Parliamentary questions

Health Services

Emer Higgins

1629. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Health in the context of a person under 18 years of age who has been diagnosed with gender dysphoria by a clinical psychologist; what to do when they do not have access to a psychiatrist or endocrinologist due to a lack of care pathways; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17547/23]

Education and Training Provision

Emer Higgins

1816. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will prioritise the establishment of an alternative learning service in the south Clondalkin area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16842/23]

Grant Payments

Emer Higgins

1841. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development when grants under the Community Recognition Fund will be approved. [16847/23]

Social Welfare Schemes

Emer Higgins

136. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Social Protection if she is considering extending the treatment benefit scheme to cover the cost of medical microblading for eyebrow replacement in those suffering hair loss due to illness, cancer treatment or alopecia; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15738/23]

Assisted Human Reproduction

Emer Higgins

168. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on plans to introduce publicly funded IVF. [15880/23]

Rental Sector

Emer Higgins

230. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Finance if he has considered increasing the rent-a-room tax-free threshold to encourage more homeowners to take up the scheme and to increase available rental supply; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15357/23]

Insurance Industry

Emer Higgins

231. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Finance if his attention has been drawn to the prohibitive effect that rising insurance premiums are having on person's looking to open indoor play facilities; if this is a matter that the Cabinet Committee Sub-Group on Insurance Reform is considering; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14652/23]

Departmental Schemes

Emer Higgins

403. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Education if she will provide an update on the scheme announced under budget 2023 to install solar panels in schools; when this scheme will be open for applications; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15001/23]

Energy Conservation

Emer Higgins

404. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Education if her Department will consider introducing a scheme to fund energy efficiency improvement projects in schools, such as the construction of weather porches to conserve heat; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15002/23]

Social Welfare Code

Emer Higgins

434. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Social Protection the financial implications for a person with a diagnosis of autism and in receipt of disability allowance who inherits a home from their parent and the recipient is not a home owner or owner of other property; if the social protection payment is in any way affected; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15358/23]

Disabilities Assessments

Emer Higgins

509. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if his Department can provide a list or database of private medical professionals who can carry out an assessment of needs the HSE approves of; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14933/23]

Disabilities Assessments

Emer Higgins

510. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the reason a child who is on a waiting list for speech and language assessment cannot also be on a waiting list to be assessed for potential autism spectrum disorder diagnosis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14934/23]

Departmental Meetings

Emer Higgins

589. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Justice if his attention has been drawn to a request from a group (details supplied) to engage with it in relation to the Firearms Expert Committee; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15305/23]

Health Services Staff

Emer Higgins

609. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Health if a child who is assessed privately for a speech and language disorder can seek access to HSE supports based on the opinions of a private medical professional; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14931/23]

Health Services Staff

Emer Higgins

610. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Health if his Department can provide a list or database of private speech and language therapists that are approved by the HSE; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14932/23]

Pension Provisions

Emer Higgins

164. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will provide an update on the negotiations to increase the Eircom pension; when a decision is expected on this matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12369/23]

Electric Vehicles

Emer Higgins

277. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Transport if grant schemes are available to those looking to purchase an electric bicycle who do not qualify for the bike to work scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13260/23]

Public Sector Staff

Emer Higgins

354. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform if he will provide an overview of the expenses and renumeration paid to retired public servants who provide their skills as members of interview boards; if he will provide information on the daily fee scales, the fees for preparatory work, if payments are taxable; the arrangements in place to cover meals and accommodation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12549/23]

Fire Stations

Emer Higgins

482. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide a timeline for the delivery of a Fire Station in Lucan, County Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13490/23]

Schools Building Projects

Emer Higgins

623. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Education if she will provide an update on an application by a school (details supplied) for a permanent building to replace the existing prefabs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12547/23]

Social Welfare Offices

Emer Higgins

848. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Social Protection whether there are plans to open an Intreo centre in Lucan County Dublin given the population growth in the area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13788/23]

Student Accommodation

Emer Higgins

1001. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will provide an update on plans to provide new student accommodation for students at Dublin City University; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12544/23]

Health Services

Emer Higgins

1239. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Health if maternity hospitals have a policy in place for dealing with expectant mothers who have previously experienced a late-stage pregnancy loss or still birth; if he will consider the introduction of a sticker system to alert health care staff when the medical file of a patient includes a history of late-stage pregnancy loss or still birth; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12597/23]

Departmental Schemes

Emer Higgins

1397. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Health if he will revise the long-term illness scheme to cover persons diagnosed with Crohn's disease; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13261/23]

Departmental Policies

Emer Higgins

60. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will outline all the measures his Department and the Government have put in place to protect the business dealings of farmers, growers, fishers and food producers against unfair practices by buyers of their product [11796/23]

Food Industry

Emer Higgins

75. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when he expects Government to be in a position to appoint a agri-food independent regulator. [11797/23]

Planning Issues

Emer Higgins

134. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will ensure that residents associations have the right to appeal planning decisions, and that successful appellants will have their fees covered, under the new Consolidated Planning and Development Act. [11845/23]

Electoral Process

Emer Higgins

207. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide an update on the reform of electoral laws to prevent donations from non-citizens outside the State influencing elections; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10262/23]

Electoral Process

Emer Higgins

208. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide an update on the measures his Department is taking to ensure that political parties’ electoral spending accounts are fully compliant, transparent and publicly accountable; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10263/23]

Tax Code

Emer Higgins

67. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Finance his plans to increase the tax-free allowance for pensioners to bring it in line with the new allowance for workers. [11283/23]

Tax Code

Emer Higgins

79. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Finance his plans to review the 41% exit tax charged on life-wrapped funds sold by life assurance companies and from exchange trade funds. [11282/23]

Cycling Facilities

Emer Higgins

33. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Transport the cycle paths his Department has identified to cut carbon emissions and ease traffic congestion in Lucan, County Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9939/23]

Renewable Energy Generation

Emer Higgins

152. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications whether new battery storage projects are required to participate in and apply to the renewable electricity support scheme to ensure community participation in energy projects with a mandatory community benefit fund to be used for the wider economic, environmental, social and cultural well-being of the local community; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10738/23]

Public Sector Pensions

Emer Higgins

182. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Transport if he will request that Córas Iompair Éireann provide a detailed explanation, including all of the outstanding information sought by the statutory ‘1951 Scheme’ Committee of Trustees, in respect of the failure of the CIÉ board to act in a timely manner in relation to investment decisions from the end of March 2020 to 13 May 2020, which lead to an as yet unspecified financial loss to the pension scheme it was responsible for; and if he will provide answers to the preliminary questions outlined in the Elected Trustee Bulletin, dated 20 February (details supplied). [10780/23]

Public Sector Pensions

Emer Higgins

183. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Transport if he will compel Córas Iompair Éireann to provide answers to the questions posed by Elected Trustees in relation to Agreed Actuarial Protocols, as outlined in their Elected Trustee Bulletin, dated 20 February 2023. [10781/23]

Public Sector Pensions

Emer Higgins

184. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Transport if his attention has been drawn to a campaign asking that he not sign any amending statutory instrument changing the benefits of members of the CIÉ ‘1951 Scheme’ because the ‘1951’ Committee of Trustees’ independent actuary has confirmed that the ‘1951 Scheme’ now meets the Minimum Funding Standard provisions of the Pensions Act, 1990 and is solvent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10805/23]

International Protection

Emer Higgins

288. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Health if he will outline plans for a facility (details supplied). [10618/23]

Energy Conservation

Emer Higgins

102. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications his views on his latest announcement regarding a new low-cost State loan to retrofit homes; the expected uptake of this loan in the next five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9940/23]

National Car Test

Emer Higgins

195. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Transport if his attention has been drawn to the difficulties some motorists are having with securing fully comprehensive motor insurance because they have not been able to renew their NCT in time due to considerable delays with the NCT appointment service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9921/23]

Repatriation Costs

Emer Higgins

312. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if his attention has been drawn to the campaign to repatriate the remains of a historical figure (details supplied) from Belgium to Ireland; if his Department will be assisting with the repatriation effort given the heritage significance of the person's final resting place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9514/23]

School Staff

Emer Higgins

333. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Education if she has considered allowing new teachers with practical experience in subjects relevant to that which they teach (details supplied), to start out on a higher pay scale based on their prior non-teaching experience; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9468/23]

Social Welfare Eligibility

Emer Higgins

416. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason a person applying for home caring in the context of State pension (contributory) must have a date of birth after 11 September 1946, even when they have paid in excess of 520 paid contributions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10012/23]

Health Services

Emer Higgins

598. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Health if he will follow up with the HSE to request that a reply is issued in relation to a representation made to it (details supplied). [9801/23]

Hospital Admissions

Emer Higgins

600. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to a change in the model of care for a hospital (details supplied) from a walk-in urgent care clinic for children to an appointment-only service; the feasibility of changing this clinic back to a walk-in service to better meet parent’s and children’s emergency needs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9804/23]

Energy Conservation

Emer Higgins

165. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will report on his Department’s progress in delivering a low-cost loan guarantee scheme to encourage homeowners to undertake home energy upgrades under the national retrofitting and home energy upgrade programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8416/23]

Driver Test

Emer Higgins

192. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Transport the delays professional public service drivers are experiencing in terms of getting out on the road due to the time lag between applying for a test and the test date, combined with the average time it takes to process a CPC card after a driver successfully completes the test. [8304/23]

Driver Test

Emer Higgins

193. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Transport if he will authorise the issuing of a temporary 31-day CPC card to drivers who successfully complete their professional driving test in order to get newly qualified bus drivers out on the road serving local communities quicker; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8305/23]

Teacher Training

Emer Higgins

438. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Education if she has considered amending the student teacher Gaeltacht grant to provide full State funding of mandatory Gaeltacht placement for all student teachers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8819/23]

Social Welfare Eligibility

Emer Higgins

460. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason that a person who is living alone at home but is a qualified adult on their spouses' pension, who resides in a nursing home, does not qualify for the living alone allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8138/23]

An Garda Síochána

Emer Higgins

578. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Justice the number of Garda cars that are currently allocated per station in the L and K districts; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8638/23]