Parliamentary questions

Pharmaceutical Sector

Kathleen Funchion

328. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Health his plans to safeguard rural pharmacies against planned fee changes due to come into affect in January 2020; and if the planned fee changes will be postponed until negotiations with the pharmacy sector are concluded in view of the commitment given to the negotiations. [52553/19]

Medicinal Products

Kathleen Funchion

329. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Health his plans to provide soluble paracetamol to medical card patients. [52554/19]

Domestic Violence Services Funding

Kathleen Funchion

50. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs to explain the reason there has been no additional provision in budget 2020 for a refuge (details supplied) to receive funding for play therapy and counselling for children and women who avail of its services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51703/19]

Foster Care

Kathleen Funchion

58. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her views on whether the background checks being carried out on potential foster carers by Tusla are robust enough to ensure the protection of vulnerable children and that concerns raised regarding the safety of children in foster care are being dealt with appropriately; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51552/19]

Childcare Services Provision

Kathleen Funchion

62. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the alternative arrangements put in place for children attending crèches (details supplied) that face closure by the end of 2019; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51554/19]

Departmental Budgets

Kathleen Funchion

67. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the reason an unused amount of €60 million was returned to the Exchequer in 2018 as reported by the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51551/19]

Legislative Process

Kathleen Funchion

69. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the status of the Child Care (Amendment) Bill 2019; the timeline for the progression of the Bill; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51553/19]

Childcare Services Provision

Kathleen Funchion

73. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her views on whether the dismantling of targeted schemes that are being replaced by the new national childcare scheme will have a negative impact for thousands of children from disadvantaged and marginalised families and that many children will consequently receive fewer supports than they received under the CCS-P; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51550/19]

Residency Permits

Kathleen Funchion

252. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if holders of the stamp 4S permission will be regarded as non-compliant with the conditions of the permission if they avail of a national childcare scheme subsidy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49146/19]

Disability Services Provision

Kathleen Funchion

312. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Health the reason for the delay in a person (details supplied) receiving a day service in view of the fact the person has a personalised budget and should have no issues receiving the service. [48908/19]

Childcare Services Expenditure

Kathleen Funchion

438. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the expenditure on childcare in each year since 2014, by scheme; the allocation and estimated out-turn for 2019 and the allocation for 2020, in tabular form. [48697/19]

Unfair Dismissals

Kathleen Funchion

485. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if a person cannot be dismissed from a job on the grounds that he or she is claiming the carer's allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48907/19]

Community Employment Schemes Supervisors

Kathleen Funchion

598. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the basis on which she seeks to ignore the Labour Relations Commission recommendation on pensions for community employment supervisors; her views on whether the introduction of auto enrolment has no bearing on the community employment workers recommendation; her further views on whether the State needs to take the direction of the Labour Court and provide the agreed pension; when an update will be provided to such workers on the outcome of the confidential talks taking place; when the talks will be completed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47113/19]

Social and Affordable Housing

Kathleen Funchion

665. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if there have been new affordable housing developments in County Kilkenny in the past ten years. [47574/19]

Social and Affordable Housing

Kathleen Funchion

666. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if there are council-owned lands in County Kilkenny that could be identified as suitable for affordable housing. [47575/19]

Social and Affordable Housing

Kathleen Funchion

667. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government his plans to roll out affordable housing in County Kilkenny in the next two years; and the details of the plans. [47576/19]

Children in Care

Kathleen Funchion

165. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of children in State care that are the children of mothers who grew up in State care. [46955/19]

Foster Care Data

Kathleen Funchion

166. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the percentage of children in foster care that come from a Traveller background. [46956/19]

Family Resource Centres

Kathleen Funchion

495. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the way in which the allocated €1.5 million in budget 2020 for the 121 family resource centres will be divided; if the amount allocated is in addition to core funding; and if it is planned for certain programmes that will be rolled out within the family resource centres. [46078/19]

Medicinal Products Availability

Kathleen Funchion

580. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Health if the case of a person (details supplied) will be addressed; the reason for the delay for the person not receiving Spinraza; if the person's parent will be liaised with regarding the issue in view of the circumstances; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44785/19]

Services for People with Disabilities

Kathleen Funchion

581. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Health if transport will be provided for a child (details supplied) transitioning to adult services at a centre in County Carlow. [44786/19]

Departmental Budgets

Kathleen Funchion

997. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the breakdown of funding announced in budget 2020 (details supplied); the amount allocated to each stream; the way in which funding for each stream is to be dispensed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44754/19]

Carer's Allowance Appeals

Kathleen Funchion

1061. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if a decision will be reviewed regarding a carer's allowance for a person (details supplied). [44751/19]

Higher Education Schemes

Kathleen Funchion

109. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Education and Skills the steps necessary in order to make an appeal to an application refusal for the HEAR scheme; the timeline associated with making an appeal to HEAR; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43709/19]

Teaching Qualifications

Kathleen Funchion

115. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Education and Skills if consideration is being given by the Teaching Council to review the new requirements to become a primary school teacher and to consider flexibility in primary school training requirements in order that a candidate that would like to train to become a primary school teacher would be able to do so with a level 8 degree as a qualification in view of the shortage of primary school teachers nationally. [43732/19]

Foster Care Provision

Kathleen Funchion

53. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the steps taken to rectify the state of understaffing and lack of professional oversight in the social care system for children in County Kilkenny since the recent HIQA report on foster care services in the county; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43281/19]

School Completion Programme

Kathleen Funchion

60. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the status of the promised review of the school completion programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43273/19]

Childcare Services Funding

Kathleen Funchion

62. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the reason for delays in Pobal payments or shortfalls in payments to early years service providers since August 2019; the reason there has been no correspondence or notifications made by Pobal with the service providers affected in advance of the delays; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43276/19]

Domestic Violence Refuges Provision

Kathleen Funchion

70. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the reason a refuge (details supplied) was refused funding in Budget 2020; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43274/19]

Childcare Services Regulation

Kathleen Funchion

75. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the position regarding the recently investigated crèches (details supplied); the steps being taken to address issues raised by parents of children attending this service provider which continues to be in operation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43272/19]

Childcare Services Staff

Kathleen Funchion

78. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the measures included in the new national childcare scheme to address the poor pay and working conditions of those working in the childcare and early years sector. [43275/19]

Community Care

Kathleen Funchion

329. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Health the provisions in place for community care homes in County Kilkenny facing a deficit in 2019. [41641/19]

Community Care

Kathleen Funchion

330. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Health if community care homes are part of Sláintecare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41642/19]

Community Care

Kathleen Funchion

331. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Health his plans to set up a national fund to help community care homes with the cost of improvements and upgrades as a result of HIQA visits; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41643/19]

Audiology Services Provision

Kathleen Funchion

351. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Health when an audiologist will be appointed to a clinic (details supplied); the length of time the clinic has been operating without an audiologist; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41716/19]

Treatment Benefit Scheme Applications

Kathleen Funchion

313. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Health the reason for the delay in authorising the treatment abroad scheme for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39294/19]

Childcare Services Funding

Kathleen Funchion

550. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs further to Parliamentary Question No. 227 and 228 of 19 September 2019, the number of registrations of children the total amount of overclaimed funding represents which was identified by Pobal as €3.2 million in CCS and €2.5 million in CCSP; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39419/19]

Community Care

Kathleen Funchion

551. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the provisions in place for community care homes in County Kilkenny facing a deficit in 2019. [39422/19]

Community Care

Kathleen Funchion

552. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if community care homes are part of Sláinte care. [39423/19]

Community Care

Kathleen Funchion

553. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her plans to set up a national fund to help community care homes with the cost of improvements and upgrades as a result of HIQA visits. [39424/19]

Legal Aid Service Data

Kathleen Funchion

217. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of solicitors, paralegal and administrative staff participating on the free Legal Aid Board by county, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38414/19]

Childcare Services Funding

Kathleen Funchion

227. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the amount of funding withdrawn from childcare subvention programme, CCSP, services via Pobal compliance visits during the full contract year from 2018 until the end of August 2019; and the number of services nationwide that have had funding cut during that timeframe accordingly. [38018/19]

Childcare Services Funding

Kathleen Funchion

228. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of children that have had their childcare subvention programme, CCSP, funding cut either partially or fully via Pobal compliance visits in the past full contract year 2018 up until the end of August 2019. [38019/19]

Maternity Leave

Kathleen Funchion

237. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated full combined cost of increasing maternity benefit by €20, €30, €40 and €50 per week, respectively, while extending maternity benefit by two, three, four, five and six weeks, respectively, based on most recent maternity leave uptake numbers in tabular form. [38017/19]

Schools Facilities

Kathleen Funchion

241. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated cost to install kitchen facilities to all State-run primary schools which do not have those facilities. [36947/19]

Schools Facilities

Kathleen Funchion

242. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated cost to install kitchen facilities to all State run secondary schools which do not have those facilities. [36948/19]

Childcare Services Staff

Kathleen Funchion

1724. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the estimated cost of taking on the cost of all private childcare classroom staff at all levels nationwide; the number of childcare staff employed by private, not community run crèches at level 5, 6 and 7 based on current numbers. [36938/19]

Social Workers Recruitment

Kathleen Funchion

1725. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the estimated cost of an additional ten social workers for one full year of employment on a full-time basis. [36939/19]

Child and Family Agency Staff

Kathleen Funchion

1726. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the average salary of a full-time Tusla social worker; and the number of full-time social workers employed nationwide. [36940/19]

Child and Family Agency Expenditure

Kathleen Funchion

1727. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the estimated cost to increase all full-time social workers pay by 25%. [36941/19]