Parliamentary questions

Rural Social Scheme

John Brady

85. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans for the future of the rural social scheme and community employment; the impact these changes will have on current participants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17952/17]

Rent Supplement Scheme Eligibility

John Brady

87. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will end the current situation in which child maintenance is included as a source of income in the calculation of rent supplement for lone parents; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17951/17]

Community Employment Schemes Eligibility

John Brady

343. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Social Protection if a person can receive an extension to their community employment scheme if they are over 62 years of age; if this extension can be up until pension age; when this measure as part of community employment reform will be available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17538/17]

Data Protection

John Brady

344. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Social Protection his views on communications between an elected representative and Turas Nua regarding a person engaged with Turas Nua with the person's consent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17539/17]

Social Welfare Benefits

John Brady

345. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to reinstate a diet supplement payment; the way in which persons, particularly those in receipt of social welfare payments, are to manage these payments without the diet supplement payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17540/17]

Community Employment Schemes Operation

John Brady

350. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to phase out crèche and play school service provision by community employment schemes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17622/17]

Community Employment Schemes Operation

John Brady

351. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to provide additional resourcing for QQI level six training for community employment participants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17623/17]

Community Employment Schemes Administration

John Brady

352. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will consider increasing the additional supplement provided to community employment participants in view of increased transport costs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17624/17]

JobPath Implementation

John Brady

353. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Social Protection if it is his Department's policy objective to place jobseekers in JobPath in preference over community employment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17625/17]

Labour Activation Programmes

John Brady

354. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Social Protection the precise criteria required for a person to transfer from JobPath to community employment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17626/17]

Local Employment Service

John Brady

355. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Social Protection if it is his Department's policy to replace local employment service mediators; if so, his plans to replace them; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17627/17]

JobPath Implementation

John Brady

361. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Social Protection the amount the JobPath programme has cost to date, including the entire tendering process, the use of economic research specialists and legal costs; the amount the programme will cost the taxpayer by the end of the four-five year cycle; if there are any breaks or penalty clauses if the Government decides on the early termination of the contract; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17704/17]

JobPath Implementation

John Brady

362. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Social Protection the rationale for the basic requirement to be considered eligible to bid for JobPath that a company had a minimum turnover of €20 million per year, which excluded many local companies and voluntary organisations from the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17705/17]

Community Employment Schemes Operation

John Brady

366. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans for a two-stream approach to community employment; the changes that are planned in this regard; the responsibilities this will place on schemes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17876/17]

Fire Service Staff

John Brady

448. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the reason members of the fire services were not awarded with 1916 commemorative medals along with other front-line emergency services in 2016; if she will review this and present members of the fire services with the 1916 commemorative medals; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17497/17]

Occupational Therapy

John Brady

534. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Health the number of persons on waiting lists to see an occupational therapist in health centres in County Wicklow, including Baltinglass and Blessington; the average waiting time in each of the health centres; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17825/17]

Rent Controls

John Brady

19. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the reason his Department omitted Greystones, County Wicklow from the rent pressure zones list; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17115/17]

Planning Issues

John Brady

42. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to planning concerns at Wicklow County Council which successive Ministers have committed to examining; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17114/17]

Driver Licences

John Brady

99. Deputy John Brady asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of persons who wrongfully lost their driving licences as a result of serious discrepancies within the work of An Garda Síochána; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16878/17]

Motor Insurance

John Brady

100. Deputy John Brady asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of persons who were overcharged for motor insurance as a result of penalty points on their driving licences due to the serious discrepancies within the work of An Garda Síochána; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16879/17]

Court Accommodation Provision

John Brady

106. Deputy John Brady asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the status of the annual costs incurred for maintaining the unused courthouse in Wicklow town, including the heating, electricity and security costs, every year since its closure; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16943/17]

Court Accommodation Provision

John Brady

107. Deputy John Brady asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if she will reopen the courthouse in Wicklow town and move Wicklow District Court back to Wicklow town; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16944/17]

Family Income Supplement Payments

John Brady

240. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Social Protection if a family income supplement payment has been suspended from any person for engaging in industrial action since the introduction of the payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16945/17]

Disability Allowance Data

John Brady

246. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated annual cost of increasing disability allowance in line with inflation plus €4 in each of the years 2018 to 2022. [17027/17]

Disability Allowance Data

John Brady

247. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost of increasing disability allowance by €20 and index linking it to inflation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17063/17]

Flood Relief Schemes

John Brady

256. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if his attention has been drawn to the fact that material from the River Dargle, Bray, County Wicklow, was used for the construction of the R755 road at Roundwood as part of the River Dargle flood protection scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16946/17]

Flood Relief Schemes

John Brady

257. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the amount of material that was taken from the River Dargle site in Bray, County Wicklow, as part of the River Dargle flood protection scheme; if a waste licence was applied for to the EPA for the removal of the material; if testing was carried out on the materials; if the material was all in earth material; if the local engineer in Roundwood Vartry Reservoir or Irish Water was consulted on this and if they had any objections to this work; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16947/17]

Flood Relief Schemes

John Brady

258. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if his attention has been drawn to the fact that material from the River Dargle, Bray ,County Wicklow, was used for the construction of the R755 road at Roundwood as part of the River Dargle flood protection scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16948/17]

Flood Relief Schemes

John Brady

259. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the amount of material that was taken from the River Dargle site in Bray, County Wicklow, as part of the River Dargle flood protection scheme; if a waste licence was applied for to the EPA for the removal of the material; if testing was carried out on the materials; if the material was all in earth material; if the local engineer in Roundwood Vartry Reservoir or Irish Water were consulted on this and if they had any objections to this work; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16949/17]

Hospital Staff Recruitment

John Brady

562. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Health the location on which the new oncology specialist appointment at St. Vincent's University Hospital was advertised; the number of applications received; the number of persons interviewed for the post; the draft score sheet used to mark each candidate; the basis upon which the successful candidate was chosen; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16682/17]

Hospital Staff Recruitment

John Brady

563. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Health if he will allow a member of the European Society for Medical Oncology to carry out an independent review of the résumés and references of the candidates for the position of oncology specialist at St. Vincent's University Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16683/17]

Cycling Policy

John Brady

647. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his views on the lack of safe cycling infrastructure in place in view of the high percentage of road deaths among cyclists; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16391/17]

Cycling Policy

John Brady

648. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to reduce the number of cyclists killed in road deaths, including plans for investment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16392/17]

Medical Card Applications

John Brady

397. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Health the reason a person's (details supplied) application for a medical card has not yet been processed despite providing additional requested documentation to his Department on 17 February 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15365/17]

Environmental Protection Agency Licences

John Brady

531. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if an Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, licence is required for the development of an anaerobic digester; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15112/17]

Housing Issues

John Brady

159. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the number of improvement and prohibition notices served by each local authority over the past five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14404/17]

Ports Facilities

John Brady

259. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the number and location of deep sea and deep water ports; the tonnage coming through each port for the past five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14405/17]

Tourism Data

John Brady

266. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the number of tourists visiting County Wicklow on an annual basis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14500/17]

Tourism Funding

John Brady

267. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the percentage of his Department's budget spent on tourism, including a breakdown of these costs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14501/17]

Tourism Funding

John Brady

268. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the available grants for local communities to develop tourism opportunities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14502/17]

Public Transport Provision

John Brady

269. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to develop public transport links in County Wicklow, particularly in south-east Wicklow; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14503/17]

Family Law Cases

John Brady

93. Deputy John Brady asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the estimated full year cost of setting up an agency comparable to the child maintenance service in Northern Ireland. [13854/17]

Tax Credits

John Brady

173. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Finance if he has explored the possibility of introducing a disability tax credit similar to the blind persons tax credit; if so, the estimated costs of setting up such a tax credit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14040/17]

School Meals Programme

John Brady

315. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his Department is responsible for informing the Department of Social Protection of increased pupil numbers in primary schools that are in receipt of school meals programme funding; the way in which this information is supplied to the Department of Social Protection; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13416/17]

Mortgage to Rent Scheme Data

John Brady

469. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the number of mortgage to rent applications granted since its introduction, by county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14029/17]

Social Welfare Benefits

John Brady

479. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated total additional annual cost of ensuring via social welfare increases that all household types currently in receipt of a weekly social welfare payment are brought into compliance with the minimum income standards developed by an organisation (details supplied). [12798/17]

Social Welfare Benefits

John Brady

480. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated annual cost of index linking payments (details supplied) to inflation over the next five years. [12799/17]

Social Welfare Benefits

John Brady

481. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated annual cost of index linking all weekly social welfare payments to inflation over the next five years. [12800/17]

Social Welfare Benefits

John Brady

482. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated annual cost of index linking all social welfare payments to inflation over the next five years. [12801/17]

Social Welfare Benefits

John Brady

483. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated annual additional cost of ensuring via social welfare increases that all household types currently in receipt of a weekly working age social welfare payment are brought into compliance with the minimum income standards developed by an organisation (details supplied) and index linking weekly State pension rates to inflation over the next five years. [12802/17]