Parliamentary questions

Hospital Waiting Lists

Éamon Ó Cuív

148. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Health when an operation will be provided for a person (details supplied); the reason for the delay in issuing a date for the procedure; if the person can undergo the procedure on the treatment purchase fund scheme or in another way; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49502/19]

Medical Aids and Appliances Provision

Éamon Ó Cuív

149. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Health the reason an art assist machine is not available to a person (details supplied) in view of the exceptional circumstances; the reason the assistance of the machines is not provided to patients in view of the fact they are a preventative medicine; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49504/19]

Tax Data

Éamon Ó Cuív

169. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Finance the percentage of taxpayers who were exempt from income tax in each year since 2008 to 2018 and to date in 2019; his views on whether taxpayers should be required to pay income tax irrespective of income; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48983/19]

Rural Transport Programme

Éamon Ó Cuív

19. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the policy he has to radically improve rural transport particularly for commuters from rural areas to the regional cities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48009/19]

Rail Services Provision

Éamon Ó Cuív

27. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport when approval will be given to Iarnród Éireann to purchase new rolling stock in view of the critical shortage of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48010/19]

Brexit Issues

Éamon Ó Cuív

80. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Finance the projected increase in the net contribution by Ireland each year to the EU from 2021 to 2027 in the event of Britain leaving the EU with a deal on 31 January 2019; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47905/19]

Íocaíochtaí Deontas

Éamon Ó Cuív

50. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív den Aire Oideachais agus Scileanna an bhfuil an deontas caipitíochta céanna á íoc le bunscoileanna lán-Ghaeilge Gaeltachta agus atá á íoc le bunscoileanna lán-Ghaeilge taobh amuigh den Ghaeltacht; mura bhfuil, cén fáth nach bhfuil; cén costas breise a bhainfeadh leis an deontas méadaithe a íoc le gach scoil sa Ghaeltacht;; agus an ndéanfaidh sé ráiteas ina thaobh. [47074/19]

Oideachas trí Ghaeilge

Éamon Ó Cuív

93. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív den Aire Oideachais agus Scileanna cén beartas atá aige lena chinntiú go bhfuil oideachas trí Ghaeilge ar fáil i ngach ábhar sna haonaid lán-Ghaeilge atá ceangailte le scoileanna dara leibhéal Béarla; agus an ndéanfaidh sé ráiteas ina thaobh. [47075/19]

HSE Staff Recruitment

Éamon Ó Cuív

401. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the central personnel section of the HSE is not approving appointments across the health system to fill vacancies; the steps he has taken to ensure that the HSE adopts a policy to fill all vacancies in the health service in cases in which this has been recommended by the relevant section of the HSE to provide necessary services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47508/19]

Traveller Projects Funding

Éamon Ó Cuív

402. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Health his plans to ensure that the HSE ring-fences funding for the full implementation of the national Traveller health action plan; if he will direct the HSE to form a structure on which Travellers will be at least half the membership to oversee the implementation of the plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47511/19]

Traveller Projects Funding

Éamon Ó Cuív

403. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Health if he will have a role in the approval of the national Traveller health action plan; if so, the role; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47512/19]

Traveller Projects Funding

Éamon Ó Cuív

404. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Health his plans to reinstate the same level of funding for issues affecting Traveller health as applied in 2007 and 2008; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47513/19]

Traveller Community

Éamon Ó Cuív

405. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Health if the bureaucratic barriers for Travellers accessing medical cards will be reduced in view of the literacy challenges faced by some Travellers; if free general practitioner healthcare will be provided to all Travellers within five years in line with Sláintecare; if Travellers will be prioritised in the process in view of their poor health outcomes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47514/19]

Traveller Community

Éamon Ó Cuív

406. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Health his plans to ensure the retention of medical cards for Traveller health workers in view of the importance of Traveller community health workers in improving traveller health; if the retention of Traveller health workers will be ensured by increasing the funding to primary health care projects and by linking their payscales to the relevant HSE payscale taking into account the experience of these workers; if progression routes for Traveller health workers into mainstream employment will be identified including full-time employment; if redundancy and pension payments will be ensured for Traveller health workers in line with the rest of the HSE; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47515/19]

Traveller Community

Éamon Ó Cuív

407. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Health the steps he will take to ensure each health policy and the implementation of same including Sláintecare are Traveller proofed to ensure that the distinct health needs of Travellers and health inequalities are addressed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47516/19]

Veterinary Medicines

Éamon Ó Cuív

483. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if a new regulation has been introduced that requires a prescription from a veterinary surgeon for dispensing of animal preventative remedies such as worm and fluke doses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47518/19]

Prospecting Licences

Éamon Ó Cuív

523. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the reason a licence (details supplied) which covers western areas of Connemara has been re-advertised in a recent licence competition for prospecting licences for mining in view of the status of the much of the area as Natura 2000 sites, the outstanding and unique scenic nature of the area in the county development plan and the local opposition to mining in the area; the consultations he has had with the Ministers for Housing Planning and Local Government and Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht on the proposal to re-advertise the area in the recent licence competition; the discussions he has had with local public representatives including Members of the Houses of the Oireachtas and local authority before making the decision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47510/19]

Community Employment Schemes Supervisors

Éamon Ó Cuív

627. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the progress she has made on ensuring that community employment supervisors are entitled to an occupational pension in line with the recommendation of the Labour Court in 2008; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47509/19]

Local Authority Funding

Éamon Ó Cuív

662. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the allocation to each local authority in 2019 from the local government fund and the equalisation fund of the LPT in 2019 and 2020 respectively; the method by which this allocation is calculated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47517/19]

Public Sector Staff Recruitment

Éamon Ó Cuív

31. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the steps he plans to take to ensure that persons from minority backgrounds are better represented in recruitment to the Civil Service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46026/19]

Public Sector Staff Recruitment

Éamon Ó Cuív

37. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the number of persons recruited to date to the Civil Service on panels specifically reserved for those with a competency in Irish; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46027/19]

Human Rights

Éamon Ó Cuív

41. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he has made representations to his Spanish and French counterparts or ambassadors in relation to 349 Basque prisoners who were members of ETA, which has been on ceasefire for some considerable time and who are held in various prisons outside of the Basque country, to have these returned to the Basque country; if he has spoken to the Spanish authorities regarding the experiences of the peace process here in relation to the importance of prisoner issues being dealt with to cement the peace process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46960/19]

HSE Staff Recruitment

Éamon Ó Cuív

133. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Health the status of the positions in CHO 2 that were offered to successful applicants in quarter 2 of 2019 but are yet to be filled; the location of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47000/19]

HSE Correspondence

Éamon Ó Cuív

134. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the large amount of official business carried out with general practitioners by post rather than by email; the estimated saving that would be made in the system if all of this was done electronically; the steps being taken to replace a paper approach by an electronic approach; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47001/19]

EU Budget Contribution

Éamon Ó Cuív

63. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Finance the expected annual increase in the net financial contribution by Ireland to the EU if the UK leaves the EU by the 31 January 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46024/19]

Tax Credits

Éamon Ó Cuív

69. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Finance when the personal income tax credit was initially raised to €1,650; when the employee tax credit was raised to €1,650; the cumulative inflation since; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46025/19]

Public Sector Staff Redeployment

Éamon Ó Cuív

107. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the steps he is taking to facilitate more civil servants who wish to locate out of Dublin to other locations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46840/19]

Public Sector Staff Redeployment

Éamon Ó Cuív

108. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the steps he is taking to encourage greater mobility within the wider public service; the progress made in 2018 and to date in 2019 to achieve same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46841/19]

Northern Ireland

Éamon Ó Cuív

58. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he raised concerns with the authorities in Northern Ireland in relation to the level of stop and search incidents and surveillance by the police of persons from the nationalist community in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46023/19]

Northern Ireland

Éamon Ó Cuív

73. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he has raised concerns with the authorities in Northern Ireland and the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland in relation to the long periods being spent on remand and on bail by persons accused of paramilitary offences; if so, the response he received to same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46022/19]

Physiotherapy Provision

Éamon Ó Cuív

340. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Health when physiotherapy services will be available again in Clonbur, Carraroe, Kilkerrin and Carna, County Galway; the reason physiotherapy services were ceased in the health centres in April 2019; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46233/19]

Direct Provision Data

Éamon Ó Cuív

92. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of offers received for the provision of direct provision centres in 2019 by local authority area; the number of rooms available in each centre; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45909/19]

Health Services Provision

Éamon Ó Cuív

154. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Health if CAP transition measures (details supplied) proposed by the European Commission would result in cuts to direct payments in October 2020 and cuts in farm schemes under pillar 2 to farmers here; and the process involved for the decision to become final. [45906/19]

Animal Disease Controls

Éamon Ó Cuív

180. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to introduce regulations to eradicate hoof wall separation disease in Connemara ponies; the steps taken to date to control the disease; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45910/19]

Felling Licences Applications

Éamon Ó Cuív

181. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a decision will be issued on a felling licence application by a person (details supplied); the reason no decision has been given on the application to date; if details of the Natura impact statement required in this case have been conveyed to the person; if such a statement has been received; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45912/19]

Security of the Elderly

Éamon Ó Cuív

199. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the security devices funded by his Department or agencies under his remit for the protection of older persons in their homes; if this can include security cameras; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45911/19]

Fuel Allowance Eligibility

Éamon Ó Cuív

207. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the reason persons who go on a community employment scheme directly from being on jobseeker's benefit are not awarded the fuel allowance during their second year on the scheme in view of the fact that such persons, if they had remained on jobseeker's benefit and progressed to jobseeker's allowance, would receive the fuel allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45907/19]

Social Welfare Benefits Payments

Éamon Ó Cuív

208. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the maximum rate of payment before means are deducted under the farm and fish schemes for a 22-year-old person; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45908/19]

Special Educational Needs Staff

Éamon Ó Cuív

216. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Education and Skills the discussions he has had with the HSE and the Minister for Health to ensure investigations and tests required for a school to submit an application for a special needs assistant will be provided by the required date of February 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44464/19]

State Bodies Establishment

Éamon Ó Cuív

300. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Justice and Equality when the Mediation Council of Ireland will be established under the relevant mediation legislation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44463/19]

Psychological Assessments

Éamon Ó Cuív

489. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Health if he will direct the HSE to carry out the tests and investigations necessary before the end of January 2020 in the case of a person (details supplied) in view of the fact that this will be necessary if a school is to make an application for a special needs assistant in February 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44465/19]

Childcare Costs

Éamon Ó Cuív

983. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if her attention has been drawn to the practice by which crèches are charging the full fees for children who are attending an ECCE course in their local naíolann Gaelach and also attending the local crèche for the rest of the day, which is making it more expensive for parents whose children attend a crèche part time in order to enable them to learn the Irish language than it is for those who attend full time in circumstances in which the ECCE grant is rebated from the fees; if so, her plans to take steps to deal with same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44466/19]

Fuel Allowance Eligibility

Éamon Ó Cuív

1039. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the action she plans to take to ameliorate the effects of increasing fuel costs and the increased carbon taxes for Travellers living in temporary accommodation, mobile homes and caravans due to the disproportionate heating costs they face and the effect this will have on their ability to keep warm for the 2019-2020 winter season and in line with the recommendation in the MABS report, Addressing Energy Poverty Among Travellers Living in Mobile Homes and Trailers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44461/19]

Fuel Allowance Eligibility

Éamon Ó Cuív

1040. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her plans to extend the fuel allowance to Traveller families that are officially sharing a bay in a halting site to assist them with their fuel costs in line with a recommendation of the MABS report, Addressing Energy Poverty Among Travellers Living in Mobile Homes and Trailers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44462/19]

Illegal Dumping

Éamon Ó Cuív

1131. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government when legal advice was first sought in respect of the dumping at the old dock, Galway; when a decision will be made regarding the action he plans to take regarding the complaint in view of the length of time this matter has been with his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44460/19]

Rural Regeneration and Development Fund Expenditure

Éamon Ó Cuív

7. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the amount provided in the 2019 Estimates for the rural regeneration and development fund, RRDF; the amount transferred to other subheads in the Vote; the amount remaining in the Vote for the fund; the amount spent to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43662/19]

Local Improvement Scheme Funding

Éamon Ó Cuív

23. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development his plans to approve further funding for spending on LIS schemes in 2019; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43663/19]

Coastal Erosion

Éamon Ó Cuív

87. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform when a decision will be made on an application from Galway County Council to the OPW for funding for a study of coastal erosion problems in Tawin Island, County Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44008/19]

School Management

Éamon Ó Cuív

105. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to amend section 18(1) of the Education Act 1998 which requires all schools to have audited accounts in order to exempt very small schools from the auditing requirement in view of the fact it costs an inordinate amount of money compared to the capitation grant they receive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44010/19]

Oideachas Riachtanas Speisialta

Éamon Ó Cuív

106. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív den Aire Oideachais agus Scileanna an mbaineann an ciorclán a foilsíodh le gairid maidir le díolúine ón nGaeilge a fhoghlaim le ranganna speisialta i scoileanna Gaeltachta agus leis an scoil speisialta i nGaeltacht Chonamara; agus an ndéanfaidh sé ráiteas ina thaobh. [44013/19]