Parliamentary questions

Social Welfare Benefits

Ruairí Ó Murchú

132. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Social Protection what work is being done to reduce the processing time for disability allowance applications which have increased by two weeks since December 2022; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54101/23]

Social Insurance

Ruairí Ó Murchú

239. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Social Protection to outline the timeline for the proposed future changes to the level of PRSI stamp that pensioners who are still in paid employment will have to pay; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51423/23]

National Economic and Social Council

Ruairí Ó Murchú

18. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the work of the National Economic and Social Council, a statutory agency operating under the aegis of his Department. [53489/23]

Film Industry

Ruairí Ó Murchú

95. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media to report on what recent engagements her Department has had with the Department of Finance and the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment regarding the implementation of section 481 film tax relief recommendations, as outlined by the Committee on Budgetary Oversight. [53475/23]

Arts Policy

Ruairí Ó Murchú

96. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media what plans, if any are being established to mandate local councils to invest in the arts, considering they are primary stakeholders in local arts centres, yet are not explicitly required to allocate funding to the arts; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53476/23]

Civil Service

Ruairí Ó Murchú

209. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform if previous experience in the North’s civil service is taken as relevant experience by the State’s civil service when it comes to deciding where to place a new hire from the North’s civil service on the pay scale here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53892/23]

Rail Network

Ruairí Ó Murchú

30. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Transport if timetable estimates have been carried out by Irish Rail or the National Transport Authority in relation to the possible impact on enterprise train services between Belfast and Dublin of the DART+ Coastal North plans; if not, to outline the reason; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52751/23]

Road Projects

Ruairí Ó Murchú

32. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Transport if he is considering making further funding available in 2024 to progress the N2 Ardee to Carrickmacross route; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52752/23]

Foreign Conflicts

Ruairí Ó Murchú

157. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the recent engagements he has had with US government representatives regarding the Israeli bombardment of Gaza; to what extent these discussions were about a roadmap to ceasefire in which US support would be crucial; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49936/23]

Middle East

Ruairí Ó Murchú

179. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs what sanctions he is willing to impose on Israel in order to increase international political pressure on it; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49935/23]

Residency Permits

Ruairí Ó Murchú

101. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Justice the reason for the recent postings on the irishimmigration.ie website (details supplied); if this will increase waiting times for applicants; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52590/23]

Child Poverty

Ruairí Ó Murchú

6. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Taoiseach if he will provide an overview on the report published by his Department on 14 November 2023 on how budget 2024 dealt with child poverty and child well-being. [52322/23]

An Garda Síochána

Ruairí Ó Murchú

16. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Taoiseach if he will provide an update on the work of the policing reform implementation programme office in his Department. [52321/23]

Flood Risk Management

Ruairí Ó Murchú

53. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform for an update on progress being made on flood defences in County Louth, taking into account the recent flood and near flooding in Dundalk and north Louth; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52339/23]

Flood Risk Management

Ruairí Ó Murchú

62. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform if there are plans for looking at mitigations and protections required following north Louth flooding and near flooding recently; what engagement there has been through the OPW and his Department with Louth County Council and other agencies following the flooding in north Louth; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52340/23]

Trade Relations

Ruairí Ó Murchú

13. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment whether an IDA Ireland business development consultant (details supplied) has been recruited; if the Government is rethinking the role in view of the ongoing breaches of international humanitarian law and ongoing war crimes committed by Israel. [51480/23]

Insurance Industry

Ruairí Ó Murchú

145. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Finance what progress has been made regarding public liability insurance reform; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51422/23]

Business Supports

Ruairí Ó Murchú

195. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment to provide an update on the increased cost of business grant; at what point the details of this scheme will be finalised; the process by which eligible SMEs will apply to local authorities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51251/23]

Departmental Schemes

Ruairí Ó Murchú

196. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment to outline what flood relief schemes are available to businesses that are not eligible for the emergency flood relief scheme as they have over 20 employees; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51252/23]

Constitutional Amendments

Ruairí Ó Murchú

2. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his plans for constitutional amendments. [50721/23]

Social Dialogue

Ruairí Ó Murchú

11. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the work of the social dialogue co-ordination unit of his Department. [50720/23]

Defence Forces

Ruairí Ó Murchú

42. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence if he is aware of the alleged release on bail of one of the men accused of the murder of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50907/23]

Middle East

Ruairí Ó Murchú

53. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence if he is aware of the concerns raised by the head of the UNIFIL mission and Force Commander Major General Aroldo Lázaro about the security situation in South Lebanon; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50908/23]

Energy Conservation

Ruairí Ó Murchú

28. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications to outline what grant schemes to support the replacement of the communal heating systems running on fossil fuels with the new systems which use renewable energy sources will be available to landlords, residents and stakeholders in order for the programme to be sustainable and cost effective; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49961/23]

Energy Conservation

Ruairí Ó Murchú

44. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications to provide an update regarding the Carlinn Hall Dundalk SEAI report that was set to be published in early October; when the recommendations outlined in the report will be enacted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49960/23]

Weather Events

Ruairí Ó Murchú

385. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if, following the recent flooding in north Louth, he will outline the compensation and funding schemes available to farmers for loss of dry stock, damage to machinery and sheds, etc.; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49631/23]

Weather Events

Ruairí Ó Murchú

386. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine what work will be carried out by his Department to assess the damage done to farm land as a result of recent flooding in north Louth; if the Department will be working with Louth County Council or other agencies and departments on this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49632/23]

Hospital Facilities

Ruairí Ó Murchú

14. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Health the level of additional core expenditure for new developments, excluding funding for carryover and otherwise maintaining existing levels of service, which has been allocated to the RCSI Hospital Group for 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48974/23]

Eating Disorders

Ruairí Ó Murchú

69. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Health the level of additional core expenditure for new developments, excluding funding for carryover and otherwise maintaining existing levels of service, which has been allocated to eating disorder residential and community support services in the State for 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48975/23]

Nursing Homes

Ruairí Ó Murchú

1263. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Health if he will outline under what circumstances the HSE ordered the gathering of information in relation to a nursing home (details supplied) in Dundalk, County Louth in May 2020 during the first phase of the Covid-19 pandemic; who ordered that this material was gathered and centralised in the HSE; what was the purpose of this information being gathered; if he is aware of other similar information gathering exercises carried out by the HSE in relation to private nursing homes at this time; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48247/23]

Flood Risk Management

Ruairí Ó Murchú

18. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform the progress to date in 2023 on to the delivery of the CFRAM scheme for County Louth; the current timelines for the delivery of the projects; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47004/23]

Flood Risk Management

Ruairí Ó Murchú

39. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform what engagement there has been between his Department and other Departments this year in relation to the delivery of necessary flood protection schemes in the State; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47005/23]

Renewable Energy Generation

Ruairí Ó Murchú

94. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will outline the supports and grants available to farmers who wish to provide renewable energy and electricity generation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46995/23]

Nitrates Usage

Ruairí Ó Murchú

103. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will detail the contacts his Department has had with the EU, other Departments and other State agencies recently in relation to the nitrates directive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46996/23]

Cabinet Committees

Ruairí Ó Murchú

7. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on children and education will meet next. [46320/23]

Cabinet Committees

Ruairí Ó Murchú

15. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on EU and international affairs will next meet. [46321/23]

Social Welfare Application Forms

Ruairí Ó Murchú

89. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Social Protection if personal assistants, who work with those with disabilities at third-level institutes and who have to sign on for jobseeker’s allowance during term breaks, including the summer, can have a streamlined application process due to the nature of their work contracts; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46188/23]

Social Welfare Benefits

Ruairí Ó Murchú

105. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will outline the current processing times for disability allowance, carers allowance and social welfare appeals; if she will compare these waiting times to this time last year; her views on the increase in processing times for these applications; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46189/23]

Film Industry

Ruairí Ó Murchú

28. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if she will outline the progress being made on the implementation of the recommendations of the report on section 481 Film Tax Credit, produced by the Oireachtas Budget Scrutiny Committee; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45369/23]

Film Industry

Ruairí Ó Murchú

30. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if she will outline the engagements her Department has had with the Department of Finance and other Government Departments to progress the establishment of the stakeholders’ forum, one of the recommendations of the recent report on section 481 Film Tax Credit produced by the Oireachtas Budget Scrutiny Committee; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45368/23]

Apprenticeship Programmes

Ruairí Ó Murchú

88. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if consideration can be given to allowing an apprentice butcher who lives in the South and who has been offered an apprenticeship place at a suitable facility in the North (details supplied) to be accepted onto the SOLAS apprenticeship course; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45367/23]

Education and Training Boards

Ruairí Ó Murchú

138. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will give an update on any progress made to resolve the terms and conditions of employment of personal assistants who work in some Education and Training Boards; if he will provide a timeline for when the issue is expected to be resolved; if he will outline the engagement he and his Department has had with others in relation to the issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45366/23]

Cabinet Committees

Ruairí Ó Murchú

6. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee that deals with disability will next meet. [42604/23]

Cabinet Committees

Ruairí Ó Murchú

13. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on health will next meet. [45032/23]

Cabinet Committees

Ruairí Ó Murchú

21. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on economy and investment will next meet. [43574/23]

Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements

Ruairí Ó Murchú

29. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Taoiseach to report on his attendance at the UN General Assembly. [43575/23]

School Equipment

Ruairí Ó Murchú

37. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Education the funding schemes that are available to secondary schools this academic year to help them with the purchase of musical equipment for students; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45011/23]

Educational Disadvantage

Ruairí Ó Murchú

75. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Education the reason a school (details supplied) in County Louth was refused DEIS status when the secondary school in the same town was given DEIS status; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45010/23]

Flexible Work Practices

Ruairí Ó Murchú

15. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will give an update on the work that is being carried out by his Department, with other Government Departments and State agencies, to find solutions for those who live in the North of Ireland and work remotely for southern-based companies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44395/23]

Industrial Development

Ruairí Ó Murchú

19. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will outline the engagement he, along with his Department and the IDA, have had with the State's tech sector in the past three months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44396/23]