855. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health the logistics provider whose contract has been extended to include Covid-19 testing; the address of the company; the testing services the company has been contracted to provide; the identity of the contracting party; the duration of the contract; the amount expended to date on the contract; the estimated amount to be spent on same; and the indemnity arrangements that have been made in this regard [26646/20]
854. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health the contracts and services that have been put in place with the network of 46 laboratories contracted by the State or by its agents to provide Covid-19 testing services; the names and addresses of the laboratories; if they are public or private; the amount expended to date on the contracts; the estimated amount that will be spent on same; the services that will be provided under the contracts; the duration of same; the indemnity arrangements that have been made in respect of the laboratories; if there is one template contract or more in use; and if a copy of the contracts will be released [26645/20]
784. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health when the change to the presence on-site of a gerontologist and a registered nurse took place; the person or body responsible for the change in regulations relating to the care of the elderly in long-term residential care identified by the expert panel report on page 96; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26368/20]
774. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health the impact of level 3 Covid-10 restrictions and possible further restrictions on businesses (details supplied) in the Dublin area; and the guidance available to owners and operators of such facilities [26325/20]
730. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Justice if the citizenship requirement will be clarified with regard to the reckonable residency calculation; the consequence in the event a person has been absent from the State for more than six weeks in a year; if six-week absences are deducted in their entirety from the reckonable residency calculation; if not, if it is solely the excess days over six weeks that are deducted from reckonable residency calculation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27102/20]
566. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection if an applicant for the pandemic unemployment payment who has been made unemployed as a result of a lay-off due to the Covid-19 crisis and recent restrictions can be assessed on his or her income for 2020 or the period post January and February 2020; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26893/20]
477. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Education further to Parliamentary Question No. 425 of 15 September 2020, if the school appealed a staff reduction as a result of a fall in pupil numbers in Spring 2020 under section D - English as an additional language, EAL; if this appeal was refused; if it is now open to the school to appeal the staff reduction under a different category as a result of difficulties experienced as a result of implementing the Covid-19 guidelines from her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26930/20]
255. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Transport the details of the road passenger transport operators based in counties Cavan, Monaghan, Westmeath, Leitrim and Longford that received payment from his Department in respect of the carriage of free travel pass holders in each of the years 2015 to 2019 and the individual routes in respect of which payment was made. [27274/20]
294. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department was notified by a company (details supplied) of a Covid-19 outbreak; if so, when; the actions taken; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26173/20]
262. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health if his Department was notified by a company (details supplied) of a Covid-19 outbreak; if so, when; the actions taken; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26174/20]
136. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Education further to Parliamentary Question No. 424 of 15 September 2020, if a school, having previously appealed a reduction in staff under grounds contained in circular 0018/2020, can now appeal this reduction under different grounds or grounds not captured in the circular but connected to new difficulties as a result of the Covid-19 crisis and taking the necessary public health measures advice by her Department (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26046/20]
96. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Finance if a company (details supplied) is in receipt of the new employment subsidy scheme for its workforce; if so, the reason; the oversight and safeguards in place to ensure all companies in receipt of the subsidies are dispensing the funds to their employees; the number of employees that are topping up their employees’ wages; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26001/20]
74. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Transport his plans to transpose the European Union Aviation Safety Agency, EASA, guidelines on safe air travel into enforceable regulations here; if the IAA or other authority has sought to ensure that airports and airlines are operating to these guidelines; if airlines based here are adhering to Covid-19 safety protocols (details supplied) for their workforce and passengers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26079/20]
63. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of meat processing plants inspected by the HSA to date since the Covid-19 crisis began; the number of facilities found to be in breach of Covid-19 workplace guidelines; and the penalties that have been or will be levied. [26177/20]
62. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will bring forward legislation to ensure workers in meat plants have access to a sick scheme as a safety measure in view of Covid-19 outbreaks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26176/20]
60. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of HSA inspections of airport terminals or airline operations to ensure they are complying with workplace safety measures in relation to Covid-19; if the authority is aware of or adheres to the European Union Aviation Safety Agency, EASA, guidelines for airports and airlines; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26085/20]
30. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Transport if his attention has been drawn to the fact that many persons, in complying with public health advice to refrain from travelling to particular countries during the Covid-19 pandemic, have incurred substantial losses as a result of airline companies’ refusal to refund them by stating that their flights are still departing; if he has had meetings with airlines to address the matter; his plans to compel airlines and or hotels to refund customers that cannot travel as a result of public health advice; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25832/20]
493. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection if the pandemic unemployment payment will be reinstated at the full rate per week for the highly skilled staff and businesses working in the live events sector that are anxious to return to work; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24906/20]
297. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Media, Tourism, Arts, Culture, Sport and the Gaeltacht if a voice will be given to the commercial live events sector in the recently announced task force in order to represent the substantial needs of the live events community; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24908/20]
296. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Media, Tourism, Arts, Culture, Sport and the Gaeltacht if she will consider granting funding to the live events sector proportionate to the funds allocated to the Arts Council in 2020 in recognition of the fact that the sector accounts for 90% of all tickets sold here; if the critical lack of grant funding to the sector will be acknowledged; if a commitment will be given to a ringfenced fund for businesses in the sector that can remain viable until restrictions are lifted; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24907/20]
295. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Media, Tourism, Arts, Culture, Sport and the Gaeltacht if her attention has been drawn to the hardship and distress the Covid-19 restrictions have caused to those previously working in the live events sector; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24906/20]
275. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the provisions for workers that have left or were in their final year of service in the public sector when the Public Service Superannuation (Age of Retirement) Act 2018 was passed to continue working in their positions; if workers aged 66 years of age and that were still working in their positions when this legislation was enacted can continue working in line with the new age limits in the Act; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24716/20]
273. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Finance when he will publish a list of the companies that availed of the wage subsidy scheme; the amounts given to the companies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25596/20]
272. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Finance the number of workers in receipt of the employment subsidy scheme; the number of workers that received a top-up payment from their employer; the breakdown of the levels and top- ups provided by employers; and if his attention has been drawn to the fact that employer top-ups have risen as a response to the reduction in the employment subsidies provided by the State. [25595/20]
229. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Finance if the employment wage subsidy scheme will be reinstated at the full rate per week for the highly skilled staff and businesses working in the live events sector that are anxious to return to work; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24906/20]
139. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of general employment permits issued since 2010 to the meat processing sector. [25598/20]
138. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the details of the operation of the employment permit scheme; and the number of employment permits by category including general permit and skills shortage permits that have been issued since 2010 to or on behalf of or following an application from a third party such as an employment agency that is not the employer involved or the employee. [25597/20]
244. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to change the industrialised business-led model of agriculture here which has led to a biodiversity, climate and water quality crisis, in addition to a substantial decline of small family farms; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24678/20]
243. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if consideration has been given to providing a money message for the Island Fisheries Heritage Licence Bill 2017 if it is reintroduced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24677/20]
242. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on whether the policy to not to pursue additional capacity denies farmers access to markets and creates barriers to trade for consumers and farmers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24676/20]
241. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if it is policy not to pursue additional capacity within the beef sector as stated by the Immigration Investor Programme Evaluation Committee; the details of the members of the committee; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24675/20]
519. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection the supports available to those in receipt of jobseeker’s allowance that must complete a course in advance of commencing employment (details supplied); her views on whether required pre-employment course costs are often prohibitive to those that want to work but cannot due to the fact they are unable to fund the necessary course; her plans to provide funding to ensure such costs do not remain as barriers to employment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24023/20]
425. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Education the number and locations of schools that faced a reduction of staff ratios for this coming school term; the number that appealed the decision; and the number of successful appeals. [23790/20]
424. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Education further to Parliamentary Question No. 6 of 30 July 2020, if the school appealed the reduction of staff ratio allocated for the 2020-21 school year; the outcome of the appeal; the additional resources allocated to help the school deal with class sizes of 35 from different years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23789/20]
162. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Climate Action and Communication Networks the status of the commitment on page 36 of the programme for Government to end the issuing of new licences for exploration and extraction of gas on the same basis as the recent decision on oil exploration and extraction; the legislation that will be put forward in this regard; and the form it will take. [23788/20]
107. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will report on the Mercosur deal and the way in which it will impact farming here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24346/20]
33. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Justice if a commitment will be given that new regulations that are to become criminal offences by section 13 of the new Criminal Justice (Corruption Offences) Act 2018 will be debated and voted on by Dáil Éireann prior to the regulations becoming law; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22923/20]
217. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will examine providing additional supports to those commencing third level and further education in 2020 that are currently on the pandemic unemployment payment or the wage subsidy scheme and are faced with the difficulty of trying to commence the courses with inadequate income supports; if the back to education scheme can be extended to those currently on employment supports that have little if any prospect of returning to normal employment in the coming period; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22970/20]
216. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the additional supports he plans to provide for mature students and others that are returning or commencing third level and further education courses in 2020 in view of the fact that many will be unable to access an income from employment or casual work in the current economic climate; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22969/20]
215. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the reason recipients of the pandemic unemployment payment cannot be accepted for the Springboard programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22968/20]
89. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Finance the measures his Department has in place to ensure that workers who remain on the employment subsidy scheme with their employers and who are working a specified number of hours per week are not receiving less than the statutory minimum wage or their former hourly pay rates; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22962/20]
88. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Finance the number of recipients of the wage subsidy scheme at the end of August 2020; the number who will be in receipt of the new employment subsidy scheme; the number who receive top-ups from their employers; the average amount of these top-ups; and the number on the new scheme who are receiving less from this support than the current jobseeker's allowance. [22961/20]
484. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Education if changes will be made to the teacher-pupil ratio or resources allocated to allow schools to recruit additional teachers beyond that ratio on contracts of at least six months duration in view of the Covid-19 crisis and in order to reduce reliance on and pressure on substitute teachers. [21105/20]
Bill entitled an Act to prohibit the coursing of hares with dogs and for that purpose to amend the Wildlife Act 1976 and the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013, to make consequential and other amendments to the Greyhound Industry Act 1958 and other Acts relating to such coursing and to provide for related matters.
1420. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health the payments for services or goods by his Department to a company (details supplied) since 2015. [20778/20]
1053. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the payments for services or goods by her Department to a company (details supplied) since 2015. [20780/20]
1008. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the payments for services or goods by his Department to a company (details supplied) since 2015. [20770/20]
980. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the payments for services or goods by his Department to a company (details supplied) since 2015. [20768/20]