808. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage what action his Department is taking in conjunction with local authorities to ensure that land is secured in urban areas for the development of allotments and community gardens, given many community gardens nationally have temporary licences which can have implications for funding purposes for projects and garden infrastructure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1229/24]
807. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage what action his Department is taking in conjunction with local authorities in the research and development of a national policy framework to increase the number of allotments and community gardens, given that Ireland has one of the lowest number in the European Union; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1228/24]
749. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will ring fence dedicated funding for the creation of a homeless prevention budget; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56649/23]
722. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the percentage and number of bed spaces currently not available for use out of the total number due to same being used to accommodate those seeking asylum and those fleeing the war in Ukraine; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1602/24]
618. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Education when a review being undertaken by her Department in respect of a Stage 2B submission will be finalised and the school (details supplied) contacted about the outcome of this review; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1329/24]
503. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Education if she will expand the programme of counselling and well-being/mental health supports to post-primary schools targeting pupils at key transition stages in education; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56661/23]
502. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Education to take the necessary steps to phase out the system of voluntary contributions by increasing capitation grants to schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56660/23]
501. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Education if she will set aside funding for the purposes of expanding mental health and wellbeing supports for secondary school students; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56650/23]
500. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Education if she will ring fence dedicated funding to enable children suffering from economic disadvantage to participate in in-school activities such as drama, music, educational and cultural school trips; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56644/23]
499. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Education if she will give due consideration to delivering free schoolbooks to second level students, beginning with a pilot programme in 2024; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56642/23]
498. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Education if she will take the necessary steps to develop and extend the pilot Programme of Counselling Supports for Primary Schools into all primary schools and post primary schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56630/23]
461. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Education her guidelines for primary school teachers in respect of homework; if there are plans to re-examine this policy or make any changes in the coming years; whether investigations have been carried out as to whether this workload should be reduced and the benefit this would have for children in the area of creativity; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56299/23]
454. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment when the increased cost of business scheme announced as part of Budget 2024 will be made available to businesses along with the criteria for the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1932/24]
345. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Finance for a breakdown of the number of seizures of ketamine by the Revenue Commissioners for each of the years 2018 to 2022 and 2023, in tabular form; the estimated street value or worth of those seizures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1097/24]
343. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Finance for a breakdown of the number of seizures of illicit fentanyl by the Revenue Commissioners for each of the years 2018 to 2022 and to date in 2024, in tabular form; the estimated street value or worth of those seizures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1060/24]
330. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Finance if due consideration will be given in coherence with Food Vision 2030, to the review and optimisation of the tax treatment of investment by agtech companies in research and development for products and services which can support sustainability goals at farm level,; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56899/23]
329. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Finance if his Department will engage with the Revenue Commissioners in respect of a different approach now being adopted by the Revenue Commissioners regarding the VAT 58 refund claims by non-VAT registered farmers (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56894/23]
321. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Finance what action his Department is taking to appoint a board for the Disabled Drivers Medical Board of Appeal to deal with appeals under the disabled drivers and passengers tax relief scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56696/23]
318. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Finance if he will consider introducing a refundable tax credit that would return unused portions of the PAYE tax credit to low-income workers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56657/23]
184. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Transport if he will set aside increased funding in respect of the rural public transport scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56651/23]
74. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will consider making properties in the private rented sector eligible for funding equivalent to the better energy warmer homes scheme for low-income tenants and their landlords, based on a tenant receiving the housing assistance payment and having a long term lease; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56658/23]
496. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health to provide an update in respect of an application (details supplied); when a decision will be reached; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55936/23]
472. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the supports that will be put in place to assist parents in the Kerry Pike area in Cork who depended on afterschool services in view of the fact that the current operators have decided to withdraw; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55925/23]
471. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to review the current process which is applied in determining the core funding for afterschool services, in view the fact that some of these facilities are now closing due to the costs that they have to incur in order to secure core funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55924/23]
431. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to provide an update on the badger vaccination programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55954/23]
430. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the cost of running the TB eradication scheme per year over the past ten years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55953/23]
429. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the amount of money paid out per year over the past ten years under the TB compensation scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55952/23]
428. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine how many animals under three months were TB reactors per year over the past ten years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55951/23]
427. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of TB reactors in beef stock per year over the past ten years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55950/23]
426. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of TB reactors in dairy stock per year over the past ten years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55949/23]
425. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the total number of TB reactors in each of the past ten years in Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55948/23]
256. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment further to Parliamentary Question No. 183 of 19 October 2023, the progress made to date in respect of the Employment Permits Bill 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55889/23]
255. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment further to Parliamentary Question No. 183 of 19 October 2023, to provide an update in respect of the legal drafting of provisions for a seasonal employment permit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55888/23]
139. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth how many parents and guardians will benefit from childcare measures announced in budget 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55728/23]
136. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to confirm what his Department’s plans are to recruit and retain childcare workers in the sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55729/23]
38. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine what action his Department is taking to reduce the timeline from when livestock in a herd have been tested and identified positive with tuberculosis and when these animals are removed from the herd, in view that the current average timeline is 17.3 calendar days from the date of test to the date of removal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55312/23]
36. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to outline in detail the progress that his Department has made to date, in conjunction with the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications, in the creation of a national biomethane development strategy plan through the new built environment and heat delivery task force; when it is envisaged that this strategy will be implemented; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55311/23]
86. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if his Department would consider supporting energy intensive industries in quarter 1 2024 using the crisis provisions of the Temporary Crisis and Transition Framework, despite the joint letter signed by the Minister asking that said provision not be extended beyond 31 December 2023. [55466/23]
85. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment how many companies based in Ireland have availed of the support under section 2.4 of the Temporary Crisis and Transition Framework, and the amounts involved. [55465/23]
84. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the Government’s response to the European Commission proposal to extend the crisis element of the Temporary Crisis and Transition Framework to 31 March 2024, at the request of the German and French governments. [55464/23]
83. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment what options are under consideration by the Government to help energy intensive industries with energy costs following his decision to join the governments of Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland and The Netherlands in asking the EU Commission that the Temporary Crisis and Transition Framework not be extended beyond 31 December 2023. [55463/23]
778. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health to confirm the reason that a person (details supplied) who has a diagnosis of paranoid schizoaffective disorder, dementia and several other physical health difficulties including a visual impairment, COPD, hypertension and arthritis and has been a patient of St. Vincent’s Hospital, Fairview, Dublin for the past two-and-a-half years, who has had their funding request for placement with a nursing home (details supplied) approved, will be transferred to this facility; the reason for the delay in transfer; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54639/23]
347. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Education when a decision will be reached in respect of the provision of funds for the design team for a project for a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55247/23]
80. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Taoiseach what action will be taken to recruit additional staff to the DPP to review cases where a decision needs to be made with regard to progressing to criminal prosecution, for example, road collisions, where an inquest cannot proceed until after the review, particularly in light of the fact that the coronial service, and families affected, have been experiencing significant delays in cases being listed for inquest. [54387/23]
44. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Justice to outline in detail the progress that has been made to date in respect of having a single application process for employment permits and visa applications; the progress that has been made to date by the interdepartmental group established to review the matter; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44400/23]
330. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health the total amount of money collected from private insurers by public hospitals in the years in ending October 2021, October 2022 and October 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54364/23]
329. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health the percentage of public patients being cared for in private hospitals as a percentage of the total number of beds available for the 12 months ending October 2021, October 2022 and October 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54363/23]
328. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health the percentage of private patients in beds in public hospitals as a total percentage of all patients in public hospitals for the 12 months ending October 2021, October 2022 and October 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54362/23]
272. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Justice to confirm what action will be taken to recruit additional staff to provide support to coroners, particularly in light of the fact that the coronial service, and families affected, have been experiencing significant delays in cases being listed for inquest; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54370/23]
214. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to clarify what changes, if any, can be made to the sustainable housing policy to ensure that individuals choose to locate their homes in rural areas, in view that many rural areas are in decline because of the lack of clarity on sustainable housing policy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49714/23]