711. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she has been in recent contact with a group (details supplied); her views on whether moving the school to Citywest is inappropriate in view of the high proportion of students with special needs; if her attention has been drawn to the major disruption this will have on parents’ and children’s lives; if specific consideration has been given to cancelling or postponing the move; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20729/20]
722. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Health when the HSE guidelines to pharmacists discouraging the sale of multiple months' worth of medication to patients to prevent stockpiling will be rescinded; if his attention has been drawn to the lack of ability to buy 3 or 6 months means that patients are liable to more handling charges by pharmacists which creates a financial burden; and his views on whether this unfairly impacts those patients that are not holders of medical cards. [17094/20]
721. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Health his plans to recommend a temporary ban on non-essential travel from the United States of America on the grounds of safeguarding public health [17089/20]
720. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Health his plans to amend SI 181 of 2020 to make it a legal requirement to observe the 14-day period of self-isolation [17088/20]
719. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Health the number of overseas visitors who have refused to give all the necessary information upon entry here as set out by SI 181 of 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17087/20]
718. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Health the number of overseas visitors who have been found to be in breach of the 14-day self-isolation guidelines as set out by SI 181 of 2020. [17086/20]
592. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if a C visa will be granted on compassionate grounds to a person (details supplied) in view of the fact that the short stay visa system remains closed due to Covid-19 restrictions. [17090/20]
1263. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the fact that private hospitals are charging as much as €275 for Covid-19 testing before patients can access treatment; if this will be the case for patients referred under the NTPF; his views on whether this is appropriate in view of the fact that while these hospitals were in public hands patients were not previously charged for tests; his plans to cover the costs for testing for patients; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15779/20]
778. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the position of those in receipt of the pandemic unemployment payment in accessing Springboard courses; the reason some who have applied in recent days have been told that their employment status is unknown, including those whose sectors are still closed down due to Covid-19 restrictions but are still employed by their respective companies or businesses; the reason these persons are being told to refer to their local case workers when they have not been assigned such a case worker; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15782/20]
777. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the reason for the reduction of the pandemic unemployment payment to taxi drivers in view of the serious continuing impact on passenger numbers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15781/20]
713. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the provisions in place to ensure that those who have lost out due to the change in pension rate bands in 2012 will be given funds owed to them. [14923/20]
695. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the reason for the reduction of the pandemic unemployment payment to taxi drivers in view of the serious continuing impact on passenger numbers as a result of the Covid-19 lockdown; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15780/20]
660. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the high number of children with special needs attending a school (details supplied) was taken into consideration before the decision was taken to relocate the school to Citywest, County Dublin. [15778/20]
659. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Education and Skills the consultation that was held with the management and board of a school (details supplied) prior to the announcement of its relocation to Citywest, County Dublin. [15777/20]
454. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the diplomatic missions, such as embassies and consulates, that were closed and not reopened as part of cost saving measures in the past ten years; if a cost analysis has been carried out on reopening the missions; and if so, the cost. [14660/20]
256. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if a stimulus package or other forms of support for the taxi sector are being considered; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15780/20]
130. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his views on the recent report carried out by UL and NUIG, headed by a person (details supplied), which has found that as much as 31% of plastic exported from Ireland for recycling is not recycled; his views on whether such a practice could harm public confidence in recycling; his plans to decrease this figure to zero; his further views on whether Ireland cannot adopt an out of sight, out of mind mentality when it comes to the disposal of plastic waste; his further plans to improve downstream traceability to ensure plastic exported from Ireland for recycling is actually recycled; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15776/20]
558. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Health if he has a concern that work on the National Children’s Hospital site beside St. James’s Hospital has all but ceased and that scaffolding is being removed by contractors; the updated position regarding this flagship project aside from the Covid-19 restrictions; the reason for the delay; and if these continuous problems will impact on the final cost of the project. [13619/20]
513. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Health if the roll-out of instructions supposedly being given to drivers on public transport by management to allow family groupings to sit together on buses creates health concerns; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13375/20]
332. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if she considers An Garda Síochána as falling under the aegis of his Department in respect of Government policy. [13615/20]
331. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the procedures and steps that a person must take to get emergency access to the family law courts in view of the ongoing difficulties being experienced by family court applicants trying to get access to their children following previous court orders. [13614/20]
242. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Education and Skills the preparation and guidelines her Department has issued to schools for the summer scheme; the number of children it is expected to facilitate; and the schools that have confirmed they will take part by county in tabular form. [13618/20]
21. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his priorities and the difference in approach and policy his Department and representatives hope to introduce and address following the successful election to the UN Security Council. [13617/20]
20. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the steps he and his officials have taken to prevent the proposed annexation of territory in the Palestinian West Bank on 1 July 2020; the contact he has had with his Israeli counterpart and authorities, the American administration that is backing this move and his European colleagues in this regard; and his views on whether further annexation of Palestinian lands will irreparably damage a chance at a peaceful two-state solution. [13616/20]
870. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the advice being given to applicants in cases in which housing adaption funding is no longer available. [11652/20]
869. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the funding being made available for housing adaption grants by local authority; the uptake of the grants by each local authority; the number of applicants and waiting time for the grant by each local authority, in tabular form. [11651/20]
737. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he is considering a solidarity support package for clubs (details supplied) following the negative impact of Covid-19. [12600/20]
736. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if his attention has been drawn to the challenges facing taxis resuming work post Covid-19 lockdown; and if his Department is reviewing and working on new supports that will help alleviate the hardship they are currently enduring. [12596/20]
651. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if his attention has been drawn to the challenges facing persons trying to obtain cash returns from airlines; and the advice or supports being provided to such persons. [11660/20]
650. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if supports are available to persons that have booked airline fares with carriers and are still awaiting their entitled refunds; his views on whether this is acceptable behaviour from carriers; and if his Department has been in contact with the airlines involved regarding the issue. [12597/20]
649. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if his attention has been drawn to the confusion regarding instructions supposedly being given to drivers on public transport by management to allow family groupings to sit together on buses; if his attention has been further drawn to the difficulty this is causing drivers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12595/20]
561. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Health his plans to work with the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport to address the gap in supports following the withdrawal of the motorised transport grant and the mobility allowance particularly for drivers with a physical impairment. [12594/20]
560. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Health the number of older persons waiting for home care packages in CHO 7; and the number that were on the waiting list at this time in 2019. [12593/20]
559. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Health if he will he provide details of the specific measures or changes he has introduced in the past 12 months to reduce the waiting lists for the removal of cataracts; the number of people on the current waiting list; the estimated waiting time for an individual to get an assessment; and the estimated waiting time for an individual to get an operation. [12592/20]
558. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Health if his Department has issued guidance on the resumption of dance classes in view of the physical and mental health benefits it provides to its patrons which includes the elderly that may be in need of a resumption of exercise and social interaction following their period of cocooning. [12591/20]
557. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Health if he will consider including nitrous oxide use in their surveys conducted by his Department on recreational drug use in Ireland in view of the increasing unauthorised use and dangers it presents to those that use it recreationally. [12590/20]
405. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Health the strategy being developed by his Department and other organisations in conjunction with parents and others to discourage the usage of nitrous oxide (details supplied) in view of the widespread availability among young users. [11655/20]
404. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the concerns of organisations dealing with and supporting those with alcohol addiction issues regarding the impact of the Covid-19 lockdown on mental health and the difficulties in holding one-to-one and group supports at present; and if there has been a new assessment regarding holding of such meetings, which many are of the view are essential for their health and well-being. [11654/20]
403. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Health his views on a series of issues highlighted by a society (details supplied) regarding prostate cancer; his further views on whether it is an appropriate time to raise the prospect of a screening programme for prostate cancer; and the medical arguments against the introduction of such a programme for men. [11653/20]
352. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if his attention has been drawn to the surge in recreational use of nitrous oxide in the form of whippets; and if his Department has provided guidance to An Garda Síochána on its control. [12587/20]
273. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Education and Skills when he plans to inform schools and other education providers of the time frame for reopening in 2020. [12599/20]
272. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Education and Skills if teachers and SNAs will be given an additional payment for the proposed programme to be carried out with children with special needs over the summer; and the estimated timeframe for this proposed programme to start and finish. [12598/20]
110. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Education and Skills if clarity will be provided to school principals and school boards outlining the requirements and the financial support they will be given in terms of additional demands and costs on schools returning post-Covid-19 lockdown, particularly the additional cost of cleaning and hygiene measures. [11657/20]
109. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the decision to reduce the teaching staff by one teacher at a school (details supplied) will be reviewed in view of the impact of Covid-19 to date on junior infants and their schooling. [11656/20]
108. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to deal with the chronic shortage of ASD places for students at primary and secondary schools in Dublin; if his attention has been drawn to the challenges facing parents trying to locate places for their children in the 2020-21 school year; the number of places per school; and the advice that will be given to parents that cannot source a place in the new school year. [11650/20]
107. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to deal with the chronic shortage of ASD places for students at primary and secondary schools in south-western areas of Dublin; if his attention has been drawn to the challenges facing parents trying to locate places for their children in the 2020-21 school year; the number of places per school; and the advice that will be given to parents who cannot source a place in the new school year. [11649/20]
81. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Finance if he is considering plans to address the high interest rates some legal moneylenders charge; and if there are plans to introduce a cap on excessively high interest rates. [12589/20]
80. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Finance if guidance has been issued to the Revenue Commissioners custom service on the importation of large quantities of nitrous oxide containers; if so, if this guidance is based on the Criminal Justice (Psychoactive Substances) Act 2010; and if not or not entirely, if he will provide information on the Act or Acts the guidance is based upon. [12588/20]
37. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Finance the way in which he has responded to the collapse in the price of oil on the world market; and his views on whether it is unfair to consumers and commuters that a marked decrease has not been seen on the price of petrol and diesel at pumps as a result of imposed charges, such as excise, VAT and carbon tax, particularly during the Covid-19 crisis during which persons are wary of using public transport. [11659/20]
30. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the average waiting time for processing individuals on the foreign births register; the number of cases waiting to be processed; and when he expects the service to resume. [12584/20]