Parliamentary questions

Departmental Communications

Jonathan O'Brien

572. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the domain names registered to or owned by her Department or through a third party company. [48948/17]

Public Services Card

Jonathan O'Brien

573. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the reason an adopted person must supply their adoption certificate when applying for a public services card; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48952/17]

State Pension (Contributory)

Thomas Pringle

574. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the way in which her Department is addressing the shortfall in pension payments to women retiring since 2012 after changes were made in calculating pension entitlements; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48967/17]

Carer's Allowance Applications

Willie O'Dea

575. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when a decision will be made on a carer's allowance application by a person (detail supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48983/17]

Disability Allowance

Gerry Adams

576. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to the recent finding (details supplied) that the minimum essential standard of living cost for a single adult with vision impairment is €44.54 more than the cost for a member of the general fully sighted population; her plans with regard to reflecting this additional expenditure in disability payments for the visually impaired; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48987/17]

State Pensions Payments

John McGuinness

577. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if the pension being paid to a person (details supplied) is the correct amount; if the tax deductions are correct; and if an examination of the matter will be expedited. [48989/17]

Rent Supplement Scheme

Catherine Murphy

578. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her plans to review rent supplement rates; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48994/17]

Rent Supplement Scheme

Catherine Murphy

579. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the control measures and operational provisions that are in place to ensure that increases in rent that will occur during the year are met and that additional payments by the tenant or topping up of rent does not occur for persons in receipt of rent supplement over the course of the year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48995/17]

Fire Service Staff

John Brady

580. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of retained firefighters who are in receipt of jobseeker's payments. [49000/17]

Maternity Leave

Robert Troy

581. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if an application for maternity leave for a person (details supplied) will be expedited. [49023/17]

Parliamentary Questions Costs

Mattie McGrath

582. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the average costs associated with processing and answering written and oral parliamentary questions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49123/17]

Jobseeker's Allowance

Maria Bailey

583. Deputy Maria Bailey asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the reason a person who is officially retired from the Department of Education and Skills, having completed the necessary 40 years’ service for pension purposes and has been compelled to retire after 40 years' service is required to sign on for jobseeker's allowance even though the person is not actively seeking work; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49157/17]

Community Services Programme

Martin Kenny

584. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the percentage of community services programmes generating traded income of 30% or more; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49184/17]

Community Services Programme

Martin Kenny

585. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if it is policy to remove services and support from community services programmes which are unable to generate traded income of 30%; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49185/17]

Community Services Programme

Martin Kenny

586. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the socio-economic factors taken into consideration when granting or removing service and support for community services programmes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49186/17]

Invalidity Pension Eligibility

Tom Neville

587. Deputy Tom Neville asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when a self-employed person who is paying class S PRSI and who is now incapable of working will be able to apply for invalidity pension; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49200/17]

Dental Services

Billy Kelleher

588. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if consideration is being given to give dental hygienists a dental treatment benefit contract in order to allow persons avail of a free scale and polish; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49207/17]

Exceptional Needs Payments

Bernard Durkan

589. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if an exceptional needs payment will be facilitated in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49214/17]

Carer's Allowance Eligibility

Bernard Durkan

590. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will indicate eligibility for a carer's allowance in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49216/17]

Employment Support Services

Bernard Durkan

591. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if financial assistance can be facilitated in the case of a person (details supplied) who wishes to undertake a carer's course; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49237/17]

Departmental Staff

Dara Calleary

592. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the reason that clerical officers within her Department have had to take on extra responsibilities in 2017; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49242/17]

Social Welfare Payments Administration

Dara Calleary

593. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her views on whether the business object model implementation, BOMi, system within her Department is sufficiently accurate in its calculations; the procedures in place to assess the information inputted into BOMi; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49243/17]

JobPath Data

Dara Calleary

594. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of complaints made about participation in or interaction with the JobPath programme, by county, in tabular form; her plans to review the operation of this programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49244/17]

JobPath Programme

Catherine Murphy

595. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the way in which €71.2 million was allocated to and-or payments were made to contractors in the context of the JobPath scheme since 2015 to date in 2017; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49257/17]

JobPath Programme

Catherine Murphy

596. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection to set out the number of persons who have had sanctions imposed on their payments in the context of the JobPath scheme since inception to date in 2017; the number of persons disqualified from receiving payments for the same period; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49258/17]

Carer's Allowance Applications

Robert Troy

597. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if an application for a carer's allowance by a person (details supplied) will be expedited. [49327/17]

Illness Benefit Eligibility

Jackie Cahill

598. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection to set out the savings to the State annually when access to a sick leave payment changed from three days to six days; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49333/17]

Illness Benefit Eligibility

Jackie Cahill

599. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection to outline her plans to make changes to the number of days off work required for a person to access a sick leave payment in view of the fact that the current situation leaves a person exposed in the event of sickness; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49334/17]

State Pension (Contributory) Eligibility

Michael McGrath

600. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection to explain the reason a person's actual PRSI contributions in the year the person reaches 66 years of age are excluded in the calculation of yearly average PRSI contributions for the purposes of the State pension, contributory; the benefit the person receives for those contributions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49370/17]

Community Employment Schemes Supervisors

Michael Moynihan

601. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection to outline the position regarding the provision of a pension scheme for community employment scheme supervisors; when she expects this issue to be resolved; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49371/17]

Public Services Card Data

Catherine Murphy

602. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection to set out the number of private companies that have access to social protection personal files and-or records of citizens in the context of the public services card; if she will provide a list of those companies; the reason each company has access to those records or files; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49380/17]

Disability Allowance Appeals

Tom Neville

603. Deputy Tom Neville asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when a payment will issue for a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49390/17]

Social Welfare Appeals Status

Pat Breen

604. Deputy Pat Breen asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when a decision will issue for a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49391/17]

Disability Allowance Applications

Willie O'Dea

605. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when payment will issue to a person (details supplied) in respect of a disability allowance application; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49392/17]

Wind Energy Guidelines

Mary Butler

606. Deputy Mary Butler asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government to state the expected start date of the public consultation process on wind energy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48710/17]

Social and Affordable Housing Data

Thomas P. Broughan

607. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government to set out the number of persons under 18 years of age with severe physical disabilities who are living in the family home in which the family is in receipt of HAP or RAS payments in each of the years 2014 to 2016 and to date in 2017 (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48758/17]

Water and Sewerage Schemes

Pat the Cope Gallagher

608. Deputy Pat The Cope Gallagher asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government to set out the number of applicants to date for the domestic wastewater treatment scheme for domestic septic tanks, as announced by the previous Government in 2013; the number of grants that were approved for individual applications in County Donegal; the number that are awaiting approval; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49051/17]

Planning Issues

Clare Daly

609. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government to outline his plans to amend legislation on planning applications for companies that have been shown to engage in tax avoidance or poor building practices; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49151/17]

Social and Affordable Housing Provision

David Cullinane

610. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government when the national rent scheme will be introduced to County Waterford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48739/17]

Social and Affordable Housing Provision

Brendan Ryan

611. Deputy Brendan Ryan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government to outline his plans for the introduction of a new affordable housing scheme to assist those on modest incomes to buy a home; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48741/17]

Residential Tenancies Board Data

John Brady

612. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government to set out by county the number of persons registered under the Residential Tenancies Board. [48759/17]

Residential Tenancies Board

John Brady

613. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government to set out the level of funding from the Residential Tenancies Board to Wicklow County Council in each of the years 2010 to 2016 and to date in 2017. [48760/17]

Local Authority Expenditure

David Cullinane

614. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government to outline the purpose of bodies (details supplied); the reason each local authority is required to pay funds to these organisations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48761/17]

Brexit Negotiations

Stephen Donnelly

615. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the preparations made in his Department in the event of no agreement being reached between the United Kingdom and the European Union on the terms of the UK's exit from the EU; if such preparations involve the drawing up of detailed and specific contingency plans in the event of a hard Brexit and a trade regime based on WTO tariffs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48780/17]

Departmental Staff Training

Catherine Murphy

616. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the cost of providing external coaching and-or training services for staff development in his Department over the past five years and to date in 2017, by cost per year and in tabular form; the company that delivered the training courses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48809/17]

Homeless Persons Data

Mick Wallace

617. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if he will provide a bibliography of all sources used to arrive at the conclusion that homeless figures here are low by international standards as per his recent public statement. [48827/17]

Housing Data

Catherine Murphy

618. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the amount paid in each of the years 2007 to 2016 and to date in 2017 to housing authorities and local authorities for the provision of dwellings, including houses, flats, maisonettes and hostels by the authorities; the amount paid for the improvement or reconstruction of dwellings provided by the authorities; the amount paid for the acquisition of land for the provision of dwellings, by location, by year and in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48919/17]

Departmental Communications

Jonathan O'Brien

619. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the domain names registered to or owned by his Department or through a third party company. [48946/17]

Rents Data

Catherine Murphy

620. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the estimate for the various rent supports - RAS, HAP, rent assistance and so on - in each of the years from 2018 to 2021; if increases over and above the current levels of assistance are envisaged; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48968/17]

Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund

Catherine Murphy

621. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the prior assessment carried out when allocating LIHAF in respect of ensuring that housing is affordable; the definition of affordable in this regard; if the definition differs throughout the country; if so, the way in which it differs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48969/17]