Parliamentary questions

Citizenship Applications

Jack Chambers

164. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of applications for citizenship being processed; the number of active applications being processed for more than one, two, three and five years, respectively; the average waiting time per application; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47312/18]

Criminal Injuries Compensation Tribunal Applications

Jack Chambers

165. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the status of a case (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47350/18]

Transport Support Scheme

Jack Chambers

174. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Minister for Health the status of the legislation for the new transport support scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47234/18]

Rail Network

Jack Chambers

255. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the status of plans to electrify the Connolly to Maynooth rail line; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47243/18]

Public Transport Initiatives

Jack Chambers

261. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the status of the upgrading and development works for the Royal Canal cycleway and walkway for the area between Ashtown to Phibsborough and into the city centre; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47388/18]

Tax Reliefs Data

Jack Chambers

162. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Minister for Finance the reason the Revenue Commissioners did not issue RICT certificates under the employment and investment incentive, EII, scheme to investors in time for the annual tax return; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46524/18]

Pension Provisions

Jack Chambers

196. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the number of public servants who have availed of the interim arrangement put in place to allow those workers who turn 65 years of age to be rehired for a period of one year until they reach the 66 years of age required for the State pension while new legislation to extend the compulsory retirement age is advanced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46780/18]

Third Level Funding

Jack Chambers

234. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to fund the third level education sector; the way in which he will address the recent years of serious underfunding of the sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46853/18]

Rail Services Provision

Jack Chambers

487. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if his attention has been drawn to the disruption caused to rail passengers by the recent changes (details supplied) on the Maynooth to Dublin city line; the reason the changes were made; the engagement that occurred with rail passengers prior to the changes; the steps being taken to address the matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46531/18]

Road Network

Jack Chambers

495. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the position regarding the weight restrictions on roads that previously had a 3 tonne weight restriction and but have recently increased to 3.5 tonnes (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46703/18]

Defence Forces Data

Jack Chambers

30. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the number serving in each rank in the Army in tabular form. [46235/18]

Defence Forces Data

Jack Chambers

31. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the number serving in each rank in the Air Corps in tabular form. [46236/18]

Defence Forces Data

Jack Chambers

32. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the number serving in each rank in the Naval Service in tabular form. [46237/18]

Defence Forces Recruitment

Jack Chambers

123. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the number of applicants recruited despite failing a psychometric test for recruitment campaigns undertaken in the Defence Forces in 2017 and to date in 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44999/18]

Foreign Conflicts

Jack Chambers

151. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the measures he is taking at EU level in conjunction with his European counterparts to address the situation and famine in Yemen; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44970/18]

Tax Code

Jack Chambers

177. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Minister for Finance the position regarding inheritance tax thresholds in cases in which a niece or nephew is inheriting following Budget 2019; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44807/18]

Mortgage Interest Relief Application

Jack Chambers

183. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Minister for Finance the changes made to mortgage interest relief for homeowners in budget 2019; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44958/18]

School Funding

Jack Chambers

282. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Minister for Education and Skills if sufficient funding will be allocated to a school (details supplied) following a request submitted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44904/18]

Work Permits Data

Jack Chambers

467. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation her plans to ensure there are no labour shortages with impediments preventing firms hiring overseas workers (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44926/18]

Rail Services Provision

Jack Chambers

885. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the status of measures to address overcrowding on the docklands to Maynooth rail service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45005/18]

Pensions Reform

Jack Chambers

1052. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the status of legislation to reverse changes to the way in which pension contributions are calculated which primarily affects those women that left the workforce for a time during their working life; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44925/18]

European Court of Justice Rulings

Jack Chambers

1176. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the members of the working group set up to consider the 2013 European Court of Justice ruling in the Flemish Decree case; when the group met; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45058/18]

Air Corps Recruitment

Jack Chambers

62. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the number of Air Corps pilot applicants recruited in each of the past four years despite failing a colour blindness test, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44333/18]

Defence Forces Strength

Jack Chambers

64. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the strength in whole-time equivalent terms of the Permanent Defence Force with regard to all three services and all ranks in tabular form. [44405/18]

Defence Forces Reserve Strength

Jack Chambers

65. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the strength in whole-time equivalent terms of the Defence Forces Reserve with regard to all three services and all ranks. [44406/18]

Defence Forces Data

Jack Chambers

66. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the number of additional recruits the Permanent Defence Force has taken to date in 2018 with regard to all three services; the gender breakdown of same in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44407/18]

Defence Forces Data

Jack Chambers

67. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the number of additional recruits the Defence Forces Reserve has taken to date 2018 with regard to all services; the gender breakdown of same in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44408/18]

Army Bomb Disposals Data

Jack Chambers

68. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the number of suspect devices that the Army disposal unit has dealt with to date in 2018, by county in tabular form. [44409/18]

Naval Service Data

Jack Chambers

69. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the number of days spent at sea by members of the Naval Service Reserve in 2017 and to date in 2018. [44410/18]

Defence Forces Personnel Data

Jack Chambers

70. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the number of sick days taken by members in each service of the Defence Forces to date in 2018. [44411/18]

Electric Vehicle Grants

Jack Chambers

93. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Minister for Finance the reason there is a cap on the original market value of the vehicles as part of the 0% benefit-in-kind, BIK, tax on electric vehicles; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that this cap could discourage persons from buying electric vehicles; if his attention has been further drawn to the fact that this cap was never mentioned in documentation relating to this initiative when it was announced; the reason this change has been made; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44417/18]

Schools Grievance Procedures

Jack Chambers

136. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44255/18]

Hospital Waiting Lists Action Plans

Jack Chambers

81. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Minister for Health the action he will take to address the long outpatient waiting times in the children’s hospital group in which 10,329 persons are waiting more than 18 months for an appointment. [43584/18]

Defence Forces Recruitment

Jack Chambers

170. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence further to Parliamentary Question No. 108 of 26 September 2018, the reason for the delay by the military authorities in the release of information sought; if this information will be released; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43294/18]

Health and Safety

Jack Chambers

172. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the changes in health and safety policies that have been implemented following the publication of the report of the independent reviewer, protected disclosures, Air Corps; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43404/18]

Health and Safety

Jack Chambers

173. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if a programme that monitors actual exposure of Defence Forces members to hazardous substances either via personal air monitoring or biological monitoring as outlined in the report of the independent reviewer, protected disclosures, Air Corps is in place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43405/18]

Defence Forces Medical Services

Jack Chambers

174. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if a mechanism is in place to ensure there are regular medical checkups for Defence Forces members who are using or are in contact with products containing toxic substances to identify changes in health or fitness; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43406/18]

Cancer Screening Programmes

Jack Chambers

362. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Minister for Health if he will provide a copy of the 2010 contract agreed between a company (details supplied) and the national cervical screening programme, CervicalCheck; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43211/18]

Proposed Legislation

Jack Chambers

299. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if legislation that would allow clauses to be put in house purchase contracts that would protect buyers should their bank approval lapse before the build is complete will be considered (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42054/18]

Public Sector Staff Retirements

Jack Chambers

67. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if a matter relating to the plans to increase the compulsory retirement age in the public sector (details supplied) will be addressed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41312/18]

Pension Levy Yield

Jack Chambers

63. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Minister for Finance the yield from the private pension levy in each of the years in which it was applied; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41254/18]

Medical Card Administration

Jack Chambers

230. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Minister for Health the way in which applications for medical cards from persons with severe rheumatoid arthritis are considered in the context of their condition; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40647/18]

European Court of Human Rights Rulings

Jack Chambers

516. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government further to Parliamentary Question No. 530 of 25 September 2018, if his attention has been drawn to the fact that this timeline is different to that stated in correspondence to a person (details supplied) in September 2018; the correct timeline of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40595/18]

Commemorative Medals

Jack Chambers

542. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government his plans to award a medal to those members of Dublin Fire Brigade and Ambulance Service who took part in the 1916 centenary celebrations; if a committee is considering this matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41037/18]

Naval Service Operations

Jack Chambers

43. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence his views on the fact that the LÉ Orla and LÉ Niamh could not set sail to conduct operations during the week 24 to 26 September 2018 as a consequence of inadequate trained manning levels. [40259/18]

Public Service Pay Commission Reports

Jack Chambers

45. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence his plans to address the manning level issues in the event that the pay commission does not make credible and functional recommendations to address the recruitment and retention issues of the Defence Forces; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40260/18]

Cyber Security Policy

Jack Chambers

49. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the role his Department plays in national cybersecurity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40000/18]

Defence Forces Strength

Jack Chambers

63. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence his views on the fact that Army units are being forced to operate with less than 50% of their commissioned officer ranks; his further views on whether this compromises command, safety, governance and well-being of those who serve; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40003/18]

Defence Forces Remuneration

Jack Chambers

65. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the strength of the Permanent Defence Forces in whole-time equivalent terms; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40001/18]

Air Corps Strength

Jack Chambers

77. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence his views on the fact that Air Corps air traffic control continues to operate on restricted timelines due to inadequate trained manning levels. [40002/18]