Parliamentary questions

Rail Services Provision

Pat Casey

450. Deputy Pat Casey asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to upgrade and increase the train service in Arklow and Wicklow in view of the severe overcrowding being experienced by commuters; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38514/19]

Diabetes Strategy

Pat Casey

790. Deputy Pat Casey asked the Minister for Health his plans to make flash glucose monitoring technology available for persons with type 1 diabetes regardless of age; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34717/19]

Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme

Pat Casey

1746. Deputy Pat Casey asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development when the 2019 outdoor recreational infrastructure scheme awards will be announced in view of the difficulties in works in 2018 due to the constrained timelines; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36195/19]

Apprenticeship Programmes

Pat Casey

346. Deputy Pat Casey asked the Minister for Education and Skills if equality of allowances will be sought for apprenticeships in budget 2020; and the estimated cost in this regard. [31555/19]

Apprenticeship Programmes

Pat Casey

347. Deputy Pat Casey asked the Minister for Education and Skills if new apprenticeship programmes developed since 2017 will receive the same allowances for apprentices attending college as apprenticeships developed prior to 2017. [31556/19]

Apprenticeship Programmes

Pat Casey

348. Deputy Pat Casey asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of new apprenticeships developed since 2017. [31557/19]

Apprenticeship Programmes

Pat Casey

349. Deputy Pat Casey asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of apprentices enrolled per apprenticeship programme developed since 2017. [31558/19]

HSE Properties

Pat Casey

429. Deputy Pat Casey asked the Minister for Health the plans of the HSE in relation to the old health clinic and surrounding lands in Tinahely, County Wicklow; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29601/19]

Ambulance Service

Pat Casey

106. Deputy Pat Casey asked the Minister for Health the status of the review of ambulance services in Arklow and west County Wicklow; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27759/19]

Medicinal Products

Pat Casey

321. Deputy Pat Casey asked the Minister for Health the way in which he has managed the risks associated with the use of valproate in pregnancy; the actions taken to minimise risk from 1990 when studies concluded clear evidence of risk of congenital abnormalities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26107/19]

Medicinal Products

Pat Casey

335. Deputy Pat Casey asked the Minister for Health the status of a proposed inquiry into foetal valproate syndrome; and the status of the work of the HSE valproate response team on the matter. [26160/19]

Inspector of Prisons

Pat Casey

364. Deputy Pat Casey asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the estimated full year cost if the budget for the Inspector of Prisons increased by 50%. [24109/19]

Health and Safety Authority Data

Pat Casey

386. Deputy Pat Casey asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the budget allocation for the Health and Safety Authority in each of the years 2017 to 2019, in tabular form. [24111/19]

Invalidity Pension Applications Data

Pat Casey

931. Deputy Pat Casey asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of invalidity pension applications received in 2018 and to date in 2019; and the number of applications that have been approved or refused. [24112/19]

Ambulance Service Provision

Pat Casey

30. Deputy Pat Casey asked the Minister for Health his plans to improve ambulance services in County Wicklow; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20910/19]

Services for People with Disabilities

Pat Casey

160. Deputy Pat Casey asked the Minister for Health the status of ongoing actions regarding a service (details supplied) in Bray and Wicklow in view of the published failings in several HSE reports and inquiries; the way in which complaints by service users and their families have been dealt with; the nature and detail of consultation with the families of service users; the status of governance issues with the service and staffing levels; the timeline for all issues to be resolved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18097/19]

Energy Schemes

Pat Casey

279. Deputy Pat Casey asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his plans for grant funding to be provided to home dwellers to insulate their houses using Irish wool (details supplied) in view of the number of houses here that have poor BER ratings; the similar initiatives that could help to revive the prospects of the sheep and wool sector here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15693/19]

Housing Assistance Payment Data

Pat Casey

590. Deputy Pat Casey asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the number of housing assistance payment recipients benefiting from discretionary payment increases, by county; the number of homeless housing assistance payment recipients benefiting from discretionary payments; the average increase per county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15096/19]

Housing Assistance Payment

Pat Casey

591. Deputy Pat Casey asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if the housing assistance discretionary payment is exempt from rent pressure zone criteria; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15097/19]

Human Rights

Pat Casey

44. Deputy Pat Casey asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his plans to support a UN-binding treaty on business and human rights in 2019 (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14568/19]

Renewable Energy Generation

Pat Casey

155. Deputy Pat Casey asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the number of renewable energy locations by county; the type of energy provided, for example, wind, solar and hydro; and the amount of energy generated as a percentage of the national renewable energy generated. [14591/19]

Primary Care Centres Provision

Pat Casey

23. Deputy Pat Casey asked the Minister for Health when primary care centres will open in Baltinglass, Rathdrum and Arklow, County Wicklow; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12227/19]

Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland Data

Pat Casey

127. Deputy Pat Casey asked the Minister for Finance the number of SMEs that received loan funding by firm size of fewer than ten, 11 to 49 and 50 to 249 employees, respectively, in tabular form. [9254/19]

VAT Rate Application

Pat Casey

128. Deputy Pat Casey asked the Minister for Finance the details of the changes in the VAT rate for cookery schools between 2016 and 2019 and the rationale for the change in view of the skills shortage in the sector. [9255/19]

Film Industry Tax Reliefs

Pat Casey

130. Deputy Pat Casey asked the Minister for Finance the status of his proposed changes to section 481 tax relief for film production; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9261/19]

Fuel Rebate Scheme

Pat Casey

131. Deputy Pat Casey asked the Minister for Finance his plans to review the terms of the diesel rebate scheme in view of the rising costs of fuel for Irish hauliers. [9262/19]

Community Employment Schemes Supervisors

Pat Casey

144. Deputy Pat Casey asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his plans to uphold the Labour Court decision of 2008 under which community employment supervisors should be granted access to a public pension in view of the current industrial dispute and the ten year campaign to secure justice in this area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9260/19]

Apprenticeship Programmes

Pat Casey

190. Deputy Pat Casey asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to increase apprenticeships in the construction sector in view of the shortage of skilled staff to address the housing crisis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9253/19]

Schools Building Projects Status

Pat Casey

191. Deputy Pat Casey asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of the school building programme for County Wicklow at both primary and secondary level and the start date for the construction of each in tabular form. [9280/19]

Schools Building Projects Data

Pat Casey

192. Deputy Pat Casey asked the Minister for Education and Skills the criteria used by the school building programme for tendering procurement; and the changes to this criteria and scoring since 2011 to date. [9282/19]

Schools Health and Safety

Pat Casey

193. Deputy Pat Casey asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of the development of guidelines for schools on the specific issue of restraint or seclusion in educational settings; and the current rules in relation to the matter. [9284/19]

Schools Building Contractors

Pat Casey

207. Deputy Pat Casey asked the Minister for Education and Skills if a contractor of a school building project has been successfully pursued for costs arising out of failure to comply with a building contract from 2011 to date in schools in County Wicklow; and if so, the details of same. [9476/19]

Garda Transport Data

Pat Casey

265. Deputy Pat Casey asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of additional marked and unmarked Garda cars and vehicles allocated to the Wicklow Garda division in 2018 and to date in 2019; and the number that were withdrawn during same period. [9732/19]

Rail Services Provision

Pat Casey

572. Deputy Pat Casey asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the plans of Iarnród Éireann to increase the number of carriages from four to six on the 8.25 a.m. DART from Bray towards Dublin city centre due to high demand. [9750/19]

Schools Health and Safety

Pat Casey

204. Deputy Pat Casey asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to review the procedures regarding lunch times at primary schools, particularly to ensure the children attending have sufficient hygiene and time to eat their food; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4981/19]

Courts Service Properties

Pat Casey

93. Deputy Pat Casey asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the status of the refurbishment and reopening of Wicklow town courthouse; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2109/19]

Foreign Conflicts

Pat Casey

123. Deputy Pat Casey asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his plans to ensure Ireland increases its diplomatic efforts through the EU to ensure the peace deal in South Sudan holds; his plans to continue to support the humanitarian efforts in South Sudan that are addressing the root causes of the conflict and to fund and support the conflict-resolution and peace-building efforts at community level by an organisation (details supplied) in partnership with INGOs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51976/18]

Human Rights Cases

Pat Casey

129. Deputy Pat Casey asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he has raised human rights abuses in Turkey, such as the case of a person (details supplied) imprisoned without due process, at EU level and directly with the Turkish embassy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52189/18]

Marine Safety

Pat Casey

437. Deputy Pat Casey asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will raise matters concerning a fishing vessel (details supplied) with his German counterpart in view of errors in a stability book issued by a German classification society; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51924/18]

Marine Safety

Pat Casey

438. Deputy Pat Casey asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he has raised issues concerning a fishing boat (details supplied) with his German counterpart; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51927/18]

Marine Safety

Pat Casey

453. Deputy Pat Casey asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport when the Marine Survey Office advised the committee on safe seas of possible dangers that nine fishing boats registered under EU flags may have the same or similar stability issues as an Irish fishing boat (details supplied); if the Marine Survey Office ascertained if the member states affected had been advised of same; if so, the remedial action the member states involved took in relation to these EU-registered fishing boats; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51925/18]

Marine Safety

Pat Casey

454. Deputy Pat Casey asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the reason the Marine Survey Office did not follow up on a matter (details supplied) with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency in the UK; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51926/18]

Ambulance Service

Pat Casey

46. Deputy Pat Casey asked the Minister for Health the status of the review of ambulance services in Arklow and west County Wicklow; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50730/18]

School Services Staff

Pat Casey

211. Deputy Pat Casey asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on the perceived unsatisfactory pay and employment conditions of school secretaries in the context of a review of such conditions; if these employees will be given more secure and sustainable employment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50542/18]

Direct Provision System

Pat Casey

255. Deputy Pat Casey asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the rationale for and detail of the tender process and decision making in relation to the leasing of a hotel (details supplied) in County Wicklow as a direct provision centre; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47899/18]

Services for People with Disabilities

Pat Casey

405. Deputy Pat Casey asked the Minister for Health the reason for the delay in publishing value for money and client fund reviews of a service (details supplied); the further reason for the delay in the appointment of the family liaison person and for the non-availability of the cultural audits that took place with families; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46950/18]

HSE Properties

Pat Casey

653. Deputy Pat Casey asked the Minister for Health the plans of the HSE for the old health clinic and surrounding lands in Tinahely, County Wicklow; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45374/18]

Ambulance Service

Pat Casey

112. Deputy Pat Casey asked the Minister for Health when the review of ambulance services in Arklow and west County Wicklow will take place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43595/18]

Garda Deployment

Pat Casey

37. Deputy Pat Casey asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of gardaí and reservists in each Garda station in County Wicklow; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42427/18]

Rural Regeneration and Development Fund

Pat Casey

211. Deputy Pat Casey asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the methodology used for choosing the eight towns awarded the rural regeneration pilot scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42612/18]