Parliamentary questions

Public Transport

Richard Bruton

117. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Transport if he has considered the need for more pet-friendly policies on public transport in Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27347/22]

Third Level Fees

Richard Bruton

531. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will consider waiving some or all of the fees for students who have switched college courses, given that the experience of remote-learning distorted their ability to make a timely assessment that they were unsuited for their original choice of course. [27348/22]

National Treatment Purchase Fund

Richard Bruton

25. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Health if the National Treatment Purchase Fund has informed him of its strategy for 2022 in terms of planned procedures and planned outpatient visits for persons who have been waiting for a long-time; if so, the specialties; the targets for each specialty; the waiting time threshold at which the respective interventions would occur; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26877/22]

Nursing Homes

Richard Bruton

92. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Health if the concession of a €14,000 disregard on rental income for social welfare purposes will be extended to a disregard of rental income for the fair deal scheme. [26878/22]

Agriculture Industry

Richard Bruton

163. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the latest estimates of the margins per hectare in terms of family farm income generated from the different main forms of farming that is, dairy, beef herds, grain and so on. [26876/22]

Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Richard Bruton

171. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he has assessed the value of greenhouse gas savings over a twenty-year timeframe, calculated at the carbon price used in capital project evaluation under the public spending codes of diversification initiatives (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26875/22]

Air Quality

Richard Bruton

14. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Transport if his Department has examined the merit of requiring persons to switch-off the engines of their vehicles when queuing in areas in which there are problems with air quality. [26563/22]

Special Educational Needs

Richard Bruton

113. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Education if special schools have a high take-up of summer programmes; and if steps can be taken to encourage a higher take-up given that these children are those most likely to benefit from such a programme and are likely to regress if they do not attend, even if some home tuition is provided. [26811/22]

School Patronage

Richard Bruton

118. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Education if her Department has undertaken a review of the manner in which schools with religious patrons have delivered on the obligations to children for whom it has been indicated that they do not wish to participate in religious arrangements; and if she is considering issuing guidelines on the matter. [26888/22]

School Patronage

Richard Bruton

119. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Education if she plans to initiate a programme of transfer of patronage at second level in areas in which there is substantial demand for non-denominational patronage, but no schools are serving that need. [26889/22]

School Patronage

Richard Bruton

120. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Education the authority, the budget and the mandate of the facilitators who seek to achieve the transfer of patronage in eight pilot areas; if their new role has taken learnings from the previous initiative by the education and training boards which have had limited success; the form that the consultation with parents will take in the eight areas; and the way that parents will be chosen for participation. [26890/22]

Crime Prevention

Richard Bruton

27. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Justice the actions that her Department is taking, including legislative action to break the link between gangland criminals and children they try to recruit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25983/22]

Victim Support Services

Richard Bruton

32. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Justice the progress that is being made in implementing the plan Supporting a Victim's Journey; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25982/22]

Housing Provision

Richard Bruton

221. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the total number of respondents nationally to the call by the Land Development Agency for projects under Project Tosaigh; the number of respondents for same in Dublin; the aggregate potential in terms of homes; the approach that the LDA proposes to take in selecting sites on which to deliver homes at an affordable price. [25948/22]

Housing Provision

Richard Bruton

222. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the undertaking made by each local authority to the development affordable homes for purchase in each of the coming years for which he has sought a commitment. [25949/22]

Special Educational Needs

Richard Bruton

355. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Education the way in which admission to special schools will be determined (details supplied); if she will reassure parents that children will not lose out during this transition required by the courts; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25690/22]

Child Abuse

Richard Bruton

364. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Education the strategy that is in place to support young persons who were abused in secondary boarding schools; and if recent recognition by religious orders of abuse will result in additional supports or steps to be taken by her Department. [25799/22]

School Enrolments

Richard Bruton

420. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Education the aggregate capacity of secondary schools in the Killester, Raheny and Clontarf catchment area; and the extent to which it exceeds current enrolment. [26174/22]

School Enrolments

Richard Bruton

421. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Education the number of secondary schools in the Killester, Raheny and Clontarf school catchment area which are mixed and non-denominational; and the capacity of each school. [26175/22]

School Enrolments

Richard Bruton

422. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Education the existing pattern of children entering or leaving the Killester, Raheny and Clontarf school catchment area for secondary schooling. [26176/22]

School Accommodation

Richard Bruton

423. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Education if the CSO has provided her Department with a projection of population for the Killester, Raheny and Clontarf school catchment area over the next five years. [26177/22]

Probate Applications

Richard Bruton

546. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Justice if she has received reports of delays in the Probate Office and if the delays that arose during Covid are being overcome. [26204/22]

Small and Medium Enterprises

Richard Bruton

62. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the top competitiveness challenges for small businesses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25378/22]

Living Wage

Richard Bruton

67. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the main challenges to be overcome in the development of a living wage; and if this concept includes terms of access to protection and services needed by those at work. [25379/22]

Apprenticeship Programmes

Richard Bruton

176. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the progress to date in the roll-out of public sector apprenticeships and the sectors in which further progress will be made. [25377/22]

Electric Vehicles

Richard Bruton

214. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Transport if the support scheme for chauffeurs to bring fully-electric vehicles into their fleet has been reduced or suspended; if those now-buying fully-electric vehicles will again become eligible for a rebate soon and the way the rebate will be paid. [25554/22]

Further and Higher Education

Richard Bruton

318. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the student involvement that he envisages in testing the value of spending in higher and further education as he plans to increase investment in the sector. [25448/22]

Further and Higher Education

Richard Bruton

319. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the progress that is being made on CAO reform; and the initiatives that have been taken to make it easier for students to apply for apprenticeships. [25449/22]

School Patronage

Richard Bruton

129. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Education if a process will be introduced to promote the reconfiguration of the patronage of schools in school planning areas in cases in which there is limited diversity in terms of denomination, non-denomination or single sex and co-education; the way that school planning areas will be chosen; and the way local parents can become involved. [25110/22]

Departmental Policies

Richard Bruton

138. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Social Protection if she has reviewed policies in relation to assisting persons with restricted mobility to get access to support with their travel needs; and if there are initiatives which she or the agencies under her remit are considering to improve the situation. [25111/22]

Social Welfare Schemes

Richard Bruton

109. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Social Protection if she is undertaking a review of the fuel scheme in the context of the rising prices and the ongoing climate crisis. [24506/22]

Social Welfare Schemes

Richard Bruton

113. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Social Protection the action that is planned to explain and promote the auto-enrolment scheme for a pension top-up. [24507/22]

Passport Services

Richard Bruton

343. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if there have been instances of overcharging for passports in 2022; if the error giving rise to this has been corrected; and if refunds are being arranged for those affected. [24135/22]

An Garda Síochána

Richard Bruton

612. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Justice if there is a protocol operated by the gardaí in relation to when to intervene with persons who are joyriding on stolen motorbikes. [24623/22]

International Bodies

Richard Bruton

715. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Health the new role that has been assigned to the WHO in the context of pandemics; and if the role reduces the discretion of Government in framing responses to any future pandemic. [24666/22]

Education Schemes

Richard Bruton

77. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Education the steps that are required in moving the successful pilot model of therapeutic support to preschools and schools to become available on a nationwide basis. [23748/22]

School Curriculum

Richard Bruton

146. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Education the measures that are planned to roll-out the new format for the leaving certificate as quickly as possible. [23747/22]

General Practitioner Services

Richard Bruton

329. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Health the date from which children under eight years of age will become eligible for general practitioner services without a means test. [23934/22]

Rental Sector

Richard Bruton

56. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Taoiseach if he will indicate the trend in the private rents sub-index within the CPI over each of the past five years; the way in which data on the average rents paid by tenants is collected by the CSO, and the way that differs from the data on rents collected by the Residential Tenancies Board which only looks at properties in which new rentals have commenced; and if he will indicate whether further research on rental trends is underway. [23778/22]

Ukraine War

Richard Bruton

126. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the role of Ireland in tackling the future challenges for the European Union in the aftermath of the invasion of Ukraine. [22925/22]

Ukraine War

Richard Bruton

141. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the role of Ireland in supporting efforts to end the war in Ukraine. [22924/22]

Renewable Energy Generation

Richard Bruton

186. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the terms of the financial support made available to the generators of renewal energy under RESS 1 for the different types of renewable energy. [22826/22]

Energy Infrastructure

Richard Bruton

208. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the details of the Irish reserves of oil and gas; the way that they are held; if they comply with European Union requirements; and if there are plans to expand such reserves. [23283/22]

Energy Infrastructure

Richard Bruton

209. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the details of Irish energy interconnection for the supply of energy that is, gas, electricity, oil and so on; and the way that the capacity for delivery compares to average daily usage in each case. [23284/22]

Energy Infrastructure

Richard Bruton

210. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the total capacity of battery storage either held by energy utilities or through supply and demand management agreements; and the way that the capacity compares to average daily usage. [23285/22]

Energy Policy

Richard Bruton

211. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the obligations in Ireland to share access to gas supplies should the supply of gas from any source to be curtailed; and the way that this is being factored into preparations. [23286/22]

Offshore Exploration

Richard Bruton

212. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the aggregate offshore areas in which licences to explore for gas or oil exist; the areas in which recent activity in terms of surveys or preliminary drilling have been sought; if these have been approved; and his views on their potential. [23287/22]

Offshore Exploration

Richard Bruton

213. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the volume of recoverable gas which remain in proven fields in the Irish offshore; and the way that it compares to Irelands annual gas consumption. [23288/22]

Energy Policy

Richard Bruton

214. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if the withdrawal of Britain from the European Union creates new concerns from an energy security point of view; if not, if it creates new obligations for Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23289/22]

Driver Licences

Richard Bruton

250. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Transport if a person who paid for a ten-year licence, but whose duration was curtailed due to their reaching 70 years of age before the ten years were reached, should now be able to extend the cover of the ten-year licence to its full ten-year duration without incurring further charge; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23282/22]