752. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the position regarding the referendum on the right to housing as set out in the Programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19544/21]
893. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Health if a mechanism will be investigated that would allow for free parking in public hospitals and healthcare facilities for patients with specified diagnosed long-term illnesses who require frequent visits; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16435/21]
758. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the steps he will take to assist those on lower incomes in accessing level 9 college courses; if his attention has been drawn to the need to address existing barriers to this level of education which is the required minimum standard in some industries; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17118/21]
565. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Education if her attention has been drawn to the State Examinations Commission guidelines with regard to the leaving certificate oral examinations which state that face masks must not be worn by either the teacher or the student during the exam; if provisions are being made for teachers and students who are in a high risk category or live with a person in this category; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16436/21]
299. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Transport if he has had the opportunity to meet with representative bodies for cabin crew, ground staff and airline cargo employees as part of the broader engagement of his Department with the airline industry regarding the recovery of the sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17123/21]
1885. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Health the spend on the HSE breastfeeding action plan for 2019 and 2020; and the way in which this compares to that which had been budgeted for this area. [15789/21]
321. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Transport if his attention has been drawn to driver test applicants who have full licences from non-EU countries currently waiting to be allowed to take an Irish test; and if consideration has been given to extending the existing 12-month allowance by which they can drive on Irish roads without a new Irish licence to account for Covid-19-related delays in obtaining lessons and-or tests. [15020/21]
81. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Transport the number of electric vehicle stations installed across the country by local authority since August 2019, when his predecessor launched the five-year plan for increasing public electric vehicle charging points; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13106/21]
24. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Transport the status of the draft legislation to legalise the use of e-scooters; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13625/21]
1026. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his attention has been drawn to the existing policy that offers indemnity to private land owners, whose land is crossed by a registered horse trail, if there is an accident; and if a similar policy will be considered that would allow indemnity on public land that would include land owned by Coillte to allow for the expansion of horse trails. [13189/21]
44. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Finance if his attention has been drawn to a number of banks issuing notices to customers regarding the introduction of negative interest rates including solicitor client accounts which will have knock-on charges for mortgage applicants who will see charges for transferring their deposit through this transactional account; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12302/21]
982. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Health the steps he will take to meet the previously committed funding requirements of a facility (details supplied) in order to alleviate the concerns of staff, patients and families connected to this facility; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12007/21]
502. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Education the status of a permanent building for a school (details supplied); if a feasibility study has been carried out; if the proposed site is in the ownership of her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12004/21]
93. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will review the reports on the 2017-2018 pilot programme that was run through the SEAI that sought to increase the energy efficiency of schools; and if such a scheme will be reintroduced and include grant funding for improvements such as installing LED lights to replace existing fittings. [12002/21]
162. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Education the number of places available for the new ASD unit in a school (details supplied) due to open in September 2021; and her views on the need for more ASD units in the wider Greystones area of County Wicklow. [10653/21]
647. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the position regarding the independent monitoring of direct provision centres that was due to commence in January 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10517/21]
620. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the position regarding the extended paid parental leave commitment in Budget 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10033/21]
393. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Education if her attention has been drawn to the case of students in a college (details supplied); and if she will engage with the course directors and student representatives to alleviate their concerns. [10519/21]
41. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment his views on a potential mechanism that would encourage businesses that operate online under an Irish domain name to indicate the provenance of items for sale, which could assist customers in making informed choices regarding the environmental impact of their purchase due to air miles and to support Irish producers. [10522/21]
574. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the actions he will take with regard to one-year masters courses that have practical laboratory work at their core that have not held in-person classes; if these classes will be facilitated outside the formal academic year when it is safe to do so; and if the inability to complete essential aspects of these courses will be acknowledged. [8412/21]
435. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Education if her attention has been drawn to a capacity issue at a school (details supplied); and the steps she will take to alleviate the issue. [8524/21]
434. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Education if her attention has been drawn to the ongoing concerns of staff in a school (details supplied); and the steps she will take to alleviate these concerns at the school. [8522/21]
223. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if his attention has been drawn to a public liability scheme that has been adopted in the UK that offers insurance to those involved in horse walking trails on public and private land that indemnifies land owners against potential liabilities; and if he will consider engaging with Sport Ireland, Horse Sport Ireland and other relevant bodies to discuss the merits of implementing a similar scheme here. [8411/21]
346. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the position regarding the roll-out of a nationwide e-planning system. [7347/21]
320. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the position regarding the number of remaining voids reported by Wicklow County Council that have not been returned to the public housing stock to date; and if the local authority has estimated the approximate cost for returning these remaining units. [6781/21]
318. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will report on the level of funding remaining to bring further social housing voids back into the housing stock following the announcement at the end of January 2021 on same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6765/21]
210. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Finance his views on the classification of fruit juices produced in Ireland for VAT purposes, which entails the standard 21% VAT rate being applied; if the position can be reviewed in view of the programme for Government commitment to encourage greater expansion and growth in the Irish horticulture sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6766/21]
983. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the steps she will take to ensure the robust and consistent enforcement of the Dog Breeding Establishments Act 2010 to reduce the prevalence of puppy farms. [5394/21]
941. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the steps he will take to introduce a draft Bill to outlaw fur farming given it is specified as a priority in the programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5399/21]
940. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the tonnage of sprat landed per port in Ireland from October to December 2020; and the amount of sprat exported to other jurisdictions including Northern Ireland in the same time period in tabular form. [5396/21]
939. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the funding that is to be made available for animal welfare organisations in 2021; and if this reflects the agreed doubling of funding for such organisations in the programme for Government. [5395/21]
483. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if having an elderly and high-risk person in the household is considered for force majeure permission with regard to the non-reopening of a childcare centre that is also a primary residence given the ongoing pandemic; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5385/21]
234. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if her attention has been drawn to business owners in the tourist sector who do not own rateable premises that are facing into a second peak season under Covid-19 restrictions; and if further financial supports are being considered. [5386/21]
598. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the steps he will take to engage with course directors in third-level institutions to discuss ongoing concerns particularly in relation to practical aspects of course work that has either been restricted or completely cancelled due to Covid-19 restrictions. [4152/21]
225. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Finance the details regarding the uptake of the stay and spend scheme to date; and his plans to extend the existing deadline for the scheme or reintroduce a similar one to incentivise domestic travel and spending once it is safe to do so. [4290/21]
250. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he plans to hold further meetings with representatives from the early childhood care sector to discuss its concerns with regard to reopening play schools and crèches in view of the ongoing public health crisis. [3078/21]
249. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if there are negative implications with regard to State supports for crèche and play school owners that decide not to reopen in January 2021 due to personal concerns related to the Covid-19 pandemic but plan to reopen once they feel it is safe to do so. [3077/21]
223. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will investigate the situation faced by a small cohort of workers who have been out of work since March 2020 (details supplied); and if their case will be reviewed. [3072/21]
655. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Health if the staff in a general practice surgery are considered to be front-line staff; and if they will be prioritised in the Covid-19 vaccine roll-out. [2844/21]
530. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Health the reason home carers who do not fall into other priority categories in the provisional vaccine groups are not prioritised, given that the knock-on impacts for the health service are clear if they become a positive test case. [2468/21]
195. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Health the position regarding mandatory face mask use in banks and other financial institutions; and if the mandatory wearing of facemasks has been considered in circumstances in which all relevant security measures are taken into account to reflect the concerns of front-line branch workers. [1984/21]
1078. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to a campaign led by student radiographers seeking greater supports similar to those provided to student nurses to reflect their ongoing care of the Covid-19 patients and front-line status; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1746/21]
1028. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Health the position regarding the partial postponement of the primary school immunisation programme 2020-2021; and if this will be prioritised when sufficient staffing levels are available to accommodate this vaccination programme. [1478/21]
858. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Health if discussions are expected regarding the existing roll-out plan for the Covid-19 vaccine; and if consideration has been given to prioritising other frontline workers such as teachers or essential retail workers who have worked throughout the pandemic. [45058/20]
182. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment his plans regarding the introduction of sustainability indicators for enterprises in receipt of support from their local enterprise office given that this would highlight businesses that have made a conscious effort with regard to sustainability goals and this is not considered at present as part of a grant application. [43326/20]
111. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he is considering reopening the restart grants to new applications that would include businesses that may not have qualified under the previous criteria. [43718/20]
553. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the fact that a campaign led by nurses that seeks to have the annual retention fee paid to the NMBI waived for 2020 to reflect their service during the pandemic; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43224/20]