Roscommon-Galway — week of Mon, 4 Mar

What your Roscommon-Galway TDs did this week

Mon, 4 Mar – 10 Mar 2024 · 3 TDs · 2 bills voted on · 65 questions · 0 new lobbying filings

Votes this week

Research and Innovation Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages

2024-03-06 · 3 votes

An amendment to the bill · motion failed 51–74

Voted for 1 Claire Kerrane

Voted against 1 Denis Naughten

Did not vote 2 Martin Daly · Michael Fitzmaurice

An amendment to the bill · motion failed 52–77

Voted for 1 Claire Kerrane

Voted against 1 Denis Naughten

Did not vote 2 Martin Daly · Michael Fitzmaurice

An amendment to the bill · motion failed 45–65

Voted for 1 Claire Kerrane

Did not vote 2 Martin Daly · Michael Fitzmaurice

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business

2024-03-05 · 1 vote

The week's Dáil business schedule · motion passed 71–51

Voted for 1 Denis Naughten

Voted against 1 Claire Kerrane

Did not vote 2 Martin Daly · Michael Fitzmaurice

Claire Kerrane — Sinn Féin 4 votes · 15 questions · 0 new lobbying returns

Questions asked 15 total

Housing 4 questions
- 2024-03-05 Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if there are plans to provide funding in 2024 to support local authorities with taking in charge applications in respect of unfinished housing estates; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10007/24]
- 2024-03-05 Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he has any plans to seek a new round of bids under the Multi-Annual Developer Provided Water Services Infrastructure Resolution Programme. [10008/24]
- 2024-03-05 Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the reason two housing estates in County Roscommon (details supplied) were not recommended for funding under the Multi-Annual Developer Provided Water Services Infrastructure Resolution Programme 2019-2021 [10009/24]
- 2024-03-05 Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he intends to reopen the Protected Structures Conservation Advice Grant Scheme in 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10312/24]
Agriculture 4 questions
- 2024-03-05 Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason only two afforestation licences were issued, amounting to just 13 ha, in week 3 of February 2024; to state the actual number of licences his Department would need to issue each week to meet the Government target of 8,000 ha; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10058/24]
- 2024-03-05 Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will outline changes made by an organisation (details supplied) to support breeders outside of the changes made to assist SCEP participants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10663/24]
- 2024-03-06 Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will advise on any delays to payments under the organic farming scheme; if delays to other farm payments such as ACRES have caused delays to payments for organics; if this is the case what measures are his Department taking to address the issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11002/24]
- 2024-03-06 Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 95 of 28 February 2024, if he will engage with any farmers whose ACRES payments may be affected by the introduction of this rule and consider them on an individual basis given it has been raised that farmers were unaware of this rule and he confirmed that the implementation of the rule was under review; if a timeline can be provided for when farmers whose ACRES scoring is affected as a result of the rule will be notified; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11003/24]
Health 3 questions
- 2024-03-05 Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Health to provide an update on a proposal (details supplied), if he will consider funding this and rolling it out State wide; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10568/24]
- 2024-03-06 Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Health if he will advise why there is no pathway available to access diagnostic assessments for autism via primary care services in County Roscommon; if he will outline what plans are being put in place to provide same going forward; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10970/24]
- 2024-03-06 Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Health if he will advise the reason there is no service available to access diagnostic assessments for ADHD (adult) in County Roscommon; if he will outline what plans are being put in place to provide this service going forward; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10971/24]
Defence 1 question
- 2024-03-05 Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the reason a person (details supplied) received no feedback on an application; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10172/24]
Tourism 1 question
- 2024-03-05 Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if there is any funding available to support community centres purchasing sports equipment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10474/24]
Rural 1 question
- 2024-03-05 Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if there is any funding available to support community centres purchasing sports equipment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10475/24]
Social 1 question
- 2024-03-06 Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will review eligibility for the free travel scheme for people who have a severe illness but who are not in receipt of the relevant qualifying payment; if consideration has been given to allowing discretion in certain cases; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10905/24]

Martin Daly — Fianna Fáil 0 votes · 0 questions · 0 new lobbying returns

Quiet week — no questions filed or new lobbying returns.

Michael Fitzmaurice — Independent Ireland 0 votes · 28 questions · 0 new lobbying returns

Questions asked 28 total

Agriculture 23 questions
- 2024-03-06 Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the total area of land submitted at form one stage of the 20 licences issued week ending 23 February 2024 and the net area of land actually approved for the same licences, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10997/24]
- 2024-03-06 Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to confirm the contractors/employees named in the tender submitted by the Irish Horse Board in April 2022 for sport horse marketing services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11070/24]
- 2024-03-06 Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will outline the individual qualifications of the successful team involved from the Irish Horse Board, which was announced in September 2022 as the winning bidder for sport horse marketing services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11071/24]
- 2024-03-06 Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he has satisfied himself as to the governance structures within the Irish Horse Board, including the organisation’s ability to comply with the governance requirements as a freedom of information prescribed body under his aegis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11072/24]
- 2024-03-06 Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his attention has been drawn to a matter (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11073/24]
- 2024-03-06 Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to provide the names/confirm the officials and external parties involved in reviewing or scoring the equine marketing tender undertaken by his Department in April 2022; the date of any such tender evaluation; the number of applications received; the scoring differences between each tender evaluated; any guidance provided by officials involved in supporting the evaluators; the skills and background of each evaluator; what steps did the Department undertake to ensure that no official or external evaluator had any conflict or perceived conflict of interest and loyalty; what skills and experience in international marketing did those evaluating the applications possess; to provide the tender submissions received by each party to the tender process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11074/24]
- 2024-03-06 Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to confirm the reason for awarding an approximate €4 million marketing contract to an organisation with no marketing staff, no website, no social media presence and no history of marketing experience at the time of the award; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11075/24]
- 2024-03-06 Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to confirm that the interactions he or his officials had with new appointees at that time to Horse Sport Ireland in November or December 2022; if he or his officials encouraged those board members to cease the High Court action launched by the previous board of the Horse Sport Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11076/24]
- 2024-03-06 Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will address a matter in relation to a tender (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11077/24]
- 2024-03-06 Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine in view that Government policy for the past 15 years has revolved around centralising sport horse services through the Horse Sport Ireland organisation, his views that changes in long established Government policy should be decided by way of tender decisions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11078/24]
- 2024-03-06 Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he has given consideration to the impact of tendering on other organisations funded by similar means as that of the Horse Sport Ireland, i.e., could ICBF, rural shows, dog shelters, or other organisations receiving grants from his Department without tenders, be required to tender into the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11079/24]
- 2024-03-06 Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he has a view of the anti-competition cases taken by a person at national and European level given that the complaint involved allegations of an anti-competitive relationship between his Department, HSI and the Irish Horse Board; his view that the tender decision will end speculation from WSI of anti-competitive practices; the current status of anti-competitive actions taken against his Department both at within the European Commission and the Consumer Protection Commission in Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11080/24]
- 2024-03-06 Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his attention has been drawn to a matter in relation to the Horse Sport Ireland board (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11081/24]
- 2024-03-06 Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he is aware that as Minister for Agriculture he appoints up to two directors to the co-op board of the Irish Horse Board; when does this term expire; if he will continue to appoint a person or persons to that board; if he has sought input from that director on the Irish Horse Boards suitability or capability to undertake a contract worth €4 million; if he has given consideration to appointing governance experts to the board of the Irish Horse Board; what international marketing expertise existed within the Irish Horse Board Board of Directors at the time if tender evaluation in 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11082/24]
- 2024-03-06 Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he is aware that under EU legislation, studbook rules are required to be published by each breed society; the reason Horse Sport Ireland has not published studbook rules on its website for any of the studbooks it operates under licence from his Department; to confirm if his Department received copies of studbooks rules as part of the April 2022 tender submissions from Horse Sport Ireland; the reason those rules have not been published within the required 90 days of submission to the competent authority; if his officials have reviewed the studbook rules and on what dates such reviews occurred and by whom; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11083/24]
- 2024-03-06 Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason for delays each year in the opening of breeding schemes for breeders of sport horses administered by Horse Sport Ireland; if he will confirm that the breeding schemes for 2024 will open to breeders during the actual breeding season or if as 2021, 2022 and 2023 schemes will open during or after the season; the rationale for such delays; the process undertaken by Horse Sport Ireland to develop 2024 programmes; the number of breeder and other studbooks engaged/consulted with by HSI in that preparation process; if there are enough resources within his Department to adequately and competently administer equine programmes for the sport horse and thoroughbred industries; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11084/24]
- 2024-03-06 Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will address a matter in relation to Horse Sport Ireland (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11085/24]
- 2024-03-06 Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will address a matter in relation to the Irish Horse Board (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11086/24]
- 2024-03-06 Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will make the terms and conditions of published for the Equine Technical Support Scheme operated by his Department for 2023 available; if he can confirm the recipients of the funding, the initiative supported and the amount grant awarded and eventually paid to each recipient, in tabular form; if he is satisfied that each recipient of the funding met the stated eligibility criteria; to highlight any deviation from the stated criteria and reasons for such deviation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11087/24]
- 2024-03-06 Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number and grades of each person within his Department responsible for sport horse policy; the qualifications of those persons; the number of those persons with a direct involvement in the sport horse sector, such as competing horses in sports competitions by them or direct family members; if there any conflicts of interest or perceived conflicts between current sport horse policy staff; the measures taken by his Department to ensure no conflicts or perceived conflicts arise; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11088/24]
- 2024-03-06 Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he receives regular updates from Horse Sport Ireland on the current passporting difficulties experienced by equine breeders; the current numbers waiting for 2023 passports to be issued by each equine studbook, by breed, reason for delay, duration of delay in tabular form; if the migration to SNP DNA testing could have been managed better by either his Department or studbooks supported by his Department; the impact of such migration on passport issuing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11089/24]
- 2024-03-06 Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the amount of funding provided by either Horse Sport Ireland and Sport Ireland to equestrian related bodies in 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023; under what programmes and for what purposes in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11090/24]
- 2024-03-06 Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the amount of funding provided by Horse Sport Ireland to equestrian related bodies in 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023; under what programmes and for what purposes in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11091/24]
Education 2 questions
- 2024-03-06 Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Education if she will publish documentation whether bank accounts and fund transfers or otherwise that proves €8.195 million surplus from school transport was held by Bus Éireann for her as of 31 December 2011; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10998/24]
- 2024-03-06 Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Education the transaction purportedly returning the net cash surplus of €6.7 million to her in 2018 from the ringfenced account; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10999/24]
Social 1 question
- 2024-03-05 Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Social Protection when maintenance payments to carers will be disregarded as means for social welfare payments; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10237/24]
Environment 1 question
- 2024-03-06 Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if a tax is to be brought in for tipping soil in landfill/tips in all parts of Ireland; if so, when is this proposed to commence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11179/24]
Finance 1 question
- 2024-03-06 Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Finance if a person is a resident in the USA and was Irish born with a PPS number, if that person enters a five-year lease to lease owned lands, if this is tax free; if not, what is the terms and criteria; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11046/24]