Parliamentary questions

Electric Vehicles

Richard Bruton

36. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if there is legislative provision in place to require management companies to take reasonable steps to provide EV charging networks for occupiers. [8234/24]

Electric Vehicles

Richard Bruton

41. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Transport if the support schemes for EV charging networks developed by local authorities can cover the installation of chargers in multi-unit developments developed by local authorities or by approved housing bodies. [8232/24]

Electric Vehicles

Richard Bruton

42. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Transport the number of local authorities that have installed EV charging networks with his Department's support; the number of locations in each case; and the planned and approved locations scheduled to be installed. [8235/24]

Primary Medical Certificates

Richard Bruton

63. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Finance if he has completed the review of the financial supports for mobility for those with a disability and, in particular, the criteria for a primary medical certificate; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8237/24]

Electric Vehicles

Richard Bruton

115. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Justice if there is legislative provision in place to require management companies to take reasonable steps to provide EV charging networks for occupiers. [8233/24]

Mental Health Services

Richard Bruton

141. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Health if he has reviewed the submission from an organisation (details supplied); if he plans to publish a roadmap for service improvement, as has been done for disability services; and if he has considered the proposal for the regulation of CAMHS under the Mental Health Act 2001. [8122/24]

Healthcare Policy

Richard Bruton

142. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Health if a scoliosis unit, or task force in relation to same, has been set up within the Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8123/24]

Social Welfare Eligibility

Richard Bruton

82. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will consider undertaking a pilot to inviting people to check if they are getting their full entitlements and targeting categories of persons who may be more likely to be missing out, perhaps in co-operation with other public bodies that may experience underpayment of benefits; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7860/24]

Social Welfare Eligibility

Richard Bruton

90. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Social Protection if she has considered initiatives to identify the extent of underclaiming of entitlements from her Department by categories such the low paid at work, by carers, and by pensioners, for whom rules of entitlement may be poorly understood; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7859/24]

Schools Building Projects

Richard Bruton

285. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Education the number of schools in the Santry, Whitehall and Dublin 9 catchment area who have applied for upgrades to their school buildings, including the amount spent since 2019, in tabular form. [7708/24]

Schools Building Projects

Richard Bruton

286. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Education the number of new schools built in the Santry, Whitehall and Dublin 9 catchment area and the amount spent on each school building since 2019, in tabular form. [7709/24]

Housing Policy

Richard Bruton

345. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he is aware that the rule that a cost rental should not exceed 35% of net income is rendering some persons in Dublin ineligible for both cost rental and ineligible for social housing; and whether this necessitates some changes in the terms of access for support in order that no one is excluded. [7582/24]

Mental Health Services

Richard Bruton

296. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Health if he will outline the trend in referrals to the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service over the past five years; how the level of staffing and service has grown in those years; if he will outline the efforts to fill new post created and indicate how the level of unfilled positions have evolved; and if he will outline the approach to reform of services delivery which she is undertaking. [6688/24]

School Facilities

Richard Bruton

98. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Education if her Department has carried out an assessment of the potential of remote delivery in education; and if new initiatives are planned in this arena. [50444/23]

Central Statistics Office

Richard Bruton

131. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Taoiseach the data held by the CSO on the average weekly spending on out-of-pocket medical expenses per week, and as a percentage of total weekly spending. [5784/24]

Central Statistics Office

Richard Bruton

132. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Taoiseach the data held by the CSO on the number of persons aged 70 or over who are a head of a household. [5785/24]

Third Level Fees

Richard Bruton

612. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science further to Parliamentary Question No. 57 of 31 January 2024, the reason SUSI is refusing to accept child benefit as proof of residence for a home-schooled Irish born child of a resident Irish citizen, despite the fact that under statute such payments can only be made on Irish residency. [6057/24]

Enterprise Support Services

Richard Bruton

14. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment his plans for strengthening the capacity of the LEO network to give specialist support to enterprises, with varying needs and regional specialisms, within their remit and to the development of regional centres of excellence. [5741/24]

Business Supports

Richard Bruton

62. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he has analysed to the main sources of pressure on business costs at present, and how he believes these might best be addressed. [5742/24]

Public Expenditure Policy

Richard Bruton

96. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform what programmes of public expenditure will be subject to evaluation in the coming year and whether this process needs to be reformed. [5739/24]

Public Expenditure Policy

Richard Bruton

119. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform whether the budgeting process operated by his Department promotes innovation to a sufficient extent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5740/24]

Tax Reliefs

Richard Bruton

162. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Finance the estimated amount of unclaimed tax reliefs in each of the years 2019 to 2023; and a breakdown of the estimated amount by individual relief, that is, medical relief, rent relief, disabled child relief and so on, in tabular form. [5816/24]

Childcare Services

Richard Bruton

287. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if details on the filing needed from childcare providers to certify eligibility for core funding remain outstanding; and when the remaining information will be issued so that providers can comply with the deadline. [5889/24]

Further and Higher Education

Richard Bruton

582. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he has considered recognising the British and Irish Institute of Modern Music for grant purposes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5234/24]

Control of Dogs

Richard Bruton

114. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine how he intends to publicise the departmental public consultation on electric shock collars; what steps he intends to take following receipt of all submissions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4385/24]

Parking Provision

Richard Bruton

159. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Health the annual revenue generated by public car parking at Beaumont Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4397/24]

Parking Provision

Richard Bruton

160. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Health to provide details of any contracts between private car park operators and Beaumont Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4398/24]

Health Services Staff

Richard Bruton

162. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Health the number of physiotherapists catering to the needs of public patients; whether waiting lists are maintained to measure the extent to which demand is being met by the existing throughput of caseload of these practitioners: if he has considered extending the NTPF system to those waiting for physiotherapy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4402/24]

Departmental Policies

Richard Bruton

100. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if she would consider embodying initiatives to promote positive ageing within all the programmes of her Department, wherever practically possible; and if she will outline the specific areas of greatest potential. [4015/24]

Departmental Policies

Richard Bruton

108. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development whether the Town Centre First initiative has succeeded in the pilot stage of one per county; if she will indicate the main areas of transformation; and if she will outline her plans over the next five years to extend the initiative. [4014/24]

Tax Reliefs

Richard Bruton

218. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Finance the procedure through which the temporary mortgage relief on the increase in interest payments in 2023 can be applied for, and if Revenue have issued guidelines on the matter. [3866/24]

Tax Data

Richard Bruton

219. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Finance the number of taxpayer units who earn under €40,000 in the most recent year for which statistics are available; and if he will distinguish the number of them who have children; the number who claim as caring for a child alone; and the number who are assessed as married and jointly assessed. [4064/24]

School Staff

Richard Bruton

251. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Education if she has considered the submission seeking the restoration of the premium for teachers teaching through the medium of Irish; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3643/24]

Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Richard Bruton

529. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Health whether the pandemic bonus scheme has been completed; and whether a payment is due in the circumstances of a person (details supplied). [3930/24]

Departmental Policies

Richard Bruton

597. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if her Department has carried out an assessment of the potential to grow both commercial and social enterprises in developing networks to support the circular economy transformation; and if new initiatives are planned in this arena. [50445/23]

Departmental Policies

Richard Bruton

598. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if her Department has carried out an assessment of the potential of remote delivery in health and community development; and if new initiatives are planned in this arena. [4243/24]

EU Enlargement

Richard Bruton

7. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will provide an update on discussions to extend membership of the European Union and the changes in institutional arrangements that might follow. [2982/24]

Middle East

Richard Bruton

80. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will provide an update on the work at EU and UN level which Ireland is undertaking in pursuit of peace and of a two-state solution in the Israel Palestine conflict. [2981/24]

Environmental Policy

Richard Bruton

138. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will outline the progress in developing a new circular economy strategy with sectoral targets, and an EPA programme of actions, which implement the provisions of the Circular Economy Act. [2979/24]

Electricity Generation

Richard Bruton

144. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will comment on reports that there will be a tight supply situation for electricity for many years to come, and the initiatives which could be considered to ease this risk. [2980/24]

Tax Reliefs

Richard Bruton

214. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Finance if he will indicate how many people have claimed tax relief on their rental payment, and how this number compares to the estimate which his Department made of the likely numbers that would become eligible; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2689/24]

Tax Rebates

Richard Bruton

215. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Finance if he will indicate the total value of claims for the refund of income tax on out-of-pocket medical expenses and if he has made any estimate of the likely underclaiming of such eligible expenses. [2690/24]

Tax Credits

Richard Bruton

216. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Finance if he will indicate the number of persons who claim incapacitated child tax credit and if the Revenue Commissioners have undertaken any assessment as to whether a significant number of people may be missing out on this entitlement. [2691/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Richard Bruton

397. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Social Protection if she has undertaken any assessment of the number of families who may be eligible for the working family payment, but who fail to apply and if she has considered making arrangements with the Revenue Commissioners to transform this payment into a form of credit which could be more easily claimed or automatically accrued by an eligible family. [2692/24]

Departmental Data

Richard Bruton

398. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will indicate the number of people who qualify for the carer’s support grant and how many of these receive it automatically because they are already in receipt of a carer’s payment or domiciliary care allowance; how many qualify through a specific application for the grant and whether she has made any estimate of the numbers of eligible families who may overlook applying for this entitlement. [2693/24]

Departmental Data

Richard Bruton

399. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will indicate the number of persons in receipt of the household benefits package who receive this along with their social welfare entitlement and the number who apply separately for them without having an entitlement to a weekly social welfare payment; if she has any estimate of the numbers over 70 years of age on non-social welfare payments who may be entitled to the payment, but do not apply. [2694/24]

Asylum Applications

Richard Bruton

418. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Justice if she will outline the procedure for managing the application of persons applying for asylum who have no documentation when they land; whether the carriers retain records of the documentation presented when boarding; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2404/24]

General Practitioner Services

Richard Bruton

616. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Health if he will indicate the number of families who are in receipt of GP cards now and how that compares to the level before the means limit was increased to the median wage; if he will indicate how this increase compares to his estimate of how many extra families would become eligible as a result of the change in the means test, and if he considers that a large number may be failing to claim their entitlement. [2695/24]

Nursing Homes

Richard Bruton

617. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Health if he will indicate the date from which the rental earnings on the home of a person receiving support under fair deal will cease to be assessed for the resident’s contribution to the cost of nursing home care, and the estimated cost that is being budgeted for this change in the method of assessment. [2696/24]

Pharmacy Services

Richard Bruton

651. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Health whether the group considering expanding the role of community pharmacists has reported to him; and if he is considering increasing the fees for existing work or introducing funding for new activities, which could see improvements in service. [2934/24]