220. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Finance his plans to bring forward proposals to introduce a market wide cap on interest rates charged by licensed moneylenders; if he is considering legislative changes to the operation and regulation of the moneylending sector based on the submissions received in response to the consultation exercise entitled capping the cost of licensed moneylenders and other public matters commenced by his Department in May 2019; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44859/20]
192. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Transport if he will extend the suspension of requirement for over-70s to provide a medical report when applying for a driving licence, which lapsed on 31 December 2020 in view of current circumstances; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1641/21]
191. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Transport his plans to clear the backlog of learner drivers as a result of Covid-19-related lockdowns; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1640/21]
190. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Transport the status of the planned Road Safety Authority driving test centre for Drogheda, County Louth; when learner drivers can expect to be in a position to book their driving tests in the proposed Drogheda centre; if those who have already booked a test in the Navan or Dundalk test centres will be able to change their test location to Drogheda; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1639/21]
24. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of adjudicators available to the chair of the panel of adjudicators set up under the terms of section 8 of the Construction Contracts Act 2013; the number of appointments made by the chair of the panel to each member of the panel of adjudicators from the date of operation of the system to 30 November 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44857/20]
23. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of cases heard by the panel of adjudicators established under section 8 of the Construction Contracts Act 2013 in each year since the commencement of the operation of the panel to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44856/20]
Bill entitled an Act to prohibit differential pricing in respect of certain subscription service supplied to consumers; to require certain traders to establish schemes for handling consumer complaints in relation to their services and to prescribe minimum standards in relation to such schemes; for those purposes to amend the Consumer Protection Act 2007; and to provide for connected matters.
485. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Justice if periods of interruption of employment in, for example, the hospitality sector due to Covid-19 will be held against a worker when seeking renewal of work (details supplied); if not, if it will be sufficient to establish legal employment with the same employer at the start and end of the period with a period claiming the pandemic unemployment payment in between; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44417/20]
292. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Health if he will clarify the future of Sruthan House, Dundalk, County Louth; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43670/20]
229. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Social Protection the deadline for return to her Department of special UP38 forms agreed with a company (details supplied) which an employee must agree with his or her employer and provide to her Department in order for potential arrears of support due to be calculated and paid; if the current deadline will be extended; if not, if a degree of flexibility will be provided given the current Covid-19-related difficulties and the short timeframe for employees to submit the respective form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44069/20]
227. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Social Protection when pandemic unemployment payment arrears will be paid to a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44014/20]
641. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Health the evidence and reasoning behind the continued closure of yoga studios when similar facilities such as gyms have reopened; if he will allow yoga studios to reopen with relevant guidelines if there is no clear evidence to the contrary; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43569/20]
565. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Health if copies of all of the correspondence between NPHET and his Department that was used to consider the move to level 5 restrictions in October 2020 will be provided; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43272/20]
564. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Health his views on the strategy known as zero Covid; if his Department or NPHET has carried out an analysis on the feasibility of a zero-Covid strategy; if copies of advice NPHET provided to his Department on a zero-Covid strategy will be provided; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43271/20]
466. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Justice when a decision will be made on an application for citizenship by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43565/20]
384. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Social Protection her views on the new youth guarantee; her plans and intended deadlines to ensure those under 29 years of age can receive an offer of employment, education, traineeship or apprenticeship within a period of four months of becoming unemployed or leaving formal education, as committed to under the new youth guarantee (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41672/20]
314. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Defence the number of submissions received in regard to the terms of reference for the commission on defence; the submissions that called for a review of his Department and a review of the Ministers and Secretaries Act 1924 and for both to be included in the terms of reference of the future commission on defence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43571/20]
313. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Defence when the last review of his Department took place; the conclusions derived from the review; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43570/20]
225. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the number of those on the State payroll who have purchased benefit under the public service single scheme pension purchase facility in its first year of operation since 1 October 2019; the number who have purchased benefit categorised by Department, State agency or other; the reason purchase is available through lump sum payment only rather than through periodic payments as applies to earlier public service pension schemes; his plans to put in place a more user-friendly purchase facility; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43574/20]
216. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Finance the progress the Central Bank has been making in ensuring that all retail banks and payment services providers will be ready in time to implement the strong customer authentication requirements of the payment services directive 2 in time for 1 January 2021; if all retail banks will be ready in time; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43426/20]
196. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Transport the details of a report (details supplied) carried out in 2019 as part of the review of search and rescue services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43572/20]
149. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications his views on the recently reported comments from an ambassador to Ireland (details supplied) that European security is heavily dependent on cyber resilience; his further views on the implications of their further statement that 30% of European cloud data is stored in Ireland; his views on whether Ireland is disproportionately responsible for Europe’s cyber resilience and thus Europe’s security; and if so, the way in which he plans to urgently strengthen Ireland’s capabilities. [43573/20]
120. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he has ring-fenced funding from budget 2021 for covering the cost of providing rapid testing and tracing on college campuses in the years ahead; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41675/20]
82. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if a college (details supplied) will be provided with the necessary funds to secure a permanent building; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41676/20]
49. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he has met with NPHET regarding the way to manage the return to campus-based learning in 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41674/20]
43. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science his plans to address the proliferation of precarious and unpaid work in the academic sector as highlighted in a recent report (details supplied); if his attention has been drawn to the fact that some postgraduate students in a university were expected to teach as part of their postgraduate studies with no remuneration; his plans to address this matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41673/20]
39. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if student nurses who have been rejected for SUSI grants and who are unable to work outside of nursing due to Covid-19 can apply for their application to be assessed and reassessed given their changed circumstances; if this change of circumstances is being taken into account; the number of SUSI applicants who have had their application successfully reviewed on these grounds; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41677/20]
301. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Education when the current review of DEIS will be completed; her views on the urgent need to provide DEIS band 1 status and the associated resources to support certain schools in an area (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42717/20]
590. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the fact that some medical card patients are unable to avail of dental work as their dental services providers have withdrawn from the scheme due to issues with HSE funding for PPE; the status of HSE funding for PPE; his plans to address this issue to ensure that medical card patients continue to receive necessary dental care from their assigned practitioners; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41212/20]
539. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Health the status of a claim for pay restoration for section 39 workers; his plans to address the restoration of pay in section 39; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41686/20]
247. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the reason indoor dance lessons are prohibited under the current Covid-19 guidelines; the public health evidence for this decision; her views as to whether specific guidelines can be introduced to lessen the risk - for example, smaller numbers, the wearing of face masks, shortened classes - and facilitate a resumption of dance classes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41688/20]
223. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the reason theatre venues are not permitted to open for limited live performances and under certain restrictions post 1 December 2020; the reason a decision was taken to allow cinemas to open and not theatres; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41085/20]
199. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Finance if a commitment will be given to retaining the effective ban on bank bonuses for the lifetime of the Government in view of the current Covid-19 crisis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42030/20]
198. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Finance his views on reports that a State-owned bank plans to buy-back a brokerage and wealth management firm (details supplied) at a premium price; if he has been formally informed of these talks by the bank; if so, the date on which he was informed; if he has the powers to prevent any proposed purchase under the Relationship Framework Agreement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42029/20]
181. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Finance if he or his officials have met with the BPFI in relation to the strong customer authentication requirements under the payment services directive requirements in 2020; if he has received assurances from all retail banks that there will be no disruption as a result of the new requirements on 1 January 2021; if he is satisfied that all retail banks will be ready to implement strong customer authentication on 1 January 2021 without any disruption to online commerce; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41264/20]
179. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Finance if the Central Bank will be giving a further extension to banks in relation to the new strong customer authentication requirements under the Payment Services Directive 2 in view of the fact that the previous 15 month extension agreed by the European Banking Authority is due to expire at end of 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41262/20]
178. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Finance if online transactions involving a bank will be declined if the retail bank does not comply with the Payment Services Directive 2 in relation to strong customer authentication for online transactions from 1 January 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41261/20]
177. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Finance if the Central Bank will be enforcing the guidelines for the Payment Services Directive 2 from 1 January 2021 in view of the fact that it will apply for strong customer authentication for online transactions; if there will be no disruption to online commerce from 1 January 2021 as a result of the new requirements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41260/20]
373. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Health the number of NFO1 forms that were submitted late by a nursing home in April 2020; if this amounted to 16; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41027/20]
327. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Health if trade shows are permitted under level 2 of the Plan for Living with COVID-19; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40824/20]
296. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the reason students who do not receive a SUSI grant will not receive an immediate €250 payment before Christmas similar to SUSI students; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40825/20]
194. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Finance his views on whether lenders should not restrict access to credit in the future for customers who availed of Covid-19 payment breaks or related restructuring of their loan; his plans to ensure those who have availed of payment breaks do not see their credit history rating with respective credit rating organisations (details supplied) negatively impacted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41026/20]
193. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Finance his views on the contention by the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission that most lenders use a credit reference agency (details supplied) to check a customer’s credit history; if a Covid-19 payment break will affect a customer’s credit score and lead to future difficulties accessing credit and potentially higher interest rates for persons; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41025/20]
192. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Finance the number of Covid-19 payment breaks which have been recorded with the Central Credit Register; the classification of payment breaks on the register; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41024/20]
191. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Finance the way in which a personal or business customers Covid-19 payment break is recorded on the Central Credit Register; if the recording of a payment break on the register will lead to future difficulties accessing credit and potentially higher interest rates for persons or businesses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41023/20]
42. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Transport further to Parliamentary Question No. 290 of 3 November 2020, the reason the Air Corps were not awarded the SAR service contract (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40521/20]
18. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Taoiseach the projects that he expects to fund under the shared island fund in 2021; the value of each investment; and the new allocation of funding. [40584/20]
17. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Taoiseach the breakdown of the allocations for the €500 million of capital investment under the shared island fund up to 2025, by year and Department; the proportion of capital spending available in each specific year; the Departments to which that funding is allocated; the identified projects to date; and the available amount of unallocated funding. [40583/20]