1165. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Health his Department’s position on the decriminalisation of drugs for personal use; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44624/24]
1164. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Health if he will enact the recommendations relevant to his Department outlined in the Joint Committee on Drugs Use Interim Report published on 22 October 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44621/24]
1163. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Health for an update on the progress in implementing the 22 recommendations outlined in the 2022 Oireachtas Joint Committee on Justice report entitled ‘An Examination of the Present Approach to Sanctions for Possession of Certain Amounts of Drugs for Personal Use [44620/24]
1044. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Health whether he was made aware of the withdrawal from the Irish market of a number of presentations of medications (palladone, MST, oxycontin and targin) which are predominantly used by patients with life-limiting illness, by a manufacturer (details supplied), on the basis that the supply of these medications are not commercially viable in light of Brexit and the Windsor Framework; and if so, the measures he is taking to ensure that undue hardship is not caused to patients, by continuing the supply of these medications through sourcing an alternative manufacturer or supplies to the Irish market, or by making the necessary changes to the import licence requirements overseen by the Health Products Regulatory Agency, in order that these essential medications can be imported into the country from other EU Member States. [44074/24]
1023. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Health how many genetic counsellors are currently funded and active in the health service; whether there will be any increase in genetic counsellors in the upcoming year; the details of when they will be in post; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43999/24]
1009. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Health the level of investment being directed to the National Ambulance Service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43977/24]
1008. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Health the actions being taken to improve handover times for the National Ambulance Service at hospitals, which is currently impacting service. [43976/24]
860. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the total number of non-coursing greyhounds registered as 'deceased' in the Irish Coursing Club's stud book for each of the years 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 to date, with a breakdown by year of birth; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44885/24]
751. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Justice the progress or findings of research by her Department and the Irish Prison Service on the outcomes of those being held on remand who subsequently receive no conviction or a sentence that does not result in imprisonment, as referred to in the report of the Prison Overcrowding Response Group; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44598/24]
750. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Justice the progress on repealing enactments providing for the ineligibility of those serving presumptive minimum sentences for temporary release and parole, as recommended in her Department’s review of minimum sentences; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44597/24]
749. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Justice the progress on the evaluation of the drug treatment court, as identified as a strategic priority under the National Drugs Strategy Strategic Action Plan for 2023-2024; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44596/24]
633. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Social Protection to outline the supports that are in place for recently retired people who were Civil Service and public sector employees recruited prior to 6 April 1995; if she is considering changing the rules to allow this cohort apply for the living alone allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44023/24]
560. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide an update on the establishment of an interdepartmental working group to address coastal change management; how the working group is comprised; if the group has met; when the coastal change management strategy will be completed and implemented; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44276/24]
254. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Finance in circumstances where individuals live on a designated flood plain, such as near the Camac, but which has never flooded, the options available to them where there is only one insurance company willing to insure them and the monopoly results in annual price increases. [44146/24]
145. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications when the revaluation of deferred benefits for An Post pensioners will be implemented; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45103/24]
142. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications when the revaluation of deferred benefits for An Post pensions will be completed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44923/24]
43. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth when he will publish the next national LGBTQI+ inclusion strategy; what the broad aims of the strategy will be; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43344/24]
22. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth how LGBTQI+ funding streams provided by his Department go towards organisations working with and initiatives for the benefit of LGBTQI+ people living in rural areas, and LGBTQI+ older persons; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43345/24]
137. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Justice for an update on the progress in implementing the 22 recommendations outlined in the 2022 Oireachtas Joint Committee on Justice report entitled An Examination of the Present Approach to Sanctions for Possession of Certain Amounts of Drugs for Personal Use. [43417/24]
577. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Justice the current status of the progression unit in Mountjoy prison; the number of cells in the unit in total; and the number of spaces which were allocated to non-progression unit prisoners, per month, for 2024. [42999/24]
223. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of prosecutions taken against landlords for breaches of the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2019 since they were enacted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42238/24]
222. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of inspections carried out each month by the Approved Housing Bodies Regulatory Authority since it was established; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42237/24]
221. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of HAP properties that have been removed from the system in each year since the HAP system was introduced due to breaches in the minimum standards; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42236/24]
220. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to outline the rights a HAP tenant has when a landlord does carry out necessary maintenance work; who is responsible for the enforcement of these rights; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42235/24]
219. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the enforcement mechanisms available to local authorities in instances where a landlord does not carry out necessary maintenance works in a HAP property; particularly in circumstances where the nature of the maintenance is potentially harmful to the tenant such as broken water supply, broken heating system, broken access windows or doors, severe mould issues and so on; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42234/24]
119. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications further to Parliamentary Question Nos. 30 and 32 of 1 October 2024, what supports are in place for residents who are struggling to pay for their heating bills under a district heating scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42153/24]
46. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence when he will implement the Defence Forces working time agreement and make improvements to the post-2013 pension arrangements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42112/24]
149. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage for an update on the operation of the interim remediation scheme for apartments and duplexes with fire safety, structural safety and water ingress defects; the number of applications that have been submitted; the number of applications that have been validated; the number of applications that have been rejected; the length of time on average it takes the Housing Agency to process an application upon its receipt; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41993/24]
148. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage for an update on the legislative timeline for the introduction of the Apartment and Duplex Defects Remediation Bill 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41992/24]
120. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Education if her Department will purchase a property (details supplied), to allow for the future expansion of schools given it has already been zoned Z1, allowing for educational use; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41705/24]
42. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 202 to 204 of 11 September 2023, if his Department has recently engaged with any local authorities or housing bodies in relation to the potential transfer of any vacant housing units within the Defence Forces portfolio; and if so, if he will provide details of same. [42003/24]
41. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 202 to 204 of 11 September 2023, if the Defence Forces assessment of the vacant housing stock has been completed; if so, when will this be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42002/24]
40. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the number of married quarters accommodation units still in possession of the Defence Forces; the number of those that are occupied or vacant, broken down by county, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42001/24]
39. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the number of single living accommodation units in possession of the Defence Forces which are vacant, broken down by county, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42000/24]
38. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the number of personnel for whom the Defence Forces are currently providing single living accommodation, broken down by county, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41999/24]
445. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Justice , further to Parliamentary Question No. 1127 of 9 September, the average processing time per de facto application given the January date currently displaying on her Department’s website has been static since May 2024. [41267/24]
295. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Education if she will allow for additional time for those sitting State exams who have dyslexia and dyscalculia. [41242/24]
159. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Transport the average wait time for a driving test in test centres in Dublin, in each of the past three years; and the efforts that are being made to reduce this wait time. [40989/24]
97. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if he can provide an update on the passport application of a person (details supplied). [41066/24]
93. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Education if her Department will make necessary upgrades to a school (details supplied) which was approved for the hot meals scheme but deemed unable to participate by her Department due to not having adequate facilities. [40479/24]
477. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth for an update on the pilot programme for supporting parents of children in care. [40199/24]
391. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the total number of non-coursing greyhounds registered as 'deceased' on Rásaíocht Con Éireann’s traceability system for each of the years 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 to date, with a breakdown by year of birth; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39638/24]
390. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the total number of non-coursing greyhounds registered as 'deceased' in the lrish Coursing Club's stud book for each of the years 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 to date, with a breakdown by year of birth; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39637/24]
382. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Justice if Budget 2025 funding commitments for care and rehabilitation services will be used to address the existing gaps in addiction supports in the Irish prison system. [40198/24]
381. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Justice the timeline for the spending of the additional spending allocated to education in prison under Budget 2025. [40197/24]
354. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Justice for an update in relation the enhanced powers given to An Garda Síochána to limit the anti-social use of scramblers and quadbikes; the number of scramblers, quadbikes and e-scooters that have been seized in Dublin metropolitan regions south and south central, broken down by station, or district, if station-level data is not available; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39785/24]
353. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Justice the measures she is taking to combat petty crime and anti-social behaviour in Dublin city; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39784/24]
244. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage regarding the interim remediation scheme for fire safety defects in apartments and duplexes, if a small apartment building (details supplied) will be eligible to receive a reimbursement for fire safety remediation works already carried out either under the interim scheme or the upcoming Apartment and Duplex Defects Remediation Bill 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39799/24]
130. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform if he will publish the Office of Public Works-commissioned report from September 2018 to investigate solutions to the issues of gull control at the Jamestown Road site; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39792/24]
52. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence if he will implement the working time directive in respect to the Defence Forces; if he will improve the post-2013 pension arrangements; if he will enhance supports for instructors to drive recruitment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40200/24]