Parliamentary questions

Departmental Strategies

Richard Bruton

33. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if his Department is developing sectoral strategies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53402/22]

Trade Data

Richard Bruton

58. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if the exports of Irish-owned companies are being successfully diversified; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53403/22]

Community Development Projects

Richard Bruton

73. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if she will develop a set of initiatives to support the strengthening of new communities in rapid growth areas on the fringe of Ireland's cities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53400/22]

Departmental Schemes

Richard Bruton

120. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if she will provide an update on the roll-out of the town centre first initiative; and when a fresh round of calls is planned. [53401/22]

Public Sector Pensions

Richard Bruton

181. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if it is possible for pensioners to get a printed copy of their civil service pension payments in the event that they are not available online; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54011/22]

Grant Payments

Richard Bruton

184. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will outline the terms of the grant to build accommodation for a person with a severe disability, or to substantially modify an existing home; and if he will indicate whether he is considering the revision of these terms as the cost of building has substantially changed since they were set. [54087/22]

Third Level Fees

Richard Bruton

264. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the procedure through which degrees in early childhood education and education studies in a not-for-profit college (details supplied) are excluded from the free fees system; if he will consider an application for inclusion from the college; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54071/22]

Pension Provisions

Richard Bruton

47. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he plans to extend rights to consult on changes in pension schemes in the workplace to the representatives of pensioners; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53660/22]

Mother and Baby Homes

Richard Bruton

134. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if an external review of the investigation into mother-and-baby homes will be undertaken; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53667/22]

Housing Schemes

Richard Bruton

330. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the analysis that led to setting the threshold for cost rental at €53,000 net income, given that this is far below income levels which would give the capacity to families to purchase in Dublin even with the shared equity schemes; and if he will allow persons with income somewhat in excess of this threshold to apply for cost rental now or in the foreseeable future. [53478/22]

Public Services Card

Richard Bruton

486. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will arrange to have an appointment system put in place for a public service card procedures in view of the inconvenience of the present limited number of places each day resulting in many disappointed clients and long waiting periods. [53565/22]

Healthcare Policy

Richard Bruton

579. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Health if the condition that mental illness is only covered by the long-term illness card for those under 16 years has been challenged by the Ombudsman as discriminatory; if it is still being used as grounds for refusal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52727/22]

Disability Services

Richard Bruton

681. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Health if new policy approaches are being considered for the delivery of therapy services to pupils who need them; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53390/22]

Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Richard Bruton

696. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Health the progress that has been made in paying the Covid bonus to section 39 bodies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53472/22]

Antisocial Behaviour

Richard Bruton

6. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Justice the trends in antisocial behaviour since the end of Covid that require changes in the policy approaches taken by her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51943/22]

Crime Prevention

Richard Bruton

52. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Justice if she will indicate the learnings to date from the pilot initiatives in the new approach to community policing; and the implications they have for the roll-out of the approach nationwide. [51942/22]

Health Services Staff

Richard Bruton

127. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Health if the manpower planning exercise for Ireland's health service needs has identified the most immediate gaps to be filled and the longer-term needs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51945/22]

Hospital Waiting Lists

Richard Bruton

144. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Health if he will indicate the new capacity planned for the coming year in clearing waiting lists within the public system and through the NTPF; the estimated number of additional outpatient first-time consultations and the number of additional procedures which will be facilitated in each case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51944/22]

Energy Prices

Richard Bruton

190. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will indicate the way that the energy credit can be claimed if a person uses so little that the credit rests in their account and cannot be applied to their gas bill; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52508/22]

Planning Issues

Richard Bruton

224. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the implications that the recent enquiry into the affairs of An Bord Pleanála have for the status of previous decisions by the Board; and if the Board can proceed as envisaged with those decisions. [52516/22]

Departmental Strategies

Richard Bruton

316. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Health the way in which his Department is developing a strategy for carers; if closer integration of the work of his Department with other agencies is envisaged; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50626/22]

Disability Services

Richard Bruton

328. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on the work to replace the mobility allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52501/22]

Departmental Funding

Richard Bruton

353. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Health if his Department is satisfied that there are robust systems in place to prevent payments continuing to be issued under the GMS system to persons who are deceased; if overpaid moneys can be recovered when detected; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52616/22]

School Transport

Richard Bruton

417. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Education if there is any scheme to help support a bus service to a school (details supplied) where a significant number of pupils come a significant distance to school. [51187/22]

Education Schemes

Richard Bruton

588. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if his attention has been drawn to undergraduate students in the Marino Institute of Education not being eligible for the recent supports which he announced for students in the free undergraduate programmes; and if he will consider extending the arrangements to this not-for-profit college. [51212/22]

Childcare Services

Richard Bruton

149. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth his views on whether school premises could make a greater contribution to support the development of children in early childhood and outside of school hours; and if he will consider funding some demonstration projects for schools willing to be pioneers in developing a campus of activities to meet community needs. [50641/22]

Childcare Services

Richard Bruton

166. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will consider requesting an assessment from each county childcare committee of the balance between supply and demand in different areas of childcare; if he will request that they make a formal submission to the revision of each county development plan on the matter; if he will provide an update on existing supply constraints; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50637/22]

Energy Prices

Richard Bruton

467. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Health if he has assessed the implications of rising electricity costs for patients undertaking home dialysis; and if some special arrangements can be made. [51083/22]

Nursing Homes

Richard Bruton

168. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Health if he has been provided with an estimate of the increase in nursing home running costs; if the payment levels towards running costs under the fair deal scheme will be re-evaluated; and the provision that has been made for this in the estimates for 2023. [50443/22]

National Council for Special Education

Richard Bruton

116. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Education the way that the changes in the resources in the National Council for Special Education planned for 2023 will be deployed for the benefit of families. [49763/22]

Education Policy

Richard Bruton

132. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Education if she has adopted a strategy for improving leadership and performance evaluation in schools. [49766/22]

Energy Policy

Richard Bruton

187. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he has put restrictions on the work of obligated entities to support household energy upgrades; if he will identify these; and the reason that he has introduced those restrictions, particularly at a time when the European Union has demanded urgent and immediate reductions in energy use which can be most easily achieved by shallow measures. [49825/22]

Social Welfare Benefits

Richard Bruton

520. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Social Protection if a person who was unaware of their entitlement to household benefits when over the age of 70 years can claim retrospection to the point at which they turned 70 years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50264/22]

Foreign Policy

Richard Bruton

25. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will outline the humanitarian situation in Myanmar; and the initiatives that have been taken by the international community to address the situation. [48926/22]

United Nations

Richard Bruton

38. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will outline the discussions that are occurring at the United Nations regarding reform in its structures and procedures in the wake of multiple global crises. [48925/22]

Defence Forces

Richard Bruton

85. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Defence the way that Budget 2023 will commence the implementation of recommendations made by The Commission on the Defence Forces. [48931/22]

Departmental Meetings

Richard Bruton

191. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he has met with the Residential Tenancies Board to discuss the Customer Relations Management and in particular the ease with which clients can raise queries; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49235/22]

Mental Health Services

Richard Bruton

373. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Health if he has assessed the matter whereby persons suffering certain mental health conditions are only eligible for long-term illness while under the age of 16 years; if this constitutes age discrimination; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49286/22]

Disability Services

Richard Bruton

393. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Health if he has reviewed the supports for mobility of persons with a disability; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49377/22]

Housing Policy

Richard Bruton

282. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he has considered any intervention to assist older persons with a good income who find their age confines them to a small mortgage to acquire a suitable small dwelling; and if he will consider piloting a shared equity initiative targeted at such a category. [48198/22]

Social Welfare Benefits

Richard Bruton

410. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Social Protection if she has considered the reintroduction of a diet allowance on supplementary welfare in view of the potential hardship this can cause to those on low incomes. [47869/22]

Medicinal Products

Richard Bruton

729. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to reports that throughout the European Union, the medication evushed has been fast-tracked to ensure that patients with blood cancer can develop antibodies to resist Covid, which would otherwise have a very high fatality rate for such patients, but in Ireland, the National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics has required a lengthy heath-technical-assessment before it would consider sanctioning its use; if this approach accords with the precautionary approach which has characterised the Government's Covid policy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48649/22]

Housing Schemes

Richard Bruton

165. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the terms of the housing in situ scheme, which allows a local authority in certain circumstances to acquire a house with HAP tenants and retain the house as part of its rental stock, converting the HAP tenant to a council tenant; the assessment of suitable tenants that applies; the rules governing acquisition of the home that apply in 2022 and in the years ahead; and the estimated number of council tenancies that will be delivered in this way. [47761/22]

Medical Cards

Richard Bruton

266. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Health if he has considered the provision of support on the medical card for patients whose treatment requires an expensive diet. [47814/22]

Coast Guard Service

Richard Bruton

87. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Transport the protocols for emergency responses to incidents on Dublin’s beaches; if the Dublin Fire Brigade is notified of incidents; or if it is solely the Coast Guard that is informed. [47070/22]

Sports Funding

Richard Bruton

152. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if it has been decided when the next call for funding under the sports capital grant will be made; and if changes are planned in the format of the next call. [46702/22]

School Enrolments

Richard Bruton

256. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Education the school catchment area in which Clonshaugh, Dublin 17, is located; the primary and secondary schools in the catchment area; the nature of each school; if a location such as this directly adjoining and integrated with other urban school catchments can be accommodated in getting access to schools in neighbouring catchments in cases in which they would otherwise be considered as of lower priority. [46972/22]

School Transport

Richard Bruton

271. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Education if she has considered supports for schools that are not in the school transport scheme that seek to organise public transport to the school to improve the safety and sustainability of the journeys made by pupils to the school, which are now threatened by the rising fuel costs of coaches used. [47143/22]

State Examinations

Richard Bruton

275. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Education if she has plans to move the average points awarded in the leaving certificate back to the type of normal distribution which prevailed before Covid; and if so, the way that this will be accomplished. [47271/22]

Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Richard Bruton

455. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Health if paramedics and firefighters in the Dublin ambulance service qualify for the pandemic bonus payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46700/22]