214. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Transport if the €126 million aviation package is for the furtherance of the ongoing capital works at Cork and Dublin airports; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58137/21]
213. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Transport the details of the administrative process and computational method of allocating funding to specific airports with respect to the €126 million aviation package announced on 12 October 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58136/21]
330. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Education the process in relation to the return of testing and tracing within the education system and the way that will impact on the school environment both in primary and secondary educational facilities; if testing and tracing will be reinstated for those who are close contacts of positive cases within the school environment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57037/21]
141. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Education if she is satisfied that all school bus capacity including special education transport will return to 100%, in relation to the return to full school bus capacity; the position in relation to getting full capacity reinstated; the length of time this process will take; if all eligible children will be accommodated going forward; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57038/21]
105. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Education the detail of the agreement reached with representatives of school secretaries; the way and when these new arrangements will be implemented; if they will be retrospective; if they will apply to all school secretaries; if there are further agreements to be reached in relation to issues such as pension entitlements; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57040/21]
104. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Education the position in relation to the availability of substitute teaching; her plans to allow retired teachers return in a substitution capacity; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57039/21]
82. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Education the steps her Department is taking to prioritise reducing construction costs and timescales into the future given the expansive school programme within the revised National Development Plan; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57041/21]
59. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Education if clarity will be provided with regard to antigen testing in schools and the way it is to be implemented within the school setting; if antigen testing will be used within both primary and secondary settings; the current protocol for same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57036/21]
327. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Health if he will undertake to withdraw a job specification for a position (details supplied) at University Hospital Waterford and readvertise the position for a cardiologist only in order to facilitate filling the post; if not, the clinical reasons this specification is required; the other percutaneous coronary intervention cath lab services nationally that demand and mandate such dual accreditation; the details of the changes that have occurred in the present University Hospital Waterford service delivery plan that require this dual accreditation; the way the retention and filling of this job specification will assist expanding the cardiac cath lab hours at the hospital which have remained static despite a commitment from the Government to provide adequate resourcing for such expansion to begin in February 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56709/21]
326. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Health the overall operational spend in each hospital (details supplied) over the past five years; the whole-time equivalent number of staff in each for the period in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56708/21]
172. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will provide a report detailing the past five years Department expenditures clearly delineated between all capital and non-capital disbursements including research grants through the Higher Education Authority, Science Foundation Ireland and other agencies providing third-level funding supports which were provided to all institutes of technology in the country in the period in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56443/21]
171. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will provide a report detailing the past five years Department expenditures clearly delineated between all capital and non-capital disbursements including research grants through the Higher Education Authority, Science Foundation Ireland and other agencies providing third-level funding supports which were provided to UCC, UL, UCG, UCD, Maynooth National University, Trinity College Dublin and DCU in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56442/21]
605. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Health the latest contingencies that are now being put in place to protect against further unanticipated cost rises in specified materials required as part of the national children’s hospital build; the procedures in place to seek or specify alternate building solutions or materials in circumstances in which cost savings are identified; the person or body charged with such ongoing cost management of the project in view of materials price movements; the agreements in place with a company (details supplied) in terms of such price movements; the latest delivery timelines to completion being communicated by the builders; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55915/21]
604. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Health the number of accident and emergency attendances at University Hospital Galway, University Hospital Limerick, Cork University Hospital and University Hospital Waterford from 1 October 2021, by week (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55914/21]
603. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Health the status of the new ophthalmology laboratory for University Hospital Waterford in view of previous announcements that the project timeline was to be completed by November 2021; the delivery schedule of the project; if the project is still to be delivered within University Hospital Waterford campus; the projected final spend; the funding advanced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55913/21]
515. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Health if he or his Department has information on the average length of time taken to recognise in Ireland other EU country health qualifications by CORU; if he will reference average timelines for countries such as France, Germany and Italy; if he is satisfied with the current CORU approvals process; if he will provide tabulated evidence over the past 24 months on the number of applications and their approval response times; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55592/21]
514. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Health if he has considered the fact that immigrant or citizen healthcare workers returning to Ireland with a view to working in the Irish healthcare system may have to wait up to 12 months to have their qualifications recognised and approved by CORU and during such time while resident in the State have no opportunity to claim jobseeker’s allowance given their work experience has been conducted in another country; if he considers this situation conducive to the recruitment of outside health expertise; if he will bring forward proposals to rectify the extreme length of CORU application approvals along with adjusted social welfare entitlements that recognise the arduous application time; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55591/21]
513. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Health if he will review the current CORU processes for approving Irish citizen UK registered healthcare professionals to have their UK credentials and work experience recognised for the purposes of joining the Irish healthcare system (details supplied); if he is satisfied with the level of online support offered to applicants; if he condones a six to 12 month review process; if his attention has been drawn to the lack of personal engagement offered to applicants; if he has considered the fact that bureaucratic delays force much needed medical professionals to look for work elsewhere; the action CORU has taken to facilitate remote working in order to ensure timely and adequate responses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55590/21]
510. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Health regarding diabetes services at University Hospital Waterford, when the existing diabetic nurse specialist presently on call is expected back to work; the procedures in place to ensure that when a nursing specialist is on holiday leave or on extended leave the support protocol the hospital employs to cover patient queries and issues regarding ongoing treatment regime; if the hospital has a replacement policy in place to ensure key medical nurse specialists who may be the only point of contact for patient concerns have adequate trained cover provisioned within a cover plan; if that plan covers responses to medical telephone query; if such a cover plan exists, if the hospital can outline the reason it has not been implemented with the absence of the only clinical nurse specialist diabetic nurse on site who is now presently on extended leave; if the hospital sought to recruit a temporary replacement either internally or externally; if an adequate budget allocation exists for such recruitment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55575/21]
509. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Health the reason University Hospital Waterford, a regional category 4 hospital with a HSE denoted patient catchment of 520,000 persons, is the only hospital in the country operating without a diabetes specialist nurse at present as the only available clinical nurse specialist has been on leave since early October 2021 without a designated replacement and with no other nursing back-up rostered to fill in; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55574/21]
508. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Health the reason adults attending University Hospital Waterford from County Waterford, south County Kilkenny, south County Tipperary and County Wexford for type 1 diabetes care have not had access to a diabetic nurse specialist since 4 October 2021 and are being told via an answer phone message to contact their GP or local accident and emergency department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55573/21]
442. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the further duties required of a consultancy firm (details supplied); the agreed tender costs associated with the contract for its duration to the project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55920/21]
441. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the breakdown of the increased salary costs to be incurred by the Carlow teaching body as part of the semesterisation process with technological university designation now on the horizon for the Technological University for the South East Ireland; the projected increases or decreases his Department is guiding to this cost over the next five years; the way it is budgeted and will compare with the present costs at Waterford Institute of Technology; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55919/21]
440. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the new Technological University for the South East Ireland will be the only third-level designated institution in the region; if the proposed capital funding programme to support the new technological university development will not be capped to the same conditions as others designated under the legislation given that they are supported by national university partners in their regions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55918/21]
439. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if a new borrowing framework for the Technological University for the South East Ireland will allow and include borrowing to support capital developments in both teaching buildings and systems and student accommodation units; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55916/21]
364. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Health if the new outpatient development is being actively planned for at University Hospital Waterford (details supplied); if it is a recognised and required capital infrastructure project agreed by the management of the Southwest Hospital Group; if funding is ring-fenced for this project; the status of the design and build tender and the derogation for planning permission; the expected date of commencement and completion; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53808/21]
363. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 341 of 30 September 2021, the status of both service areas; if he will expedite resources for the expansion of cardiac cath lab hours activity (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53807/21]
362. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Health his views on whether the oversight in relation to signage at University Hospital Waterford (details supplied) will be addressed as soon as possible in the interests of patient communications; if he will provide a target date for the addition and completion of such branding at the main gate of the hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53806/21]
361. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Health the approved number of whole-time equivalent of diabetic nurses and diabetic nurse specialists at present on site at University Hospital Waterford in addition to diabetic nurses engaged through community provision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53805/21]
360. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Health the monetary value of the latest approved budget expenditure construction costs completed to date at the national children's hospital; the number of invoices and overall valuation of same which are in dispute between client and contractor; the present scheduled completion date of works; the expected final costs of the construction phase; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53804/21]
359. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Health the breakdown of the national treatment purchase fund activity at St. Luke's Hospital, Kilkenny, South Tipperary Hospital and Wexford General Hospital waiting lists for the past five years; the individual procedures outsourced; the name of the hospital systems in which such national treatment purchase fund activity was awarded and carried out; the proportion of these allocations that was achieved in each individual hospital system by name; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53803/21]
1082. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Health his plans to commence the booster immunisation roll-out for healthcare workers across the front-line healthcare services given it has been approved by the WHO and many countries across Europe have already begun boosting the vaccinations of their front line medical staff; the reason for the delay in a decision being made to date; his views on whether it would be prudent to commence the roll-out of same as soon as possible given the level of Covid-19 related work absences being experienced at present across the health service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53191/21]
919. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Health if the skills specialty required and being interviewed for in relation to the present ongoing recruitment of a consultant cardiology resource at University Hospital Waterford is that of a qualified interventional cardiologist; the full and actual printed job specification title without condensing and description that has been used to advertise this post in medical journals, websites and offered to specialist recruiters; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52470/21]
893. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Health the dietitian and nutritionist appointments made within the Waterford and Wexford mental health services; the number of these positions that are currently filled in the Waterford and Wexford mental health services; the number of patients that are currently cared for under the services; his views on whether the service provided in the south east is sufficient to meet the needs of mental health patients with diagnosed eating disorders who require the services of a dietitian or nutritionist (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52341/21]
815. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Health if he will provide a schedule of each emergency transfer request to the National Ambulance Service University from University Hospital Waterford to Cork University Hospital detailing the time of ambulance service request raised at Waterford; the time of clinical hand over to ambulance team in Waterford and the time of clinical hand over at Cork for each request made in each of the years 2015 to 2020 and to date in 2021, distinguishing between echo and delta responses in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52117/21]
814. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Health if he will provide a schedule of each emergency transfer request to the National Ambulance Service from Wexford General Hospital to St. James's Hospital detailing the time of ambulance service request raised at Wexford General; the time of clinical handover to the ambulance team in Wexford and the time of clinical handover at St. James's for each request made in each of the years 2015 to 2020 and to date in 2021, distinguishing between echo and delta responses in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52116/21]
813. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Health if he will provide a schedule of each emergency transfer request detailing the time of ambulance service request raised at St. Luke's Hospital; the time of clinical handover to the ambulance team in St. Luke's Hospital; the time of clinical handover at St. James's Hospital for each request made in each of the years in each of the years 2015 to 2020 and to date in 2021, distinguishing between echo and delta responses in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52115/21]
86. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Finance if he will provide a Departmental analysis of the possible cost in taxes foregone in implementing EU Structures Directive 2020/1151 in relation to excise rebates to small scale producers of cider and other fermented beverages; if his Department can also provide an analysis in overall market terms of the value of taxes presently derived from this sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51463/21]
85. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Finance the reason Ireland has remained an outlier to date in adopting legislation (details supplied); the reason the Revenue Commissioners and customs and excise departments have signalled an inability to adopt rebates or new pricing controls for a period of years if such an order should be passed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51462/21]
160. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if a commitment will be given that funding and development for the WIT campus at Waterford will proceed regardless of other developmental issues that may arise in the other campus areas of Carlow and Wexford with respect to the revised National Development Plan which stipulates expansion of the WIT campus area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49586/21]
62. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the threshold of repair funding he is proposing to sanction for repair works at WIT given that previous repair applications of up to a total €20 million were requested to deal with building refurbishment on teaching and laboratory buildings some of which are close to 40 years old (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49591/21]
57. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the new proposed construction commencement date for two new PPP science buildings in the Waterford and Carlow campuses; if a commitment will be given to a de facto authorised commencement order; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49590/21]
48. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if a commitment will be given to provide the necessary capital expenditure required to ensure the expansion of the existing WIT footprint to enable a seamless move to a technical university status in Waterford; his views on whether this expansion will be sufficient to cater for the increased demand; the expected measures to be taken to facilitate the planned population increase in Waterford city and surrounding areas (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49589/21]
34. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science his plans to prioritise investment in the research areas of agriculture, forestry and horticulture which will be significant components of future carbon mitigation activity in the climate plan in the programme of a new TUSE; his views on whether these objectives go far enough to meeting obligations (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49588/21]
20. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the changes he is proposing to the allocation of research funding though Science Foundation Ireland in view of the fact that significant new money was awarded in 2020 despite existing and previous grant approved research projects being bypassed nationally; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49587/21]
2. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the status of the national student accommodation strategy given that the last progress report was in the third quarter of 2019 and further noting the significant hardship the class of 2022 has experienced in finding sufficient and adequate places to live; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49585/21]
659. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the veterinary resources that are made available by his Department to the managing of the TB eradication scheme which manages badger monitoring, vaccination and culling operations to inhibit the spread of the disease; if these are resourced personnel Department employees or in the service outsourced; the level of badger culling activity per year that has taken place in the country by badger number over the past five years up to the present month; the percentage of overall badger population that this represents; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49376/21]
658. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of whole-time equivalent persons assigned to wildlife management within the district veterinary office in Waterford tasked to manage all aspects of the TB eradication scheme, in particular the management of wild badger numbers; the changes plus or minus within that recruitment resource number over the past five years; his views on whether the scheme is adequately resourced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49375/21]
193. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the detail of the process which describes the testing and analysis of concrete block and poured concrete cement mix in Ireland today; the regulation standards such products are required to meet; the independent analysis and testing that is mandated by his Department; the way in which results are monitored and collated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49774/21]
310. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the status of a foreshore application by a company (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48153/21]