Parliamentary questions

Medical Aids and Appliances

Mattie McGrath

647. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Health the current waiting times for aids and appliances for those under 18 years of age in CHO5 which covers south Tipperary; the length of time that they have been waiting; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58939/22]

Legal Aid

Mattie McGrath

147. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Justice the value of criminal legal aid claimed in each respective county under each of the various criminal legal aid schemes in each of the years 2012 to 2021 and date in 2022, in tabular form. [58263/22]

Legal Aid

Mattie McGrath

148. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Justice the names and specific amount paid to the top ten solicitors or legal companies that were the recipients of free legal aid contracts or work from 2012 to 2021, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [58264/22]

Legal Aid

Mattie McGrath

149. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Justice the names and specific amount paid to the top ten barristers or legal companies who were the recipients of free legal aid contracts or work from 2012 to 2021, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [58265/22]

Legal Aid

Mattie McGrath

150. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Justice the specific amount of criminal legal aid, under each of the various criminal legal aid schemes that has been paid out to date in 2022; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [58266/22]

Legal Aid

Mattie McGrath

151. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Justice the number of legal aid certificates issued in each of the years from 2012 to 2021 and to date 2022; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [58267/22]

Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements

Mattie McGrath

148. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his recent attendance at COP27. [57284/22]

Business Supports

Mattie McGrath

239. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Finance the reason that the temporary business energy support scheme excludes businesses whose main source of energy is oil, particularly in rural areas where gas is not available (details supplied); if he will modify the scheme to include such businesses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57436/22]

Housing Schemes

Mattie McGrath

312. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will increase the maximum purchase property ceiling band for Tipperary under the first homes scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58010/22]

State Bodies

Mattie McGrath

429. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Social Protection the current position in relation to the ex-gratia payments for Fás supervisors; when the payment will be made; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57472/22]

Disability Services

Mattie McGrath

609. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Health when funding will be approved for a person (details supplied) with disabilities to take-up a residential placement in County Tipperary; the reason for the delay; if urgent funding will be approved; the person or body that is responsible in the HSE for releasing the funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57508/22]

School Transport

Mattie McGrath

104. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Education when individual transport to and from a school (details supplied) will be arranged for a child with special needs in County Tipperary who is currently unable to attend school due to having no school transport; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56819/22]

Disability Services

Mattie McGrath

173. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Health the number of children with disabilities in south Tipperary who are receiving shared residential services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56799/22]

Disability Services

Mattie McGrath

174. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Health the number of children with disabilities in south Tipperary who are classed as being in need of shared residential services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56800/22]

Disability Services

Mattie McGrath

175. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Health the number of new shared residential services that have been developed in the past five years in south Tipperary; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56801/22]

Disability Services

Mattie McGrath

176. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Health the full list of respite services that are available to children with disabilities in south Tipperary; if they are operational on a full-time or part-time basis; the number of children who are in receipt of these respite services; the timeframe between a respite session; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56802/22]

Housing Policy

Mattie McGrath

270. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when an increase in the social housing income thresholds in County Tipperary will be increased; the reason that the thresholds were not increased in Tipperary in the last review; the percentage of a household's income that is deemed a reasonable percentage to be paid on rent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56319/22]

Housing Policy

Mattie McGrath

271. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if an exception will be made to take into account the pressures that a person (details supplied) was under from the healthcare sector to work the additional shifts to cover leave and which has now resulted in homelessness; if he will consider this case and the urgent need to increase the income thresholds in County Tipperary; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56320/22]

Weather Events

Mattie McGrath

5. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Transport if emergency funding for drainage works and the repair of roads networks will be provided to Tipperary County Council in response to severe flooding and unprecedented levels of rainfall; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56055/22]

Tax Collection

Mattie McGrath

152. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Finance if he and his Government will instruct the Revenue Commissioners, and by extension Revenue sheriffs, to place a suspension on the reported avalanche of revenue debt enforcement referrals, pertaining to the collection of tax debt on SMEs until at least the end of 2023, given that small businesses are struggling with the fallout from forced pandemic lockdowns and are now dealing within an energy costs crisis; and if he will accept that pursuing this debt enforcement would cause many otherwise viable businesses to fail, with wide-scale job losses for tens of thousands of small Irish businesses and their employees. [51439/22]

Departmental Licences

Mattie McGrath

134. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the current status of the Barryroe oilfield application for drilling licence; if a decision has been issued; if not, the reason for the ongoing delays; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55260/22]

Crime Prevention

Mattie McGrath

257. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Finance the number of drug seizures which were seized on entry into Ireland in 2022; the location of such seizures; if he is concerned regarding the level of drugs entering the country; the efforts that are being taken to clamp down on drugs entering the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54366/22]

Broadcasting Sector

Mattie McGrath

340. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the plans to abolish or reduce the broadcast levy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55126/22]

Water Services

Mattie McGrath

344. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if the Government carried out a review of the service level agreement between Irish Water and local authorities to provide a statutory mandate to Irish Water to repair and restore combined drains systems that were previously under the remit of local authorities, as agreed by Dáil Éireann by way of a Private Members' motion on water services; the outcome of this review; if a new service level agreement has been put in place; if Irish Water will repair and restore combined drains; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55610/22]

Charitable and Voluntary Organisations

Mattie McGrath

407. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if an organisation, which is a voluntary organisation that uses a property exclusively for charitable purposes and otherwise than for private profit, must be a registered charity in order to be exempt from local authority rates; if its sole purpose of using the property exclusively for charitable purposes is sufficient to exempt it from commercial rates without being on the charity register; if the term "charitable organisations" within the Valuation Act 2001 refers only to those organisations which are registered charities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55191/22]

Ukraine War

Mattie McGrath

460. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the numbers of Ukrainian refugees and numbers of persons seeking international protection that each European Union Member State has received to date in 2022; the numbers per capita; the reason that Ireland has received a much higher number per capita; the specific EU legislation which states that Ireland cannot cap numbers being received; the specific obligations placed on Ireland as a result of Ireland’s EU membership; if the pressures on the Irish system have been relayed to Ireland’s European partners; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55207/22]

Special Educational Needs

Mattie McGrath

547. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Education the additional resources that will be provided to schools following the recent announcement that the NCSE would be nominating an 'appropriate person’ to carry out an assessment of educational needs on behalf of the HSE under the AON process; the appropriate qualifications required to carry out an assessment of educational needs on behalf of the HSE; the way in which the statutory duty of the NCSE can be passed onto school principals; if this new policy takes account of the High Court judgement on the child’s rights to an assessment of needs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54442/22]

Substance Misuse

Mattie McGrath

810. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he is concerned regarding the levels of drug-taking within Ireland's third level student community; the efforts that can be taken to clamp down on drug use within the student community; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54367/22]

Probate Applications

Mattie McGrath

844. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Justice the efforts that can be made to expedite probate cases where a delay in finalising probate is resulting in properties remaining vacant; and if records are available on the number of vacant properties held up in the probate process [54343/22]

Mental Health Services

Mattie McGrath

967. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Health if funding will be released to allow a family to access urgent psychiatric opinion due to a child's urgent needs and the HSE being unable to provide for his needs in a reasonable timeframe; if the HSE are able to provide an urgent psychiatric opinion for the child; if the HSE are unable to meet his needs as a matter of urgency, where the family will get immediate care for their son; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54415/22]

Hospital Services

Mattie McGrath

1151. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Health the reason Tipperary University Hospital is not covered by the NCCP grant for those travelling to the hospital for cancer treatment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55123/22]

International Protection

Mattie McGrath

145. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Justice her views on a matter (details supplied) in relation to the number of persons seeking international protection in the State; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53714/22]

Water Services

Mattie McGrath

308. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his Department will carry out an audit on the response times between Irish Water and local authorities; if his Department will carry out an audit on response times to the public representative line; if an audit will be carried out on the reasons for the long delays in obtaining updates from Irish Water; the reasons for such poor communication between the two bodies and public representatives; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52990/22]

Water Services

Mattie McGrath

309. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will report on the number of outstanding representations between Irish Water and Tipperary County Council; the reasons for the inability of Irish Water to obtain updates from Tipperary County Council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52992/22]

Special Educational Needs

Mattie McGrath

375. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Education if she will provide clarity on the situation in relation to substitution cover particularly for ASD classes at primary level (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52829/22]

Special Educational Needs

Mattie McGrath

424. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Education further to Parliamentary Question No. 101 of 19 October 2022, her plans to increase the number of generalised learning disability units to provide additional supports to children with additional needs who do not have an ASD diagnosis but who require the supports of a specialised placement (details supplied); the reason that only those children with an ASD diagnosis are being prioritised for specialist placements given that a number of other disabilities also require specialised placements as recommended in a professional report; if she will list the disabilities supported by generalised learning disabilities; the number of generalised learning disabilities units per county; the number of generalised learning disability units opened in 2021 and 2022; the number of generalised learning disability units planned for 2022 and 2023; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53568/22]

Departmental Data

Mattie McGrath

553. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Justice the current occupancy rate in all of the State prisons; her views on the capacity in the Prison Service; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52969/22]

Disability Services

Mattie McGrath

633. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Health the number of families that are currently waiting for an individual family service plan in children's disability network teams; the percentage of those waiting for an individual family service plans that have received their IFSP; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53047/22]

Health Services

Mattie McGrath

79. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Health the number of drug support workers in County Tipperary; the supports available for young persons with drug addictions in County Tipperary; the steps that will be taken to address the growing drugs crisis in County Tipperary; the measures that his Department is taking to work with An Garda Síochána and other bodies to break the cycle of more young people falling into addiction; the number of people being supported with drug addiction in County Tipperary; the supports available to meet the cost of addiction counselling and rehabilitation; the supports that can be made available to help those who have come through rehabilitation and are facing homelessness, bringing greater risk of falling back into addiction without appropriate housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52630/22]

School Staff

Mattie McGrath

253. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Education the length of time that it takes her Department to put a new teaching contract into payment; the reason that it is taking up to eight weeks to pay teachers who take up new contracts; if she is satisfied that new teachers and teachers taking up new contracts are being left without payment for such long periods during a cost-of-living crisis; the numbers of new contracts currently being processed; the number of new contracts that took more than two weeks to be processed in 2022; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52680/22]

Disability Services

Mattie McGrath

314. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Health if his Department will carry-out a thorough national audit on those living with disabilities in this country which will help inform the Government on the needs of those living with disabilities, the level and extent of their disability, their needs for the future, the failings of the system and the areas with which they require most assistance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52631/22]

Special Educational Needs

Mattie McGrath

101. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Education further to Parliamentary Question No. 82 of 12 October 2022, if she will clarify where it has been recommended in a professional report that a specialist placement is in the interests of a student with neurodevelopment diagnosis, if such a student is entitled to seek a placement in an ASD unit despite not having a specific ASD diagnosis (details supplied); if it is Government policy and that of the NCSE that only children with an ASD diagnosis can access ASD units, or if all children who have a professional report recommending a specialist placement are equally entitled to seek a placement in an ASD class; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52161/22]

Early Childhood Care and Education

Mattie McGrath

165. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of AIM supported childcare positions available in County Tipperary together; the location of all AIM supported childcare services in County Tipperary; the supports that are available to a child with special needs who cannot access childcare services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52320/22]

Mental Health Services

Mattie McGrath

207. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Health if there is a memorandum of understanding agreement to provide access to private mental health beds in the absence of public beds for children attending CAMHS; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52075/22]

Disability Services

Mattie McGrath

249. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Health the number of children waiting to access child development services with the Brothers of Charity in County Tipperary; the number of child development services places available to pre-school children in County Tipperary; the supports that are available for children who cannot access pre-school childcare due to their disability and lack of appropriate services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52321/22]

Electronic Tagging

Mattie McGrath

647. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Justice the number of times that electronic tagging of criminals has been used since the introduction of legislation enabling it in 2006; the reason for the delay in enacting this legislation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51246/22]

Health Services

Mattie McGrath

680. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Health the status of all local health centres in County Tipperary that closed during Covid-19; the centres that have re-opened; the centres that remain closed; when all centres will be re-opened; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51155/22]

Disability Services

Mattie McGrath

770. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Health when the National Information Management System for the CDNT’s will be in operation; the timeline; the reason this is taking so long; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51542/22]

Disability Services

Mattie McGrath

771. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Health the current staff vacancy rate within CDNT 4 and 5; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51543/22]

Health Services Staff

Mattie McGrath

772. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Health if his Department have carried out a review of the reason staff are leaving the HSE; if not, if he will establish a review team to carry out such a review and carry out exit interviews to gather the reason staff are leaving the HSE particularly disability services in such numbers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51544/22]