133. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to an anomaly in the school meals programme whereby newly added schools for the DEIS programme for September 2022 do not qualify for the scheme due to funding shortages; the steps that she will take to bridge this gap in funding; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34292/22]
11. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his Department’s plans to develop markets for Irish organic produce to match the increase in the number of farmers entering the organic farming scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38248/22]
261. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if a passport application by a person (details supplied) will be reviewed and expedited; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38328/22]
537. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Education if her attention has been drawn to the case of school bus drivers whereby once they reach 70 years of age, they are no longer allowed to be employed under the Bus Éireann school bus contract despite having passed a yearly medical assessment permitting them to drive other coaches; if she will review this matter; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37118/22]
517. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if his attention has been drawn to the case (details supplied) of a Zimbabwean national with Irish citizenship who had his or her personal documentation sent to the South African embassy in Dublin as part of an application for an Irish passport; if there is a basis for this process; and if he will clarify the pathway for a passport application for someone in this position. [37841/22]
394. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the steps that he is taking to ensure standardisation across all local authorities regarding commercial rate rebates for vacant commercial units; if he is concerned that such rebates act as a disincentive to returning these units to use; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37201/22]
393. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will request that local authorities set targets to provide social housing through the repair and lease scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37200/22]
392. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he has given any consideration to further extending the buy and repair scheme to allow local authorities to provide cost rental homes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37199/22]
109. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Health the position in relation to the Departmental review of the dental medical card scheme; his plans to alleviate access issues to dentists for medical card holders in the short-term; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37698/22]
134. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the position regarding the way his Department has scaled up to enable it to manage the humanitarian response to the Ukrainian war; the redeployments and restructuring that has taken place; the way the crisis is managed day to day; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36707/22]
96. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if his Department provides funding for the development or refurbishment of playgrounds; if so, if he will provide details of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36689/22]
57. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the position regarding the engagement he has had with the offshore renewable sector; if he is conscious of the need to ensure a steady pipeline of qualified graduates for this sector; the initiatives planned to promote this course of study; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36716/22]
44. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if his attention has been drawn to the challenges facing the dental sector regarding the retention of dentists in Ireland following the completion of their degrees; the steps he is taking at a University level to reduce this problem; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36731/22]
305. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Health the position regarding the Disability Capacity Review to 2032; if his attention has been drawn to the concerns of care providers regarding the pace of its implementation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36528/22]
72. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will report on the development patterns of residential units; if the number being built and their locations are in adherence with the National Planning Framework; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36465/22]
71. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will report on any research carried out by or on behalf of his Department regarding demand for apartments from owner occupier buyers; if this research has demonstrated interest in apartment living and apartment ownership; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36460/22]
70. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the position regarding the croí cónaithe towns scheme; the eligibility criteria; the process to apply for support; and if consideration has been given to increasing the cap to allow for inflationary pressure . [36459/22]
69. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the position regarding the review of construction regulations in relation to refurbishment and change of use for regeneration and living over the shop type developments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36457/22]
68. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the position regarding the repair and lease scheme; the number of successful applications; the number of residential units added to the housing stock; the cost to the Exchequer of each unit broken down by county to date in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36455/22]
38. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Finance the position regarding the living cities initiative; the number of successful applications; the number of residential units that it has added to the housing stock; the cost to the Exchequer of each broken down by county to date in tabular form; if any consideration is being given to expanding the criteria for eligibility for this scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36456/22]
299. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if a passport application by a person (details supplied) will be reviewed and expedited; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35905/22]
248. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the position regarding any research carried out by his Department into the revoking of build-to-rent planning standards for apartments and instead introducing a single build-to-sell standard across all apartment developments; the impact this would have on investment levels and the delivery of homes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36076/22]
243. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the position regarding any research carried out by his Department into the repeal of specific planning policy requirements under section 28 (1)(c) of the Planning and Development Act 2000; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36058/22]
149. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Transport the position regarding the young adult Leap card in cases in which a qualifying applicant does not hold a passport, driving licence or national identity card, as required when submitting an application; if other forms of identification are acceptable; and if provisions are in place to allow for exceptions in these circumstances. [36063/22]
145. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the reason Fáilte Ireland was tasked with the design and implementation of a short-term lettings registration system; if the basis of this decision will be outlined; if any other agencies were considered to carry out this work, including his Department or an official housing body; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35062/22]
34. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Education further to Parliamentary Question No. 150 of 1 February 2022, if a review of the existing school bus allocation system has been completed; if she is conscious of the need to increase flexibility in ticket allocation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34290/22]
160. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for the Environment; Climate and Communications his views on the use of infra-red heaters or storage heaters as a means of heating a home by electricity; if his Department has conducted research into the environmental merits of the use of same when compared to traditional fossil fuel boilers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34294/22]
295. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if a passport application by a person (details supplied) will be reviewed and expedited; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33319/22]
49. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his views on the introduction of a vacant property tax; if any research has been carried out by his Department into this proposal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32909/22]
31. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his views on the introduction of a derelict property tax; if any research has been carried out by his Department into this proposal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32910/22]
38. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the position regarding the Departmental working group that was set up to investigate potential amendments to building regulations in relation to changing places (details supplied); the progress the group has made; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32912/22]
563. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Education if her attention has been drawn to the requirements to retrofit and install solar panels respectively in a school (details supplied); if the process for applying for this type of project can be outlined; if funding is available to fund similar applications; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32255/22]
539. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Education the position regarding the new school building for a school (details supplied); the timeline for the completion of this project; if she will meet directly with the management of the school to discuss the progress that has been made; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31832/22]
461. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if a passport application by a person (details supplied) will be reviewed and expedited; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32580/22]
456. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if a passport application by a person (details supplied) will be reviewed and expedited; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32548/22]
452. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if a passport application by a person (details supplied) will be reviewed and expedited; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32504/22]
65. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the way that Sport Ireland and national governing bodies are responding to the crisis in Ukraine and the need to support the thousands of Ukrainians fleeing the war; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32400/22]
56. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media when the next round of the Sports Capital funding will be announced; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32401/22]
250. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if a passport application by a person (details supplied) will be reviewed and expedited; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31424/22]
248. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will expedite a passport application for a child (details supplied) given that they are due to travel on 29 June 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31387/22]
51. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Finance his views on the introduction of a vacant property tax; if further research on this matter will be carried out by his Department following the completed assessment of the local property tax returns; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31300/22]
11. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Finance his views on the introduction of a derelict property tax; if he will replace the derelict site levy that would be implemented by the Revenue Commissioners; if any research has been carried out by his Department into this proposal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31302/22]
211. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the campaign by the families of 35 children with cystic fibrosis seeking access to a medication called kaftrio that had been promised to these families by their medical teams previously; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31093/22]
186. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to calls from staff and management in an organisation (details supplied) regarding pay, contracts and job security; if his Department will engage with these service providers on these issues directly; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31192/22]
185. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to calls from staff and management in organisations (details supplied) regarding pay, contracts and job security; if his Department can engage with the Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board directly on this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31191/22]
12. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Transport his views on the conversion of the internal combustion engine vehicles to electric vehicles; if his Department has carried out any research into the merits of the practice; if any grant funding is being considered; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31358/22]
1127. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Social Protection if sufficient funding was allocated by her Department to the national Citizens Information Board to allow for the previously agreed reopening and continued service of the Wicklow Town Citizens Information Centre; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30012/22]
1098. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Social Protection if there is a disparity in the rate of social protection payments available to adult Ukrainian refugees based on age; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29378/22]
977. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Education if her attention has been drawn to the proposed closure of the special education class in a school (details supplied) for children attending a mild general learning disability class; if her officials will engage with school management regarding any appeals avenues available; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29399/22]
940. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Education if her attention has been drawn to the case of a school (details supplied) that is set to lose a teacher for the coming school year; if a further appeals mechanism is available to reflect the large increase in school numbers since the appeal submission; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29004/22]