Parliamentary questions

Nursing Homes

Bríd Smith

16. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Taoiseach if he has met with the Attorney General following publication of his report on nursing home charges and the disabled persons maintenance allowance. [8834/23]

Transport Costs

Bríd Smith

83. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Transport if he will clarify the position of holders of free travel cards when using train services; the reason Irish Rail imposes a booking fee on some services; when this practice was first introduced; if the imposition of such fees undermines the concept of the free travel scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8995/23]

Departmental Bodies

Bríd Smith

32. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the work of the social dialogue co-ordination unit of his Department. [8580/23]

Energy Prices

Bríd Smith

161. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications further to Parliamentary Question Nos. 93, 100, 107, and 108 of 15 December 2022 in relation to the regulation of district heating schemes and prices paid by residents, if the commercial tariff he mentioned is the reason that residents of DHS have faced such enormous rises in their energy bills; if this tariff is collected by the State, and if he can provide figures for the amounts collected by this tariff since 2019 to date; when the proposals to regulate the DHS sector will be enacted and if this will see controls on the prices of heat/energy for residents in such complexes; if such regulations are not imminent; if any action can be taken in relation to the commercial tariffs imposed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8389/23]

Energy Prices

Bríd Smith

162. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if the passing of SI. 350/2022, and the new role the Commission of Regulation of Utilities in regulating district heating systems, will mean that the current commercial tariff levied on residents of such systems will be removed and a standard residential rate tariff applied instead; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8391/23]

Energy Prices

Bríd Smith

163. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the commercial tariff applied to district heating systems; and the current standard residential tariff that is applied to gas users.
[8392/23]

Local Authorities

Bríd Smith

312. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the reason a homeowner (details supplied), whose property is rented to a local authority with a HAP tenant and who now wishes to sell the property and is willing to sell to the local authority concerned, has been told that the council cannot purchase the home; if this is in contradiction to the Government’s stated policy; and if his Department will contact the authority concerned to ascertain the reason it will not purchase the home; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8539/23]

Pension Provisions

Bríd Smith

446. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of women currently receiving State pension (contributory) but whose years out of the workforce as a homemaker prior to 1994 are not disregarded when working out the yearly average contributions for the pension. [8088/23]

Pension Provisions

Bríd Smith

447. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated number of affected persons who, due to their years as a homemaker prior to 1994, have not qualified for a State pension (contributory). [8089/23]

Pension Provisions

Bríd Smith

448. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection her proposals to remedy the discrimination suffered by homemakers whose time out of the workforce prior to 1994 is not taken into account, and who have not qualified for a State pension (contributory); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8090/23]

Inquiry into the Death of Mr. Shane O'Farrell

Bríd Smith

6. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Justice if he intends to meet with the family of a person (details supplied) to discuss their concerns; if he can detail the progress on the scoping inquiry; if he will support a full independent inquiry into this case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7654/23]

Asylum Applications

Bríd Smith

16. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Justice if he is aware of concerns expressed by advocates and human rights campaigners about the dangers of “fast tracking” asylum applications from supposedly “safe countries”, and that such procedures can lead to applicants being denied proper legal advice; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7655/23]

Health Services

Bríd Smith

111. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health if he will clarify the following in relation to cervical check screening, the percentage of tests currently carried out abroad as a percentage of the overall programme by year since 2020; the date on which he expects the Coombe facility to be fully staffed and operational; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7626/23]

Nursing Homes

Bríd Smith

173. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health if he will provide details of his plans to address the crisis in the provision of nursing home beds for the elderly; if he intends to increase the provision of public nursing homes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7625/23]

Social Welfare Schemes

Bríd Smith

360. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health the actions his Department intends to take following the recent RTÉ Investigates report that showed that up to 12,000 vulnerable people were denied their disability allowances by State actions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6069/23]

Wind Energy Generation

Bríd Smith

43. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will provide the timeframe for the publication of the revised wind energy development guidelines and the reason for the significant delay in publishing it; if the regulations will bring us up to EU norms with regard to distance to turbines and noise levels; whether the Government will continue to outsource the provision of renewable energy to foreign multinationals if it will establish a State-led, nationalised model of provision for wind energy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7488/23]

Period Poverty

Bríd Smith

107. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Education if she can clarify the policy of her Department in relation to the provision of free period products in secondary schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7487/23]

Childcare Services

Bríd Smith

130. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will mandate his Department to examine the introduction of public provision of childcare, as recommended by the expert group report Partnership for the Public Good; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7705/23]

Period Poverty

Bríd Smith

165. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health if he can clarify Government policy in relation to tackling period poverty; if they are supporting the passing of the legislation currently at Seanad Committee stage; if they intend to provide free products at secondary levels as well as third levels; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7486/23]

Energy Policy

Bríd Smith

125. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if current or proposed protections from disconnections to heating and lighting supplies are applied in relation to district heating system residents; if the CRU will have any regulatory control over district heating systems in the near future; the number of residents and homes presently covered and supplied by district heating systems; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6994/23]