101. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Education if schools have been advised to operate on the basis of compassion and common sense in the notification of absences to Tusla due to absences from school caused by Covid-19 or other illness requiring multiple tests for Covid-19 in order to rule it out and keep the community safe; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16121/21]
95. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Education the reason a special education school (details supplied) can cite to a parent its enrolment-age criterion as being from four to seven years of age in its revised application policy given it caters for children from four up to 18 years of age; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15992/21]
94. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Education the number of children who were notified to Tusla for school absence caused by Covid-19 or tests for same in 2020; the number of children notified to Tusla by their schools for school absence in each of the years 2017 to 2019; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16123/21]
45. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Finance if he will address with mortgage providers their individual discretion on mortgage protection requirements pre-drawdown for persons with an underlying health condition (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16120/21]
1888. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Health the position regarding the recruitment and appointment of a full-time dedicated paediatric pain consultant given that children in chronic pain are now without a full-time consultant for 16 months; if the number of children on the waiting lists as published are correct ; the reason the multidisciplinary pain teams which were filled three months ago are not seeing patients; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15796/21]
1887. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Health when the paediatric rheumatologist will start work and see patients; when the information leaflet prepared for general practitioners by parents of children with Down's syndrome-related arthritis and which has been ready since November 2019 will be distributed to their practices and to other health professionals; when arthritis screening for children with Down's syndrome will be introduced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15795/21]
1886. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Health when a written policy will be in place allowing occupational health to clear for immediate return to work critical healthcare workers deemed highly vulnerable (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15794/21]
1449. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Health the instruction that has issued to general practitioners and specialists as to which group decides the severity of disease for vaccination classification, given that some patients are being referred by general practitioners to specialists and from those specialists back again to general practitioners in the pursuit of such classification of severity and consequent vaccination placement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14257/21]
1448. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Health when persons with bullous emphysema stage 3 can expect to be vaccinated against Covid-19; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14256/21]
1431. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Health when persons living with irritable bowel disease and taking the immunosuppressant adalimumab will be vaccinated against Covid-19; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14195/21]
1430. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Health when persons in their 70s with chronic diseases, for example diabetes or COPD, and those in that age group recovering from lymphoma will be vaccinated; when their general practitioners will be informed of the plan for their vaccination; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14194/21]
947. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Education the reason pregnant special needs assistants are being denied the health and safety leave available to their teacher colleagues (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15797/21]
193. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the actions his Department has taken to save jobs (details supplied); his plans to ensure that the employees affected will be guaranteed the industry-standard redundancy package of the statutory two weeks' with an additional six weeks’ pay for each year of service in circumstances in which the jobs cannot be saved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15798/21]
168. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the precise date on which the increase in the reduced SUSI grants (details supplied) and thresholds of eligibility for same announced by him in Budget 2021 for postgraduate students will commence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13821/21]
978. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Health the number of Covid-19 vaccinations given by county by first dose only and by first and second dose; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13489/21]
977. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Health the reason the psychologist post at Celbridge primary care centre, County Kildare, remains unfilled while waiting lists for psychological treatment lengthen and young children’s conditions deteriorate; the date for the post to be filled; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13488/21]
922. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Health the reason a speech and language therapist is being removed from a school (details supplied) on the basis of HSE rationalisation and speech and language therapists are now to be accessed locally; the reason the school-based therapist cannot remain in situ alongside their community counterparts; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13182/21]
842. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Health the reason Covid-19 vaccinations for persons over 85 years of age in north County Kildare are being cancelled, in some instances twice; when the vaccine will be available to this cohort in the area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12882/21]
805. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Health when the Covid-19 vaccinations will commence for the over-65 years of age group given the anxiety of so many persons to be vaccinated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12789/21]
667. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if Irish students who have been accepted onto master's degree courses in the UK pre-Brexit and deferred their place for an academic year due to Covid-19 will be exempt from international student fees and will be expected to pay the usual EU fees and qualify for student loans on the basis of same due to the CTA; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12792/21]
612. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will include representatives of key groups that the Pensions Commission’s deliberations involve and its decisions will affect (details supplied) and if not, the reason and basis for same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13176/21]
496. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Education the accommodations and provisions being made in mainstream secondary education for children with mild to moderate learning disability to return to the mainstream classroom in which they have been thriving; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12781/21]
382. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the progress on implementing the architectural technologists’ register on the necessary statutory footing (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12780/21]
117. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will liaise with the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to remove the planning restrictions and therefore financial barriers to schools that wish to use solar panels and contribute to the Just Transition of energy within Ireland’s climate need and commitments; and if so, the speed with which schools can expect such removal and assistance given the urgent circumstances of climate change. [12762/21]
988. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Health when clear information on Covid-19 vaccination availability and dates, including for the over 70s cohort, will issue widely to general practitioners and particularly to practices in north County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12043/21]
846. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Health if his Department or the HSE can identify the primary source of Covid-19 infection in north County Kildare and the virus strain or strains thereof, particularly in and around Naas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11510/21]
845. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Health if Covid-19 testing is continuing at meat plants, in particular those in north County Kildare; if so, the frequency and reporting of such testing; the rates of infection found; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11509/21]
617. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will consider extending the ECCE scheme in order that all young children will have a place in education and will not be left in limbo (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12072/21]
515. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Education the advice or directives that have been issued to primary teachers and schools on the making up of learning gaps and losses for 2021-22 academic year in the next academic year, for example, third class being revised as well as the fourth-class curriculum being taught; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12071/21]
514. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Education if her Department is actively examining the creation of additional classes with additional teachers at primary level (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12070/21]
506. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Education if a supply of high-grade masks will be automatically available to all teachers involved in school reopenings; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12044/21]
412. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Education the current situation regarding redress for day-pupils who have been subjected to sexual abuse in schools; the number of persons reporting such abuse or who have complaints within the system; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11162/21]
313. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Health the number of public health doctors and specialists who have been appointed since the outbreak of Covid-19; the number who will be appointed in 2021; the grade at which they will be appointed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10861/21]
312. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Health his policy on vitamin D supplementation in the population; his policy on the strategic use of drugs such as HCQ and ivermectin in the treatment of Covid-19; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10860/21]
173. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Education if she will consider the fact that secondary schools’ two-week Easter holidays run from 15 March 2021 in order that they can begin to reopen a week earlier, this being 29 March 2021 as opposed to 5 April 2021; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10847/21]
155. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Education if she will examine the situation in which the junior certificate is considered the minimum requirement to become a special needs assistant, SNA, and the reason a course currently attended by SNAs at UCD is not being considered for accreditation by her Department (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10751/21]
889. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Health the number of cases that have been recorded in the State of post-Covid-19 paediatric multisystem inflammatory syndrome; the hospitals in which these cases have been treated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9881/21]
771. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Health the public transport that will be made available to those in north County Kildare who wish to be vaccinated against Covid-19, for example, at Punchestown; if he is liaising with the Minister for Transport in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9441/21]
539. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Education if, in her plan to reopen schools, she is regarding them as a separate virus ecosystem unrelated to their place and import within the community and to virus transmission rates therein; if not, if the reopening is being assessed in the wider community and viral context, particularly with the UK variant being dominant; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10510/21]
538. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Education the way the new UK Covid-19 variant is being assessed in her plans to reopen schools safely; if she will publish information in order to give parental and teacher comfort and public confidence in relation to same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10509/21]
537. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Education the safety measures being put in place in schools, for example, ventilation and air purification systems, in order for them to re-open safely; the sourcing, installation and costing of same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10508/21]
488. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Education the actions she will take to support future educators and students on the professional masters of education in primary teaching at a college (details supplied) who are excluded from the Gaeltacht and other grants allowed to their counterparts at State institutions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10277/21]
420. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Education the frequency with which decisions on school closures are reviewed; if her Department is considering an alteration and extension of the school calendar in the context of the disruption due to the pandemic with the aim of maximising in-school presence and learning; if teachers will be prioritised for vaccination to facilitate reopening and continuous in-school learning; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9610/21]
392. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Education if her Department has been liaising with the Department of Health regarding the safe reopening of schools; if it is the date or infection rate regarding the new UK Covid-19 variant dominant that is guiding the reopening decision; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10512/21]
391. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Education the scientific and medical basis on which the safe reopening of schools is being planned while the State is recording high levels of infection and with the new UK variant being dominant; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10511/21]
303. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Health the risk assessment that was presented to his Department and thereafter to Cabinet with regard to building sites and Covid-19 transmission; if a cost-benefit analysis of closure was undertaken and presented to his Department and thereafter to Cabinet; the information on which public health officials work in relation to Covid-19 transmission in the construction industry vis-à-vis- that used by their European counterparts; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9270/21]
253. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Health the number of doctors who have notified his Department, the HSE or other relevant body of their intention not to vaccinate patients against Covid-19; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9069/21]
252. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to doctors here refusing to refer patients for Covid-19 testing due to deeply held beliefs regarding the virus; the public health systems in place to address a possible refusal to refer patients for testing for any disease on a personal belief basis, including for a virus causing a pandemic; his views on whether a refusal to refer patients for Covid-19 or other testing due to personal beliefs and against prevailing public health advice as constituting an unnecessary and avoidable risk and potential hazard to public health, particularly in a pandemic; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9068/21]
251. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Health the public information strategy in place or planned to address comprehensively the safety issues raised in conscientious objection by doctors in order to maximise public trust and public confidence in the Covid-19 vaccines for the best possible public health outcome in the pandemic; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9067/21]