174. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment his views on the IDA seeking to establish links with businesses in Israel; if he will take steps to ensure that there is no cooperation between Ireland and the Israeli state, given its treatment and repression of the Palestinian people; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16445/21]
148. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Finance the reason workers are facing tax bills from the administration of the temporary wage subsidy scheme when the instruction to the employers was to top-up wages only to normal net amounts, effectively meaning a cut in gross pay and a saving to employers; if he will examine this position again in view of the fact that workers now facing tax bills received no improvement in their take home pay but are now presented with a tax bill; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17190/21]
69. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Finance the reason the Revenue Commissioners deduct tax refunds due to workers for medical expenses from outstanding amounts owed from the administration of the pandemic unemployment payment and temporary wage subsidy scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17189/21]
Bill entitled an Act to provide for the protection of certain foreign nationals in employment in the State and for that purpose to amend the Employment Permits Act 2003, the Employment Permits Act 2006, the Protection of Employees (Employers’ Insolvency) Act 1984 and the Employment Permits Regulations 2017 and to provide for related matters.
217. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health when the proposed recruitment of new therapists will take place; the health areas to which they will be allocated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16186/21]
216. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health the number of speech and language therapists who remain redeployed to other areas as a result of the Covid-19 emergency; and the number of same who are from the CHO7 area.; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16185/21]
215. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health the waiting times for access to speech and language therapy, occupational therapy and psychological services in the Dublin CHO7 area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16184/21]
1634. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health if the details of any proposed review of the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018 will be provided; the timing and form this review will take; if the review will hear from concerned groups or accept submissions; the role of the Oireachtas Committee on Health in relation to same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14884/21]
1505. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health the reason a child (details supplied) has been informed that the waiting list for speech and language therapy in their area has increased to 55 months; his views on whether this is an unacceptable wait time; the steps he will take to ensure the provision of the urgent assessment for the child; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14468/21]
1495. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health the breakdown of all Covid 19-related deaths in nursing homes in January and February 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14412/21]
1272. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Justice if Deputy Humphreys will receive a Garda driven car and Garda security during her period as temporary Minister for Justice; if she will receive additional advisory staff for the six months in this extra role; if she received briefings from An Garda Síochána, the Defence Forces or other security details in preparation for the role; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15485/21]
1129. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science further to Parliamentary Question No. 606 of 27 January 2021, the status and details of the outcome of engagement between CORU, education providers and the relevant stakeholders on the issue of alternatives to placements for social care students in 2021 in view of the public health restrictions which have impacted substantially on students’ ability to obtain and carry out placements; if his attention has been drawn to the stress and anxiety that this is causing to social care students; if he will take steps to ensure there is an appropriate solution provided as quickly as possible; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14880/21]
775. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the engagement his Department has had with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment in respect of COVAX, and Covid technology access pool or C-TAP; the position taken by Ireland on the European Commission's opposition to a TRIPS waiver on Covid-19 vaccines at the meeting in March of the World Trade Organization; the engagement he plans to have with that Department in advance of the next WTO meeting in April; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15376/21]
483. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Finance the number of persons who have filed domicile levy returns; the amount collected since commencement to date for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15187/21]
438. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Finance if the code of conduct for mortgage arrears is a voluntary code; if not, if a regulatory body in the State will enforce its application; the mechanism the State has to ensure financial and corporate bodies abide by the code and engage with persons in arrears; his policy on dealing with threats to family homes as a result of such arears; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14186/21]
286. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Transport his plans to ensure that front-line workers have access to public transport if current reduced capacity restrictions continue and specifically if dedicated services for staff to and from acute hospitals will be considered; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1826/21]
122. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Transport if he plans to proceed with the initial stages of the BusConnects scheme for Dublin; if his attention has been drawn to the concerns of workers involved that the introduction of the new design will mean widespread changes to existing rights, conditions and labour practices; if he will meet with workers' representatives to discuss the implications of the plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14306/21]
113. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Transport if he will conduct a review of Ireland's carbon footprint when implementing the plan in the Climate Action Plan 2019 for 1 million electric vehicles. [13282/21]
10. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if An Post employees and their pension entitlements are covered by the provisions of the Postal and Telecommunications Act 1983; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13700/21]
846. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health the reason two members of the same family (details supplied), both in their 80s, are receiving vaccinations at different times; if his attention has been drawn to the immense sacrifice and stringent compliance with public health advice older persons have made; the steps he will take to rectify the inconsistent and irregular delivery of vaccines within localities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12938/21]
803. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health when ninety persons in the over-85 years of age category who had appointments for Covid-19 vaccination cancelled without notice in Ballyfermot recently will receive vaccinations; if his attention has been drawn to the distress and confusion this has caused to the older persons that have been waiting patiently for their vaccinations and stuck rigidly to the public health restrictions for almost a year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12760/21]
670. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will consider allowing first year college students who have particularly struggled during the pandemic to be permitted to repeat first year while retaining all SUSI grants; if he will acknowledge that some students have struggled with having to conduct their entire first year online and have been impacted negatively in terms of mental health and academic achievement; if he will examine the way in which students that are reliant on SUSI grants will be accommodated to repeat first year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12855/21]
584. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will consider appointing representatives of affected groups to the Pensions Commission such as groups (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12912/21]
508. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Education the details of the budget for the amalgamation of three secondary schools (details supplied); if provision is being made for the inclusion of a new gym, canteen and car parking facilities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12897/21]
507. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Education the details of plans for the amalgamation of three secondary schools (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12896/21]
389. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of successful applicants who have applied in each year of the operation of the Rebuilding Ireland home loan scheme. [12887/21]
388. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if a person can apply for both the Rebuilding Ireland home loan scheme and the enhanced help-to-buy scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12886/21]
387. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if the Rebuilding Ireland home loan scheme is open to applicants who work less than 20 hours per week or are lone parents and in receipt of the one parent family payment. [12885/21]
374. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if the situation of the service level agreement between Irish Water and local authority workers will be clarified; the number of workers covered by the agreement; the number of workers who have been requested to transfer fully to Irish Water to date; if his attention has been drawn to the number of workers who do not wish to transfer; the plans of his Department and Irish Water to deal with the number who do not wish to transfer; if the workers will be guaranteed their current conditions if they remain with the relevant local authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12625/21]
285. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Finance the number of successful applicants who have applied in each year of the operation of the help-to-buy scheme. [12887/21]
121. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will clarify Government policy in relation to the building of LNG terminals here; if such proposals are compatible with the State commitment to the Paris climate treaty; if he will consider a proposal to remove LNGs from the list in the Planning and Development Act 2000 of strategic infrastructure developments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13280/21]
58. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if clarification will be provided in relation to the proposed Marine Planning and Development Management Bill; his plans to set up a State or semi-State body to harvest off-shore wind energy for the benefit of the State and to aIl of its climate targets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13281/21]
40. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will review State policy relating to the building of data centres in Ireland and specifically the impact on energy consumption; if this policy is compatible with national climate-related targets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13279/21]
218. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health the date vaccination of the over 70 years of age cohort will commence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12333/21]
1098. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if she will provide the necessary resources such as communications and an index for the Crowe report issued in December 2020 which the new board of Waterford Area Partnership is expected to respond to but which will require assistance in doing so. [11717/21]
890. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health if he has plans to ensure Defence Forces personnel fulfilling duties overseas and in areas with high levels of Covid-19 community transmission will receive the vaccine before embarking on such duties; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11701/21]
790. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health if he will consider reprioritising persons with disabilities living in care homes in the Covid-19 vaccination schedule; if he will acknowledge that this vulnerable cohort often do not have a voice and often have very complex illnesses and needs which make them much more likely to succumb to the virus; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11298/21]
737. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health if he will take steps to reprioritise those who are very high risk and extremely vulnerable, including transplant recipients and immunosuppressed persons, to be included in group 1 of the Covid-19 vaccination schedule; his views on whether those in the category have a high mortality rate if they contract Covid-19 and as a result have been reprioritised in the UK and are high on the Northern Ireland vaccination schedule; if he will provide immediate clarification to such groups that they will be included in group 1 of the vaccination roll-out; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11087/21]
703. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health the number of confirmed outbreaks of Covid-19 on construction sites and in industry in general. [11702/21]
473. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Education if she will address the discrepancy between mainstream primary schools that have received a reduction of one in the staffing schedule and DEIS band one schools that have only received a reduction of one in senior classes; if she will acknowledge that DEIS band one schools have not received any reduction in the schedule over the past number of years despite a reduction from 28 to 25 in mainstream schools; the steps she will take to introduce a reduction in class size at all class levels in DEIS band one schools to bring class sizes in the most disadvantaged areas in line with all other mainstream schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11691/21]
383. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Defence his plans to ensure Defence Forces personnel fulfilling duties overseas and in areas with high levels of Covid-19 community transmissions will receive the vaccination before embarking on such duties; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11700/21]
209. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Finance if the minimum allocation to the Horse and Greyhound Fund is bound by the wording of Part 3 section 12(4) of the Horse and Greyhound Racing Act 2001, which specifies an amount equivalent to the revenue from excise duty on off-course betting paid into the Exchequer in the preceding year or the year 2000 increased by reference to the consumer price index, whichever is the greater; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11739/21]
38. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of Health and Safety Authority inspections in each month since September 2020 nationally and specifically in construction sites including the total number of these that were unannounced. [11702/21]
112. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the status of planned changes to the rules of a pension scheme (details supplied) and arrangements and the annual administration fees pertaining to the superannuation scheme, specifically the outcome of consideration of this issue by her Department, NewERA and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10753/21]
16. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the position in respect of licences for mining exploration on the Inishowen peninsula and specifically the situation regarding a licence (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10834/21]
1134. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if she will intervene with the relevant local authorities to ensure that help is being provided to the new board of an organisation (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10191/21]
1133. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if she will fully investigate a protected disclosure in relation to an organisation (details supplied); if she will allow an orderly timeframe for addressing the issues; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10190/21]