Parliamentary questions

Departmental Funding

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

422. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he proposes to make up the shortfall in the PhD stipend, to ensure that PhD researchers such as a researcher (details supplied) who have been excluded from the planned increase in stipends for PhD students, are treated in an equitable manner with other Government-funded PhD students by being given an increase in the stipend to €22,000; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46159/23]

Departmental Data

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

629. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number of PhD researchers funded through Government departments or public bodies or agencies under the auspices of those departments but are outside the SFI/IRC funding schemes; and the number of such students funded by each department. [46166/23]

Third Level Education

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

631. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he is satisfied that the exclusion of Government-funded non SFI/IRC PhD researchers from the increase in stipend funding to €22,000 complies with all relevant employment and equality legislation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46214/23]

Third Level Education

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

632. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will ask individual Government Department agencies and bodies who fund PhD research outside the SFI/IRC programme to finance increases in PhD stipends to provide equality with their SFI/IRC counterparts; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46215/23]

Third Level Staff

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

94. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the reason why the optimum target of €25,000 for the PhD stipend as recommended by the first report of the National Review of State Supports for PhD Researchers, was not implemented; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45541/23]

Third Level Staff

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

95. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if there is a timeline for the publication of the final review report on supports for PhD researchers in Ireland that deals with the status of a PhD researcher and classification as either a student or an employee. [45539/23]

Grant Payments

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

101. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to outline the supports available to graduate entry medicine students, and to clarify if he will extend existing supports to graduate entry medicine students. [45540/23]

Third Level Staff

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

111. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will make a commitment that other PhDs directly reliant on government funding outside of IRC or SFI will receive an increase in their PhD stipend. [45542/23]

Library Projects

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

143. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Education when the Junior Certificate School Programme (JCSP) Demonstration Library Project and JCSP Digital Library Service will be expanded; and if she will consider including a school (details supplied). [45389/23]

Educational Disadvantage

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

2. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Education if she will deliver on a DEIS plus proposal for schools in areas of the highest disadvantage; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45280/23]

Special Educational Needs

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

9. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Education if she can explain the circumstances whereby a school (details supplied) was refused a grant by her Department to equip a sensory room because it did not have a door but when it contacted the section responsible for the provision of the new room to ask for a door, it was informed that the policy at this time was to only provide quiet rooms which do not have doors; and if she could advise the school how it can access a grant which will allow it to properly fit out the new room and resolve the issue for its new class. [44713/23]

Schools Building Projects

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

49. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Education if there is more than one case in her Department where her education representatives have not engaged with the relevant contractor, arising from substantial building works; and to ensure that any snags or defects arising from substantial building works were remedied before the expiry of the defects liability period and if so, the number of cases in the past three years. [44820/23]

School Accommodation

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

228. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Education to detail how pyrite remediation was funded in each of the six schools it was identified in; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44821/23]

Schools Building Projects

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

229. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Education to detail the reason her Department representatives did not engage with the relevant contractor to ensure that any snags or defects were remedied in a school (details supplied) arising from substantial building works there, before the expiry of the defects liability period. [44823/23]

Protected Disclosures

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

395. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Justice if she will instigate an independent investigation into the treatment of whistleblowers within the Prison Service, such as in the case of a person (details supplied), with specific reference to dignity at work and the use of the Civil Service code to discipline staff. [45167/23]

Courts Staff

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

2. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Justice what progress has been made on resolving the pay restoration dispute with criminal barristers. [44134/23]

Prison Service

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

29. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Justice if she will instigate a statutory review of the Prison Service as a safe working environment. [44137/23]

Prison Service

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

33. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Justice what measures have been taken to put the Prison Service on a statutory footing. [44136/23]

Prison Service

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

40. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Justice if there is an outstanding WRC award to a prison officer (details supplied); and if so, the reason the award has not been paid. [44138/23]

Airport Policy

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

188. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Transport if he will increase the number of noise monitors for aircraft in the Dublin Bay North area, with particular reference to those areas under or beside flight paths. [43352/23]

An Garda Síochána

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

127. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Taoiseach how many times, and on what dates, the Policing Reform Implementation Programme Office convened in 2022 and 2023. [42120/23]

An Garda Síochána

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

128. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Taoiseach how many times, and on what dates, the Implementation Group on Policing Reform convened in 2022 and 2023. [42121/23]

An Garda Síochána

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

129. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Taoiseach how many times, and on what dates, the High-Level Steering Board on Policing Reform convened in 2022 and 2023. [42122/23]

An Garda Síochána

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

130. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Taoiseach if he has been presented with annual reports for the ‘A Policing Service for our Future Plan’ for each of the years 2020, 2021 and 2022; and if so, if they can be made available to the public. [42123/23]

An Garda Síochána

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

131. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Taoiseach when the latest report on progress for APSFF was made to the Cabinet Committee on Social Affairs and Public Services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42124/23]

An Garda Síochána

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

132. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Taoiseach if he will provide details of when it is expected that the fourth APSFF iteration report will be provided; what opportunity there is for scrutiny of the progress and future of the plan’s success in achieving the original recommendations from the Commission on the Future of Policing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42125/23]

Departmental Policies

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

303. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Education if she will make a representation to the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment to have teaching added to the critical skills list; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42325/23]

School Admissions

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

316. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Education the measures her Department can take to review the catchment area of a school (details supplied), to allow children who live a 90 second walk away from the school attend it, in the interest of sustainability. [42469/23]

Defective Building Materials

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

334. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Education the number of primary and secondary schools that currently have pyrite problems; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42791/23]

Defective Building Materials

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

335. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Education whether the education welfare services (EWS) have been the only mechanism used to date by her Department to support pyrite remediation works within Departments; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42792/23]

Schools Building Projects

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

336. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Education what Departmental monitoring systems are in place to oversee the completion of construction works, including the completion of works on the snag list; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42793/23]

Schools Building Projects

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

337. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Education if records are kept in her Department of all outstanding school construction works, including snags, to be undertaken associated with new school builds or major school renovations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42794/23]

Defective Building Materials

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

338. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Education to ensure her Department puts in place the necessary measures to ensure the completion of the snag list and pyrite remediation works in a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42795/23]

Vaccination Programme

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

571. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Health if the HSE is sponsoring a vaccination campaign for a vaccination against shingles; if so, if the vaccination is available on the medical card and or drug payment scheme; and if not, if he will consider adding it to those schemes. [42173/23]

Labour Market

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

222. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment what mechanisms he is examining to make it easier for teachers from outside Ireland to access teaching positions, in view of the current shortage of teachers; if teaching can be added to the critical skills list; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41012/23]

Labour Market

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

232. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Education what mechanisms she is examining to make it easier for teachers from outside Ireland to access teaching positions, in view of the current shortage of teachers; if teaching can be added to the critical skills list; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41013/23]

School Staff

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

254. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Education if she will ask her Department to investigate the case of a post-primary teacher (details supplied) whose request for incremental credits was refused in view of the fact that incremental credits have been allowed to primary teachers for service within the same school; and if she will review the procedures concerned to give equality between primary and post-primary awards for incremental credits in view of the shortage of teachers. [41205/23]

School Admissions

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

257. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Education for an update on the case of a pupil (details supplied) whose school place has been delayed opening of their class but is currently not receiving any tuition as home tuition is not suitable or available; if she will confirm if the school will open in November 2023; and if an SNA in a mainstream school could be made available in the meantime. [41247/23]

School Meals Programme

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

365. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Social Protection if there is any way for a school (details supplied) to be added to the hot school meals programme for primary schools for this year. [41019/23]

Social Welfare Benefits

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

387. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Social Protection to outline the criteria and policy for which a parent is paid children’s allowance where custody is shared, with particular reference to instances where children spend equal time with each parent; and to outline the reasoning behind the policy. [41500/23]

An Garda Síochána

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

396. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Justice the number and name of each of the Garda Youth Diversion programmes currently operating in each of the Garda divisions in the Dublin Metropolitan area; the number of officers assigned to the juvenile liaison teams and to set out, in tabular form, the numbers for each of the following years - 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40983/23]

Medicinal Products

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

509. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Health what measures he will take to increase the awareness of the danger for abuse and misuse of the drug pregabalin among the medical community; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40993/23]

Medicinal Products

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

510. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Health if she will make pregabalin a controlled substance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40994/23]

Further and Higher Education

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

613. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he is aware of the issue created by the technological universities where posts in disciplines which are heavily industry focused remain unfilled due to targets set for PhD-qualified staff (details supplied); if he will review the TU legislation to see whether a more appropriate balance between professionally experienced staff requirements and those for PhD is restored; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41237/23]

Further and Higher Education

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

614. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he is aware of plans to cut up to 20 courses from the Technical University Dublin; what support can be given to ensure that courses with strategic importance, such as geospatial surveying or architectural timber technology, can be identified and protected, even where there are lower numbers of students at present; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41238/23]

Further and Higher Education

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

615. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if the SALI professorship awarded to TU Dublin has been advertised and filled. [41239/23]

Third Level Admissions

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

102. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will review the CAO process to ensure that students do not get excluded without warning due to clerical errors, such as missing exam numbers. [40748/23]

Student Accommodation

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

106. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science what mechanisms, if any, are available to him to prevent third-level institutions from increasing rents in college-controlled accommodation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40747/23]

Road Safety

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

105. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Transport if funding has been approved for school safety zone for schools (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40128/23]

Schools Building Projects

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

291. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Education when the proposed school build project for a school (details supplied) is due to commence; and what the next steps are to provide a permanent building for the school which is currently in temporary accommodation. [39863/23]