Parliamentary questions

Social Welfare Code

Frankie Feighan

107. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for Social Protection if she would consider reviewing the means test for non-contributory and part-contributory pensioners who may rent their home and live with relations or friends, within the framework of the next budget, to incentivise older people who have options around moving in with relatives and may have sizeable homes to consider the rental market without a serious implication for their income. [8148/24]

Coastal Erosion

Frankie Feighan

240. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform the reason the publication of an OPW funded study into coastal erosion in Strandhill, County Sligo has not been released publicly to date; the reason it has taken almost two years to complete and release this report findings; when the draft report is set to be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8011/24]

Tax Reliefs

Frankie Feighan

112. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for Finance if he will consider as part of his planning for Budget 2025 re-introducing the tax relief at €2,000 for persons paying tax in the State who have private health insurance and have experienced the dramatic price rises in their premiums in recent months. [5441/24]

Site Acquisitions

Frankie Feighan

249. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for Education if any further consideration has been given to the proposal to sanction a new primary school for Carrick-on-Shannon, County Leitrim; if the Board of Management has identified a potential site for a new school; and whether communication has been received by her Department seeking approval to negotiate with any potential site owner. [4691/24]

Industrial Development

Frankie Feighan

33. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment what action he is taking to safeguard the pharmaceutical industry in Ireland, and future investment in manufacturing and research and development into Ireland, from any unintended consequences as a result of the European Commission pharmaceutical review, currently under way; if he can update on any meetings his Department has had on the subject in Ireland and at an EU level since 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4401/24]

Medicinal Products

Frankie Feighan

161. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for Health for an update on the development of Ireland's national position on the revision of the EU general pharmaceuticals legislation as proposed by the European Commission; when Ireland will be making its official response to the European Commission on the pharmaceutical review known; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4400/24]

Waste Management

Frankie Feighan

405. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for Social Protection if she has considered providing a reduction or payment assistance in relation to domestic waste charges for disabled people particularly to persons who have excess charges because they suffer from incontinence or other similar issues that incur extra waste disposal charges. [2954/24]

General Practitioner Services

Frankie Feighan

608. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for Health if it is a requirement for a doctor who is seeking to be issued with a GMS registration that he/she must agree to an allocation of (public) patients; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2619/24]

Hospital Facilities

Frankie Feighan

660. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for Health if he will provide a full update regarding the development of the 42 bed unit extension to Sligo University Hospital; the timelines around tender closing dates and expected construction commencement and competition; and if he will update regarding other capital developments in and around the hospital campus in Sligo. [2993/24]

Departmental Data

Frankie Feighan

972. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of people in receipt of jobseekers allowance payments for 12 months or longer, for two years or longer, three years or longer, four years or longer and for five years or longer, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1679/24]

Departmental Data

Frankie Feighan

973. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of people on jobseekers allowance who are long-term unemployed and who had penalties applied to their payments in 2023 due to failure to engage with her Department's labour activation services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1680/24]

Departmental Data

Frankie Feighan

974. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of people on jobseekers allowance who are currently in receipt of a reduced jobseekers allowance payment due to a penalty imposed on their payment for failure to engage with her Department's activation services; if she will consider stepping up control work in this area in 2024; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1681/24]

Departmental Policies

Frankie Feighan

975. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for Social Protection the steps her Department intends to take in 2024 to ensure that long-term unemployed persons are encouraged to take up employment given the labour shortages being experienced in many sectors; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1682/24]

Departmental Data

Frankie Feighan

976. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for Social Protection the savings achieved by her Department arising from control work in respect of jobseekers allowance payments for each year between 2013-2023; the savings she estimates her Department will achieve in 2024 from control measures in relation to long term jobseekers allowance payments, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1683/24]

School Funding

Frankie Feighan

346. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for Education if she will provide a list of the normal funding options for small DEIS schools; if her Department will introduce a small grants work (minor works) scheme and IT support grant; if the current ancillary (general) grant will be reviewed and increased in line with recent inflationary pressures on energy and other related increases that many small schools are experiencing; if information or opportunities for such funding will be provided to a school (details supplied) in County Leitrim that finds itself under financial pressure due to the lack of grant funding opportunities. [55240/23]

Vacant Properties

Frankie Feighan

450. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if it is a prerequisite for local authorities to insist on applicants for the vacant home refurbishment grants to supply full details and professional and technical reports on the condition of the existing septic tank of the property before they consider processing the vacant homes grant application; if applicants can seek funding under this scheme to provide for an upgrade of the septic tank system; if not, if the funding opportunity comes solely under the septic tank renewal grant which is due to be increased in 2024; if all local authorities are ‘at one’ in how they interpret the vacant homes grant on the issue of funding of septic tanks across the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55276/23]

Social Welfare Payments

Frankie Feighan

487. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for Social Protection when a person (details supplied) in County Sligo will receive a decision regarding the review of their carer's allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54926/23]

Social Welfare Eligibility

Frankie Feighan

373. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for Social Protection if she would provide clarification as to whether children who turned 18 this year but are still attending secondary school are entitled to have their child benefit reinstated after the recent budget 2024 announcement, noting that if this measure only came into effect from September 2024, this would put all leaving certificate students who turn 18 years of age before completing their secondary school education next year at a disadvantage; and if a student decides after their leaving certificate to continue with full-time education, if they would be entitled then to receive the extended child benefit. [53788/23]

Community Development Projects

Frankie Feighan

202. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for Education when her Department will proceed to give permission to MSLETB to proceed with a lease on a portion of derelict grounds at Drumshanbo, County Leitrim to the local community centre committee (details supplied) to develop a new sports facility and playing courts which may not proceed unless matters around the lease are progressed soon. [49491/23]

Community Development Projects

Frankie Feighan

203. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for Education if her Department would grant the additional funding to a school (details supplied) in County Leitrim to pay for the use of the local community centre's facilities which over the years has meant that the said school did not have to invest in new capital buildings for assembly and sports uses. [49492/23]

Community Care

Frankie Feighan

18. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for Health to outline the progress made to date in expanding community-based care by increasing opening times for unscheduled care, radiology, and diagnostic services. [48867/23]

Hospital Overcrowding

Frankie Feighan

23. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for Health if he will provide details on his Department's latest work in tackling overcrowding in hospitals. [48866/23]

Hospital Admissions

Frankie Feighan

121. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for Health the number of paediatric hospitalisations in Ireland associated with chickenpox in 2022 and to date in 2023; the percentage increase, if any, in hospitalisation between both years; the economic impact of such hospitalisations in terms of bed nights on our public paediatric system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48915/23]

Health Services

Frankie Feighan

122. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for Health what impact illnesses like, Strep A, RSV and chickenpox are expected to have on the public paediatric health system in Winter 2023; what preventative measures are been taken by his Department and the HSE in advance to limit such impacts; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48916/23]

Health Services

Frankie Feighan

123. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for Health when the 2024 HSE Service Plan is expected to be published; if it is anticipated to return the publication of this important plan to the year-end period of the preceding year, which was the norm prior to the impact of Covid-19, i.e., December 2023 for the year 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48917/23]

Vaccination Programme

Frankie Feighan

124. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for Health the amount of funding allocated for the provision of the primary childhood immunisation programme in the years ranging from 2018-2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48918/23]

School Accommodation

Frankie Feighan

485. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for Education if she will provide an update regarding an application by a school (details supplied) in County Sligo; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47777/23]

Schools Building Projects

Frankie Feighan

13. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for Education when her Department will review and sanction the application for a building extension at a school (details supplied) as the current situation around accommodation for students is not sustainable due to its enrolment at 663 (an increase of almost 50% since its original accommodation was granted in 2019) which includes a co-educational aonad stream. [45048/23]

State Pensions

Frankie Feighan

352. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for Social Protection when her Department is expected to pay the pension arrears and the exact amount to a person (details supplied) in County Leitrim; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44721/23]

International Protection

Frankie Feighan

525. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he is aware that a number of hotels and other approved accommodation centres across Ireland, (details supplied) have quite a number of rooms/beds available and are not fully occupied, despite the best efforts of management and owners in highlighting the vacancies there seems to be no take up from IPAS and the Department to fill those vacancies; if the Minister provide an explanation for this policy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42304/23]

Water Services

Frankie Feighan

98. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will clarify if a housing estate in County Roscommon (details supplied) can be included in the resolution programme under the National Development Plan for the period 2021-2025, to address legacy water services issues; if any of the existing allocated €68.5 million funding will be allocated to estates not viable to connect to the public water supply; and if it is not, if he can confirm whether any other funding can be considered or made available before 2025. [41863/23]

Wastewater Treatment

Frankie Feighan

513. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage in a housing development with developer-provided infrastructure for wastewater treatment plants that cannot be connected to a public mains in order that Uisce Éireann can take these over, if there are plans for this to be addressed by his Department to alleviate the burden that is been placed on residents of the estates that have this infrastructure or if there is any funding available for same apart from the multi-annual programme. [40137/23]

Driver Licences

Frankie Feighan

284. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for Transport the number of persons who lost their driving license on medical grounds in each of the years 2018 to 2022; the number who lost their license who were aged over 66 years; the number who lost their license who were aged under 66 years, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37841/23]

Foreign Birth Registration

Frankie Feighan

25. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the reason for the prolonged delays for decisions regarding foreign birth registrations within his Department; and the reason one such case (details supplied) demands certain documents that appear irrelevant. [35815/23]

Tax Collection

Frank Feighan

278. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for Finance if a person (details supplied) will be afforded the opportunity to file form 11, 2022, manually and not on-line, given the person in question does not have access to broadband or the internet; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34866/23]

Disability Services

Frankie Feighan

204. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if his Department is considering providing funding to deal with the non-payment of increments to staff working within the disability sector, including an organisation (details supplied), who, despite numerous meetings and appeals, to date have no indication the said increments will be retrospectively paid; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34423/23]

Health Service Executive

Frankie Feighan

254. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for Health the reason the HSE is not progressing the sale of a property (details supplied) in County Leitrim to provide for a new health resource for the town in question; and if he will intervene in the matter with the HSE. [34555/23]

Social Welfare Eligibility

Frank Feighan

390. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for Social Protection if her Department is currently considering applications under disablement benefit from former coal miners based in Arigna, County Roscommon; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32293/23]

National Treasury Management Agency

Frank Feighan

190. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for Finance the reason the NTMA has only increased interest rates on three out of its seven national saving schemes under its control; and his views on whether it is important that the NTMA reflect the recent rise in interest rates by commercial banks and other institutions and review its own products and the interest rate it currently applies [31743/23]

Schools Building Projects

Frankie Feighan

286. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for Education if she will urgently consider approving emergency works for a primary school (details supplied) in County Leitrim following recent damage caused by subsidence recently. [30499/23]

School Staff

Frankie Feighan

299. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for Education if her Department will review the decision not to award an extra teacher to a school (details supplied) in County Sligo that now will have 34 pupils in junior infants from September 2024; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30763/23]

Social Welfare Benefits

Frankie Feighan

296. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for Education the reason it would take up to seven weeks in her Department's primary school payroll section to progress the paperwork on a jobseeker's application for a teacher (details supplied) who does not have a permanent full-time contract and is concerned about a seven-week or more delay in getting paid jobseeker's payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29090/23]

Energy Prices

Frankie Feighan

127. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications to outline what short and long-term measures his Department is currently seeking to ease the burden of energy costs for the constituents of Sligo Leitrim South Donegal and North Roscommon. [28876/23]

National Broadband Plan

Frankie Feighan

133. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications to report on the roll-out of the National Broadband Plan; the number of premises that were passed and connected as of May 2023; and the way that he plans to accelerate the delivery of the plan in counties Sligo and Leitrim. [28875/23]

Departmental Contracts

Frankie Feighan

282. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for Transport if, as part of the Irish Coast Guard search and rescue aviation contract offer to a company (details supplied) consideration has been given by his Department to the important role which Rescue 118, which is based in Strandhill, County Sligo, provides the people in the north west of Ireland as a critical patient safety transfer service between hospitals in the region; if a decision is being made to change the current Sikorsky S-92 helicopters that operate the service to other models; if so, if they have the required helicopter capacity size to enable Rescue 118 to provide this vital service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27565/23]

Departmental Contracts

Frankie Feighan

283. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for Transport if as part of the Irish Coast Guard search and rescue aviation contract offer to a company (details supplied); if, under this proposed new contract the continuity of Rescue 118 as a critical patient transfer service for the north west has been agreed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27566/23]

School Attendance

Frankie Feighan

497. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for Education when her Department will re-open applications under the home school community liaison posts; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27308/23]

Cost of Living Issues

Frankie Feighan

1250. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for Health if he is aware of the increasing costs of infant formula and that amid the cost-of-living crisis, some parents are taking drastic measures to try to make ends meet, details supplied; if the Government, therefore, will consider a price cap on infant formula; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28212/23]

Early Childhood Care and Education

Frankie Feighan

70. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the supports that are being put in place to assist the childcare sector, which is struggling to recruit and retain staff in the Sligo-Leitrim constituency, which takes in parts of south Donegal and north Roscommon; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25943/23]

International Protection

Frankie Feighan

78. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the steps his Department is taking to provide timely information to communities that are accommodating Ukrainian refugees and international protection applicants in the Sligo-Leitrim constituency, which takes in parts of south Donegal and north Roscommon; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25942/23]