Parliamentary questions

Disability Services

Emer Higgins

88. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Health the steps that his Department is taking to address the long wait times for respite services for people with intellectual disabilities in the CHO 7 area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61344/22]

Energy Prices

Emer Higgins

199. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the reason that a group of 95 apartment owners can avail of domestic rate electricity usage in respect of their apartments but have to pay commercial rate usage on the lighting of common areas, halls, stairways landings, corridors and so on in their apartment block; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61560/22]

Ukraine War

Emer Higgins

30. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he has engaged with the HSE to examine if a site at Crooksling, Brittas, County Dublin is suitable for use for medium-term accommodation for Ukrainian refugees; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61110/22]

Antisocial Behaviour

Emer Higgins

24. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Justice her plans to tackle the rise in anti-social behaviour in our capital city; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60629/22]

Recycling Policy

Emer Higgins

122. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the reason for the exclusion of glass bottles in the recently announced deposit return scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60562/22]

Energy Conservation

Emer Higgins

124. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if extenuating priority consideration can be given to applicants for the one stop shop full grant house BER improvement scheme in cases in which a person is terminally ill and requires their home to be made warmer and more comfortable for health reasons; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60588/22]

Departmental Data

Emer Higgins

260. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs further to Parliamentary Question No. 302 of 29 November 2022, if he will provide a sectoral breakdown as between pharmaceutical, financial services, aircraft leasing, migration-work permits, interstate adoptions, miscellaneous notarial certs and so on; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60664/22]

Pension Provisions

Emer Higgins

360. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Social Protection the measures are in place to assist people who feel their pension was devalued by mismanagement through wind up, (details supplied). [60584/22]

Social Welfare Payments

Emer Higgins

361. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will consider adapting the living-alone allowance criteria to allow a person to rent a room in their home to an international healthcare worker who has come to Ireland to work, without this impacting on their living alone allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60608/22]

Childcare Services

Emer Higgins

392. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the supports that are in place to support mothers of children under three years of age who cannot find childcare before they return to work after maternity leave; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60193/22]

Housing Provision

Emer Higgins

29. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide an update on the delivery of affordable housing under Housing For All in Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59369/22]

Further and Higher Education

Emer Higgins

101. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the steps that his Department is taking to financially support those undertaking PHD studies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59309/22]

Further and Higher Education

Emer Higgins

123. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the progress that his Department is making to reduce third level fees for students; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59308/22]

School Facilities

Emer Higgins

256. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Education if she will provide clarification on the perimeter of a school (details supplied) for the purposes of accessing a green area for the students, which would require a fence around it and need to be beside the school in order to keep the children safe. [60030/22]

Social Welfare Payments

Emer Higgins

123. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Social Protection if persons who are on long-term illness benefit for 12 months or longer will receive the Christmas bonus payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [58936/22]

Rail Network

Emer Higgins

193. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Transport the status of the opening of Kishogue train station; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58856/22]

Transport Policy

Emer Higgins

211. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Transport the way that he intends to classify electric scooters in relation to the use of footpaths, cycle lanes, speed limits and insurance obligations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59311/22]

Departmental Data

Emer Higgins

302. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of documents that his Department has authenticated, apostilled and legalised in each of the years 2017 to 2021 and to date in 2022; the amount that has been received in fees by his Department for these services in those years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58691/22]

School Staff

Emer Higgins

324. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Education the guidelines for providing a secretarial allowance to principals who act as secretariat to the board of management at their school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [58690/22]

Social Welfare Code

Emer Higgins

426. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Social Protection the percentage of domiciliary care allowance applications that are approved on first application, appeal and any subsequent appeal; and the number of these that relate to children with autism. [59194/22]

Community Employment Schemes

Emer Higgins

439. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Social Protection the measures that are being taken to ensure that the CE scheme is working optimally. [53842/22]

International Protection

Emer Higgins

518. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of hotels that the State is currently utilising to accommodate Ukrainians and other international refugees; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59381/22]

Defence Forces

Emer Higgins

55. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Defence if he will provide an update on the current level of interest in starting a career in the Defence Forces in comparison to previous years, particularly among women; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57486/22]

Online Safety

Emer Higgins

72. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Education the way that online safety and awareness is currently incorporated into the school curriculum at primary and post-primary school level; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57484/22]

Special Educational Needs

Emer Higgins

114. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Education her plans to increase the availability of ASD specific school places at primary school level in the Dublin mid-west area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57485/22]

School Management

Emer Higgins

222. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Education the reason that some principals who act as secretary to the Board of Management in their school receive the allowance for principals who act as secretary to the Board of Management, while other principals in this position receive the larger secretary Board of Management allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [58638/22]

Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Emer Higgins

223. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Education if the Covid-19 capitation grant to provide for enhanced cleaning services and the purchase of necessary cleaning supplies in schools will be continued going forward to allow schools to maintain the current level of cleanliness achieved with assistance from this grant; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [58639/22]

Departmental Programmes

Emer Higgins

347. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if she will re-examine the electoral divisions in the Clondalkin electoral area which are included in the Leader programme, in preparation for the new programme commencing in January 2023, in order to ensure that the full catchment of the rural areas of Baldonnel and Newcastle are included in the programme, with particular consideration for the FY electoral division which includes a farm (details supplied) which will soon be home to a vibrant local sports club; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [58516/22]

Environmental Schemes

Emer Higgins

197. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the reason that a person would be ineligible for energy efficiency upgrades, such as attic and wall insulation, if they choose not to upgrade their heating system; the way in which his Department can include persons who use home heating oil in the retrofitting programme in order to help towards their household bills whilst also helping tackle climate change; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58059/22]

Tax Code

Emer Higgins

240. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Finance if he will consider introducing a two-tiered BIK system based on a person’s income, given the impact that the BIK changes introduced in Budget 2023 will have on workers during the cost-of-living crisis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57640/22]

Insurance Industry

Emer Higgins

246. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Finance if his Department will examine the matter of decreasing insurance premiums for retired individuals no longer commuting to and from work by car; if this is a matter which the subgroup on insurance reform is considering; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57954/22]

Social Welfare Appeals

Emer Higgins

440. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to a potentially offensive contact name (details supplied) given to persons appealing a decision on their social protection payment; if this is a matter that she can change; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57510/22]

Social Welfare Benefits

Emer Higgins

462. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to an issue (details supplied) being experienced by haulage drivers when they attempt to claim social welfare during periods of unemployment; if she will take steps to remedy the issue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57914/22]

Ukraine War

Emer Higgins

491. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if the accommodation recognition payment for households accommodating Ukrainian refugees will be increased, given the current increase in the cost of living; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57960/22]

Road Safety

Emer Higgins

564. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Justice further to Parliamentary Question Nos. 324 and 325 of 6 October 2022, if she will provide a wider breakdown of the locations from which scrambler bikes referenced were seized in 2021 and to date in 2022. [57964/22]

Mental Health Services

Emer Higgins

580. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Health the amount of funding that has been allocated to the establishment of the national psychology placement office as recommended in the HSE psychology report of January 2021; when he expects the office to be operational; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57286/22]

Disability Services

Emer Higgins

581. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Health the current policy for the management of urgent cases within children’s disability network teams; if a CNDT can carry out a diagnostic assessment without instruction from the assessment of needs’ division; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57288/22]

Health Services

Emer Higgins

702. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Health if the support of a dietitian is available to persons living in Newcastle, County Dublin and Clondalkin, Dublin 22 who have recently been diagnosed as coeliacs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57970/22]

Vaccination Programme

Emer Higgins

703. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Health the reason that first-year students from a school (details supplied) are being asked to travel to a HSE facility in Cherry Orchard to avail of the HPV vaccine which is normally administered in schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57971/22]

School Enrolments

Emer Higgins

196. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Education further to Parliamentary Question No. 252 of 10 November 2022, if she will confirm that Castlelyon Green, Newcastle is in the catchment area for schools (details supplied); and if so, if she will arrange for the catchment area maps to be updated and recirculated to all the local schools. [57050/22]

Public Procurement Contracts

Emer Higgins

95. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the steps his Department is taking to reduce the cost of building materials; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56229/22]

Equality Proofing

Emer Higgins

118. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the measures his Department has taken and which have been effective in promoting equality in Ireland under equality budgeting; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56230/22]

Urban Development

Emer Higgins

263. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will consider allocating space and funding for a public allotment in all new public parks, particularly those under the URDF scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56187/22]

School Curriculum

Emer Higgins

346. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Education if a gambling addiction preventative and awareness education programme has been rolled out in secondary schools; if so, when was it launched; if she will; provide details of the programme; and if not, if there are plans for a gambling addiction preventative and awareness education programme to be rolled out in secondary schools across Ireland. [56498/22]

Employment Support Services

Emer Higgins

401. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Social Protection if any directives have been given to Intreo staff on the way to deal with those aged 65 years respectfully in their transition from working to being in receipt of a pension; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56584/22]

Departmental Funding

Emer Higgins

430. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if his Department will consider providing sponsorship for the Christmas lights in Saggart, County Dublin, under his Department's integration remit given that Saggart hosts Ireland's only reception centre for refugees; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56189/22]

An Garda Síochána

Emer Higgins

464. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Justice if her Department implements a retention strategy to keep members of An Garda Síochána in the force; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56225/22]

An Garda Síochána

Emer Higgins

465. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Justice the number of members of An Garda Síochána who were hired in the years 2021 and to date in 2022; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56226/22]

An Garda Síochána

Emer Higgins

466. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Justice the number of members of An Garda Síochána who retired in the years 2021 and to date in 2022; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56227/22]

An Garda Síochána

Emer Higgins

467. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Justice the number of members of An Garda Síochána who left the force due to resignation rather than retirement in the years 2021 and to date in 2022; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56228/22]