Parliamentary questions

Gaeltacht Policy

Gerry Adams

1. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet Committee on Arts, Irish and the Gaeltacht last met. [5893/17]

Gaeltacht Policy

Richard Boyd Barrett

2. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet Committee on Arts, Irish and the Gaeltacht last met. [7035/17]

Gaeltacht Policy

Brendan Howlin

3. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Taoiseach if the Cabinet Committee on Arts, Irish and the Gaeltacht has met since October 2016; and when it is planned to meet next. [7047/17]

Gaeltacht Policy

Micheál Martin

4. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the Cabinet Committee on Arts, Irish and the Gaelteacht. [8464/17]

Cabinet Committee Meetings

Ruth Coppinger

5. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Taoiseach if the Cabinet Committee on Housing has met recently. [7028/17]

Cabinet Committee Meetings

Gerry Adams

6. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet Committee on Housing last met and when it is scheduled to meet again. [8366/17]

Cabinet Committee Meetings

Brendan Howlin

7. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet Committee on Housing last met; and when it will meet again. [8421/17]

Cabinet Committee Meetings

Richard Boyd Barrett

8. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Taoiseach if the Cabinet Committee on Housing has met recently. [8467/17]

Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements

Brendan Howlin

9. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his meeting with Prime Minister Beata Szydło in Warsaw, Poland. [7046/17]

Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements

Gerry Adams

10. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his recent visit to Poland, his meeting with Prime Minister Beata Szydło and any other engagements he had while there. [8365/17]

Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements

Ruth Coppinger

11. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his visit to Poland and his meeting with the Polish Prime Minister. [8459/17]

Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements

Joan Burton

12. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his meeting with Prime Minister Beata Szydło of Poland. [8524/17]

Poverty Data

Willie O'Dea

26. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection his views on the recently published survey on income and living conditions, SILC, data; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8532/17]

School Meals Programme

John Brady

27. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Social Protection the amount his Department spends annually on the school meals programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8703/17]

Labour Activation Projects

Willie O'Dea

28. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will clarify recent media reports which suggested that a number of activation programmes will close; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8533/17]

Poverty Data

John Brady

29. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Social Protection the action he is taking in response to recently released figures on poverty rates in the survey on income and living conditions, SILC; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8704/17]

Legislative Programme

Willie Penrose

30. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Social Protection when the heads of the proposed social welfare and pensions Bill will be published; and if it will include measures to protect defined benefit pension schemes, the pension rights of workers and those already retired. [8531/17]

Youth Guarantee

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

31. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of the implementation of the Youth Guarantee. [7086/17]

Departmental Staff Training

James Browne

32. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will ensure that all of his staff, departmental staff and all civil servants who fall under his Department undertake training with respect to mental health first aid; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8368/17]

Poverty Data

Gino Kenny

33. Deputy Gino Kenny asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will report on the findings of the survey on income and living conditions, SILC, report; if he will make changes to the one-parent family payment as a result of this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8441/17]

Jobseeker's Allowance

Catherine Connolly

34. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons of 65 years of age who are in receipt of jobseeker's allowance and jobseeker's benefit; the steps being taken to resolve the issue of these persons who, on retirement, are required to sign up for jobseeker's allowance or jobseeker's benefit before they receive the State pension; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8453/17]

State Pensions Payments

Richard Boyd Barrett

35. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will provide a detailed report on the impact of the changes to contribution requirements for the State contributory pension made over the austerity years, including the numbers of men and women who are no longer eligible for the full contributory pension in each of the years since the changes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8443/17]

State Pensions Reform

Thomas P. Broughan

36. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Social Protection the measures he is taking to gender-proof any changes to the State pension schemes; his views on a universal state pension; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8371/17]

Rural Social Scheme

Willie Penrose

37. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Social Protection the uptake to date on the new rural social scheme, RSS, places announced in budget 2017; and his plans to amend the terms of the scheme to open it to other areas. [8423/17]

JobPath Implementation

Bríd Smith

38. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection his views on whether the best interests of jobseekers are advanced by allowing JobPath operators the right to stop jobseekers from accepting placements with, for example, the Tús initiative and other schemes, even in circumstances where they applied for such placements in advance of being selected for JobPath; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8458/17]

Social Welfare Benefits

Thomas Pringle

39. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of the review being carried out on the effects that cuts to relevant social protection payments have had on seasonal workers in counties such as Donegal; when the review is likely to be completed and published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8478/17]

Homemakers Scheme

Gino Kenny

40. Deputy Gino Kenny asked the Minister for Social Protection when he expects to have his report on the changes to the homemaker's credit that he committed to in the course of the Social Welfare Bill 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8442/17]

State Pensions Payments

Thomas P. Broughan

41. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Social Protection the cost of reversing the changes to PRSI pension bands from 2012; the cost of backdating this change to the 36,000 plus recipients of the State pension; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8370/17]

Rent Supplement Scheme Administration

Bernard Durkan

42. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will take steps to ensure that persons applying for means-tested social protection payments following family law settlement in respect of the family home are not forced to spend the entire proceeds of their settlement before being awarded rent support; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8408/17]

JobPath Implementation

Bríd Smith

43. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will re-examine the authority of JobPath operators that are able to overrule the placement offers to jobseekers on various community employment schemes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8457/17]

Homemakers Scheme

Robert Troy

44. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to backdate the homemaker's scheme prior to 1994; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8412/17]

State Pensions Payments

Catherine Murphy

45. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection if consideration has been given to a request by an organisation (details supplied) for the changes made to the pension system in budget 2012 to be rolled back and for those persons affected to have their payments backdated to 2012; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8450/17]

Labour Activation Projects

Willie Penrose

46. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to reduce funding for labour activation schemes as recently reported in the context of the review of Government expenditure; his plans to close the Tús and gateway schemes; and if he plans to reduce funding for community employment schemes. [8422/17]

Free Travel Scheme Administration

Margaret Murphy O'Mahony

47. Deputy Margaret Murphy O'Mahony asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to charge an annual fee to persons who avail of the free travel pass; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8362/17]

Community Employment Schemes Administration

Charlie McConalogue

48. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to allow the Tús scheme and the community employment schemes to retain current participants even if their term is complete, in view of the fact that community groups are finding it difficult to recruit participants as there are fewer participants available and as a result community groups are suffering and finding it difficult to carry out their work; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8447/17]

Pension Provisions

Mick Barry

49. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Minister for Social Protection if his Department will consider the institution of a unified State-wide defined benefit occupational pension scheme as a means of addressing the diminution on defined benefit schemes by employers. [8455/17]

Social Welfare Benefits Data

John Brady

50. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Social Protection the refusal rates for those applying for carer’s allowance and disability allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8417/17]

Free Travel Scheme Administration

Willie O'Dea

51. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to make any changes to the free travel pass; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8361/17]

Community Employment Schemes Administration

John Brady

52. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason for reviewing the community employment schemes; his plans for the future of the scheme including any planned changes to the eligibility for the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8414/17]

Social Welfare Rates

Willie O'Dea

53. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to recognise the additional costs faced by those persons with a disability; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8358/17]

Money Advice and Budgeting Service Administration

Willie Penrose

54. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will be proceeding with plans to abolish the local boards of 51 Money Advice & Budgeting Service, MABS, companies and 42 citizens information services. [8424/17]

Mortgage Arrears Information and Advice Service

Bernard Durkan

55. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection if he remains satisfied regarding the adequacy of resources available to his Department to deal with the fallout from the housing crisis, with particular reference to homelessness arising from increasing pressure from lenders on home owners who may be in arrears; if he has calculated the likely number of extra supports required in the course of 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8407/17]

Community Employment Schemes Administration

Gino Kenny

56. Deputy Gino Kenny asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans for community employment and the impacts any changes to these schemes would have in communities around the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8438/17]

Social Welfare Benefits Data

Catherine Murphy

57. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of casual part-time employees in receipt of social welfare payments, such as jobseeker's allowance, jobseeker's benefit and family income supplement, grouped by the 20 largest private sector employers and occupation type; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8369/17]

State Pensions

Thomas Pringle

58. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Social Protection if the cost of backdating the homemaker’s scheme to encompass periods before 1994 has been estimated by his Department at €290 million; the basis for the increased figure in view of the fact that the cost was previously estimated in the 2007 Green Paper on Pensions to be approximately €150 million to €160 million; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8445/17]

Child Poverty

Willie O'Dea

59. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to address child poverty; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8357/17]

Paternity Leave Scheme

Brendan Griffin

60. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Social Protection the take up of the paid paternity scheme and if the scheme is operating as planned; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8410/17]

State Pension (Contributory)

John Brady

61. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Social Protection if his attention has been drawn to the fact that almost 36,000 new applicants for the State pension (contributory) have received smaller pensions than they would have if they had retired before 2012, as a consequence of the 2012 pension eligibility changes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8416/17]

Child Poverty

Catherine Murphy

62. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection if consideration has been given to implementing an anti-poverty strategy with a specific focus on children (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8451/17]

Community Employment Schemes Administration

Charlie McConalogue

63. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of his Department's plans for the Tús scheme and the community employment schemes, in view of the fact that many community groups are finding it difficult to recruit participants and as a result community groups are suffering and finding it difficult to carry out their work; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8446/17]