176. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will engage with the Commission for Regulation of Utilities in relation to the treatment of vulnerable users and the charging of these customers for meter readings. [61668/22]
174. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the supports or arrangements that have been made to ensure that persons in rented accommodation who do not have a MRP number can get access to the electricity support grant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61642/22]
150. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment further to Parliamentary Question No. 104 of 6 December 2022, his views on a matter (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62017/22]
Bill entitled an Act to amend the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018 to provide for abortion on request prior to foetal viability; to abolish the 3 day waiting period for abortion on request; to allow for abortion on grounds of fatal foetal abnormality that are likely to lead to the death of the foetus either before or within a year of birth; to allow for abortion where there is a risk to the life, or of serious harm to the health, of the pregnant woman; and to decriminalise the provision of abortion.
376. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on a matter (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61514/22]
375. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the way that the replacement scheme for the Burren programme will impact those 300 farmers currently in the programme; and if supports available will match the amounts available under the current Burren programme. [61513/22]
374. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he can detail any meetings or discussions that he or his Department have had with persons who have resigned from the Burren programme over concerns regarding the replacement scheme and fears that it could have negative impacts on the Burren landscape; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61512/22]
332. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health if he, his Department, or representatives of the HSE have met or will meet with representatives of a group (details supplied) to discuss its concerns on vaccine-related side effects; if he can detail the safeguards and measures taken by the HSE and his Department to monitor and review the effectiveness and health impacts of the ongoing vaccine programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61519/22]
331. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health the position regarding section 38 workers; if funding has been made available to ensure these workers receive the pay awards agreed under the Building Momentum pay agreement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61518/22]
299. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health the position regarding section 38 workers; if funding has been made available to ensure that these workers receive the pay awards agreed under the Building Momentum pay agreement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61517/22]
289. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science further to Parliamentary Question No. 525 of 29 November 2022, if funding allocated to the student assistance fund can be used or applied for to help repeat students cover their fees and registration costs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61520/22]
272. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide details of any discussions or consultations that she has had with representatives of postmasters in relation to the huge workload expected by them in the coming weeks, especially in terms of paying double payments and fortnightly payments in the same week; if she will be holding meetings with any representatives to discuss other issues (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61527/22]
207. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Transport if, in light of the decision to hire inspection support personnel to conduct some stages of the car test at NCT sites, the tendered agreement between the State and an organisation (details supplied) has resulted in any material change to the specifications of the tender. [61486/22]
206. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Transport if the contractor for the NCT (details supplied) has indemnified the RSA on behalf of the State in light of its new policy of hiring inspection support personnel. [61485/22]
205. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Transport if he can detail the section within the RSA which adjudicates on qualifications; and the reason that a level 5 qualification was referenced as a suitable qualification for car testers. [61484/22]
204. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Transport if new employees performing inspection support personnel duties at NCT sites have the minimum qualification as required by European legislation; and if they have the qualifications as set out in the tendered document. [61483/22]
203. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Transport if he can clarify a previous statement in respect of the number of vehicles tested per day by car testers at NCT sites; if previously stated numbers of seven or eight per day were correct; if testers are in fact contracted to test two cars per hour during a ten-hour day; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61482/22]
49. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the fact that wheelchair users with lifelong conditions often have to re-apply for entitlements such as medical cards; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56936/22]
112. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Justice further to Parliamentary Question No. 312 of 1 December 2022, if a series of matters (details supplied) in relation to same will be clarified; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61286/22]
60. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Education if separate funding streams are available to schools to help with the costs of providing tracksuits for pupils at primary school level; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61272/22]
53. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Education if she intends to conduct a review in the near future of the effectiveness of her Department’s payroll system in light of reported issues from teachers regarding difficulty having changes made or mistakes rectified in salaries; the reason it is taking so long to have salary issues addressed and the difficulties for teachers trying to communicate with her Department; if she will specifically investigate the issues reported by a deputy principal (details supplied) and ensure that the problems are rectified as soon as possible; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61114/22]
15. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Transport further to Parliamentary Question No. 30 of 10 November 2022, if the new inspection support personnel, ISP, are employed under the same conditions as current qualified testers and within the same conditions as set by law regarding hours of employment; if the ISP are subject to Irish employment law or, alternatively, are they being paid in Spain and subject to Spanish employment law; if their level 5 qualification is in a mechanical or a related trade; if he will be implementing EU directive 2014/45/EU in full, which deals with the minimum requirements concerning the competence training and certification of inspectors; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61326/22]
5. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he or his officials will meet with a student (details supplied) who has started a hunger and thirst strike over concerns relating the climate crisis in order to address the issues the student has raised; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61103/22]
544. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health if he will outline any plans to establish a community neuro-rehabilitation team in CHO7; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that only 15% of persons have access to community neuro-rehabilitation teams and that despite the promise of a team for each CHO area, only two have been delivered; if his attention has been further drawn to the fact that these teams reduce the average length of stay in hospital, which could result in saving over 42,000 bed days each year; when CHO7 will have a team in place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60301/22]
443. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science further to Parliamentary Question No. 525 of 29 November 2022, if there are plans to allow students who have to repeat a year apply to the student assistance fund for help to cover fees in view of their exclusion from the reduced registration fees (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60766/22]
104. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment further to Parliamentary Question Nos. 160, 161, 163, 164 and 166 of 1 December 2022, the position of the person, who having secured full-time employment while on a G1 graduate visa, has now been informed they must fulfil the labour market needs test to secure a work permit which was not originally required when they applied for and secured the position; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61037/22]
50. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Justice if she will clarify the outcome of her meeting with the family of a person (details supplied); if she has considered their demand for an independent public inquiry into their death; if she can report on the status of the scoping inquiry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60611/22]
45. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Justice if she will clarify the position of those workers, many of whom are presently working in sectors suffering chronic shortages of staff, who are presently in the state on a G1 graduate visa, when their visa has or is due to expire and where their job would ordinarily require the position to be advertised and filled in line with the labour market needs test; if such workers remain in their employment; if their visa can be extended; if she will examine such extensions beyond the present time limits; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60610/22]
334. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health if a person who is in need of a carer to assist them in their home but who is unable to source any carer and lives in an island setting has any entitlement to additional supports from her Department in terms of accessing home help and so on; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59930/22]
320. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Justice if she will clarify the position of a person on a graduate visa 1G; if any restrictions are placed on such a visa holder when applying for jobs in the State; if they can seek an extension of the visa; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60007/22]
312. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Justice if she can clarify if the PSA must take account of EROs approved by the Houses of the Oireachtas in its regulating of private security firms; the penalties there are for noncompliance by private security firms of such regulation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [59916/22]
268. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection if a person who is in receipt of the fuel allowance will lose the allowance if they rent a room and provide care to a person who is not in receipt of any qualifying social welfare payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [59929/22]
267. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection if a person who qualifies for the fuel allowance will lose their entitlement to the allowance if they rent a room to a person who is not in receipt of any qualifying payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [59928/22]
215. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the funding that is available from his Department to help local authorities deal with outstanding issues of mould and damp in council flats; if retrofitting funding related to climate action can be provided in such circumstances, for example to help with costs of new windows in blocks; if not, if other sources of funding are available to local authorities to deal with these issues; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60041/22]
167. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he can detail any steps taken by his Department to date to ensure the ERO for the security sector is enforced and implemented; the advice he has received in relation to the current injunction in implementing this ERO; if he can detail any meetings he or his Department have had with interested stakeholders; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59917/22]
166. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if his Department has any flexibility in relation to the issuing of temporary work permits for jobs not deemed critical skills jobs in cases in which an applicant (details supplied) has commenced work in a position and where their removal from that position will result in extreme hardship to vulnerable people reliant on their continued employment in that position; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59913/22]
165. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he intends to revise current regulation and legislation regarding work permits and categories of critical skills in relation to teaching staff in primary and post primary schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59912/22]
164. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if teaching jobs advertised for teaching staff on a website (details supplied) which receive applications from persons from non-EU states residing in Ireland must also be advertised on another website to comply with current work permit regulations relating to positions not deemed critical skills; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59911/22]
163. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if the case of a person (details supplied) who has been refused a work permit to continue working as an SNA will be examined; if any exceptional circumstances or discretion can be applied by his Department to allow this person to continue working in the school given the crisis in attracting and retaining staff in this sector and the difficulties faced by the school in replacing this person; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59910/22]
161. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if non-EU applicants can apply for positions advertised on a website (details supplied); if she plans to change current work permit legislation in relation to teaching positions given the current crisis in filling positions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59915/22]
160. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will examine the case of a teacher (details supplied) who teaches an autism class in a school which has four other unfilled teaching posts due to a teacher shortage in which the person faces losing their position due to a refusal to issue a work permit to them; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59914/22]
103. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will examine the position of students who must repeat a year of their degree course; if he will ensure that they receive supports available to others such as the reduction in registration fees previously announced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59784/22]
87. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will issue a circular to all local authorities to ensure that they will buy homes if tenants are in receipt of notices to quit where the tenants would be eligible for social housing or cost-rental housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59786/22]
37. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if changes to income limits for social housing will be backdated; if anyone removed from the list in that period will have their years on the list restored; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59785/22]
171. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health if he will investigate the significant delay in providing a necessary assessment of needs and psychology appointment for a child (details supplied); when they will be seen; the steps he is taking to clear the substantial waiting lists for these services; if his attention has been drawn to the impact this is having on children with additional needs and their families; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59599/22]