Parliamentary questions

Employment Schemes

Seán Crowe

510. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Social Protection if she is aware of the ongoing challenges being faced by workers who are made redundant and attempt to access a course to upskill through programmes, such as Springboard, only to find that they have missed the start of that course and must wait a period of months for the next start date thereby; and if there are any plans to facilitate easier access to a training. [35434/23]

Citizenship Applications

Seán Crowe

549. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Justice the average waiting time for successful naturalisation applications to be processed at present; the number of applications currently being considered; and the number of live applications still being processed that were submitted prior to 30 June 2021. [35449/23]

Disabilities Assessments

Seán Crowe

640. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of children in the CHO 7 area awaiting an assessment of needs, by category of assessment, in tabular form. [35436/23]

Disabilities Assessments

Seán Crowe

641. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of children in the CHO 7 area currently waiting to access therapies by the CDNT, by category of therapy, in tabular form. [35437/23]

Disabilities Assessments

Seán Crowe

642. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the average waiting time for an occupational therapist to make an assessment for a housing adaptation in the CHO7 area. [35438/23]

Disabilities Assessments

Seán Crowe

643. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if a parent or guardian may refer their child directly to their local Primary Care Service or Children's Disability Network Team without an Assessment of Need if a private diagnosis has been received. [35445/23]

Disability Services

Seán Crowe

644. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth when an individual (details supplied) will begin to receive therapy from their local CDNT unit. [35446/23]

Home Care Packages

Seán Crowe

653. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Health the number of older persons on a waiting list for home care packages in the CHO 7 area; and how many of those have been waiting more than six months. [35443/23]

Health Services Waiting Lists

Seán Crowe

835. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Health the number of persons who are overdue for cervical screening; and the number of those who have waited for longer than six months. [35439/23]

Health Services Waiting Lists

Seán Crowe

836. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Health the number of persons who are overdue for bowel screening; and the number of those who have been waited longer than six months. [35440/23]

Health Services Waiting Lists

Seán Crowe

837. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Health the number of persons who are overdue for BreastCheck screening; and the number of those who have been waiting for longer than six months. [35441/23]

Dental Services

Seán Crowe

838. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Health the number of dentists operating within the dental treatment services scheme, per CHO area, in each year for the past four years, in tabular form. [35442/23]

Hospital Waiting Lists

Seán Crowe

839. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Health the average waiting time for a lower limb prosthesis in the public hospital system. [35444/23]

Departmental Funding

Seán Crowe

356. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Health how the additional €3.5 million announced in Budget 2023 for community and voluntary providers of drug and alcohol services is to be spent; the amount of that €3.5 million already allocated; a tabular breakdown of what organisations received a portion of that €3.5 million; and how much. [33384/23]

State Examinations

Seán Crowe

95. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Education to provide details on the points attained by blind and vision impaired Leaving Certificate candidates on a national average basis versus the performance of their peers in each of the past five years, in tabular form. [32950/23]

Disability Services

Seán Crowe

495. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth when he expects the transport support scheme to come into operation; if the scheme will encompass both public and private transport; if he agrees that ten years without such a scheme has created an unnecessary cost burden on those who would benefit from such a scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32206/23]

Special Educational Needs

Seán Crowe

67. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Education if she is aware that a school (details supplied) is without ASD classes from second class up to sixth class, that the current school building the ASD unit is situated within has been deemed unsuitable by Department inspectors, and that the principal has tried without success to engage with the school capital appraisal section; if support and resources will be put in place to bridge the gap in provision from second to sixth class; if there are any plans to provide modular accommodation for the ASD unit until more permanent accommodation is constructed; if she appreciates the enormous stress on students and their families when children have to leave the school and enrol at another in order to fully access education; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31417/23]

Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Seán Crowe

160. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Health the reason that contract cleaners in Tallaght University Hospital have not yet received the pandemic recognition payment. [28762/23]

Teacher Training

Seán Crowe

550. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Education to outline what training is available to teachers and special education teachers exclusively on assistive technology used by blind and vision impaired students who accredits this training; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27774/23]

School Equipment

Seán Crowe

326. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Education the number of blind and vision-impaired students who have received assistive technology from her Department in the past five years, broken down by year and by primary or second level; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22706/23]

School Equipment

Seán Crowe

327. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Education who is responsible for the training and the provision of technical support on assistive technology when it is awarded to blind or vision-impaired students by her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22707/23]

Housing Provision

Seán Crowe

202. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of affordable housing units delivered via the cost-rental equity loan, the affordable housing fund and project tosaigh in Dublin South-West, with a breakdown of units per scheme and average price of units by unit size, for each of the years 2016 to 2022, and the number planned to be delivered in 2023, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20242/23]

Traveller Accommodation

Seán Crowe

203. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if the Government intends to reopen applications for the caravan loan scheme; the funding that will be allocated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20243/23]

Housing Provision

Seán Crowe

294. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of affordable housing units delivered via the Cost Rental Equity Loan, the Affordable Housing Fund and Project Tosaigh in the Constituency of Dublin south west in each of the years, 2016 to 2022; and the number planned to be delivered in 2023; the breakdown of units per scheme; and the average price of unit by unit size, in tabular form. [20053/23]

Legislative Measures

Seán Crowe

134. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Social Protection if she has an indicative date for the implementation of section 6 of the of the Civil Registration (Amendment) Act 2014, specifically the recording of a father’s name on a birth certificate. [15689/23]

Sudden Infant Deaths

Seán Crowe

1309. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Health the number of sudden unexplained deaths in childhood that have been recorded, per year, for the past ten years; if his Department has conducted any recent research in the area; and what supports are made available to parents after a case of SUDC. [12878/23]

Health Services

Seán Crowe

656. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Health the average waiting time for assistive communication devices to be supplied to non-verbal children diagnosed with autism; the reason the parents of such a child (details supplied) were informed that it would be at least nine months due to red tape; his views on whether such communication devices should be provided as soon after diagnosis as possible and that nine months is an unacceptably long time to wait. [4150/23]

Driver Test

Seán Crowe

27. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Transport if consideration has been given to the establishment of an additional driving test centre in south Dublin, given that there are more than 14,000 persons on the list to take a test for a driving licence in Tallaght. [2214/23]

Driver Test

Seán Crowe

206. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Transport the number of persons awaiting a driving test in each testing centre in tabular form. [61724/22]

Public Sector Pensions

Seán Crowe

58. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Education the current average waiting time for retiring teachers to receive their pensions; and the number who have waited more than eight weeks for their first payment in 2022. [61241/22]

Public Services Card

Seán Crowe

80. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason that women who received a W number upon becoming married in the past are not being issued with public service cards and are instead told they must apply for a new PPS number; the reason there is no warning in respect of same when persons apply for a card, leaving them waiting until they contact her Department; and if these new PPS numbers are automatically supplied to the Revenue Commissioners in order that there is no confusion in regards to credits or other such matters. [61242/22]

Healthcare Infrastructure Provision

Seán Crowe

495. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Health when a decision will be taken on Tallaght University Hospital's submission for a new 72-inpatient bed block. [56117/22]

National Car Test

Seán Crowe

159. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Transport the average waiting time to access an NCT appointment; if he accepts that reported six-month delays on an annual test risk compromising both the testing model and public confidence in it; the additional resources that are being put in place to alleviate the extreme pressure on the system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53940/22]

Special Educational Needs

Seán Crowe

221. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Education the reason behind the change to assessment of need applications as recently communicated to schools by the NCSE; her views that it is appropriate for school principals to make these referrals; the additional resources that will be provided to schools to compensate for these additional duties; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54044/22]

School Staff

Seán Crowe

222. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Education the reason that a teacher returning from teaching outside the EU would be denied an application for incremental credit on the basis of having taught in a fee- paying school. [54045/22]

Health Services

Seán Crowe

302. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Health when the National Cervical Screening Laboratory will open; the fully staffed annual testing capacity of the laboratory; the number of samples sent abroad for testing in each year for the past five years; and the total cost of sending samples abroad for testing in each year for the past five years. [54043/22]

Special Educational Needs

Seán Crowe

400. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Education if a school (details supplied) has a special educational needs coordinator; if not, the reason for this; if the school has been allocated 1.5 teachers and two SNAs for every six SEN pupils; and when the SEN pupils in the school will be allocated their additional teaching resources to allow resource classes to begin. [49776/22]

Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Seán Crowe

131. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Health if he will list all of the eligible categories of workers for the pandemic special recognition payment. [46225/22]

Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Seán Crowe

132. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Health the reason that firefighters and paramedics with Dublin Fire Brigade have not received the pandemic special recognition payment despite providing front-line ambulance services during the crisis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46226/22]

Environmental Schemes

Seán Crowe

130. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the current average waiting time for the home surveys that are required to access Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland free energy upgrades. [43962/22]

Public Services Card

Seán Crowe

1171. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Social Protection the current average waiting time for a public services card appointment; and the current average waiting time for a card to be issued. [43959/22]

Social Welfare Schemes

Seán Crowe

1172. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Social Protection if there are any plans to reintroduce the dietary supplement to help those on a special diet prescribed by a doctor or hospital consultant in this time of increased cost of living. [43960/22]

Naturalisation Applications

Seán Crowe

1464. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Justice the average waiting time for successful naturalisation applications to be processed at present; the number of applications currently being considered; and the number of live applications still being processed that were submitted prior to 1 September 2020. [43961/22]

Hospital Staff

Seán Crowe

1986. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Health when he expects the vacant position for a urology consultant at Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital Crumlin to be filled; if he appreciates the time-sensitive nature of filling such a post; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43958/22]

Driver Test

Seán Crowe

278. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Transport the number of persons awaiting a driving test in each testing centre in tabular form. [41282/22]

Defective Building Materials

Seán Crowe

756. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of individual properties in the Dublin south west area that were identified by the working group to examine defects in housing; and when he expects to publish their report. [41399/22]

Special Educational Needs

Seán Crowe

1037. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Education the number of children at both primary and post-primary level who are in need of, but who do not have a special educational needs place for September 2022 in the Dublin south west area. [39677/22]

Medicinal Products

Seán Crowe

1649. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Health when he expects negotiations with a manufacturer (details supplied) to be completed and approval granted for patients with cystic fibrosis to access kaftrio. [39676/22]

General Practitioner Services

Seán Crowe

1688. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Health when specific general practitioner visit cards will be issued to children of six to seven years of age. [39922/22]

Disabilities Assessments

Seán Crowe

1935. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Health the number of children in the CHO 7 area awaiting an assessment of need, by category of assessment, in tabular form. [41283/22]