19. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Transport if he has received correspondence from an organisation (details supplied) regarding changes to the Road Traffic and Roads Bill 2021 and the national fleet database; when he intends to respond to the organisation; and if a copy of this response can be made available to all members of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Transport and Communications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55803/22]
1269. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of times his Department officials met with a person (details supplied) with regard to the regulatory review undertaken as part of project woodland, including dates, meeting type, in person or virtual, and any other attendees at the meetings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54716/22]
1121. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Health if he will provide details of the total spend on blood glucose test strips for persons with diabetes under the long-term illness scheme for each of the years 2019 to 2021 and to date in 2022, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54958/22]
1120. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Health if he will provide a breakdown of the number of persons who were refused access to FreeStyle Libre devices in each of the years 2019 to 2021 and to date in 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54957/22]
582. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Education the status of the delivery of the autism unit at a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54922/22]
581. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Education if concerns regarding funding provided to a school (details supplied) for summer projects to improve its exterior environment can be resolved to the satisfaction of the school and her Department, in a timely manner; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54895/22]
560. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Education if schools accept and comply with a new direction issued from the NCSE and her Department, concerning children with additional needs (details supplied); if she will provide details regarding the new guidelines which have recently been issued to schools surrounding supporting children with additional educational needs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54600/22]
537. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Education the process that a secondary school can follow to employ a qualified individual to "only" coordinate special education needs in the school; the additional allowances that this school obtain to employ this qualified person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54403/22]
534. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Education when an application for school transport for a pupil (details supplied) will be reviewed and a decision issued on same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54389/22]
533. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Education when an application for wheelchair-accessible school transport for a pupil (details supplied) will be reviewed and a decision issued on same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54388/22]
526. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Education further to Parliamentary Question No. 203 of 5 October 2022, if her Department's broadband technical team has been able to resolve the problems preventing a school (details supplied) from accessing high-speed broadband; the steps that are being taken to remove these obstacles as soon as possible; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54368/22]
336. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media her views on the difficulties facing local broadcast media in the aftermath of Covid; when her Department will review the current broadcast levy; if such a review will take into account online publishers and broadcasters as potential organisations that should be included in the broadcast levy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54684/22]
321. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if a river will be dredged or if flood relief works will be considered at a location (details supplied) in County Tipperary, in order to alleviate the flood risk to the surrounding property and lands; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55458/22]
258. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Finance the steps that are being taken to appease the concerns raised by an organisation (details supplied) regarding the uplift to section 481 for the film, television, and animation tax credit, which provides an additional financial incentive to productions based outside counties Dublin, Wicklow, and Cork, and has helped to preserve the better regional spread achieved by those in the media production industry since its introduction; the measures that can be introduced by his Department to alleviate the concerns raised by the organisation should the uplift to the Section 481 not be extended beyond its 2023 expiry date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54455/22]
196. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Transport the steps being taken to remove the barriers to having a fast electric vehicle charging point made available in Thurles, County Tipperary, given the Government's commitment to supporting a significant expansion and modernisation of the electric vehicle charging network (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54775/22]
195. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Transport if he will urgently seek approval to reintroduce the fuel cost subsidy or to reform the diesel rebate scheme; the additional measures that will be implemented to support persons and operations of the freight industry (details supplied); the measures that are being taken to alleviate the current fuel price crisis for the freight industry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54727/22]
322. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide an update on the implementation of the new forest programme; the reasons for the new forest programme's slow implementation (details supplied); the measures that are being taken to assist the forestry industry given the dire situation that is now developing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54064/22]
259. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the assistance that will be given to students who previously studied in Ukrainian universities to enable them to continue their studies at the appropriate university in Ireland; if his attention has been drawn to the case of a County Tipperary-based student who was studying dentistry in Ukraine (details supplied) and is now seeking to continue their education to become a dentist at an Irish university; the reason that this student has only been offered the opportunity to attend basic course modules and has never received an offer for a university place in Ireland, in order that they can complete the full complement of modules needed to finish their dentistry degree; the measures that are being taken to assist students who previously studied in Ukrainian universities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54013/22]
161. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Justice further to Parliamentary Question No. 330 of 6 October 2022, when a response will issue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53730/22]
102. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Education further to Parliamentary Question No. 123 of 19 October 2022, if her Department will allow cover for teacher absences through the use of substitutes given that the school in question does not have supervision hours; the way in which the primary school can obtain permission from her Department to cover such absences through the substitute teachers scheme when supervision hours are not available; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53622/22]
101. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Education further to Parliamentary Question No. 121 of 19 October 2022, if she will request her Department to contact the consultants (details supplied) who are acting on this school's behalf given that members of the Board of Management of the school cannot advance the additional school accommodation application at this time due to the fact that the consultants are still waiting for a response from her Department regarding the proposed template for stage 1 reports; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53617/22]
69. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Finance his views regarding the additional measures that he will implement to support persons and operations of the freight industry in response to the concerns raised by persons and operations in the freight industry about the increasing cost of fuel (details supplied); the measures that are being taken to alleviate the current fuel price crisis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53669/22]
677. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Health the number of children under the age of 18 years with an intellectual, physical or sensory disability, currently referred and waiting to be seen by an organisation (details supplied), which is the largest body outside of the HSE providing child disability services, broken down into north and south Tipperary for each of the years 2020 and 2021 and to date in 2022, in tabular form; the length of time that each child is on the waiting list to be seen by the organisation; the type of service that they are waiting to attend; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53356/22]
675. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Health when all workers covered by the pandemic special recognition payment will receive their €1,000 payment; if a payment contractor has been appointed following the tendering process to obtain same; when further information will be published for those certain eligible non-HSE/non-Section 38 healthcare employees who are covered by the Government decision and information on the process available to their employers to implement this measure for their eligible staff will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53353/22]
532. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the reason that all third level undergraduate and postgraduate students are not eligible for the reduction in fees of €1,000 announced in Budget 2023; the reason that a person (details supplied) who is studying in Limerick University will not benefit from the cost-of-living package for third level students; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53268/22]
205. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Transport if funding will be provided to deliver a town bus service in Clonmel, County Tipperary, given that Clonmel is now included in the ten-minute town project and that providing a town bus service for Clonmel would help to reduce the dominance of cars entering the town centre (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53350/22]
136. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Social Protection the plans to address the pay scales and current pay rates of the community employment supervisors and assistant supervisors, given the valuable and dedicated service that CE supervisors and assistant supervisors provide in running CE schemes and in delivering local based community services; the measures that are being taken to alleviate the financial difficulties which community employment supervisors and assistant supervisors working in this sector are experiencing; if additional funding will be made available to such local-based community service organisations to provide pay increases to their staff; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52278/22]
123. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Education if her attention has been drawn to correspondence from a person (details supplied); her plans to address the concerns raised by this school principal; the measures that are being taken to alleviate the obstacles and alleviate the current crisis in obtaining substitute teachers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52448/22]
121. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Education if her attention has been drawn to an additional accommodation project for a school (details supplied) which is with her Department since October 2020; if she will request that her Department makes contact with consultants who are acting on the school's behalf and are still awaiting feedback from her Department since their meeting in July 2022 regarding defining a template to streamline stage 1 reports; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52446/22]
79. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the reasons that the Office of Public Works will not provide a licence to access the swimming pool in the Garda college in Templemore in order that a person can provide swimming and water safety/lifesaving classes, which are considered essential life skills; if his attention has been drawn to a long tradition to allow access to this local amenity including the provision to provide and make available swimming and water safety/lifesaving classes to the local community in the swimming pool at the Garda college; if the OPW has changed its policy when reviewing and granting licences to use the swimming pool in the Garda college; the current licencing guidelines used by the OPW to access a licence application to use the swimming pool at the Garda college; the way in which a person can obtain a copy of the OPW’s licensing guidelines; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52152/22]
73. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Finance if he will rule out Ireland adopting the minimum global tax rate if an implementing directive is not agreed unanimously by all EU Member States; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52093/22]
72. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Finance if his Department has conducted analysis of the potential impact on investment and Exchequer receipts of the minimum global rate of tax being adopted in Ireland, but not in one or more EU Member States; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52092/22]
71. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Finance the engagements that he has had with his counterparts in fellow EU Member States about the possibility of the implementation in the European Union of Pillar Two of the OECD agreement on international taxation by means other than a directive which has been agreed unanimously by all Member States. [52091/22]
879. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine with the environmental report grant as set out in circular 13/2022, if the “report from an external ecologist” must be an NIS or does a habitat survey or ecology survey qualify for the environmental report grant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51814/22]
878. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the environmental report grant as set out in circular 13/2022 will be payable on afforestation files planted in 2023 and payable in 2023 or afterwards; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51813/22]
675. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Health the number of patients waiting on radiation therapy since January 2022 until the end of September 2022, by county and radiotherapy centre in tabular form; if he is satisfied that there are enough radiation therapists working in the HSE to carry out radiation therapy treatment to those on waiting lists; the measures that are being taken to alleviate the obstacles to having radiation therapy provided to patients in the earliest timeframe; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51105/22]
579. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will urgently seek a review concerning the level of funding for youth services such as Waterford and South Tipperary Community Youth Service in Budget 2023 (details supplied); the measures that are being taken to alleviate the financial difficulties and obstacles that youth service organisations are experiencing; if additional funding will be made available to such organisations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52018/22]
563. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if an application for ECCE time extension exemption for a child (details supplied) which was refused will be reviewed on the basis that this child is waiting on an assessment with the child and disability team; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51320/22]
237. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Transport if he will urgently seek a deadline extension to applicants who have received approval for funding through the eSPSV grant scheme to purchase an electric vehicle (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51403/22]
235. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Transport if his attention has been drawn to the substantial delays experienced by taxi operators when booking appointments to recalibrate and seal their meters for the new fare regime which came into force from 1 September 2022 (details supplied); the measures that are being taken to alleviate the obstacles in having additional appointments made available to have these meters recalibrate and resealed given that operating without a meter being sealed is an offence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51395/22]
168. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment his plans to extend the remit of eligibility for work permits to bus drivers from third countries given the acute shortage of same within the industry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51772/22]
88. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Education when an applications for assistive technology for a child (details supplied) which was submitted by the child's school will be reviewed and a decision issued on same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50488/22]
738. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Health when his Department and the State will publicly acknowledge the wrongdoing that occurred to pregnant women who were prescribed thalidomide in the 1950s and 1960s as a treatment for morning sickness; when women and their children impacted by the use of thalidomide can expect a public apology for the wrongdoing that occurred; when the State will deliver an appropriately specialised thalidomide-related healthcare and compensation package for thalidomide suffers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50156/22]
650. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Health his plans to provide mental health beds within County Tipperary; his further plans to ensure that persons in need of secure psychiatric beds are not transferred to services outside County Tipperary due to a lack of availability of these beds within the county; his views on such a case in County Tipperary in which persons have been transferred to facilities in Ennis or Kilkenny due to the fact there were no secure mental health beds available in the County; the measures that are being taken to alleviate these irregularities and to address the lack of mental health beds in general including secure mental health beds within County Tipperary; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49644/22]
557. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science when the Government intends to introduce a minimum wage for the apprenticeship sector in line with national minimum wage guidelines given that some first-year apprentices can earn on average only €7 per hour or approximately €274 for a full working week (details supplied); the measures that are being taken to alleviate these income irregularities in the apprenticeship sector compared with the national minimum wage; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49607/22]
443. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Education further to Parliamentary Question No. 185 of 5 October 2022, the reason that a school (details supplied) cannot get a broadband connection given that it can be serviced with a full fibre connection with speeds up to 2Gbps, super-fast broadband from commercial operators; the measures that are being taken to alleviate the obstacles to have this school connected to broadband within the earliest timeframe; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50204/22]
291. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform further to Parliamentary Question No. 270 of 4 October 2022, the engagements that he has had concerning the OPW's engagements with the Minister for Housing; Local Government and Heritage, Kilmainham Gaol and the National Graves Association on plans to move the remains of the Invincibles from the grounds of Kilmainham Gaol; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50116/22]
330. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Justice if changes will be made to The Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act 2001 concerning the theft of family pets (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49336/22]
4. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will provide details of the Government’s recent engagement with the United Kingdom Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland concerning the Northern Ireland protocol; the other engagement that has taken place with other European Union member states, EU institutions and globally in support of Ireland’s Brexit priorities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49453/22]