614. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he has considered issuing a directive to those involved in the hare coursing industry to release the hares that they have in captivity in view of the clarity given about the activity being banned as part of the level 5 restrictions. [33040/20]
533. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the sports in which school-age children can participate under level 5 restrictions with the caveat on group size and non-contact requirement accepted; and if the position will be clarified for the less mainstream sports that include but are not limited to horse riding and archery amongst others. [32830/20]
395. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Finance if consideration has been given with regard to including the coach tourism and private bus sector in the CRSS scheme to reflect their inability to operate in level 5 restrictions. [33882/20]
373. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Transport if he has met with officials from the RSA to discuss the backlog in both driver tests and driver theory tests; if consideration has been given to allowing the latter to be held outside a traditional classroom settings such as an online test to account for level 5 restrictions. [33898/20]
204. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if industry specific supports have been considered for those who rely heavily on weddings as their primary source of income (details supplied). [32319/20]
203. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if retailers, including supermarkets, are permitted to sell children's clothes and shoes under level 5 restrictions. [33895/20]
116. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Social Protection if consideration has been given with regard to those in receipt of the pandemic unemployment payments and their ability to join full-time retraining courses that would allow them to upskill in which their current employment is adversely affected due to Covid-19. [32089/20]
115. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide clarity regarding the pandemic unemployment payment amendments announced in Budget 2021; if a person in receipt of this payment was fortunate enough to earn over the €480 in one month for any reason, the knock on implications for their PUP payment. [32088/20]
60. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Finance if he has held further talks with the main lender banks with regard to the provision of loans and mortgages to those in receipt of EWSS or the pandemic unemployment payment (details supplied). [31906/20]
59. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Finance if he will provide clarity with regard to the new CRSS scheme; and if there is flexibility in the qualifying criteria which refers to annual turnover of less than €2 million to reflect businesses such as travel agents that may have significant turnover but the vast majority contributes to other business endeavours rather than their own. [31902/20]
426. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Social Protection if clarity will be provided regarding the parental leave extension announced in budget 2021; if there are provisions that would allow parents to take the extra leave in advance of the proposed timeframe of April 2021; and if the rationale for the timeline can be outlined. [31623/20]
368. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Education if her Department will carry out a review of ongoing issues related to Covid-19 in a school (details supplied) in County Wicklow. [31626/20]
108. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Transport if he will recommend an extension of the timeframe allowable for medical reports in respect of driver licence renewals (details supplied). [30385/20]
544. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Health if yoga studios are permitted to operate under level 3 restrictions; and if they are able to facilitate classes that adhere to all other advice with regard to social distancing and other guidelines. [30227/20]
34. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Environment, Climate and Communications if he will investigate the existing grants that are available to assist in purchasing electric commercial vehicles through SEAI in view of the fact this only applies to vehicles such as vans; and if it has been considered to expand this to include cars for commercial use. [30103/20]
180. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Children, Disability, Equality and Integration if clarity will be provided on the guidelines to playschools and crèches in relation to the prohibition of the use of plastic lunch boxes (details supplied); and if the reason for the issuing of such guidance will be provided. [29100/20]
46. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Transport his plans to carry out a study on the relationship between road speed limits and the impact on fuel consumption, journey times, air quality and emissions. [29145/20]
494. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Social Protection if provisions are being considered with regard to sole traders and the provision of redundancy to staff if they are to face closure due to the Covid-19 pandemic (details supplied). [28883/20]
492. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Social Protection if a person can still claim the pandemic unemployment payment in cases in which they are on the pandemic unemployment payment and seeking to improve their future career prospects by enrolling in a part-time Springboard course; and if not, if they are required to switch to another form of social welfare which may be of a lesser value and as such act as a disincentive. [28343/20]
86. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Transport if consideration has been given to extending driver licences due to expire in the coming months to reflect the significant backlog in available appointments nationally created by Covid-19 for those in situations that will not allow them to renew online, such as residents who were born outside of the EU. [27839/20]
126. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Education if clarity will be provided on the guidelines to playschools and primary schools on the prohibition of the use of plastic lunch boxes (details supplied); and if the reason for the issuing of such guidance will be provided. [27463/20]
953. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Health if the restrictions will be reviewed and amended with regard to chosen partners being allowed accompany and offer support to women in labour in maternity hospitals (details supplied). [27157/20]
798. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to a campaign by a group (details supplied) regarding the discrepancies in funding for different avenues of third-level education within the wider psychological sphere; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26432/20]
475. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Education the status of a new building for a school (details supplied); and if her attention has been drawn to the fact the temporary accommodation currently in use is providing serious challenges for staff and students. [26873/20]
457. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Education if her attention has been drawn to ongoing issues at a school (details supplied) directly related to increased space requirements due to Covid-19. [26500/20]
220. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Transport if consideration has been given to amending the cycle to work scheme in order to remove the potential barrier to accessing it, whereby employers can choose not to participate, and to facilitate an applicant in applying in circumstances in which an employer is not willing to participate. [26499/20]
193. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Health if he will request that his Department carry out a review of adult speech and language services available in County Wicklow (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25765/20]
709. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Health if a funding review of a school (details supplied) will be carried out following a recent visit as there is a large deficit between the HSE funding and the very high level and excellence of care provided [24792/20]
693. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Health if he will consider ordering an enquiry into the use of the drug epilim by pregnant women to ascertain the number of families impacted by negative side effects during pregnancy in the last decade (details supplied) [24714/20]
562. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons who have been made permanently redundant in recent months in circumstances unrelated to Covid-19 and in cases in which the business has not yet paid its former staff redundancy payments (details supplied). [25572/20]
505. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Social Protection the timeline for the proposed universal basic income pilot that was set out in the Programme for Government. [24713/20]
479. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Education the position of students that live in communal residential centres; if there is to be an outbreak of Covid-19 in that setting; and if there are provisions available to the students for remote learning or other means to lessen the disruption as much as possible to their education. [25437/20]
432. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Education if a permanent site for a school (details supplied) has been selected; and the status of the project. [24905/20]
115. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Education if the roll out of a national information campaign will be considered targeted at parents of primary school children with regard to Covid-19 symptoms and the necessary steps in cases in which a parent identifies potential symptoms (details supplied). [24470/20]
64. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Transport if the position regarding the provision of emergency driver tests will be reviewed (details supplied). [24472/20]
77. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Education if provisions are being made in cases of children in direct provision and the potential interruption to their education if there are further outbreaks of Covid-19 in centres in view of the fact that if there is an outbreak the child must be removed from school. [24287/20]
729. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Health if clarity can be provided with regard to the most recent Covid-19 regulations and the way in which they apply to holiday caravan parks (details supplied); and if a collection of mobile homes in a designated caravan site constitutes a gathering; and if this activity can continue in circumstances in which all other precautions are observed [23713/20]
717. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Health the number of adult speech and language therapists operating in County Wicklow; and the services available to adults in need of such care in cases in which access to a therapist is not available. [23608/20]
431. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Education the position on the provision of a new school building for a school (details supplied); the timeline for same; the status of the application; and if the application will be prioritised. [23832/20]
261. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Finance if consideration has been given to entering further negotiations with the lending banks regarding a possible extension of mortgage breaks for those who continue to suffer significant drops in salary as a direct result of Covid-19. [23609/20]
231. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Transport if his attention has been drawn to the substantial waiting lists for driver tests due to the necessary cancellation of service during the Covid-19 pandemic; if he has met with representatives of the RSA to discuss ways in which this can be expedited; and if provision can be made for those that could be classified as urgent in terms of requiring a test. [23925/20]
111. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Education if it is expected that the school extension for a school (details supplied) is expected to be completed on time; and the contingency plans in place to accommodate the school’s accommodation needs. [23066/20]
82. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if his Department will carry out a report and assessment of repairs required for two public sites (details supplied) under the control of the OPW in Bray, County Wicklow, that have been damaged by antisocial behaviour. [23075/20]
195. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Social Protection the legal framework for persons that were made redundant during the Covid-19 pandemic and have to date been unable to access redundancy payments from their employers due to amendments in legislation on 13 March 2020 but can provide evidence that the layoff is not a temporary move due to Covid-19 and in fact a permanent one. [22875/20]
94. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Finance if consideration has been given to allowing sole traders to access the employment wage subsidy scheme, as they would be entitled to if they were listed as a company director in circumstances in which all other qualifying criteria for the scheme are met. [22871/20]
79. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Transport if his Department has carried out or has plans to conduct an investigation into the development of horseriding trails here that may consider their feasibility in various locations across the country, the potential benefits of same and the potential financial costs. [22865/20]