1497. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health the reason healthcare assistants who come from abroad to work here, with qualifications above QQI level 5 will only be given renewed employment permits if they complete the QQI level course for healthcare assistants in Ireland; if his attention has been drawn to the NARIC Ireland international qualification comparison requirement (details supplied) that those who are qualified above QQI 5 level in the health sector, do not need to repeat the QQI 5 level; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16905/23]
1439. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health if there will be any State-funded fertility treatment programme available in the State in the coming period; if his Department has plans in relation to same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16721/23]
998. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Justice if he is aware that gardaí are informing victims of racist abuse and attacks that An Garda Síochána cannot deal with such crime because of the lack of hate-speech laws in the State; if he can clarify that the Garda is aware and trained in current legislation when dealing with attacks on people that are compounded by racist motivation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17675/23]
824. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will clarify current income thresholds from earnings in relation to social housing waiting lists; when these thresholds became operational; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17649/23]
823. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when assessing income from earnings for access to a local authority social housing waiting list, if local authorities have the discretion to disregard one-off overtime earnings in any given year; if not, if such thresholds have no flexibility; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17648/23]
791. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the position in relation to the proposed scheme for defective apartments and remediation works needed; the timescale for implementation of this scheme; if residents of such apartments who face immediate demands for levies from management companies to fund needed safety works will be fully compensated for any outlay they face in the coming weeks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17196/23]
632. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Education if she is aware of the impact of her Department’s decision to stall a much-needed second prefab block installation at Riverview ETNS; if she will acknowledge that children with additional needs are being particularly impacted as a result of building delays with the ability to provide small group teaching and other necessary interventions being severely curtailed (details supplied); if she will reconsider the stalling of the second prefab block installation and take steps to deliver what was sanctioned as a matter of priority; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16383/23]
526. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Education if she can clarify whether a school (details supplied) is among the schools affected by the stalled school building programme; if the approval letter from her Department for the proposed works at the school will be issued; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17135/23]
485. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the reason the regulations issued by the PSA have been altered to remove the previous clause in relation to adherence to EROs; if he will clarify his Departments legal strategy in relation to the current court case and legal action that has blocked the ERO in the security sector; if the State will, and is actively contesting the case by certain security companies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17197/23]
481. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if a worker who has opted out of a company pension and receives an increase in salary instead is entitled to retain the same salary with a new employer under TUPE; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16908/23]
480. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment in relation to transfer of undertakings protection offered to workers who are changing employer as a result of such transfers, if current legislation guarantees that such workers being transferred to a new employer shall suffer no diminution of their pay or conditions in the first year after such a transfer takes place; if he can further clarify if TUPE legislation has any implications in situations where a company has won a State tender/contract and is now transferring its work to a new company; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16719/23]
167. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the total number of homes that had retrofit work undertaken supported by SEAI grants under the various schemes operated, in each of the years 2015 to 2022, and to date in 2023; the number of homes that as result of SEAI support reached a B2 BER in this period, in relation to recent figures which show over 27,000 homes retrofitted in 2022; and the energy rating achieved in those homes which did not reach the B2 rating, in tabular form. [16082/23]
59. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Justice if he can clarify the procedure in relation to decisions by the Border Management Unit to refuse permission to board for visitors intending to come into the State, specifically if the Garda National Immigration Bureau keeps a record of such refusals; the reason for such refusals; and if he will detail the number of such refusals in the last year. [17652/23]
41. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Justice if he can clarify, in cases where a Border Management Unit decides to refuse permission to an intending visitor to this State, and the visitor has all the appropriate documentation for such a visit, what rights to appeal or to question such decisions exists; how such refusals are recorded and documented; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17653/23]
16. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Taoiseach how often every Cabinet committee meets, with particular reference to the committees on health, housing and education. [15434/23]
Bill entitled an Act to amend the Residential Tenancies Act 2004 to reduce rents to affordable levels by limiting them to a maximum of a quarter of monthly household incomes and to establish a National Rent Authority for this purpose.
323. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health if he will acknowledge that approximately 300,000 people in Ireland are currently living with a rare disease; if he will provide adequate resources for genetic services in Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital, Crumlin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15963/23]
232. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will report on his plans for improving gender equality. [12865/23]
178. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will provide an update on his efforts to secure the release of a person (details supplied) who is currently being held in an Iranian prison; if he is aware of the declining health of the person and the urgency this poses in terms of the person's release; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16009/23]
128. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Transport if he will itemise or detail the potential categories of internalised benefits that were not part of the report (details supplied) into fare-free public transport; the reason such benefits did not form part of the scope of the report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15983/23]
126. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Transport if the authors of a report (details supplied) commissioned by the NTA on fare-fee public transport can provide a figure for CO2 emission savings from a 1% decline in car usage; and if the authors can provide a figure for the total reduction in kilometres travelled by car users as a result of a 1% decline in car usage. [15981/23]
124. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Transport the timeframe for commencement and completion of the DART+ South West project and its infrastructural works; if he will provide the details of the proposal for a station in Ballyfermot; the timeframe for the delivery of same; if Irish Rail has a dedicated liaison office to liaise with residents in areas such as Kylemore in Ballyfermot whose property may be affected by the works involved; if CPOs on gardens have been issued to these residents; if negotiation and consultation will take place with these residents ahead of any such CPO or proposed works; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15925/23]
119. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will detail all carbon credits purchased by the State or its agencies under any scheme since 2015 to date; if the CO2 equivalent totals of such credits and the monetary costs involved will be included; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15980/23]
47. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth what supports he will put in place for people with disabilities facing eviction after the lifting of the eviction ban this week; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15765/23]
20. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he is aware that advocates for domestic violence sufferers are very critical of his failure to offer full pay to victims while out on leave; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15767/23]
16. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will revisit his emergency accommodation policy published on 24 January that announced a pause in provision of emergency shelter to international protection adults arriving to Citywest; the number of international protection adults who are currently without accommodation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15764/23]
7. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the measures his Department is taking to inform all public bodies of their immediate obligations under the convention to prioritise disabled persons' organisations in all consultations affecting disabled people; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15766/23]
158. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Justice if Carlow will have a women's refuge in place as promised in 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15577/23]
16. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Taoiseach if he is planning to publish a Housing for All report with the final figures of housing delivered for the whole of 2022; and when he expects to do this. [15433/23]
658. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health if he has listened to and consulted with the trans community in relation to their healthcare needs and the provision of that care currently; if he will consider reviewing the National Gender Service in terms of international best practice and how it is currently working from the trans community’s perspective; if he will listen to the trans community’s call for an informed consent model that is led by GPs in local communities and respond accordingly; if he will consult with the trans community, in addition to consulting with medical professionals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14817/23]
466. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will acknowledge the importance of encouraging young people to participate in the democratic process by becoming a registered voter; if she is aware of some of the difficulties young people have in trying to become a registered voter for the first time (details supplied); if there are plans to streamline the process to make it more accessible; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15262/23]
365. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Education if she will clarify why the procurement process for a contractor for a school (details supplied) has been halted; if she will acknowledge the need for an ETSS in this area to accommodate the significant number of children who want to continue their education in an ETSS; if she will reconsider the stoppage on the procurement process and allow this necessary secondary school be progressed as soon as possible; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14659/23]
312. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage further to Parliamentary Question No. 494 of 21 March 2023, if he will provide more specific information on the existing internal complaints and appeals systems within local authorities, particularly in relation to appealing decisions regarding medical priority for housing applications; if he will consider implementing a standardised and transparent appeal mechanism at the national level to ensure consistency and fairness for all applicants seeking medical priority for housing support; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15248/23]
216. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Transport if he will provide the cost of installing an electronic timetable with real-time arrival times at bus stops that currently only have a sign; the estimated cost of installing a roofed shelter at bus stops that currently only have a sign; if he will clarify the process for applying for both, for a particular bus stop; if he will outline his Department’s and Dublin Bus’s plans to install both across Dublin city and county over the coming year; if Dublin Bus will consider installing both at stop 2380, Cork Street and Ardee Street servicing routes towards the city, in the same fashion as the stop directly opposite going in the opposite direction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15133/23]
146. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will clarify the last occasion when there was an increase in the energy part of the household benefit package; if she has any plans to raise this allowance in light of the ongoing energy crisis; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15163/23]
134. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will clarify that people in district heating systems who have faced large increases in their energy bills can access additional needs’ payments; if any instruction has been issued from her Department to community welfare officers in this regard; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15162/23]
112. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection if she has any plans to change the eligibility criteria for CE schemes to include persons in direct provision; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15164/23]
98. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection if she has made any provision for an increased budget for additional needs’ payments in light of the ending of the eviction ban and the likelihood of additional expenses being faced by people made homeless; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15160/23]
78. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection if she has any plans to increase welfare rates for those on disability payments in light of additional costs and rising cost-of-living pressures; if any consideration is being given to the provision of a universal non means-tested payment for those suffering from long-term disabilities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15453/23]
171. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Education if she will ensure that the scoping inquiry into historical sex abuse in schools will not be restricted to Roman Catholic religious orders; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14180/23]
1386. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health if this HSE-mandated training for home helps is mandatory for all persons working as home helps in private companies; if this training is exclusively online; if workers taking this training do so as part of their working day; if the HSE requires private companies who employ these workers, to pay them for the hours spent doing this training; if the HSE that contracts these companies to provide home help hours, has set any minimum number of hours to be worked by their employees; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13225/23]