Parliamentary questions

Community Employment Schemes Supervisors

Róisín Shortall

99. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his plans in respect of the long-promised provision of pensions for community employment supervisors; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50873/19]

Educational Disadvantage

Róisín Shortall

112. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to address educational disadvantage; if the principle of the DEIS approach to targeting resources at such schools in order to counter the impacts of poverty and social exclusion on educational attainment will receive a commitment; if so, the reason class sizes in DEIS band 1 schools have not been reduced in view of the fact other schools have benefited from such reductions; and if the issue will be addressed. [50830/19]

Language Schools

Róisín Shortall

113. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans in respect of the regulation of English language schools in respect of both pay and employment conditions for teachers in the schools and the setting of educational standards; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50832/19]

School Curriculum

Róisín Shortall

118. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Education and Skills the circumstances in which a campaign (details supplied) is providing health messaging to school students in respect of alcohol; if he has sanctioned the activity; his views on the appropriateness of the alcohol industry being involved in educational content; the existing arrangements for health education in respect of substance misuse; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50860/19]

School Curriculum

Róisín Shortall

119. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Education and Skills the extent of the provision of the SPHE programme in schools, by county and school, in which the programme is not being provided; the steps he is taking to address the matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50875/19]

Juvenile Offenders

Róisín Shortall

138. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of minors referred to the national office on juvenile crime by Garda division in each of the past three years to date in 2019; the number referred to the youth diversion programme for prosecution or other in each case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50870/19]

Legal Services Regulation

Róisín Shortall

139. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the steps he is taking to open up the education and training for solicitors and barristers in order to achieve greater accountability, independence and competition in these sectors; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50871/19]

Orthodontic Services

Róisín Shortall

200. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the reason for the long delay in publishing a report (details supplied) into the orthodontic service; the action the HSE has taken in respect of the issues relating to children that were covered by the report; and if, in the interests of openness and accountability, he will undertake to publish the report without further delay. [50863/19]

Food Safety Authority of Ireland

Róisín Shortall

201. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the research which has been carried out here on the health impacts of nitrates in processed meats; the consideration which has been given to World Health Organisation research on same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50865/19]

Hospital Waiting Lists

Róisín Shortall

202. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the status of child waiting lists for scoliosis treatment by hospital and length of time on the waiting list; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50869/19]

Hospital Services

Róisín Shortall

203. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the status of the provision of appropriate treatment for a person (details supplied); if a care plan has been agreed for them since the meeting of their family with the hospital on 4 October 2019; the timescale for the treatment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50874/19]

Equine Industry

Róisín Shortall

306. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the steps he is taking and the funding being provided to address the proliferation of horses being bred here especially in respect of urban horses many of which are treated cruelly; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50867/19]

Warmer Homes Scheme Data

Róisín Shortall

312. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the funding allocations to each community-based organisation, CBO, in each of the past three years and in 2019 for the purpose of carrying out energy efficiency retrofits on the homes of persons on low incomes; the number of homes which were upgraded by each CBO; and his plans in respect the continuation of the work. [50862/19]

Childcare Services

Róisín Shortall

349. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the steps she will take to ensure that the national childcare scheme will not penalise certain categories of lone parents in which it will act as a disincentive to taking up training, education or employment as identified by a group (details supplied); the action she will take in relation to same in the coming years and not merely the arrangements in 2020; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50864/19]

Early Years Sector

Róisín Shortall

350. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her views on a proposal by an organisation (details supplied) for the establishment of an early years and school age agency to replace Departments and agencies in order to ensure a streamlined, seamless and all-encompassing system in order that early child education and welfare issues are responded to appropriately and to achieve better value for money; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50868/19]

Community Employment Schemes Supervisors

Róisín Shortall

400. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her plans to address the issue of pensions for community employment supervisors which has been promised for some time; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50872/19]

Nursing Homes Support Scheme Administration

Róisín Shortall

155. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the need in the context of the housing crisis to reform the operation of the fair deal scheme in order to encourage participants in the scheme to make their homes available for letting in order to alleviate the housing shortage; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50486/19]

Rehabilitative Training Allowance Payments

Róisín Shortall

160. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health if disability organisations will be provided with funding to allow them to pay the full Christmas bonus to recipients of the rehabilitative training allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50530/19]

Nursing Homes Support Scheme Administration

Róisín Shortall

259. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if he will arrange discussions with the Minister for Health regarding the need in the context of the housing crisis to reform the operation of the fair deal scheme in order to encourage participants in the scheme to make their homes available for letting in order to alleviate the housing shortage; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50487/19]

Planning Guidelines

Róisín Shortall

267. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government his plans to introduce new planning regulations to ensure that cinemas must have railings and or strip-lighting on gangways to assist those with visual impairment or other disabilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50529/19]