658. Deputy Marc MacSharry asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth regarding his recent statement confirming that 415 international protection applicants are to be accommodated at Benbulben Court, Sligo, where he says there are 524 bed spaces, if he will confirm that the State is paying the property owners for 524 beds and choosing to use just 415, which seems to be the implication of the brief he circulated. [43276/24]
657. Deputy Marc MacSharry asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will set out precisely the number of international protection applicants and the number of people fleeing war-torn Ukraine that are being accommodated in County Sligo, County Leitrim and County Donegal, identifying the properties at which they are being accommodated, in tabular form. [43275/24]
555. Deputy Marc MacSharry asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if the EU Commission has finished its assessment of Statutory Instrument No. 636/2023 - European Union (Accessibility Requirements of Products and Services) Regulations 2023 to transpose the European Accessibility Act (Directive 2019/882) for accuracy and completeness; the timeline for the outcome of that assessment; if the June 2025 deadline for companies to be compliant with this regulation will be extended in light of this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41365/24]
554. Deputy Marc MacSharry asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the current situation of the European Accessibility Act (Directive 2019/882); the nature of the work across Government to ensure effective implementation of this directive; the guidance that is being issued by his Department to organisations and businesses in advance of the enactment of the directive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41364/24]
410. Deputy Marc MacSharry asked the Minister for Social Protection when a person (details supplied) will have a decision on their application for disability allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41460/24]
344. Deputy Marc MacSharry asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the steps she is taking to assist landlords whose tenants are subletting without their permission; her views on the escalating crisis of unscrupulous illegal landlords from a damage, insurance and antisocial behaviour point of view; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41360/24]
201. Deputy Marc MacSharry asked the Minister for Finance his views on swapping the word 'consecutive' to 'cumulative' in the Revenue tax manual, that would facilitate a singular VAT charge of 13.5% across all vehicle hires, supporting long-term usage of car sharing and sustainable transport; and if he will engage with Revenue officials on the means to do so. [41363/24]
200. Deputy Marc MacSharry asked the Minister for Finance if his Department will simplify the VAT code on car sharing, abolishing the two-tier system that exists, and allowing all vehicle hires to be charged at the same rate of 13.5%, in keeping with conditions of the specific VAT Directive, that the rate cannot be less than 12%. [41362/24]
212. Deputy Marc MacSharry asked the Minister for Social Protection when the commencement order to give effect to the introduction of the new pay-related benefit system for those eligible for jobseeker’s benefit who become unemployed, will be in place; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40780/24]
188. Deputy Marc MacSharry asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he has considered the impact of rent controls or policies similar to RPZs on housing markets in other jurisdictions when developing policy; his views on the current RPZ system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40735/24]
187. Deputy Marc MacSharry asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he plans reform of RPZs on foot of the recommendations contained in the report of the Housing Commission; his views on the private residential sector as a critical component in achieving Ireland's housing for all goals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40734/24]
139. Deputy Marc MacSharry asked the Minister for Transport for an update on Action 87 of the National Sustainable Mobility Policy, on the development of a strategy for the expansion of car share, bike, PTT services at transport hubs, considering there was no mention of shared mobility in Budget 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40733/24]
138. Deputy Marc MacSharry asked the Minister for Transport the reason there was no allocated supports for shared mobility providers offered in Budget 2025, considering these operators play a leading role in making transport more sustainable, accessible and affordable; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40732/24]
132. Deputy Marc MacSharry asked the Minister for Finance the measures he is planning to expand the financing options, such as access to initial public offerings, available to enterprises to help them to scale and grow; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38303/24]
131. Deputy Marc MacSharry asked the Minister for Finance the measures he is planning to support the continuing growth of capital equity markets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38302/24]
174. Deputy Marc MacSharry asked the Minister for Education to outline, given recent reports of historical sexual abuse in primary and secondary schools, what course of action can be taken by victims of sexual abuse at a school (details supplied) in seeking redress; the scheme and or process currently open to them; the way victims should go about applying for inclusion; if, in the event that there is no current redress scheme covering these cases, these victims will be included in the new scheme which she is alleged to be preparing, as mentioned recently in media; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37534/24]
666. Deputy Marc MacSharry asked the Minister for Health the way he can reconcile the approval and sanction of the appointment of additional hospital consultants without parallel sanction of additional junior doctors, advance nurse practitioners, nurses and administrative back up; if he will strategically link just sanctions together in the interests of best practice; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36112/24]
665. Deputy Marc MacSharry asked the Minister for Health his plans with regard to the appointment of additional advanced nurse practitioners in the area of cardiac care and other disciplines at Sligo University Hospital. [36111/24]
664. Deputy Marc MacSharry asked the Minister for Health the commencement and completion dates for the sanctioned new medical block at Sligo University Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36110/24]
663. Deputy Marc MacSharry asked the Minister for Health the status of the sanction and resources for the appointment of a physiologist to Sligo University Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36109/24]
289. Deputy Marc MacSharry asked the Minister for Education if she will sanction an extended school transport service (details supplied) in County Leitrim; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36246/24]
282. Deputy Marc MacSharry asked the Minister for Education given the State's commitment to cherish all children equally, and the current anomalous situation where no financial support is provided to particular schools (details supplied), the means by which such schools should best engage with the apparatus of the State, including the Department of Education, to secure supports that will place them on an equal footing as those families being educated by through other methodologies; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36117/24]
281. Deputy Marc MacSharry asked the Minister for Education if, given the State's commitment to cherish all children equally, the means by which she proposes to fund the teaching and infrastructure, both human and physical, to provide for those families who are availing of a method of education (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36116/24]
280. Deputy Marc MacSharry asked the Minister for Education if her attention has been drawn to the existence of a number of schools in Ireland, including in Sligo, using a method of education (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36115/24]
279. Deputy Marc MacSharry asked the Minister for Education the current position regarding a method of education (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36114/24]
1860. Deputy Marc MacSharry asked the Minister for Health when the pay scale of clinical placement coordinators will be aligned to the clinical nurse manager 2 pay scale; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35428/24]
976. Deputy Marc MacSharry asked the Minister for Social Protection if, in the interest of fairness and equality, she will review the waiting period for Irish nationals in receipt of a qualifying welfare payment to be eligible for the JobsPlus scheme compared to those who have refugee status also in receipt of a qualifying payment who are not subject to any waiting period which allows employers with an immediate need to recruit such a person from the latter group and draw down the €7,500 grant per employee over two years from her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34890/24]
960. Deputy Marc MacSharry asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of separate applications received for the carer's support grant in 2022 and 2023, by county; the number of applications that were referred for a home visit by a social welfare inspector for both years, by county; the number of applications awarded in both years, by county [34513/24]
651. Deputy Marc MacSharry asked the Minister for Education if she will sanction an extended school transport service in west County Sligo to facilitate twenty-four children attending their local secondary school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35430/24]
606. Deputy Marc MacSharry asked the Minister for Education when a decision will be made regarding a school transport application for a child (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34841/24]
110. Deputy Marc MacSharry asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the reason there is such a long delay in revoking Bye-Law No. C.S.336, 2024, that closed the Ballisodare, County Sligo catchment including all lakes for angling (details supplied); if he will immediately expedite this issue and allow anglers access to this fantastic resource; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34832/24]
184. Deputy Marc MacSharry asked the Minister for Finance if legislation will be introduced to allow consumers the continued option to pay for services in cash (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29101/24]
477. Deputy Marc MacSharry asked the Minister for Health if he will review the waiting times for children with disabilities in the Sligo-Leitrim area who require an MRI with sedation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28256/24]
458. Deputy Marc MacSharry asked the Minister for Health his views on a matter (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28090/24]
384. Deputy Marc MacSharry asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth when a physiotherapist vacancy for children with mild to severe disabilities in County Leitrim will be filled; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28255/24]
376. Deputy Marc MacSharry asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth his plans to address the deficiency in essential hydro-therapy infrastructure in the north-west (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28089/24]
351. Deputy Marc MacSharry asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when farmers, including those in special areas of conservation or cooperation project zones under ACRES, will receive payment (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28066/24]
260. Deputy Marc MacSharry asked the Minister for Social Protection if, given the unseasonably cold and wet weather throughout April, May and to date in June, and the consequent necessity for heating to be on and open fires to be lit in the period, she will consider the reinstatement of the fuel allowance for eligible people back dating it to the date of the final payment of the fuel allowance in April, up to and including, the week commencing 17 June, in order to assist the less-well-off with the additional costs incurred upon them through necessity caused by the unseasonably low temperatures and inclement weather; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26796/24]
101. Deputy Marc MacSharry asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will examine the case of a business in the hospitality sector (details supplied) which has had its deposit return back exemption revoked recently; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26850/24]
763. Deputy Marc MacSharry asked the Minister for Health when he will sanction funding for an increase in optometrists' fees, which currently do not meet the actual cost of providing a modern eye examination, given that the fees having not increased for over 20 years; and the timescale for the implementation of a national over 8s public eyecare programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25034/24]
661. Deputy Marc MacSharry asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will explain the basis for the 180 days' residency requirement in a scheduled institution as a child in order to be eligible for benefits under the mother and baby institutions payment scheme (details supplied); if, in the interest of fairness, he will review this requirement with a view to removing same, given that all former residents went through the same suffering regardless of the number of days; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25356/24]
347. Deputy Marc MacSharry asked the Minister for Education if she will direct her Department to expedite an application for additional accommodation for a school which is required urgently (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25505/24]
341. Deputy Marc MacSharry asked the Minister for Education if her Department with meet with representatives from the Board of Management of a school (details supplied) as a matter of urgency to progress an application for temporary accommodation which was granted in 2022 and tendered for in March 2023; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25456/24]
311. Deputy Marc MacSharry asked the Minister for Education if she will review the case of a child with autism (details supplied) who cannot get a place in any local primary school with an autism unit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25158/24]
66. Deputy Marc MacSharry asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if there are any legislative measures in existence or planned to provide for employment rights for contract workers within the film industry where substantial tax incentives are provided to boost profitability, yet many workers and service providers are only being provided with temporary and/or rolling contracts with no employment rights or benefits as would normally accrue such as social insurance, pension, sick leave, holiday pay and so on; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23142/24]
82. Deputy Marc MacSharry asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will review his Department’s operational practice of pushing the target issue date out for a passport submitted online by two weeks, where a new photo is requested by the checker near the end of the checking process; taking on board the fact that the initial passport photo was accepted by the Department’s IT system and the fact that this practice is causing undue hardship for applicants who have a holiday booked and in some cases cannot get monies refunded; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21191/24]
471. Deputy Marc MacSharry asked the Minister for Social Protection when a person (details supplied) will receive a response to their enquiry regarding the methodology for the calculation of means in the case of their application for a disability allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19386/24]
490. Deputy Marc MacSharry asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will consider the provision of meal vouchers in light of the impact of the inordinate weather on the farming community; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17750/24]
412. Deputy Marc MacSharry asked the Minister for Social Protection when it is proposed to reduce the weekly social support payment for those already here under the temporary protection directive, and currently in receipt of €232 per week, to the same level as all other refugees, that is, €38 per week; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17749/24]
250. Deputy Marc MacSharry asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment when it is proposed to transpose the Adequate Minimum Wage Directive into Irish law; when he proposes to publish the required relevant action plan for the promotion of collective bargaining; when legislation is likely to be before Dáil Éireann; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17449/24]