Questions asked 66 total

• Environment 30 questions

  • 2021-07-27 Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications his views on the progress being made towards the rewetting of industrial bogs and the restoration of peatlands, creation of a carbon sink to reduce national greenhouse gas emissions from; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40820/21]
  • 2021-07-27 Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for the Environment; Climate and Communications if he will put in place plans to develop a real-time monitoring system for air quality with live alerts to minimise exacerbations and sudden ill-health of those with underlying conditions through education and awareness of current levels; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40775/21]
  • 2021-07-27 Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for the Environment; Climate and Communications if he will immediately lower legal levels of air pollution to bring them in line with those recommended by the WHO; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40776/21]
  • 2021-07-27 Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the status of efficiency standards for data centres as outlined in the programme for government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40777/21]
  • 2021-07-27 Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications his views on the progress by the State for rewetting of industrial bogs and the restoration of peatlands, creation of a carbon sink to reduce national greenhouse gas emissions from; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40779/21]
  • 2021-07-27 Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the status of the roll-out of the national broadband plan in the Naul area of north County Dublin as of July 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40780/21]
  • 2021-07-27 Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the status of the roll-out of the national broadband plan in the Oldtown area of north County Dublin as of July 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40781/21]
  • 2021-07-27 Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the status of the roll-out of the national broadband plan in the Rolestown area of north County Dublin as of July 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40782/21]
  • 2021-07-27 Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the status of the roll-out of the national broadband plan in the Garristown area of north County Dublin as of July 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40783/21]
  • 2021-07-27 Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the status of the roll-out of the national broadband plan in the Ballyboughal area of north County Dublin as of July 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40784/21]
  • 2021-07-27 Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the status of the roll-out of the national broadband plan in the Rush area of north County Dublin as of July 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40785/21]
  • 2021-07-27 Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the status of the roll-out of the national broadband plan in the Lusk area of north County Dublin as of July 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40786/21]
  • 2021-07-27 Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the status of the roll-out of the national broadband plan in the Donabate area of north County Dublin as of July 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40787/21]
  • 2021-07-27 Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the status of the roll-out of the national broadband plan in the Portrane area of north County Dublin as of July 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40788/21]
  • 2021-07-27 Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the status of the roll-out of the national broadband plan in the Kilmeague area of County Kildare as of July 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40789/21]
  • 2021-07-27 Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the status of the roll-out of the national broadband plan in the Allen area of County Kildare as of July 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40790/21]
  • 2021-07-27 Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the status of the roll-out of the national broadband plan in the Milltown area of County Kildare as of July 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40791/21]
  • 2021-07-27 Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the status of the roll-out of the national broadband plan in the Robertstown area of County Kildare as of July 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40792/21]
  • 2021-07-27 Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the status of the roll-out of the national broadband plan in the Kanturk area of north Cork as of July 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40793/21]
  • 2021-07-27 Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the status of the roll-out of the national broadband plan in the Freemount area of north Cork as of July 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40794/21]
  • 2021-07-27 Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the status of the roll-out of the national broadband plan in the Lismire area of north Cork as of July 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40795/21]
  • 2021-07-27 Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the status of the roll-out of the national broadband plan in the Newmarket area of north Cork as of July 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40796/21]
  • 2021-07-27 Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the status of the roll-out of the national broadband plan in the Cullen area of north Cork as of July 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40797/21]
  • 2021-07-27 Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the status of the roll-out of the national broadband plan in the Millstreet area of north Cork as of July 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40798/21]
  • 2021-07-27 Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the status of the roll-out of the national broadband plan in the Ballydesmond area of north Cork as of July 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40799/21]
  • 2021-07-27 Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the status of the roll-out of the national broadband plan in the Kiskeam area of north Cork as of July 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40800/21]
  • 2021-07-27 Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the status of the roll-out of the national broadband plan in the Charleville area of north Cork as of July 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40801/21]
  • 2021-07-27 Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the status of the roll-out of the national broadband plan in the Castlemagner area of north Cork as of July 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40802/21]
  • 2021-07-27 Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the status of the roll-out of the national broadband plan in the Banteer area of north Cork as of July 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40803/21]
  • 2021-07-27 Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the status of the roll-out of the national broadband plan in the Knocknagree area of north Cork as of July 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40804/21]
• Housing 8 questions

  • 2021-07-27 Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if clarification will be provided in relation to a series of matters (details supplied) in respect of the 2021-22 General Derogation Declaration for the control of certain wild bird species and in respect of each bird species listed for controls in schedule 1 of the Declaration. [39266/21]
  • 2021-07-27 Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if a contract has been awarded by his Department in respect of the etender for a national survey of urban gulls published on 16 March 2021; if so, the cost of the contract; when the survey will be completed; and when the results of the survey will be published. [39267/21]
  • 2021-07-27 Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the challenges to providing such accurate estimates in respect of the etender published on 16 March 2021 for a national survey of urban seagulls and in relation to his Department’s statement on page 45 of its five-yearly obligatory report to the EU Commission in 2019 (details supplied); the steps being taken by the contractor to meet these challenges and or offset any impact they might have on the accuracy of the survey; and the degree of confidence he and his Department has that the challenges will be met by the survey to ensure its accuracy. [39268/21]
  • 2021-07-27 Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his Department considered use of digital aerial reconnaissance for the national survey (details supplied) in respect of the etender published on 16 March 2021 for a national survey of urban seagulls; the reason digital aerial reconnaissance was not specified as a counting method in the etender documents; and the advantages of digital aerial reconnaissance over his Department’s prescribed counting method in its etender document, that is, observation and ground walked in addressing the challenges acknowledged by his Department in its five yearly report to the EU Commission in 2019. [39269/21]
  • 2021-07-27 Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his attention has been drawn to the urban seagull studies carried out in north Wales and in greater Birmingham in 2018 and 2019 (details supplied); and the implications this might have for his Department’s survey particularly if it is to inform policy in the interests of public health and safety under Article 9.1.a of the 1979 Birds Directive. [39270/21]
  • 2021-07-27 Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he has deferred policy formation and or decisions on potential actions to be taken in the interests of public health and safety under Article 9.1.a of the 1979 Birds Directive in respect of the etender published on 16 March 2021 for a national survey of urban seagulls (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39271/21]
  • 2021-07-27 Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the legal purpose and public administration role particularly with regard to licensing controls on wild bird species of section 59 of the Wildlife Act 2000; and the circumstances in which he envisages availing of section 59 of the Act to preserve public health and safety. [39272/21]
  • 2021-07-27 Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the details of information on his Department's review of siting and size conditions for rooftop solar panels on homes and review of exemptions for educational and community buildings as part of the current development of interim planning regulations; the details of the stated need to consider environmental assessment reporting before finalisation; when the interim planning regulations will be submitted to the Houses of the Oireachtas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40061/21]
• Health 5 questions

  • 2021-07-27 Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the dental treatment and benefits available to a person who is the holder of a medical card; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35850/21]
  • 2021-07-27 Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health if he plans to map public AEDs throughout the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36652/21]
  • 2021-07-27 Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health if he plans to provide more public AEDs particularly in areas in which there is a lack of facility; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36653/21]
  • 2021-07-27 Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the number of persons that can be invited to a wedding from 5 August 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38776/21]
  • 2021-07-27 Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the number of vaccination booths per hundred thousand population within each community health organisation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39288/21]
• Justice 4 questions

  • 2021-07-27 Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Justice the number of protection applicants who have presented as unaccompanied minors since the commencement of the International Protection Act 2015; the number of those that were age-disputed and subjected to an assessment by Tusla; the number that were deemed adults by the International Protection Office and placed into direct provision following the assessments; and the number that were deemed minors and placed in the care of Tusla. [39385/21]
  • 2021-07-27 Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Justice if she has plans to implement a citizenship amnesty to applicants due to backlogs in the system and as a gesture from the State to all those who resided here during the Covid-19 pandemic; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40810/21]
  • 2021-07-27 Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Justice the number of cases that have been brought before the courts since the introduction of the Harassment, Harmful Communications and Related Offences Act 2020; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40812/21]
  • 2021-07-27 Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Justice if she will report on the Covid-19 compliance and welfare of prisoners in the prison system during the Covid-19 pandemic; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40814/21]
• Transport 3 questions

  • 2021-07-27 Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Transport the status of the MetroLink development as of July 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40772/21]
  • 2021-07-27 Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Transport the funding allocated to the LocalLink bus service in Fingal in 2019, 2020 and to date in 2021, respectively; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40773/21]
  • 2021-07-27 Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Transport the State supports being provided to assist travel agents to maintain operation due to restrictions and the effects of the pandemic on international travel; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40774/21]
• Foreign 3 questions

  • 2021-07-27 Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the steps his Department is taking to help the ongoing situation in areas of Palestine with a lack of Covid-19 resources, such as testing and vaccines Covid-19 vaccines in areas of Palestine under Israeli occupation; his views on the situation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40808/21]
  • 2021-07-27 Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs his plans to help bring an end to the blockade of Cuba by the United States of America through work on the UN Security Council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40809/21]
  • 2021-07-27 Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if Ireland will be supporting the TRIPS waiver campaign to waive patents on vaccines and shore up supply of vaccinations to developing countries; the number of vaccines that Ireland has donated to developing countries; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40811/21]
• Rural 3 questions

  • 2021-07-27 Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the number and description of development projects that have begun in Fingal; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40817/21]
  • 2021-07-27 Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the number and description of development projects that have begun in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40818/21]
  • 2021-07-27 Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the number and description of development projects that have begun in north Cork; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40819/21]
• Taoiseach 2 questions

  • 2021-07-27 Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Taoiseach the current status of the Narrow Water Bridge project; and the development that has been made since the announcement of additional funding for the project in June 2021. [39425/21]
  • 2021-07-27 Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Taoiseach the status of the latest activities of the shared island unit of his Department as of July 2021. [40806/21]
• Enterprise 2 questions

  • 2021-07-27 Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if his Department has plans to introduce an apprenticeship programme for airplane pilot training; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39391/21]
  • 2021-07-27 Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the measures his Department is taking to reduce the disparity in gender balance in airplane pilot jobs given that only 6% of pilots are female; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39392/21]
• Education 2 questions

  • 2021-07-27 Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Education the status of the acquisition of a zoned school site at a location (details supplied); the acquisition costs; the timeline for delivery of this permanent school site; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39620/21]
  • 2021-07-27 Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Education if she will report on the resourcing of primary and secondary schools with Covid-19 equipment such as masks, sanitisers, ventilation and testing kit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40815/21]
• Social 2 questions

  • 2021-07-27 Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection if an appointment will be made for a person (details supplied) to receive their PPSN; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40482/21]
  • 2021-07-27 Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated full year cost of broadening entitlement to the household benefits package to households in which a civil or public service occupational pensioner aged 66 to 69 inclusive is not in receipt of a qualifying payment or is not an excepted person for the purposes of the scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40816/21]
• Finance 1 question

  • 2021-07-27 Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Finance if Ireland plans to join with 130 other jurisdictions with the OECD plans to implement a 15% global corporation tax rate; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40807/21]
• Tourism 1 question

  • 2021-07-27 Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media her plans to help regulate social media companies to prevent online abuse and to ensure safety of their users; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40813/21]