356. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Education further to Parliamentary Question No. 311 of 15 October 2024, if she will review a child's school transport needs (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42817/24]
139. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if the concession on dead bait fishing was a sop to pike angling interests, whose quarry also pose a clear and present danger to salmon sustainability, when on 17 September 2024 he signed into law the Waterford Fisheries District, (River Barrow) Angling Limitations during Salmon Spawning Run Bye-Law No. 1011, 2024, to ban all forms of angling except the use of dead baits during the closed salmon season with the purpose of preventing anglers catching pre-spawning salmon in a SAC during their upstream migration; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43163/24]
138. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the damaging anthropogenic introduction of highly invasive fish species such as perch and bream into rivers that feed The Gearagh Special Area of Conservation (SAC), a unique alluvial forest in County Cork, has been recently highlighted on RTÉ Radio One, if he and his officials in the Inland Fisheries Division will continue to protect these non-native fish under the Coarse Fish Conservation Bye-Law (No. 806) 2006 contrary to the EU Habitats Directive and the Water Framework Directive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43162/24]
137. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the reason no appropriate assessment screening was conducted for the Conservation of Salmon and Sea Trout Ballysadare (Catch and Release) Bye-Law No. 1012, 2024 that covers multiple SACs, considering that other recent bye-laws legislating for salmon conservation in SACs have been screened for under the EU Habitats Directive, such as the Waterford Fisheries District, (River Barrow) Angling Limitations during Salmon Spawning Run Bye-Law No. 1011, 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43161/24]
136. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if it is the intention of the Minister’s officials in the Inland Fisheries Division and senior management at Inland Fisheries Ireland to conduct retrospective appropriate assessment screenings on two bye-laws, namely the Pike Conservation Bye-Law (No. 809) and the Coarse Fish Conservation Bye-Law (No. 806) from 2006, considering that retrospective screenings of plans or projects are in direct contravention of the EU Habitats Directive in addition to EU case law; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43160/24]
158. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Transport if he is committed to making public transport in rural areas accessible to passengers with mobility issues; the improvements he is making in that regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42227/24]
157. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Transport to provide an update on plans to improve rail transportation services in Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42226/24]
155. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Transport the current cost of installing a new bus shelter at a bus stop that previously did not have one; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42178/24]
117. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if high-speed broadband will be provided at a location (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42134/24]
569. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Health if he is aware of any funding for those working and living in Gaeltacht areas wishing to study the certificate in nurse and midwife prescribing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41202/24]
441. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Justice the status of a citizenship application (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41204/24]
351. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if it is possible to combine all three schemes, that is, the HTB scheme, the first home scheme and council mortgage, when purchasing a home, in relation to the requirement for the HTB mortgage minimum to be 70% of the value of the house; if the council mortgage is not sufficient to meet this minimum, if the first home scheme can be used to bridge the gap, thereby allowing a person to meet the 70% threshold; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40993/24]
311. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Education if school transport will be provided for a child (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41432/24]
128. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if it is national policy to conserve invasive escaped farmed salmon in special area of conservation waters that are only open to catch-and-release angling and closed fisheries; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41136/24]
127. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if the review has been completed by his officials into the continued application in SAC waters of the Conservation of and Prohibition on Sale of Coarse Fish Bye-Law No. 806 (2006) and the Conservation of Pike Bye-Law No. 809 (2006); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41135/24]
126. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications how long more Inland Fisheries Ireland, which operates under his aegis, will be led by a carousel of deputy CEOs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41134/24]
125. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the reason no appropriate assessment screening was conducted for the Conservation of Salmon and Sea Trout Ballysadare (Closed Rivers), Bye-law No. C.S. 336, 2024, that covered multiple special areas of conservation, considering his statement of 27 July 2021 vis-à-vis the EU legal requirement to assess potential impacts of proposed fisheries by-laws on the conservation objectives of special area of conservation waters; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41133/24]
124. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if there have been any personnel changes to the position of principal officer within the inland fisheries division of his Department this calendar year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41132/24]
123. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will revoke the pike conservation by-law (No. 809) and the coarse fish conservation by-law (No. 806) from 2006, considering that a 2011 social science case study (details supplied) stated that the two by-laws were formulated on the basis of perceived threats to fish stocks, false facts and latent racism driven by an intense ethnocentrism from pike-coarse angling lobbyists; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41131/24]
145. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Transport the reason three US aircraft on contract to the US military were approved to land at Shannon Airport, on their way to and from eastern Europe and the Middle East (details supplied). [40820/24]
135. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the reason there are 12 Merkava tanks parked outside the Irish UN post UNP 6-50/52 (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40721/24]
26. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Transport to provide an update on the provision of evening bus services between Galway city and Loughrea; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40396/24]
652. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the funding streams available for community groups to apply for that would support social activities in rural communities, for example, a weekly dance that rents space from a local hotel. [39982/24]
629. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he aware of the situation in a number of education and training boards across the country, where staff were promised new contracts paying them for non-contact hours, sick leave and holiday pay, but have now been informed that the said contracts will not go ahead for the foreseeable future, citing that the payment system hadn't been aligned and that the SOLAS agency had not approved funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40002/24]
628. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science whether the 33% reduction in the craft apprentices student contribution charge is a once-off, and not on top of the reduction in the last budget; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39999/24]
623. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number of apprentices currently waiting for off-the-job training, broken down by type of craft apprenticeship. [40348/24]
616. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Health the publicity campaigns he has run during his time as Minister to highlight Lyme disease and its causes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40225/24]
425. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he is aware of the situation where those who qualified with a four-year BA degree in children’s studies from the University of Galway, are not currently certified to work in the childcare sector; and if he will investigate this matter given the need to increase the numbers of childcare workers in the system. [39754/24]
306. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Social Protection if babies born in December 2024 will also benefit from the €420 baby boost payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39983/24]
221. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the funding streams available for community groups that would support local cultural and physical activities, for example, a weekly dance that rents space from a local hotel. [39981/24]
182. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Education further to Parliamentary Question No. 188 of 24 September 2024, if this student can be offered a place on a school bus service (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39794/24]
173. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Education if school bus tickets can be provided for two students (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39748/24]
24. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the support being provided to persons (details supplied) to assist them in being evacuated from Lebanon; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39902/24]
3. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science regarding changes to Student Universal Support Ireland, SUSI, thresholds made in budget 2025, the estimated additional number of students who will now qualify for the grant. [40347/24]
2. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the funding that will go to each university for the delivery of student accommodation beds; and the timeline for when construction will commence. [40346/24]
1. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number of craft apprentice instructors hired to date since the launch of the recruitment campaign, by type of craft instruction. [40345/24]
356. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he and his officials will ensure that the installation of any proposed floating pier at Inchagoill Island in Lough Corrib special area of conservation, County Galway, by Coillte will be subject to an appropriate assessment screening as required under the EU Habitats Directive considering that Coillte is a public authority under S.I. No. 477/2011 - European Communities (Birds and Natural Habitats) Regulations 2011; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38666/24]
264. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he and his officials in the National Parks and Wildlife Service will confirm that pike are an invasive fish species in Lough Corrib special area of conservation as clearly documented by Inland Fisheries Ireland in recent appropriate assessment screenings for stock management conducted under the EU Habitats Directive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38665/24]
38. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he and his officials in the Inland Fisheries division intend to approve the proposed Western Lakes Management Plan before the Government reaches the end of its lifespan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38669/24]
37. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the reason Lough Arrow special area of conservation (SAC) was closed to angling under the Conservation of Salmon and Sea Trout Ballysadare (Closed Rivers), Bye-law No. C.S. 336, 2024 due to multiple unexplained Atlantic salmon mortalities in the Ballysadare/Ballisodare River, considering that Atlantic salmon do not naturally occur in Lough Arrow and are not listed as a ‘qualifying interest’ for the said SAC by the National Parks and Wildlife Service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38668/24]
36. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the reason invasive pike culling and removal operations by the Western Regional Fisheries Board and Inland Fisheries Ireland were continued on Lough Corrib special area of conservation in the aftermath of the anomalous Pike Conservation Bye-Law No. 809 (2006) being signed into law, considering that the justifiable practice of invasive pike culling is discrepant with the current bye-law; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38667/24]
320. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the total number of craft apprentices currently waiting to undertake phase 2, 4 and 6 off-the-job training; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38321/24]
319. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number of craft apprentice instructors which have been recruited by the education and training boards to date, as part of the new recruitment campaign launched earlier this year; the breakdown of the areas of craft instruction which they will teaching in; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38320/24]
551. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he plans to address issues in relation to the criteria for students in rented accommodation to qualify for SUSI (details supplied), such as supporting the Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Bill 2024, which would create a licence notification register, which could be used to demonstrate that students were living alone; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37225/24]
432. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Health if he will commit to expanding the public health service employees sponsorship scheme, which seeks to train up HSE workers as nurses and midwives, given the need to increase the number of nurses and midwives in the healthcare system; his views on the fact that, despite there only having been 30 places available in each of the past three years, there has been an average of 155 applicants, which indicates strong interest in same (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37393/24]
215. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the reason graduates from private and independent higher education institutions in Ireland, specifically those awarded QQI, HETAC, and NCEA degrees, have been excluded from the Seanad Electoral (University Members) (Amendment) Bill 2024, when the Bill is designed to extend the franchise to a broader range of graduates; and if he will consider amending the Bill to ensure inclusivity for all degree graduates who have contributed to Ireland's higher educational landscape. [37512/24]
190. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Education if she has received the correspondence from a family (details supplied), which has been sent on seven separate occasions since August 2021, related to allegations of historic child abuse and sexual harassment; the action, if any, that was taken; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37756/24]
188. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Education if the correct school bus ticket will be provided to a student (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37642/24]
798. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Health when an extra ambulance and a rapid response unit with extra staff will be provided to an organisation (details supplied), following a ten-year wait for same. [36855/24]