457. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science in relation to his recent announcement regarding the €40 million capital grant for third-level universities, if this funding relates to new money, rather than a reannouncement (details supplied); if so, if this is an annual capital grant that it awarded; the amounts that were provided in 2020, and 2021 along with the total amounts drawn down; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31844/23]
456. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science in relation to his recent announcement regarding the €40 million capital grant for third-level universities, if this money can be used by third-level institutions to subsidise the cost of building new student accommodation (details supplied); if so, the number of beds it is likely to contribute towards; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31843/23]
454. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the reason that the number of students who received grants declined by 30% between 2021 (68,277) and 2022 (48,426), as outlined on page 40 of the public service performance report (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31751/23]
416. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 633 of 20 June 2023, if he is aware of patients who cannot switch to alternatives of the medications noted in his reply; how similar supply issues will be avoided in future; if he is aware of other countries in Europe which have not been impacted by the same supply issues as Ireland and the reason for this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31745/23]
217. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if there are rules in relation to online businesses which hold an Irish web domain address and market themselves as Irish, but yet are not registered for VAT, are not registered with the CRO and do not have a working phone number. [31907/23]
194. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Finance if there are rules in relation to online businesses which hold an Irish web domain address and market themselves as Irish, but yet are not registered for VAT, are not registered with the CRO and do not have a working phone number. [31906/23]
48. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Finance if the family of a deceased person can claim tax relief on nursing home expenses on their relative's behalf; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31513/23]
112. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if the inland fisheries division within his Department or Inland Fisheries Ireland have investigated the desirability of reintroducing European Sturgeon (Acipenser sturio) into SAC waters, given that the reintroduction is the only measure available to achieve their favourable conservation status in Ireland under Article 22 of the EU Habitats Directive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30607/23]
111. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the reason no preliminary draft policy papers for the inland fisheries sector, no single comprehensive policy statement for the inland fisheries sector and no details on a broad public consultation on policies for the inland fisheries sector have been published to date as per his declaration in Parliamentary Question No. 170 of 23 June 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30606/23]
110. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the extent of the invasive roach population in Lough Corrib and Lough Mask, which are both SACs; the consequences for the native brown trout and Atlantic salmon populations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30605/23]
202. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Finance his plans for the additional regulation of fintech companies providing banking services and holding an Irish banking licence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29294/23]
201. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Finance the date he will be publishing the terms of reference for his review of section 110 of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997; the work he has undertaken to date with respect to same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29025/23]
181. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Transport if he is committed to making public transport in rural areas accessible to passengers with mobility limitations; the improvements he is making in that regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29908/23]
112. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Finance if he has engaged with mortgage lenders regarding forbearance measures and finance options for mortgage holders whose properties are affected by defective blocks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30157/23]
85. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Finance if he has had any engagements with the retail banks to promote switching for mortgage loans held by vulture funds into the mainstream mortgage market. [30158/23]
13. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Transport his plans to improve public transport for students forced to make long commutes due to a lack of accommodation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29224/23]
10. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Transport his plans on improving bus connectivity in Galway city; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29223/23]
145. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Justice the means, if any, An Garda Síochána has to trace the origins of fraudulent text message-based scams; if the force has the power to request the names of customers who are engaging is such fraudulent practice from telecommunications providers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29875/23]
48. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the regulations, if any, that apply to telecommunications companies in respect of their obligations to know their customers, particularly regarding commercial services they offer for the mass sending of text messages; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29874/23]
633. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Health if he has been made aware of the current lack of supply of progesterone across pharmacies in the country; if he is taking action to rectify the supply issues; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29209/23]
310. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Education if all public post-primary schools have an entitlement in relation to the parental support towards the cost of schoolbooks for post-primary schools set out in circular letter 0046/2013 and in relation to the book rental scheme (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29413/23]
222. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his officials have any future plans to delist Lough Melvin in the Border counties of Leitrim and Fermanagh as a Special Area of Conservation and Natura 2000 site considering that the SAC holds a stock of vulnerable Atlantic salmon (EU Habitats Directive Annex II) and unique brown trout subspecies of sonaghen, gillaroo and ferox; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29001/23]
1369. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science in relation to the issue of precarious employment in the university sector, he will be aware that the Employment Control framework managed by the Department of Public Expenditure, National Delivery Plan Development and Reform has been in place since the austerity period, and although reviewed annually as part of the estimates process, hinders long-term planning and contributes to the use of short-term casual contracts, how does he plan to address this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27906/23]
1368. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science how he intends the Committees of the Board, known as Councils, as part of the new national research agency referenced in the Research and Innovation Bill 2023, will operate; if they should be mandatory to ensure diversity of expertise and advice in relation to excellence in research and innovation and research priorities, including representing researchers at all career stages; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27905/23]
1362. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if, in light of the technological universities' recent designation, and the requirement for successor funding for the necessary internal infrastructure and the need to maintain stable industrial relations at a critical time of change, this fund will be made available in advance of the expiration of the TUTF fund on 31 August 2023; the level of funding that is going to be made available under the new TUT fund; if the TUs that merged more recently will be treated equally with the TUs that merged earlier; and if he is open to keeping in place funding for existing supports which are in place at this very important juncture in the project. [27706/23]
1361. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will provide an update with regard to the technological university development fund, the proposed successor to the technological university transformation (TUT) fund; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27705/23]
1339. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science further to Parliamentary Question No. 155 of 19 May 2022, the number of on-campus student accommodation places or places in accommodation owned by institutes of higher education that have been added to the system in the past year; the steps being taken to increase the number of on-campus, institution-owned accommodation places; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27114/23]
1338. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science further to Parliamentary Question No. 722 of 9 May 2023, the total number of craft and consortia apprenticeships currently in the system, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27100/23]
1337. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the amount of the gap that was closed via Budget 2023, following his Future Funding in Higher Education report published in June 2022, in which a core funding gap of €307 million was identified and it stated that this would be closed with "additional investment over a number of budgets"; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27096/23]
1336. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science further to Parliamentary Question No. 940 of 23 May 2023, if he will provide the full-and first-year cost to the Exchequer from the one-off reduction in the student contribution fee that was enacted in the academic year 2022/2023 as part of the cost-of-living response; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27076/23]
1113. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on the plan to regulate the psychology profession under CORU; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27124/23]
1021. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if it is his intention to organise work done by speech and language, OT and physio professionals who work with ASD classes around the class as a whole rather than individual students; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27234/23]
819. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Social Protection if there are supports available for mortgage-holders who have lost income due to long-term illness or disability to help them stay in their own home; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27856/23]
645. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of houses in Galway city and Galway county that have been upgraded through the retrofitting programme for social housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27058/23]
564. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Education if there are plans to add Korean as a curricular language for the Leaving Certificate; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27865/23]
368. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Finance the estimated cost of providing an income tax relief at a rate of €2,000, €3,000 and €4,000 for those tutors training craft apprentices in the education training boards, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27613/23]
361. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Finance the estimated cost to the Exchequer of allowing tax relief on the first €500 and €1,000 of tuition fees, including the student contribution, for part-time students, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27384/23]
360. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Finance the estimated cost to the Exchequer of allowing tax relief on the first €1,000, €1,500 and €2,000 spent on tuition fees, including the student contribution, for full-time students, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27383/23]
359. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Finance the estimated cost to the Exchequer of increasing the current amount of tax relief of €7,000 that can be claimed per person for postgraduate fees, including the student contribution, to €8,000, €9,000 and €10,000, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27382/23]
96. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development to provide an update on the work her Department is doing to ensure the sustainability of island communities in terms of necessary infrastructure; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28309/23]
68. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if she is committed to ensuring that an interdepartmental committee meets every three months to review projects and targets included as part of the Our Living Islands policy, and that there will be representatives from the islands on the committee; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28310/23]
385. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will outline his plans in relation to expanding the teaching of university courses through the Irish language; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25329/23]
256. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Justice if a person whose spouse has died is eligible to apply for Irish citizenship through marriage; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26860/23]
131. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science his plans in relation to student fees, and how reductions could be used to ease the cost-of-living for students; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26718/23]
115. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science his plans to expand the list of courses that are taught through the Irish language; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26712/23]
107. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the work his Department is carrying out to address precarious work conditions for PhD researchers and early year academics; if he has engaged with some of the representative groups in relation to this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26710/23]
102. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will further outline hisplans to expand SUSI eligibility to part-time students, as has been reported in the media; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26711/23]
91. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science in relation to his new Research and Innovation Bill 2023, the reason there was no public consultation with the third-level research sector; and if he will meet with representatives as part of the pre-legislative scrutiny of the Bill. [25330/23]
83. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will outline his plans to increase the throughput of apprentices in the ETB system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25328/23]
81. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will outline his plans for student accommodation, in terms of both digs and vacancy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25327/23]