured and continue to face in Palestine (details supplied); if he will take extra steps to further support these students; the measures he can take in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25744/24]