1319. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Health to provide an update on the Government’s response to the recently launched policy paper by an organisation (details supplied); if he intends to adhere to the promises for reform of dentistry in Ireland; if so, what specific steps will be taken to ensure these reforms are implemented; if he will meet with representatives of the organisation to discuss its strategy for reform; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14089/24]
1243. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Health to provide an update on the current system in place for the provision of prostheses and bras to breast cancer patients (details supplied); if he is aware of any significant delays and difficulties in obtaining a prosthesis and bras following breast cancer treatment for breast cancer patients; the average waiting time for the approval of these items; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13755/24]
1164. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth concerning the Building Blocks – Expansion Grant Scheme, which is part of a wider Building Blocks Capital Programme for Early Learning and Care and School Age Childcare, if he will confirm when an application from (details supplied) will be validated; if the applicant will be given the opportunity to submit additional documentation or provide clarity on their application if the same is required; when can the provider expect a decision to be issued on the same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15134/24]
973. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if applications for Native Woodland Conservation lodged with his Department under the previous forestry programme for the NWC scheme and entail the conversion of conifer forests to native woodland in areas of high ecological and water quality values, as encouraged by his Department, will be eligible under the native woodland conservation scheme 2023 – 2027 launched by his Department recently; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14211/24]
972. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if conversion of conifer crops to native woodland is permitted under the Native Woodland Conservation scheme 2023-2027 recently launched by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14210/24]
532. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Education to provide an update on plans to overhaul the school transport system and the abolishing the "nearest school" rule, which requires a student applying to the school transport scheme to attend the school closest to their home; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15008/24]
531. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Education further to Parliamentary Question No. 88 of 10 May 2023, if she will provide an update concerning the school bus transport scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15007/24]
192. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Transport to provide an update on the progress being made to improve a dangerous and busy junction on the outskirts of Thurles, County Tipperary, where Turtulla Cross on the N62 has been the site of a number of serious and fatal crashes over the years; what safety works and junction redesign can be carried out at this junction on the N62 to improve safety for all road users; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13917/24]
336. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if she will introduce an annual men’s shed sustainability grant system to help with their running costs, for items such as electricity and insurance bills, similar to the one issued in 2023; if she will consider providing funding for small capital works projects; if she will make such grants available directly to individual men’s sheds instead of allocation through third party representative bodies; to provide an update on such funding measures that her Department will make available to men’s sheds in 2024; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13300/24]
286. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Health if he will ensure that funding is provided to allow for the employment of the required neurologist for the Midland Regional Hospital Portlaoise; if he will confirm that they have received correspondence from the Neurological Alliance of Ireland who is campaigning to have a neurologist situated in the Midland Regional Hospital, Portlaoise (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13370/24]
65. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Transport if he will report on the current waiting times for driving tests in all County Tipperary test centres; the number waiting in each test centre; the reason for the extended delays in each test centre; the steps he is taking to address these driving test delays; if he agrees that these matters require immediate attention and swift action to alleviate the distress and inconvenience caused to persons in County Tipperary who are waiting for a profound period of time to have their driving test completed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13476/24]
1478. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Health if he will examine a matter concerning the lack of administrative support staff working in the oncology department of the HSE primary care centre on Mitchel Street, Thurles (details supplied); if he will provide an update on this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12856/24]
978. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will examine the case of persons (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11932/24]
700. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will consider extending the temporary development contribution waiver scheme (details supplied); if he will seek to have all dates extended by a minimum 18 months to allow large housing developments which commence just before the current 24 April 2024 deadline adequate time to complete the works satisfactorily; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13099/24]
515. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Education if she will review correspondence from a school (details supplied); what financial assistance can be offered to this school to assist it with the critical financial situation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12868/24]
496. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Education if she will review the case of a person (details supplied) concerning the allocation of home tuition hours; the status of this case; the timeframe for when a decision will be issued on same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12658/24]
401. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Education if the additional STEM grants that will made available in 2024, will be of lower or higher value than those awarded in December 2023; if so, the level of funding that can be expected; if it will be made available exclusively for the remaining approximately 2,000 unsuccessful schools; if so, when; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11864/24]
400. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Education how the staff and students at a school (details supplied) in County Tipperary will engage in STEM activities in the school to the same standard as their neighbouring school that received €10,000 in funding; if the inspectorate will be cognisant of the disparity in funding when assessing schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11863/24]
399. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Education what criteria, if any, applied to the reading of the application by a school (details supplied) for the STEM grant; if she will provide feedback to school management on the application and where it did not meet the criteria outlined to the school in documentation received from her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11862/24]
398. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Education the reason a lottery was held when the number of applications for the STEM grant exceeded expectations; if she will point to the relevant area in the documentation issued to schools prior to the competition, where it states that a lottery would take place if the number of applications passed a certain threshold; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11861/24]
387. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Education who is responsible and liable when a student, diagnosed with dyslexia by a professional educational psychologist, is refused an exemption by school management; if he is aware of the impact that this can have on a student who may receive points to access their third-level course but cannot attend the NUI colleges of their choice because they failed Irish in the Leaving Certificate; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11835/24]
386. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Education her views that the lottery system used in the recent STEM grants were the fairest way to divide the available resources; if it is his intention to continue to fund essential educational services in this manner; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11827/24]
385. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Education what oversight measures were in place for the recent STEM grant competition; if the records of how this competition was conducted are available to school management to review and if so, how does one access the same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11826/24]
384. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Education to direct management of a school (details supplied) to the legislation that governed how the recent STEM funding competition was run and managed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11825/24]
383. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Education the reason all schools were not accepted to the recent STEM grant competition which was held for funding for a core curricular area and a key priority of the Government; if he accepts that schools such as a school (details supplied) were unfairly penalised due to the lottery system; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11824/24]
373. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Education her Department's stance on the awarding of exemptions from the study of the Irish language for students diagnosed with dyslexia (details supplied); who interprets the criteria to satisfy their own findings; if her Department is distancing itself from these decisions; the reason is it investigating the schools for making these decisions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11772/24]
372. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Education her Department's stance on the awarding of exemptions from the study of the Irish language for students diagnosed with dyslexia (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11771/24]
294. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform further to Parliamentary Question No. 282 of 22 March 2022, the progress made and the steps he has taken to improve ventilation for staff who work in the basement area of the Swiss Cottage in Cahir, County Tipperary; if his attention has been drawn to the fact the basement area has no mechanical ventilation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12643/24]
345. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Health if he will request HSE Estates to supply a copy of the report in relation to the status of the roof in a care centre (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11229/24]
344. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Health if there are any specific factors that would restrict the allocation of palliative care support beds to an existing unit (details supplied) once the current residents have been transferred to the new residential care services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11228/24]
343. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Health the plans in place for a unit for older persons in Clonmel following the transfer of residents to a new residential care services unit (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11227/24]
298. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the area of clearfell and thinning licensed per county for 2024, 2025, 2026, 2027, 2028, 2029, 2030, 2031, 2032, 2033, 2034; the details that are available to him on the felling licence application provided by the applicants, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11255/24]
297. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 520 of 13 February 2024, to detail the area of clearfell and thinning that is the subject of a felling licence application to his Department that remains to be licensed per county for 2024, 2025, 2026, 2027, 2028, 2029, 2030, 2031, 2032, 2033, 2034, for the private sector, identifying broadleaf and conifer separately and the corresponding details for Coillte, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11254/24]
296. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No.520 of 13 February 2024, to detail the area of clearfell and thinning licensed per county for 2024, 2025, 2026, for the private sector, identifying broadleaf and conifer separately and the corresponding details for Coillte, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11253/24]
295. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question Nos. 265, 266 and 267 and 268 of 14 February 2024, to confirm registered ecologists were not permitted to attend the in person training referred to in the answer; if his Department will be providing additional guidance via circulars, updated working documents or other text documents for the assessment of environmental constraints in afforestation (high nature farmland, farmland birds, breeding waders, hen harriers); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11251/24]
180. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth further to Parliamentary Question No. 283 of 8 February 2024, if the additional information concerning an application for ECCE time extension exemption for a child (details supplied) will be reviewed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10843/24]
47. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Transport if he will initiate discussions with Bus Éireann concerning its service from Southeast Technological University, Waterford serving Clonmel and Cahir in County Tipperary (details supplied); if he will support a proposal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10868/24]
531. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he can clarify the measures in place to ensure equal opportunity for all farmers in the ACRES programme (details supplied); the plans to approve all applications which were submitted in the ACRES program's second tranche; if the ACRES programme will be expanded to accommodate the high volume of applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10820/24]
117. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications further to Parliamentary Question No. 42 of 06 December 2023, if he will provide an update on when the LGMA Codes of Practice codes for CCTV will be approved, particularly in relation to their use by local authorities for assisting waste enforcement and anti-litter efforts, and including the monitoring of illegal dumping and dog fouling; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10162/24]
114. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications about the situation of residents who use a coin meter for electricity; given that these residents are not registered with an electricity supplier in Ireland, do not have a unique meter point registration number, and do not receive an electricity bill, this results in no energy credit being passed onto the residents; if he will clarify what provisions are in place to allow such residents to claim the energy credit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10139/24]
330. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Justice if officials in her Department will make contact with representatives of an organisation (details supplied) concerning confusion about the status of their IIP project; if officials can review correspondence; if every effort will be made to rectify any possible irregularities in order that this application can be processed and finalised; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8692/24]
267. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide an update on previous representations made to his Department on behalf of a club (details supplied); if his Department has a valid application from the club for the proposed field trials; when a decision will be issued on this application; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8750/24]
85. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications when infrastructure to ensure access to high-speed fibre broadband will be installed in the case of a premises (details supplied); when high-speed fibre broadband will be available to this premises; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8917/24]
183. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Social Protection if a prepaid return envelope can be included when requests are issued from the child benefit section asking parents to confirm their children's details concerning continued entitlement to child benefit payments; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8418/24]
109. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Social Protection when the ruling concerning the free fuel allowance, which states that a household payment can only be paid when the residence is on an approved site (publicly or privately owned) with planning permission for the caravan or mobile home, was introduced and if this ruling will be reviewed in cases where someone lives in a residence without planning permission, such as when an additional mobile home or caravan is placed, as these ‘additional’ places of residence are not currently legally distinct households, impacting a person’s eligibility for fuel allowance in view of the current housing crisis and lack of availability of houses to rent, and many families find themselves with no option but to move a mobile home or caravan onto their parents’ site or land in an effort to avoid homelessness; if an exception can be made from this ruling to enable many struggling families to qualify for free fuel allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8266/24]
95. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if her attention has been drawn to correspondence sent to her office from a person (details supplied) concerning the prestigious Polar Medal which was awarded to an Irish born Antarctic explorer; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8253/24]
606. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Health the current status of the provision of primary school dental services by the Health Service Executive in CHO5 and 3; the waiting times for the initial assessment of an individual and the subsequent waiting times for orthodontic treatment for such individuals once they have been referred; his views on whether it is acceptable that a child residing in Tipperary will be subjected to a waiting period of 24 months or longer for an initial assessment (details supplied) upon completion of the assessment; the anticipated waiting period for this child to receive dental and orthodontic treatment; if a child’s case will be referred to the treatment purchase fund for immediate treatment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7974/24]
529. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Health when the guideline and calculations used to assess the qualification for the under-70s medical card was last reviewed; how can it be justified and deemed equitable that the basic allowance for a couple to qualify for a full medical under-70s medical card still stands at €266.50 per week, when the rate of jobseeker’s allowance for a couple is €386.00 per week; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7496/24]
313. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Education if she will provide information on any meetings that she or her Departmental officials have had with Bus Éireann concerning the ban on school bus drivers who are over 70 years of age (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7990/24]
272. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Education to address a matter regarding primary school admission policies (details supplied). [7568/24]