Parliamentary questions

Widow's Pension

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

75. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Social Protection the terms of the widows' or widower's pension, particularly in respect of non-married or co-habiting couples and the judgment of the Supreme Court on 22 January 2024; the expected timeline in terms of the legislative changes that are required in respect of this decision; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16782/24]

School Facilities

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

326. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Education to address the need to provide additional funding for sports halls in schools. [16451/24]

Special Educational Needs

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

327. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Education to address the recent changes to the allocation model for special education. [16452/24]

Housing Provision

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

38. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of affordable houses, cost rental and cost purchase, homes planned for Cork City and County Council and on the targets he has set for same. [15707/24]

Regeneration Projects

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

90. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage for an update on the progress of the regeneration of the Noonan Road and surrounding streets regeneration. [15706/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

155. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated full-year cost of a €1 increase in each of the social insurance schemes, social assistance schemes, other weekly schemes and other scheme payments, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15916/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

156. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated full-year cost of increasing the current young jobseeker’s rate of €129.70 by €1 per week. [15917/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

157. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated full-year cost of introducing a child benefit double payment. [15918/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

158. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated full-year cost of extending child benefit to 18-year-olds still in secondary school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15919/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

159. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated full-year cost to the Exchequer of the JobPath scheme. [15920/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

160. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated full-year cost of including the working family payment as a qualifying payment for fuel allowance. [15921/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

161. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated full-year cost of increasing the annual carer’s support grant by €1. [15922/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

162. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated full-year cost of increasing the qualified child increase by €1 for children under the age of 12 years and €1 for children over the age of 12 years, respectively. [15923/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

163. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated full-year cost of extending carer’s benefit to the self-employed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15924/24]

Social Welfare Code

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

758. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Social Protection when the earnings disregard for disability allowance was last increased; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14263/24]

Social Welfare Code

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

759. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Social Protection when the capital disregard for disability allowance was last increased; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14264/24]

Departmental Contracts

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

760. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Social Protection what the remaining length of time is in respect of the Department's contract for JobPath and when the contractual obligations with Seetec and Turas Nua expire; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14265/24]

International Protection

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

1078. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of places that have been provided in designated accommodation centres for the purposes of the temporary protection directive. [13895/24]

International Protection

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

1079. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if it remains the policy of his Department that those in 'designated accommodation centres' for the purposes of the temporary protection directive and the Social Welfare Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2024, shall only be newly arrived beneficiaries of the directive, and that no persons will be accommodated in these centres who arrived prior to the enactment of the Act. [13896/24]

International Protection

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

1080. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if there is any intention to open further designated accommodation centres; and how many places he intends to provide in this category of accommodation. [13897/24]

International Protection

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

1081. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth whether there were any persons residing in the designated accommodations centres prior to their designation; if they are going to remain there; and if not, where they will be accommodated subsequently. [13898/24]

International Protection

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

1082. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the duration that such designated accommodation centres are expected to serve a person, by location if the dates in question are different. [13899/24]

Primary Care Centres

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

1575. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Health to provide an update on whether a primary health care centre is planned for the Douglas area in Cork. [15138/24]

Energy Prices

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

124. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications to address the challenges that rural communities are facing in relation to increased costs with household energy and fuel. [10553/24]

Housing Schemes

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

42. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development for an update on her Department’s plans to address dereliction and vacancy in rural towns and villages. [10548/24]

Island Communities

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

46. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if she has engaged with Comhdháil Oileáin na hÉireann since the publication of its report on the housing needs of Ireland’s offshore islands in November 2023, and if her Department discussed its recommendations with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. [10552/24]

Control of Dogs

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

50. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development what efforts are being made by her Department to ensure that local authorities are enforcing the legislation to collect fines under dog control regulations. [10551/24]

Legislative Process

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

54. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development for an update on the Charities (Amendment) Bill 2023. [10550/24]

Transport Costs

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

55. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development to address the challenges that rural communities are facing in relation to increased costs with transport. [10553/24]

Library Services

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

62. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development what efforts are underway to increase library membership and participation; and to provide an update on membership numbers at local authority libraries each year over the last five years. [10549/24]

Social Welfare Payments

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

440. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Social Protection what the average wait time for an additional needs payment application is; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10206/24]

Sentencing Policy

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

506. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Justice if she will provide details of correspondence or reports she has received from the Judicial Council regarding its responsibility for sentencing guidelines within the past two years. [10834/24]

Apprenticeship Programmes

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

808. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science whether any consideration has been given to supports to people transitioning from full-time jobs, who may have costs such as mortgages, to allow them to take up apprenticeships, but are concerned they could not meet their financial obligations. [10835/24]

Youth Services

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

115. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he and his Department have mapped the existence of youth-focused community projects and staff across the state; if he is aware of gaps in coverage or large and populous areas without or with inadequately resourced projects and how do they intend to resolve this. [4038/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

85. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Social Protection for an update on the discussions between her Department and the Irish Dental Council in relation to the treatment benefit scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9721/24]

Health Services Staff

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

599. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Health whether the recent decision in the parity claim of medical scientists with biochemists, which has put both categories on the same payscales from January 2024, will also apply to recent retiree medical scientists; and whether their pensions will also be brought to parity, particularly given the attempts to secure parity have been ongoing since 2002. [9212/24]

EU Directives

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

50. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Social Protection to clarify what the beneficiaries of the temporary protection directive will be entitled to upon the elapsing of the directive, and what preparations her Department is undertaking for this date. [8088/24]

Children in Care

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

52. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will review the fact that standard disregards for maintenance that apply in the means testing of other payments do not apply in the means testing of the guardians payment, non-contributory. [8089/24]

School Meals Programme

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

65. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide an update on the roll-out of the hot school meals programme. [7916/24]

Social Welfare Eligibility

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

85. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Social Protection if she has considered whether illness benefit can be extended to self-employed persons. [7913/24]

Social Welfare Code

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

88. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Social Protection whether she has considered the situation of those providing kinship care, and the discrepancy between the financial supports provided to kinship carers by comparison to non-familial foster carers. [7915/24]

Social Welfare Eligibility

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

97. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will review the fact that standard disregards for maintenance that apply in the means testing of other payments do not apply in the means testing of the guardians payment non-contributory. [7914/24]

Bus Services

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

72. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Transport if he is aware that the 220 and 220X bus service in Ballincollig, Cork is experiencing significant delays, with buses only turning up every 90 minutes regularly on what is supposed to be a 15 minute interval service at peak times; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5175/24]

School Transport

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

175. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Transport when the application process will open for the Safe Routes to Schools Programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4698/24]

Library Projects

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

68. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development her views on the need to provide capital funding for new library buildings; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4303/24]

Offshore Islands

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

70. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development to discuss the provision of subsidies for the transportation of freight to the offshore islands, the maximum cost of same and the oversight mechanisms that exist. [4304/24]

Community Development Projects

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

74. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development for an update on the community centres investment fund; and if there is any scope to extend the scheme in the future. [4041/24]

Departmental Policies

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

104. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if she will provide an update on the roll-out of the Towns First policy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4037/24]

Departmental Funding

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

105. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if there will be another round of the Community Recognition Fund in 2024. [4039/24]

Departmental Schemes

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

114. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development how her Department will work with local authorities to encourage them to apply for new funding for the town and village renewal scheme; if there will be a minimum submission requirement for each local authority; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4040/24]