325. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Defence if he will seek to have the plaque at the monument to the Defence Forces in Merrion Square, Dublin 2 amended to correct the misspelling of the word emanate which appears as eminate. [27857/21]
305. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs further to Parliamentary Question No. 425 of 18 May 2021, if he will explain the reason that insurance premiums are being paid for election observers when no Irish election observers have been deployed for over a year; if, in view of zero deployments he will seek a rebate of premiums paid; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28405/21]
304. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs his plans to replace the 2018 election observation roster; if any preparation work has been done on this to date; if Department officials have been in formal contact with the Public Appointments Service seeking them to organise a professional recruitment competition; if the existing roster can be increased to take account of observers that no longer wish to travel internationally; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28404/21]
303. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs further to Parliamentary Question No. 425 of 18 May 2021, if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the OSCE Election Observation Mission to Armenia is headed by an Irish citizen; if, in view of this he will review the decision not to deploy any Irish election observers to these elections especially those observers that are vaccinated against Covid 19; if he will now give active consideration to nominating experience Irish election observers from the current and previous rosters that have experience of elections in Armenia; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28403/21]
160. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the US Senate is considering a draft Bill that targets jurisdictions with inadequate enforcement of data protection law (details supplied); his views on the situation; and if he regards the prospect of EU data export controls as a threat to the digital services sector. [27184/21]
159. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the proposed directive on artificial intelligence and Digital Services Act would render Ireland the EU’s super enforcer of these new regulations for technology companies based here; his views on whether the current delays in enforcing GDPR decisions by the DPC will undermine the potential for further investment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27181/21]
142. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the status of the Programme for Government commitment to promote biodiversity initiatives across primary, post-primary and third-level sectors and ensure that schools, colleges and universities across the country play an active role in providing areas to promote biodiversity. [26952/21]
133. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Defence further to Parliamentary Question No. 351 of 5 May 2021, the operational use that the Defence Forces have for this site. [26803/21]
425. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs his views on the importance of international election observation; if he will list by country since February 2020 the election observation missions that the OSCE and EU sought nominations for from his Department; the number nominated in each case; the 2021 budget for election observation; the amount spent to date; if he will nominate Irish election observers from the current and previous rosters that are vaccinated against Covid-19 to OSCE and EU election observation missions in view of ongoing Covid-19 vaccination programmes; when he plans to recruit new observers to the roster; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26044/21]
356. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if battery energy storage system developments are fast-tracked for planning purposes given they are treated as strategic infrastructure in the planning process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26087/21]
239. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Transport if he will seek an assurance that CIÉ will await the outcome of the High Court application being made by the CIÉ pension trustees before engaging in further discussions in relation to the pension trustees 1951 scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25587/21]
408. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Health if his Department will subsidise counselling psychologists in training in Ireland in a way similar to clinical psychologists in training are, that is, salary for work experience and fees subsidised in view of the huge benefit this would be to encourage more persons to study this area and alleviating the huge waiting lists for counselling services. [25243/21]
143. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Education the status of measures her Department has undertaken to date to fulfil the programme for Government commitment that the Government will develop inclusive and age appropriate curricula for relationships and sexuality education and social, personal and health education across primary and post-primary schools, including an inclusive programme on LGBTI+ relationships. [25097/21]
180. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of young persons in care who have had complaints filed against them by the agency or the residential in which they reside; the number of young persons in care who have been charged with criminal damage relating to their placement; and if Tusla has policies in place to assist social workers and social care managers in relation to charging young persons in care that assault staff or damage units. [24762/21]
145. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Defence the number of Defence Forces personnel on UN duty who received a Covid- 19 vaccination from the host country from December 2020 to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25055/21]
144. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Defence the details of UN arrangements for vaccinations of peacekeepers; if the Defence Forces were part of those arrangements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25054/21]
143. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Defence the number of Defence Forces personnel present on UN duty who were offered a Covid-19 vaccination through the UN since December 2020; the number that received it; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25053/21]
830. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Health if he will issue instructions to have a uniform policy nationally in regard to a partner's ability to attend maternity services such as appointments and births under Covid-19 regulations as opposed to the ad hoc situation which currently varies on a hospital by hospital basis. [24283/21]
442. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Education the reason children on the ASD spectrum are not provided with a special needs assistant in the early start programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23690/21]
415. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will use Ireland’s position on the United Nations Security Council to ensure a human rights observation mission is added to the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara mandate when it is renewed in October 2021. [24700/21]
390. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs further to Parliamentary Question No. 506 of 28 April 2021, if he will address a series of matters (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24334/21]
175. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Transport if he will temporarily suspend the rule whereby non-EU driver licence holders must obtain an Irish licence after 12 months of residency here given the fact that with the ongoing restrictions it is in fact not possible for such person's to book driver tests; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23740/21]
122. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Taoiseach the details of property owned by the Chief State Solicitors Office; the current use and date acquired of each in tabular form. [23699/21]
120. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will use Ireland’s position on the UN Security Council to ensure a human rights observation mission is added to MINURSO mandate when it is renewed in October 2021. [24788/21]
84. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if a commitment will be given to stop the policy of automatically cancelling first-time passport applications from children after six months (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23314/21]
693. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the work that has been completed by his Department to fulfil the Programme for Government commitment to fully explore the potential for growing fibre crops such as hemp considering whether these crops have a viable market; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23075/21]
611. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Health if he will amend the Misuse of Drugs Act 1977 to allow for 0.3% THC specifically for the cultivation of industrial hemp in Ireland in line with other states such as the United States of America and Canada; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23076/21]
482. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Justice the progress made on the programme for Government commitment to establish a penal policy consultative council to advise on penal policy. [23159/21]
481. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Justice the progress made on the programme for Government commitment to review the existing functions, powers, appointment procedures and reporting processes for prison visiting committees. [23158/21]
480. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Justice when an independent external report into the penalisation of a person (details supplied) for making a protected disclosure in the Irish Prison Service will be published. [23117/21]
428. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of requests for a child or young person turning 18 years of age to be allowed to stay on in residential care for 2018, 2019 and 2020; and the number of those requests granted. [22658/21]
351. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Defence the use his Department has for a plot of land (details supplied) between the Chapelizod Road and the River Liffey; and if his Department has considered granting the land to Dublin City Council for public use. [22816/21]
998. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Health if a commitment will be made to allow for a process for persons to apply for an exemption from the mandatory hotel quarantine as provided under the relevant health Act for compassionate reasons before they make their journey abroad and return here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21711/21]
815. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Justice the status of a naturalisation application by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21623/21]
802. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Justice the number of reported collisions and traffic incidents occurring at or 100 metres before or after Knockmaroon Hill, Chapelizod, Dublin 20 in each of the years 2015 to 2020 and to date in 2021, in tabular form. [21395/21]
267. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Finance the estimated revenue that would be raised if the carbon tax was doubled and the 2030 levy target was doubled to €200 per tonne. [21370/21]
105. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the status of the €50 million provided for the arts and culture live entertainment sector in Budget 2021 to survive and recover from the Covid-19 pandemic. [21487/21]
61. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the status and progress of the ten recommendations in the Life Worth Living report by the arts and culture task force, including recommendation No. 1 to establish a basic income pilot scheme for arts and culture. [21486/21]
103. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will consider establishing the free travel scheme as a standalone benefit as recommended by the Oireachtas Committee on Transport in 2018 (details supplied); the investigations which have been carried out on this matter to date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21010/21]
93. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Education the protocols which are currently in place for a student with epilepsy should they have a seizure during a State examination; the process which a student must follow should they not be able to complete the exam owing to their condition; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21011/21]
83. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Education the status of plans to further compel schools to open ASD classes in Dublin 12; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20922/21]
82. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Education the status of a school (details supplied) that is in tender for ASD classes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20921/21]
81. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Education the schools which have been compelled to open ASD classes in Dublin 12; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20920/21]
2447. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the action that has been taken by his Department to ensure that imported European strains will not interbreed with native bees affecting the unique biodiversity of Irish bees as was witnessed previously with the varroa mite given that Ireland has the purest remaining population of black bees in Europe; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18339/21]
2446. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the actions his Department made in relation to reports of the importation of bees here from Italy (details supplied) to ensure that such importation does not result in the parallel importation of the small hive beetle which is prevalent in Italy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18338/21]
1977. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Health if he will provide clarity on medical or humanitarian grounds for exemption from quarantine (details supplied); the decision making process behind making judgements on such cases; if travellers can apply for same pre-travel; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19476/21]
1607. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Health the details of the NIAC guidelines (details supplied) which advise the allocation of MRA vaccines to the immunocompromised; and if it will be ensured that this is made clear during daily Covid-19 briefings which to date have indicated that there is no preferential vaccine for the immunocompromised. [18423/21]
1554. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Health if the State Claims Agency attended any of the sodium valproate project group meetings; and, if so, the reason the agency would be in attendance of the meetings. [18247/21]
1553. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Health if he will confirm that no dossiers are held on families impacted by epilim - sodium valproate historically or otherwise. [18246/21]
1507. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Health when computerised medical examinations for membership of medical governing bodies will resume given that frontline workers are vaccinated against the effects of Covid-19; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18100/21]