Parliamentary questions

Housing Schemes

Fergus O'Dowd

707. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide details on how he and his Department will simplify and enhance the application process and application timelines on the croí cónaithe scheme considering the worrying figures reported in a newspaper (details supplied) on the number of applicants who have successfully drawn down funding on the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15200/24]

Departmental Schemes

Niall Collins

708. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if grant assistance is available for a club (details supplied) to provide worker accommodation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15202/24]

Local Authorities

Violet-Anne Wynne

709. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the total social housing output as advised to his Department by a local authority (details supplied) in the years 2018 to 2023 inclusive, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15259/24]

Housing Provision

Cathal Crowe

710. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide a progress report on the €8 million project of 30 new social houses at Deerpark, Ennistymon, County Clare (as announced in late 2020); if he can clarify the reasons for delays encountered to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15268/24]

Development Contributions

Denise Mitchell

711. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if there is any intention to extend the temporary development contribution waiver scheme beyond the end of April 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15343/24]

Fire Stations

Fergus O'Dowd

712. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the status of the new fire station in Dunleer, County Louth; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15346/24]

Water Pollution

Darren O'Rourke

713. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he is aware of a situation (details supplied); what measures he plans to introduce to deal with same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15355/24]

Development Contributions

Richard Bruton

714. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he has considered extending the deadline for the temporary waiver of development fees, as many applicants were unable to complete the process within the short timeframe given. [15376/24]

Water Supply

Alan Dillon

715. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide details on the total subsidy due to a water scheme (details supplied); the reason for withholding this payment; when they can expect to receive it; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15377/24]

Departmental Staff

Eoin Ó Broin

716. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide a list of all ASGs and POs in his Department with their current responsibilities. [15378/24]

Planning Issues

Pauline Tully

717. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if the Planning and Development Act 2000 incorporates the principles of Universal Design; and if the Planning and Development Act 2000 places an obligation on local authorities to incorporate the principles of Universal Design in the delivery of public infrastructure and the built environment. [15442/24]

Defective Building Materials

Joe McHugh

718. Deputy Joe McHugh asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when the next sub-group meeting regarding defective blocks will happen; if he will consider up-front payments to homeowners who are currently struggling with finance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15476/24]

Homeless Persons Supports

Violet-Anne Wynne

719. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage how many people in Clare have died while homeless in each of the past ten years, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15499/24]

Homeless Persons Supports

Violet-Anne Wynne

720. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage how many people in Clare have died while in emergency accommodation in each of the past ten years, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15500/24]

Housing Schemes

Violet-Anne Wynne

721. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will increase the homeless HAP for single parents who have received a notice to quit in the Mid-West region, as the current rate of homeless HAP for rural counties is not sufficient to meet rental costs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15501/24]

Emergency Accommodation

Violet-Anne Wynne

722. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if having rent arrears as a HAP tenant is a reason to withhold emergency accommodation for a person; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15503/24]

Defective Building Materials

Violet-Anne Wynne

723. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to outline the initial grant offered to homeowners impacted by the defective blocks scheme; the reason there will be variances in the amount of grant received; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15504/24]

Development Contributions

James Lawless

724. Deputy James Lawless asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to examine a matter in correspondence (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15514/24]

Social Welfare Payments

Niamh Smyth

725. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason the dietary supplement payment was stopped; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15052/24]

Social Welfare Eligibility

Richard O'Donoghue

726. Deputy Richard O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Social Protection if child benefit payments can be extended for students in full-time education up to the age of 21 years, due to the escalating cost of living families are enduring at this present time; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13566/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Danny Healy-Rae

727. Deputy Danny Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection for an update on an invalidity pension application (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13581/24]

State Pensions

John McGuinness

728. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Social Protection if an application for a State pension (non-contributory) will be approved for a person (details supplied) as a matter of urgency. [13585/24]

Social Welfare Eligibility

Ruairí Ó Murchú

729. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Social Protection if consideration will be given to allowing the payment of children's allowance to all students over 18 who are still in school, from when they turned 18, and their children's allowance was stopped; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13659/24]

Social Welfare Payments

Carol Nolan

730. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide the estimated savings that may accrue in a full year following recent changes to social protection payments to beneficiaries of temporary protection; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13670/24]

Social Welfare Eligibility

Ivana Bacik

731. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Social Protection if foetal alcohol spectrum disorder is considered a disability for disability payment purposes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13676/24]

Social Welfare Code

Bernard Durkan

732. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason the blind pension is means tested while the invalidity pension is not; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13742/24]

Official Travel

Peadar Tóibín

733. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Social Protection the amount spent by her Department on travel and accommodation costs associated with Ministerial visits abroad to date in 2024, in tabular form. [13813/24]

Departmental Properties

Peadar Tóibín

734. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of properties either owned or leased by her Department, which are currently vacant; the length of time the properties have been vacant for; and the location of the properties, in tabular form. [13831/24]

Social Welfare Eligibility

Seán Canney

735. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Social Protection if she is aware that her Department is asking people who received an award under the Caranua Scheme to supply a letter from Caranua confirming the date and amount of the award, despite the fact that they signed a non-disclosure clause; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13849/24]

Social Welfare Payments

Mick Barry

736. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will intervene in the case of a person (details supplied) to ensure that the person involved will have access to a social protection payment that will allow them to apply for social housing; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13889/24]

State Pensions

Bernard Durkan

737. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection if she is satisfied that all calculations for the purpose of determining an entitlement to an increase for a qualified adult for the State pension (contributory) have been determined correctly in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13901/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Bernard Durkan

738. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection if and when child benefit will be awarded to a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13916/24]

Pensions Council

Thomas Pringle

739. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason the Pensions Council has failed to publish an independent evaluation report (details supplied) along with the approved minutes of its December 2023 meeting, as required by Rule 18 of its rules of procedure; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13918/24]

Social Insurance

Neasa Hourigan

740. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Social Protection her Department's policy on protection of social insurance entitlements for parents who leave paid work to provide periods of care in the home, such as for young children; her plans to review situations where workers have lost social insurance entitlements as a result of exiting the workforce for periods to provide care in the home; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13968/24]

Social Welfare Appeals

Colm Burke

741. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Social Protection the current status of an invalidity pension appeal by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13980/24]

Social Welfare Appeals

Michael Creed

742. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Social Protection the current situation regarding a social welfare appeal in respect of disability allowance for a person in County Cork (details supplied). [13986/24]

Social Welfare Appeals

Colm Burke

743. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Social Protection the current status of a carer’s allowance appeal (details supplied); when a decision is likely to be reached; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13988/24]

Social Welfare Appeals

Kathleen Funchion

744. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason an invalidity appeal (details supplied) is taking so long to obtain an answer [13990/24]

Social Welfare Payments

Michael McNamara

745. Deputy Michael McNamara asked the Minister for Social Protection when a decision will issue on a working family payment application by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14066/24]

Employment Schemes

Éamon Ó Cuív

746. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Social Protection when a decision will be made on a pay claim by RSS and TÚS supervisors that was lodged with the Department some time ago; the reason for the delay; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14069/24]

Social Welfare Payments

Michael McNamara

747. Deputy Michael McNamara asked the Minister for Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to delays in the processing times of working family payment applications; what measures are being taken to have these times reduced; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14080/24]

Community Employment Schemes

Michael Healy-Rae

748. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide an update on a matter (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14137/24]

State Pensions

Paul McAuliffe

749. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Social Protection to carry out a review of the pension contributions of a person (details supplied). [14138/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Michael Creed

750. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Social Protection if a decision will issue on a carer’s allowance application (details supplied). [14139/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Michael Creed

751. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Social Protection if a decision will issue on a disability allowance application (details supplied). [14151/24]

Social Welfare Eligibility

Jim O'Callaghan

752. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of 18-year-olds that will now qualify for child benefit on foot of the recent changes introduced, by county, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14154/24]

Departmental Advertising

Jackie Cahill

753. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Social Protection if her Department uses community radio for advertising and public awareness campaigns; if not, the reason, given the vital role community radio often plays in the dissemination of information to local communities; if her Department will consider using community radio for public awareness campaigns in the future; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14173/24]

School Meals Programme

Sorca Clarke

754. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of students at primary and post-primary respectively provided with free school meals in 2023 and to date in 2024, in tabular form. [14224/24]

School Meals Programme

Sorca Clarke

755. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated average cost of providing school meals per child in primary and post-primary schools respectively, in the academic years 2022-2023 and to date in 2023-2024, in tabular form. [14225/24]

Maternity Leave

Colm Burke

756. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will consider extending the duration of paid maternity leave to facilitate more women to continue breastfeeding for longer than they otherwise would have had they returned to work; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14235/24]