Parliamentary questions

Schools Facilities

Denise Mitchell

133. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Education and Skills the funding available to schools that wish to develop and purchase equipment, infrastructure and facilities available to cook, prepare and serve meals to students in addition to the facilities in which they can eat; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11566/19]

Schools Facilities

Denise Mitchell

134. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Education and Skills if schools have contacted his Department in respect of the availability of drinking water in schools; if applications have been made for financial support to address issues in which a school does not have a tap drinking water supply; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11568/19]

Schools Facilities

Denise Mitchell

135. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Education and Skills if an audit of all learning centres will be undertaken on the availability of potable drinking water; the estimated cost of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11569/19]

Obesity Strategy

Denise Mitchell

274. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Health the research which has been undertaken on evidence-based fiscal measures to support healthy eating and lifestyles as per action point 1.8 of A Healthy Weight for Ireland: Obesity Policy and Action Plan 2016-2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11552/19]

Obesity Strategy

Denise Mitchell

275. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Health the review of evidence which has taken place for fiscal measures on products that are high in fat, sugar and salt to reduce their consumption as per action point 1.10 of A Healthy Weight for Ireland: Obesity Policy and Action Plan 2016-2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11553/19]

Obesity Strategy

Denise Mitchell

276. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Health the status of step 9 of the ten steps forward of A Healthy Weight for Ireland: Obesity Policy and Action Plan 2016-2025 in respect of the first 1,000 days of life; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11556/19]

Maternity Services

Denise Mitchell

277. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Health the status of the implementation of the breastfeeding action plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11557/19]

Obesity Strategy

Denise Mitchell

278. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Health the status of each of the recommendations of A Healthy Weight for Ireland: Obesity Policy and Action Plan 2016-2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11558/19]

Obesity Strategy

Denise Mitchell

279. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Health the status of action point 1.4 of A Healthy Weight for Ireland: Obesity Policy and Action Plan 2016-2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11567/19]

Obesity Strategy

Denise Mitchell

280. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Health the community based programmes with a focus on disadvantaged areas funded by his Department that focus on healthy eating and active living; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11573/19]

Public Health Policy

Denise Mitchell

281. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Health the status of the implementation of the HSE programmes, cook it and healthy food made easy, in 2018 in terms of targets and attendances; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11574/19]

School Milk Scheme

Denise Mitchell

476. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of schools in receipt of the EU school milk scheme; the number of students who received an allocation from the scheme in each of the past five academic years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11570/19]

School Milk Scheme

Denise Mitchell

477. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if research has been undertaken on the reason schools do not, or have ceased taking up, the school milk scheme; if there are links to issues relating to facilities and equipment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11571/19]

EU School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme

Denise Mitchell

478. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of schools in receipt of the EU school fruit and vegetables scheme; the budget allocated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11572/19]

Domestic Violence Refuges Provision

Denise Mitchell

596. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the status of domestic refuge centres here in tabular form; the number of spaces available by centre; the number of persons who availed of the services of each centre in 2018; the periods during 2018 when each of these centres were full to capacity; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11861/19]

School Meals Programme

Denise Mitchell

636. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of schools in receipt of the school meals programme; the number that do not have DEIS status; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11559/19]

School Meals Programme

Denise Mitchell

637. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the cost of extending the school meals programme to cover the cost of kitchen equipment, facilities or staff costs for those current recipients; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11560/19]

School Meals Programme

Denise Mitchell

638. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the cost of developing a pilot for the school meals programme to youth services, early years settings and after-school programmes to address the issue of food poverty for children and young persons availing of those services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11561/19]

School Meals Programme

Denise Mitchell

639. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the consideration that has been given to extending the school meals programme to youth services, early years settings and after-school programmes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11562/19]

School Meals Programme

Denise Mitchell

640. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the cost of extending the school meals programme to cover schools that do not have DEIS status but that would otherwise have disadvantaged status under the Pobal HP deprivation index; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11563/19]

School Meals Programme

Denise Mitchell

641. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the qualifying criteria for the school meals programme; if these have been reviewed or will be reviewed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11564/19]

Preschool Services

Denise Mitchell

222. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the situation of a playschool (details supplied) which faces eviction from its premises; if his attention has been further drawn to the fact that when a school moves into its new building in April 2019 there will be no room available on site for the playschool; if he will engage with a group and the board of management of the school to find a solution to the matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9529/19]

Parental Leave

Denise Mitchell

254. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if the additional paid parental leave announced as part of budget 2019 will be available to parents in respect of children born on or after the date of its announcement in budget 2019; if it will only apply to parents in respect of children born on or after the date of its implementation in late 2019; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9396/19]

Parental Leave

Denise Mitchell

255. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if there will be administrative or legal technicalities that would mean the exclusion of parents of children born in 2019 after the additional paid parental leave announced as part of budget 2019; his plans to include those parents with children born after the budget 2019 announcement in 2019 or who are still under one year of age when the scheme is implemented; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9397/19]

HSE Properties

Denise Mitchell

297. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Health the reason the planned transfer of a HSE-owned site at a location (details supplied) to a refuge for development as a step-down facility was cancelled in January 2019; the plans the HSE has for the future of the site; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9030/19]

Domestic Violence Refuges Provision

Denise Mitchell

575. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the engagement she has had with Tusla, a refuge (details supplied) and the HSE on the planned transfer of the vacant site from the HSE to the refuge in order to develop step-down accommodation and a children’s centre; if her attention has been drawn to the fact that the planned transfer of the site was halted in January 2019; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9029/19]

Parental Leave

Denise Mitchell

614. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if the additional paid parental leave announced as part of budget 2019 will be available to parents in respect of children born on or after the date of its announcement in budget 2019; if it will only apply to parents in respect of children born on or after the date of its implementation in late 2019; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9394/19]

Parental Leave

Denise Mitchell

615. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if there will be administrative or legal technicalities that would mean the exclusion of parents of children born in 2019 after the additional paid parental leave announced as part of budget 2019; her plans to include those parents with children born after the budget 2019 announcement in 2019 or who are still under one year of age when the scheme is implemented; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9395/19]

Autism Support Services

Denise Mitchell

223. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the difficulties facing parents of children with special needs in securing appropriate school places in autism spectrum disorder, ASD, special classes for their children in the Dublin 13 area; the steps he will take to ensure children (details supplied) will secure places in a local ASD class for the beginning of the September 2019 school year; his plans to increase the number of ASD special classes in the area; and the options available to the children if they cannot secure places in an ASD class in the area. [7932/19]

Child and Family Agency Policy

Denise Mitchell

30. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she is satisfied that robust systems are in place within Tusla to ensure child protection concerns are dealt with appropriately and suspected abuse is notified to An Garda Síochána in a timely manner; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6784/19]

Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries

Denise Mitchell

39. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she has considered the request by some survivors of the Tuam mother and baby home to collect DNA from survivors and their relatives to ensure that as many human remains as possible can be identified; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6780/19]

Domestic Violence Refuges Provision

Denise Mitchell

62. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of refuge spaces for abuse victims here; the level of funding for the services; if additional funding or resourcing is required; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6781/19]

Obesity Strategy

Denise Mitchell

348. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Health the reason for the delay in the establishment of a body to monitor the codes of practice on the marketing and advertising of food and non-alcoholic beverages in addition to the development of guidelines for same; the timeline for same in view of the fact that the codes will be one year old in February 2019; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6297/19]

Obesity Strategy

Denise Mitchell

349. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 188 of 12 December 2018, the detail of his engagement with industry representation on initiating a register of signatories to the codes of practice on the marketing and advertising of food and non-alcoholic beverages; the frequency with which he has met with representatives of the industry; when a register of signatories will be initiated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6298/19]

Public Health Policy

Denise Mitchell

350. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Health the timeline for the consideration of the collated outcomes from Connect, Collaborate, Create; Co-Designing Healthier Communities, A Healthy Ireland Stakeholder Forum on the Built Environment by the relevant Departments, the national physical activity plan implementation group and the obesity policy implementation oversight group for the purposes of advancing work in the area of health and environmental planning; if there is a proposed timeline for the development of these materials; if not, the reason therefor; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6299/19]

Hospitals Capital Programme

Denise Mitchell

467. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Health the status of the plan for a new emergency department and the reconfiguration of the existing department at Beaumont Hospital under Project Ireland 2040; if the overrun in spending in the national children’s hospital is expected to impact the commencement date of the project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6840/19]

Hospitals Capital Programme

Denise Mitchell

468. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Health the status of the plan for a 20-bed purpose built cystic fibrosis inpatient facility at Beaumont Hospital under Project Ireland 2040; if the overrun in spending at the national children’s hospital is expected to impact the commencement date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6841/19]

Broadcasting Sector Regulation

Denise Mitchell

567. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment when the Broadcast Authority of Ireland will undertake a full review of the rules dealing with food advertising to children; the process in this regard; when the revised code may take effect; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6300/19]

Broadcasting Sector Regulation

Denise Mitchell

568. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment when the public consultation will commence to gather the views and suggestions of stakeholders on the way in which Ireland should approach the implementation of the provisions of the revised audiovisual media service directive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6301/19]

Oireachtas Joint Committee Reports

Denise Mitchell

133. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Health the work being undertaken regarding the report of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Children and Youth Affairs on tackling childhood obesity; if he is satisfied with the recommendations contained in the report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52296/18]

Fishery Harbour Centres

Denise Mitchell

220. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the construction and-or refurbishment work being undertaken at a location (details supplied); the aim of the work; when the work will be completed; and the future plans for the site. [4547/19]

Affordable Childcare Scheme

Denise Mitchell

521. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if the potential impact of the introduction of the affordable childcare scheme on community services providing the community childcare subvention programme has been assessed; her plans to produce a report on the matter; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4183/19]

Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services Data

Denise Mitchell

591. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of complaints made to Tulsa in respect of social workers by county in 2017 and 2018, in tabular form. [2783/19]

Child and Family Agency

Denise Mitchell

975. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the implementation actions as recommended under the implementation plan for Tusla actions arising from an audit (details supplied) that have been completed; the actions outstanding; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54332/18]

Health Services Provision

Denise Mitchell

421. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Health if he will request the Health Service Executive to ensure that the required treatment is provided for a person (details supplied). [53139/18]

Cúram Leanaí

Denise Mitchell

583. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Denise Mitchell den Aire Leanaí agus Gnóthaí Óige cathain a bheidh an cúrsa ar líne Children First ar fáil as Gaeilge do phobal na Gaeilge agus na Gaeltachta lena chinntiú nach mbeidh éagothromas ann maidir leis na seirbhísí a bhaineann le Children First. [52857/18]

Early Years Sector

Denise Mitchell

2. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs to outline her views on the Pobal early years sector profile report; her plans to tackle high fees in the childcare sector; her further plans to address low pay in the sector; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52502/18]

Domestic Violence Refuges Provision

Denise Mitchell

17. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of women and children in domestic violence refuges and step-down accommodation in 2018; the number of places in domestic violence refuges; if these refuges are capable of accommodating the level of need; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52297/18]

Home School Community Liaison Scheme

Denise Mitchell

26. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if the home school liaison programme will be expanded to non-DEIS schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52298/18]

Value for Money Reviews

Denise Mitchell

33. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if a value for money review will be undertaken of the national childcare investment programme which operated from 2006 to 2010 with a particular focus on the private sector capital funding element of the programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52295/18]