Parliamentary questions

Social and Affordable Housing

Bríd Smith

1369. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government whether the lands at a location (details supplied) belong to the parks or housing departments of Dublin City Council. [12875/19]

Nursing Staff

Bríd Smith

27. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health his plans to ensure the retention and recruitment of nurses is successful in the coming period. [12410/19]

Cancer Screening Programmes

Bríd Smith

70. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health his plans for rolling out a new HPV based CervicalCheck programme. [12411/19]

HSE Agency Staff Expenditure

Bríd Smith

182. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health the cost incurred in using agency nurses for the public health system in each of the years 2016 to 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5938/19]

Nursing Staff Remuneration

Bríd Smith

183. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost of a pay award to nurses and midwifes of 12% in the 2019 financial year; the amount of such a figure that would be returned to the State in PRSI, tax and USC; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5939/19]

Employment Rights

Bríd Smith

345. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will conduct a review of possible bogus self-employment practices by a company (details supplied) that works within the Houses of the Oireachtas; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12629/19]

Inquiry into the Death of Mr. Shane O'Farrell

Bríd Smith

11. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if there will be an independent inquiry into the death of a person (details supplied). [12009/19]

Trade Union Membership

Bríd Smith

50. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation her plans to legislate to give workers the right to join a trade union and have the trade union of their choice recognised by their employer; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8006/19]

Social and Affordable Housing Funding

Bríd Smith

220. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 272 and 273 of 7 February 2019, if the reference to the capital advanced loan facility and or payment and availability agreement is the same scheme as the capital advance leasing facility scheme; if funding made available under the social housing current expenditure programme is for developments that result in 100% of housing units made available to social housing for those on local authority waiting lists; and the number of units built by approved housing bodies which are in developments built with some assistance from State funding streams which are not available for social housing, that is, the number of units built under CAS and CLSS which are rented out by the body on criteria other than the tenants coming from the local authority waiting lists. [11421/19]

Labour Activation Programmes Data

Bríd Smith

291. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of referrals for sanctions that have been made in each of the years since 2015 by those made by JobPath providers and elsewhere in other activation programmes, respectively; and the number of referrals implemented by deciding officers by JobPath providers and those made elsewhere in activation processes, respectively. [11030/19]

JobPath Data

Bríd Smith

292. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of cases in which penalty rates applied within the referrals for sanctions implemented; the number of cases in which disqualifications or disallowances were implemented by JobPath providers and in other activation programmes, respectively; and the processes undertaken to ensure that the escalation from penalty rates to disqualifications is appropriate and justified. [11031/19]

JobPath Data

Bríd Smith

293. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of cases in which JobPath providers provide relevant statements from the client within the total number of referrals for sanctions; the number of cases in which deciding officers requested more information from JobPath providers; and the number of those that resulted in the eventual implementation of sanctions. [11032/19]

JobPath Data

Bríd Smith

294. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of jobseekers who had sanctions applied as a result of failure to attend meetings and to avail of suitable education, training or development opportunities or specified employment programmes and schemes under the JobPath programme. [11033/19]

External Service Delivery

Bríd Smith

49. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the proposed changes to the external workplace investigation service framework; the firms providing services; and the cost of such services since 2012. [10625/19]

Public Service Stability Agreement

Bríd Smith

54. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his plans to remove members of a union (details supplied) from the provisions of the Public Service Stability Agreement 2018-2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10623/19]

Community Sector High Level Forum

Bríd Smith

78. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if the total amount of providing pension entitlements to community employment supervisors in line with the Labour Court proposal has been costed; if funding will be made available in the coming period to deal with the issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10622/19]

Public Service Stability Agreement

Bríd Smith

79. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the consequences for trade unions that are not covered by the Public Service Stability Agreement 2018-2020, specifically the loss of increments and proposed pay rises for non-covered public servants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10621/19]

Office of Government Procurement

Bríd Smith

82. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the companies the public service can procure services from in the area of industrial relations and human resource support specifically for industrial relations investigations relating to disciplinary matters; and the costs of procuring these services since 2012. [10624/19]

Employment Rights

Bríd Smith

559. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when a person can take a case to the Workplace Relations Commission, WRC, under the Employment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2018, in cases in which their employer is not complying with the provisions of contracts and bands of hours worked; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10660/19]

Data Protection

Bríd Smith

119. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation if she will review the implications for data protection legislation of a decision to share the Eircode data of waste disposal companies with other bodies; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10072/19]

HSE Legal Cases

Bríd Smith

160. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health if he will direct the HSE to settle outstanding legal fees in its case with a person (details supplied); if the possible payment of compensation to them as a result of their treatment by the HSE will be further reviewed; if the use of the drug pembrolizumab will be sanctioned for them in view of their poor health and deteriorating situation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10116/19]

Permanent Structured Co-operation

Bríd Smith

36. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the estimated cost in the coming years of participation in PESCO related operations; and the capital costs related to procurement processes under PESCO. [9427/19]

Brexit Preparations

Bríd Smith

386. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 322 and 331 of 19 February 2019, the details of the comprehensive and co-ordinated set of preparations to ensure continuity of health service post-Brexit; and the work undertaken by the HSE with regard to same to date. [9534/19]

Cross-Border Health Services Provision

Bríd Smith

387. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health the procedures in place for persons who access treatment under the EU cross-Border directive in the UK; and if he has requested an arrangement with the UK to replace same. [9535/19]

Cross-Border Health Services Provision

Bríd Smith

388. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health if persons who may have to travel to other EU countries, thus accruing higher travel costs than if they travelled to the UK, for medical treatment under the EU cross-Border directive post-Brexit will receive financial assistance for travel costs. [9536/19]

Migrant Integration

Bríd Smith

589. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the status of the review of the local community and economic plans; and if there is scope for migrant integration actions to be added to the plans in the context of the requirement of action 52 of the National Migrant Integration Strategy. [9706/19]

Fuel Allowance Data

Bríd Smith

619. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of applicants for fuel allowance refused as a result of being over the income threshold. [9451/19]

Fuel Allowance Data

Bríd Smith

620. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the income amounts over the income threshold for fuel allowance of those who were refused the payment. [9452/19]

Illness Benefit Payments

Bríd Smith

55. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her plans to review the impact of the six-day waiting period for employees to access social payments in view of the fact that many do not receive sick pay entitlements from their employers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8005/19]

State Pension (Contributory)

Bríd Smith

78. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when pension increases and back payments in relation to recent changes to the contributory pension scheme will be issued; when difficulties being experienced on the website MyWelfare.ie will be resolved; and when a paper application form inviting pensioners to fill in gaps in their records will be issued. [8007/19]

JobPath Programme

Bríd Smith

85. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her plans to continue contracts with JobPath providers in view of the recent Dáil Éireann motion in relation to the scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8008/19]

Telephone Support Allowance

Bríd Smith

105. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if the operation of the telephone allowance will be reviewed in view of the fact that pensioners in need of the allowance who are not living alone cannot access it; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8004/19]

Rapid Response Initiative

Bríd Smith

129. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the arrangements made for equality monitoring in the running of the rapid response roster and the election observation roster; and if arrangements for appeal from disabled applicants to the rosters will be considered under public statutory equality duty. [7874/19]

Departmental Circulars

Bríd Smith

206. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of circulars to educational institutions relating to workplace relations specifically disciplinary proceedings and access to sick leave; if circulars on such issues are binding regulations or suggested guidelines; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7802/19]

Brexit Issues

Bríd Smith

322. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health if he has reviewed the possible impact of Brexit on patients accessing healthcare in the UK under the cross-border directive; and his plans to deal with all eventualities. [7693/19]

National Transport Authority

Bríd Smith

542. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the compensation and consultation process that persons affected by the proposed BusConnects enhanced bus corridors may avail of; the way in which the process will allow persons to raise concerns as to impacts on their property; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7879/19]

Illness Benefit Waiting Times

Bríd Smith

612. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her plans to address issues with the six-day waiting period for claimants entitlement to sick pay while absent due to sickness from work (details supplied). [7892/19]

Approved Housing Bodies

Bríd Smith

655. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government further to Parliamentary Question Nos. 272 and 273 of 7 February 2019, the funding provided to approved housing bodies under each scheme (details supplied) in each of the years 2011 to 2018, in tabular form. [7893/19]

Approved Housing Bodies

Bríd Smith

656. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the number of housing units provided for social housing and by an approved housing body for other accommodation needs in each of the years 2011 to 2018 in schemes in circumstances (details supplied). [7894/19]

Carbon Tax Implementation

Bríd Smith

46. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Finance his views on plans to increase the carbon tax; if his attention has been drawn to studies from Canada (details supplied) that suggest such policies do not reduce CO2 emissions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3310/19]

Railway Stations

Bríd Smith

64. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his views on the impact on persons with disabilities who cannot access DART and rail transport due to the non-maintenance and failures of lifts at certain stations; his plans to ensure such persons can access rail and DART services in the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6714/19]

Bus Services

Bríd Smith

67. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he has received reports from the NTA on the performance of a company (details supplied) that recently won the tender for certain Dublin Bus routes; his views on the operation of these routes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6713/19]

Disability Services Provision

Bríd Smith

343. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health the measures he is taking to ensure children (details supplied) will not be waiting for 18 months before receiving an appointment with the early intervention team; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6276/19]

Patient Safety

Bríd Smith

382. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question Nos. 137 of 7 November 2018 and 349 of 18 December 2018, if a statement was provided by a person (details supplied). [6423/19]

Household Benefits Scheme

Bríd Smith

696. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 277 of 24 January 2019, if the telephone support allowance is only available to pensioners who qualify for the fuel and the living alone allowances; if so, the reason such an allowance is not available to couples who would receive it based on a means test; the estimated cost to extend same to pensioners who qualify for the fuel allowance but do not live alone; and her plans to extend the allowance in the coming period. [6241/19]

Social and Affordable Housing Funding

Bríd Smith

272. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the amount of funding to approved housing bodies, that is, not local authorities, for the provision of social housing in each of the years 2011 to 2018; and the number of units for social housing provided by approved housing bodies in each of the years 2011 to 2018, in tabular form. [6098/19]

Social and Affordable Housing Funding

Bríd Smith

273. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the funding made available to local authorities for the provision of social housing in each of the years 2011 to 2018. [6099/19]

Departmental Expenditure

Bríd Smith

7. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the budget and spending of his Department directed towards expanding the trade in dairy and beef herds internationally since 2010. [3773/19]

Climate Change Adaptation Plans

Bríd Smith

21. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if policy on dairy and beef herd growth for export can be compatible with Ireland's plans to become a leader on climate change measures in view of the recent report in a publication (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3308/19]

Tax Credits

Bríd Smith

68. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Finance the estimated cost in tax revenue forgone for all capital allowances to private health facilities in each of the years since 2011; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5940/19]