Parliamentary questions

Departmental Funding

Duncan Smith

1348. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health to outline what vouchers or grants are in place to support parents with the cost of new glasses for their children; if this voucher scheme applies only up to the age of eight years; if he will confirm if there is a standard voucher amount in place across the country or if the level of support varies by geographic area; to outline, in tabular form, the amount payable by each CHO or former health board area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48677/23]

Departmental Funding

Duncan Smith

1349. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health what changes have been made to the system for reimbursing dispensing opticians for vouchers issued by the HSE for the glasses of children; if he will provide a list of the type of payments available for each type of glasses or prescription; what rules apply; up until what age payments are made; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48678/23]

Further and Higher Education

Duncan Smith

1440. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the transport supports that are available for a student (details supplied) with Asperger's, ASD with dyslexia, scoliosis, hip displacement who has recently commenced a PLC course following completion of their Leaving Certificate and is finding the commute from their home very difficult; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48520/23]

Public Sector Pensions

Duncan Smith

120. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications when pension payment will commence from his Department to a person (details supplied). [47088/23]

School Transport

Duncan Smith

290. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Education if she will consider the case of a child with special needs (details supplied) who is collected from Swords at 7 am before their bus makes a two-hour trip to Donabate, Portrane, Kinsealy, Ballymun, Baldoyle and, finally, to Blackrock, and then spends another 1.5 hours on the return journey home; if she will consider splitting the route and providing a second route as the length of the trip is impacting on the child’s ability to participate in school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46557/23]

Social Welfare Benefits

Duncan Smith

377. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will take steps to ensure that the household package, including the free fuel scheme, is paid to a person (details supplied) who now lives alone due to the death of their spouse. [46632/23]

Disability Services

Duncan Smith

485. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will ask his Department to contact the parents of a child (details supplied) who has been on a list for early intervention attention for over six years, has had an assessment of needs completed but has received no indication of when they will receive support; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46556/23]

Charitable and Voluntary Organisations

Duncan Smith

187. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Education if certain correspondence between her Department and an organisation (details supplied) have not put the funding for or the work by an educational charity in Cork city in jeopardy. [45838/23]

Charitable and Voluntary Organisations

Duncan Smith

188. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Education if all steps will be taken within her remit to ensure that an educational charity (details supplied) secures a patron, and copper fastens the future of the educational charity in years to come. [45848/23]

Health Services Staff

Duncan Smith

271. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth how much additional funding would have to be allocated to Section 39 bodies in 2024 to provide for pay parity with similar grades in the health service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45946/23]

Hospital Staff

Duncan Smith

278. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE physiotherapists, dietitians and speech and language therapists working in Bantry General Hospital in the years of 2022 and to date in 2023, in tabular form. [45815/23]

Hospital Staff

Duncan Smith

279. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE radiographers working in Galway University Hospital and Portiuncula Hospital in the years of 2021, 2022 and to date in 2023, in tabular form; if this number will be further increased; and if so, when. [45816/23]

Hospital Staff

Duncan Smith

280. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the budget allocation to Cappagh Orthopaedic Hospital in the years of 2021, 2022 and 2023, in tabular form. [45817/23]

Hospital Staff

Duncan Smith

281. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE senior pharmaceutical technicians working in Wexford General Hospital in 2022 and to date in 2023, in tabular form. [45818/23]

Hospital Staff

Duncan Smith

282. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE urologist registrars working in Cavan General Hospital in the years of 2022 and to date in 2023, in tabular form. [45819/23]

Hospital Staff

Duncan Smith

283. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE clinical specialist physiotherapists in developmental dysplasia of the hip at Beaumont Hospital in the years 2021 and 2022 and to date in 2023, in tabular form. [45820/23]

Health Services Staff

Duncan Smith

284. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE addiction counsellors employed by the HSE in CHO1 in the years 2021 and 2022 and to date in 2023, in tabular form. [45821/23]

Hospital Procedures

Duncan Smith

285. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the number of dermatology procedures carried out at CHI Temple Street in 2022 and to date in 2023, in tabular form. [45822/23]

Nursing Homes

Duncan Smith

286. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the number of public nursing home beds in County Clare in 2022 and to date in 2023, in tabular form. [45823/23]

Home Care Packages

Duncan Smith

287. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the number of applicants for home support who have been approved but placed on a waiting list in CHO 9; and the average waiting times for those approved and waiting for services. [45824/23]

Health Services Staff

Duncan Smith

288. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health if he will provide the management structure by grade and organisation chart for occupational therapists in County Wicklow. [45825/23]

Health Services Staff

Duncan Smith

289. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE chiropodists employed by the HSE in CHO 3 in the years of 2022 and to date in 2023, in tabular form. [45826/23]

Primary Care Services

Duncan Smith

290. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the number of ophthalmology appointments made in primary care centres within CHO 9 in 2022 and to date in 2023, in tabular form. [45827/23]

Hospital Staff

Duncan Smith

291. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE consultant in emergency medicine posts at Mercy University Hospital in the years of 2022 and to date in 2023, in tabular form. [45828/23]

Hospital Staff

Duncan Smith

292. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE nurses working in Croom Orthopaedic Hospital in the years of 2022 and to date in 2023, in tabular form; if this number will be further increased; and if so when. [45829/23]

Hospital Staff

Duncan Smith

293. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE reconstructive plastic surgeons at St Luke's General Hospital, Kilkenny in the years of 2022 and to date in 2023, in tabular form. [45830/23]

Hospital Staff

Duncan Smith

294. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE consultant neuroradiologists at Cork University Hospital in the years of 2021, 2022 and to date in 2023, in tabular form. [45831/23]

Hospital Facilities

Duncan Smith

295. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the nature of refurbishment works that were carried out at Mallow General Hospital in the years of 2022 and to date, in 2023 in tabular form. [45832/23]

Health Services Staff

Duncan Smith

296. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE physiotherapists working in Donegal primary care services and services for older persons in the years of 2022 and to date in 2023; and the number of older persons waiting to see a physiotherapist in Donegal as of 11 October 2023. [45833/23]

Ambulance Service

Duncan Smith

297. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the number of emergency ambulances, motorcycles and rapid response vehicles available in County Monaghan in the years of 2021, 2022 and to date in 2023, in tabular form. [45834/23]

Emergency Departments

Duncan Smith

298. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the number of persons that presented to the accident and emergency department of St. Vincent's University Hospital in the years of 2022 and to date in 2023, in tabular form. [45835/23]

Departmental Expenditure

Duncan Smith

355. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health to provide a breakdown of what the non-core current allocation of €1.032 billion will be used for in 2024; to which programmes or uses this will be applied; a breakdown of the €13 million in non-core capital spending; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45938/23]

Health Services Staff

Duncan Smith

356. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health how much has been spent on agency staff in 2022 and 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45939/23]

Hospital Facilities

Duncan Smith

357. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health how many additional acute hospital beds have been delivered in 2022 and 2023 to date; how many he expects for 2023 in total; what is the expected target in 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45940/23]

Hospital Facilities

Duncan Smith

358. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health to provide an update on the provision of the 1,500 rapid-build hospital beds; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45941/23]

National Treatment Purchase Fund

Duncan Smith

359. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health how much has been spent on the NTPF in 2022 and to date in 2023; what is the expected spend for 2023; what the allocation is now for 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45942/23]

Departmental Expenditure

Duncan Smith

360. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health how much has been spent on leasing capacity in private hospitals in 2022 and 2023, respectively; the projected spend in 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45943/23]

Budget 2024

Duncan Smith

361. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health to confirm if additional funding has been secured in Budget 2024 for the implementation of the safe staffing; how much funding is in place for phase two of the Framework for Safe Nurse Staffing and Skill Mix; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45944/23]

Hospital Waiting Lists

Duncan Smith

362. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health to provide a breakdown of allocations of spending under the waiting list action plan to date in 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45945/23]

Broadband Infrastructure

Duncan Smith

37. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications when broadband infrastructure in new builds in Ireland will be completed, and in particular the Estate of Kenure Gate, Rush; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43944/23]

Aviation Industry

Duncan Smith

65. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Transport how many private jet flights landed and departed the State in 2022, excluding military or diplomatic flights; where those flights landed and departed from; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43786/23]

School Admissions

Duncan Smith

239. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Education if she is aware that a number of primary school children in Donabate (details supplied) have been unable to find a school placement locally and will now have to now travel by public transport to Swords to school; if she will immediately begin the process of acquiring a site for the other proposed primary schools which form part of the proposed educational hub in the Donabate Local Area Plan, given this unacceptable situation that has now arisen with local children in Donabate having to go to primary school outside of their hometown; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44208/23]

Disease Management

Duncan Smith

547. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health if he will set up a diabetes taskforce of relevant stakeholders to develop a national diabetes strategy that will ensure the provision of optimum care to every person with diabetes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43934/23]

Rail Network

Duncan Smith

6. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Transport what plans there are for improved bike security measures, turning points for buses, electric vehicle, EV, charging points, and car parking measures at Portmarnock train station; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42897/23]

Bus Services

Duncan Smith

28. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Transport what engagement he has had with TFI and bus service providers in North County Dublin regarding the regular occurrence of buses not turning up, and thus leaving commuters with no service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42895/23]

Rail Network

Duncan Smith

33. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Transport the total spent so far, as of September 2023, on the MetroLink project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42893/23]

Airport Policy

Duncan Smith

43. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Transport what engagement he has had with the Dublin Airport Authority, Fingal County Council, the Irish Aviation Authority and residents of Fingal regarding the excessive aircraft noise over residential areas, as of September 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42894/23]

Electric Vehicles

Duncan Smith

74. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Transport for a statement on what plans there are to increase the number of public charging points for electric vehicles; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42896/23]

Broadband Infrastructure

Duncan Smith

149. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications what provision can be made for a community in Dublin’s north inner city (details supplied) that does not have access to fibre-optic broadband to each home on the road; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42160/23]

Legislative Measures

Duncan Smith

357. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to outline when the draft legislation to support the remediation of defects in apartments and duplexes with fire safety, structural safety and water defects constructed between 1991 and 2013 will come before the Houses of the Oireachtas for discussion and review; to provide details of the timeline for the implementation of this legislation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42276/23]