Parliamentary questions

Health Services Staff

Richard Bruton

1452. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Health if his Department has considered the career development and deployment of nurses in hospitals, in order that this highly qualified group could deploy their skills in an optimal manner; whether staff surveys have been conducted to identify sources of difficulty for the profession; and if a longer term manpower policy for deployment of staff in the acute hospital setting is being evolved to match best practice internationally. [13548/23]

Nursing Homes

Richard Bruton

1453. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Health if he will consider having a system through which families could get impartial advice on the fair deal scheme in view of its complexity, through for example, an advocacy service or some other approach; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13551/23]

Electricity Grid

Richard Bruton

171. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if his Department has engaged with the CRU regarding the regulation of companies providing heating to multiple unit dwellings, so that the accuracy of metering systems for recording usage and consumer protection in contracts can be properly regulated; and if it is intended to seek sanction for new regulations. [12049/23]

State Pensions

Richard Bruton

274. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Social Protection if she can make provision to ensure that those persons who had been in receipt of illness benefit for a substantial number of years, commencing before there was a requirement to apply for invalidity pension, will not be denied a contributory old age pension on grounds of insufficient paid stamps, bearing in mind that had they switched to invalidity pension they would have automatically qualified for COAP at age 66, without regard to contributions, and their long period of certified illness shows they met the conditions for invalidity pension. [12145/23]

Business Supports

Richard Bruton

123. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Finance if he has evaluated the financial status of small businesses in the post-Covid period; the extent to which data from the Revenue Commissioners indicate a difficulty in meeting payments; if he can shed light on the reasons for the low take-up of the business energy cost supports offered by the Revenue Commissioners; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11390/23]

Tax Reliefs

Richard Bruton

254. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Finance if he has received complaints that the BIK regime now in place is resulting in people undertaking greater mileage to reduce their tax exposure; if he has evaluated the features which cause this behaviour; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11529/23]

Electoral Process

Richard Bruton

307. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if Irish students enrolled in an Irish course, but temporarily on a placement overseas, can be considered for inclusion in the postal vote or otherwise accommodated to participate in elections; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11333/23]

School Enrolments

Richard Bruton

368. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Education if she will indicate the projected intake into each of the primary schools in the Clongriffin, Baldoyle and Howth planning area in September 2023; the way this compares to the projected demographic demand for such places in the area; and if she plans to promote the creation of additional places for the area. [10991/23]

Public Transport

Richard Bruton

13. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Transport if he will indicate the latest data on modal shares on key routes into Dublin city and how they compare with the pre-Covid time; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9532/23]

Transport Policy

Richard Bruton

52. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Transport if his Department has specific initiatives in place to facilitate vehicle sharing platforms; and the role he envisages they can play in a more sustainable transport strategy. [9531/23]

Public Procurement Contracts

Richard Bruton

104. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform if he has established a benchmark within public bodies for the proportion of their procurement that is acquired under green procurement frameworks; and the targets that are being set for adoption in the years ahead. [10543/23]

National Development Plan

Richard Bruton

131. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform if the NDP monitoring is showing that projects are being delivered on schedule; and if population growth requires any revisions to the plan. [10542/23]

School Enrolments

Richard Bruton

105. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Education if there are initiatives to promote the switch of any of the single-sex schools at primary level to co-educational in a school planning area (details supplied) or in the adjoining school planning areas; the supports which her Department offers to facilitate such a switch; and if the lack of a co-educational option in a school planning area can be a reason for planning additional accommodation. [10424/23]

Environmental Policy

Richard Bruton

70. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will indicate the processes that he has put in place to set sectoral targets under the Circular Economy and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9529/23]

Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Richard Bruton

84. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he has considered the policy implications of the ESRI's assessment of the embodied emissions in Irish imports; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9530/23]

Legislative Measures

Richard Bruton

269. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he is aware of concerns that the draft planning Bill has reduced legal protection for the evolution of community gardens, which are playing a growing role in our communities in promoting sustainability and valuing the regenerative power of nature; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9524/23]

State Bodies

Richard Bruton

341. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Education the total staff and budget of the NCSE divided across each service delivered. [9639/23]

Special Educational Needs

Richard Bruton

342. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Education the total number of early intervention classes in place and the children reached; and the number getting home tuition in the same category of need. [9640/23]

Community Development Projects

Richard Bruton

438. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the total of staff and budget of AIM, divided across the services delivered; and the estimated number of clients reached by each service which was delivered in 2022. [9637/23]

Early Childhood Care and Education

Richard Bruton

439. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the total budget and staff of special prenatal and preschool services delivered in particularly disadvantaged areas under ABC or equivalent programmes; and the total number of children served. [9638/23]