865. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health if the HSE altered the criteria and amount of refunds for the purchase of glasses and optical examinations that parents of children with disabilities can claim back in April 2020 as occurred in the case of a person (details supplied); if his attention or that of his officials was drawn to the change; the policy reason for the decision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37139/20]
725. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health if workers hired at the Clonskeagh testing centre during the Call for Ireland campaign are now being let go; the number of persons hired who are being laid off both in Clonskeagh and elsewhere; the reason these workers' contracts were not renewed; the details of their replacements; the status of their contracts, including duration; if these will be permanent; if they will have access to sick schemes akin to other HSE workers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36289/20]
719. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health the reason the HSE has authorised a temporary cessation of waterbirth effectively limiting the options and choices of mothers further given the current Covid-19 restrictions with regard to partners attending maternity visits; the reason an association (details supplied) as providers of the service were not included in discussions prior to the decision to cease the waterbirth service; if the service will resume as soon as possible; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36273/20]
591. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection the membership of the Pensions Commission; the date the Commission will commence its work; the time frame for the Commission to finish and report to Government; if she will consider appointing representatives of a group (details supplied) to be a part of the work and membership of the Commission; if the Commission will be inviting submissions from the public; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36987/20]
569. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection the steps a taxi driver needs to take if the or she is considering returning to work and if he or she presently receive the pandemic unemployment payment specifically; if he or she should notify her Department, the NTA or another authority if he or she wishes to resume work; if his or her payments will be affected immediately by this decision; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36288/20]
568. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection if a self-employed recipient of the pandemic unemployment payment, such as a taxi driver, can work and continue to receive the payment; the stage in their gross earnings at which their payment will be affected; the way in which such a payment might be reduced depending on their earnings; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36287/20]
399. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the criteria used by approved housing bodies to allocate housing units in developments over which they operate which are not available to the local authority in their area for housing tenants from the social housing waiting lists; if these units are subject to any control or oversight by his Department in terms of rents levied or tenancy agreements entered into; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36984/20]
398. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of housing units provided by approved housing bodies for social housing of those on local authority social housing waiting lists in each of the years since 2015; the total number of housing units provided by approved housing bodies since 2015, that is, units built, purchased, leased and so on by these bodies which are not made available to the local authority for the purposes of housing persons on the social housing waiting lists; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36983/20]
397. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if approved housing bodies have the authority to decide if they will house tenants sent to them from the local authority social housing waiting lists following an interview with the perspective tenants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36982/20]
396. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if the policy of all local authorities in relation to persons on their social housing waiting lists is to remove them from these lists if they at any stage during their time on the list exceed the income thresholds applicable; if so, if the policy is uniformly applied across all local authorities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36981/20]
257. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Finance the number of firms that availed of the temporary wage subsidy scheme that the authorities are currently investigating to ensure they fulfil the criteria for access to the scheme; the number of firms that have availed of the scheme that have submitted audited accounts to the Revenue Commissioners; and the number of firms that have availed of the scheme and that are also in receipt of other State aid, including the Covid restrictions support scheme, rates waiver and sector specific supports. [36141/20]
40. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Defence if he will accede to the request from an organisation (details supplied) to allow it to affiliate to a body; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37149/20]
344. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health if a protected disclosure has been received from staff in a hospice (details supplied); the actions he plans to take on the disclosure; if this disclosure is the same as a previous disclosure sent to his predecessor in 2018; the actions that were taken by the HSE on same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36025/20]
315. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health the number of nursing homes that qualified for the maximum monthly support grant available under the support schemes announced. [36022/20]
314. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health the number of nursing homes and long-term care facilities that have availed of the assistance scheme for all private and voluntary nursing homes and the enhanced outbreak assistance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36021/20]
170. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Finance if supports given to a nursing home under the standard and enhanced outbreak schemes are calculated as income for the facility if it then applied for the wage subsidy scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36024/20]
169. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Finance if a nursing home can avail of both the standard assistance scheme and the enhanced assistance outbreak scheme for nursing homes and still avail of the temporary wage subsidy scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36023/20]
168. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Finance the number of nursing homes and long-term care facilities that have availed of the temporary wage subsidy scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36021/20]
65. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Transport his plans to meet with the IAA regarding changes in the remit of the organisation, especially its role during the Covid-19 crisis in aviation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35772/20]
11. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Transport his plans to increase both the Dublin Bus and Bus Éireann fleet numbers in the coming years; the expected extra capacity that will result from this in both companies in order to increase public transport use; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35773/20]
690. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health if definitive clarity will be provided regarding the term support bubble; the details of that which is and is not permissible for those that form a support bubble with another person who is living alone; the action taken if a person is stopped at a Garda checkpoint on their way to visit their nominated support bubble person who lives in another county; the guidelines associated with all aspects of the formation and practice of support bubbles; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34751/20]
660. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health the healthcare providers with whom contracts or service level agreements were signed between 2014 and 2016 by the HSE or his Department or health services of any form in which funding came from the State by year and company in tabular form. [34580/20]
561. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if his attention has been drawn to the detrimental impact that the Covid-19 pandemic and the subsequent lockdowns have had on new parents on maternity leave; if he will consider starting the additional three weeks of parental leave at the earlier time of January 2021 in recognition of the negative effects on parents mental, physical and emotional health in addition to the loss of critical socialisation time for their babies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35293/20]
501. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 539 of 6 October 2020, if her Department is reimbursing providers for the free travel scheme that are also operating the same services under the LocalLink or rural transport programme (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34748/20]
333. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Finance the reason numerous nursing homes have availed of the wage subsidy scheme for employees; the number of employees in the sector who were placed on the scheme; if these employees worked throughout the period in question; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35436/20]
332. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Finance his plans to seek the reimbursement of the amounts of wage subsidies given to companies in cases in which these companies return to profit by the end of 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35435/20]
331. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Finance the number of companies on the list of companies published in receipt of the temporary wage subsidy scheme; the number of employees who while in receipt of the subsidy had their incomes topped up by the company concerned; and the amounts of these top-ups as a percentage of the employees normal weekly income. [35434/20]
330. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Finance if a company can send a worker who is in receipt of the wage subsidy scheme or the employment support scheme to another EU country to work during the period they are on the scheme even in cases in which the other EU country was not their original or usual workplace in the period prior to been placed on the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35433/20]
153. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Environment, Climate and Communications if he will amend the climate action Bill to a binding target of net zero by 2030; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35107/20]
128. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Environment, Climate and Communications his views on the evidence given by a person (details supplied) to the Joint Committee on Climate Action that a significant and sustained reduction in methane will have a greater impact in helping Ireland achieve the Paris Agreement targets than a comparable reduction in carbon dioxide. [35111/20]
123. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Environment, Climate and Communications his plans to ensure the climate action Bill is compatible with a just transition and environmental justice. [35110/20]
122. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Environment, Climate and Communications if he will amend the climate action Bill to include sanctions or consequences for missing five-year climate targets. [35108/20]
110. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Environment, Climate and Communications if he is satisfied with the reliance on technological fixes for carbon removal in the climate action Bill; the division of labour he anticipates between same and emissions reductions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35109/20]
83. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of inspections by the HSA of meat plants since level 5 Covid-19 restrictions were put in place; the measures taken to ensure the safety of workers in this sector and that there is no renewed outbreak or clusters in the industry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35082/20]
44. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment his engagement with the liquidators appointed to a company (details supplied); his plans to ensure the workers currently in dispute with the company will receive a just redundancy package; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35083/20]
162. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Education if the introduction of a no blame occupational injury scheme has been considered for teachers and workers in the education sector; if not, her plans for the introduction of a scheme in the future; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34421/20]
81. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Transport his plans ensure that driving licences due to expire over the coming weeks during level 5 restrictions will be extended until these measures are lifted given that the NDLS has advised that appointments for non-essential workers should be cancelled by applicants and that many will be unable to avail of online or postal renewals for various reasons; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34371/20]
78. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Transport the position regarding the renewal of a driver licence in circumstances (details supplied). [34362/20]
71. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Education the criteria and procedures used in schools to define a close contact of a Covid-19 positive person (details supplied); the persons the public health risk assessment team consult in deciding who might be a close contact; the person or body that has the final say on what a close contact is in each case; the rationale for departing from the ECDC definitions for schools settings; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33997/20]
70. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Education the average number of close contacts a positive case of Covid-19 has in a school setting (details supplied). [33996/20]
64. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the restrictions and advice to persons that must travel to England and that return to Ireland via Belfast; the obligations in relation to travel locator forms and recommended isolation times; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34065/20]
1579. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if a body (details supplied) was fined in 2015 by Pobal; the reason for this; and the actions taken by relevant bodies since to avoid a repetition of the actions that resulted in this fine. [32396/20]
1578. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if the appointment by the local authority of an external person to work with a body (details supplied) in relation to ongoing issues there has taken place; and the cost of this external assistance. [32395/20]
1577. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if an audit of an area (details supplied) took place in March 2020; and the actions that have been taken by the relevant authorities on foot of its findings. [32394/20]
1576. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the action she has taken in relation to whistle-blower disclosures made to and regarding a matter (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32393/20]
1558. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his attention has been drawn to the views of the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission on the issue of the placing of barriers to new entrants to the meat processing sector; his views on whether a submission from his Department to the immigrant investor programme evaluation committee in relation to a proposed facility in Banagher represents such a barrier; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33837/20]
1362. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health if any HSE staff currently working on contract tracing have been redeployed from other services, specifically those involving speech and language assessments for children, occupational therapist services and NEPS psychologists; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33360/20]
1343. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health the position in relation to a medical card holder that is prescribed a drug (details supplied) prior to undertaking a colonoscopy; the actions a medical card holder should take in these circumstances; if there are alternative drugs available under the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33298/20]
1266. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health the reason the HSE is handing over the governance, care and accommodation needs of vulnerable persons in sheltered accommodation to an approved housing body; and if he will further clarify issues (details supplied). [32840/20]
1129. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health if he will provide a definition of a close contact for the purposes of Covid-19 tracing; if this definition used by the HSE is in line with WHO and ECDC guidelines; if this definition is applied in primary and secondary schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32324/20]