Parliamentary questions

Child Care Services Data

Kathleen Funchion

1457. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of whole-time equivalent staff working in the child care sector, by qualification level, or working grade. [36093/17]

Child Care Services Expenditure

Kathleen Funchion

404. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the details of the €132 million to be spent on measures for child care in the zero to six months, six months to three years of age, and after school care categories respectively, in tabular form; and when these payments will commence. [33236/17]

Child Care Costs

Kathleen Funchion

405. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of children estimated to receive a subsidy for each of the amounts (details supplied) per hour, per week under the 2017 extended childcare scheme measures; and the cost associated with each of these separate categories of children once implemented. [33237/17]

Child Care Costs

Kathleen Funchion

703. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs further to Parliamentary Question No. 656 of 23 May 2017, the estimated number of children for the targeted scheme between six months and three years of age for 2017 (details supplied). [32130/17]

Departmental Expenditure

Kathleen Funchion

712. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the unallocated spend within her Department for 2017; the expenditure allocated to programmes in 2017 which are due to cease in 2017; the funds that will become available within her Department's expenditure profile in 2018 due to changes in demand for services and goods or changes to costs within her Department and so on; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32311/17]

Child Care Services Data

Kathleen Funchion

253. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the estimated average hourly subsidy on the targeted child care scheme for those between six months and three years of age. [31854/17]

Domestic Violence Refuges Provision

Kathleen Funchion

36. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the immediate actions being taken by her Department to protect the many children affected by the serious capacity issues nationally at domestic violence centres and refuges that provide supports to victims of domestic violence, including women with their children; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31225/17]

Departmental Reviews

Kathleen Funchion

52. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if her Department has commissioned an independent early childhood service cost and sustainability review encompassing the identification and assessment of stress factors impacting on the early childhood services; if so, the expected date for this to be completed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31224/17]

Public Sector Staff Remuneration

Kathleen Funchion

174. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the date on which the rates of pay for secretarial assistants employed by Members of the Houses of the Oireachtas were last increased; his plans to review these rates in view of the large volume of constituency work secretarial assistants deal with; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29709/17]

Hospital Services

Kathleen Funchion

366. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Health the reason 20 week anomaly scans are not offered as standard to women in the public maternity system in St. Luke's Hospital in County Kilkenny which services the counties of Carlow and Kilkenny. [29703/17]

Hospital Beds Data

Kathleen Funchion

367. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Health the measures which are being taken to address the increasing trolley crisis in St. Luke's Hospital, County Kilkenny. [29704/17]

Early Childhood Care and Education Data

Kathleen Funchion

1919. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the cost of extending the ECCE scheme to 48 weeks. [27210/17]

Early Childhood Care and Education Funding

Kathleen Funchion

1921. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her Department's estimated hourly running cost for the early childhood care and education scheme and the hourly running cost of early years care for those under three years of age in services for both cohorts of children. [27385/17]

Early Childhood Care and Education Funding

Kathleen Funchion

1922. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the estimated cost of the early childhood care and education scheme over a 48-week period at a higher amount of €12 for both higher and lower capitation rates. [27386/17]

Early Childhood Care and Education Funding

Kathleen Funchion

1923. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the estimated cost of introducing a capitation rate of €12 to early years services for all babies under three years of age over a 48 week period. [27387/17]

Early Childhood Care and Education Data

Kathleen Funchion

1924. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of children availing of the targeted subsidy within the affordable child care scheme, ACS, aged between six months and three years of age by amount (details supplied). [27438/17]

Community Childcare Subvention Programme

Kathleen Funchion

1925. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the full year cost of the targeted portion of the affordable child care in each of the years 2015, 2016 and 2017. [27439/17]

Maternity Benefit Data

Kathleen Funchion

2017. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Social Protection the full combined cost of increasing maternity benefit by €20, €30, €40 and €50 per week and extending maternity benefit by 26 weeks, in tabular form. [27209/17]

Bereavement Grant

Kathleen Funchion

2020. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Social Protection her plans for the reinstating of the bereavement grant particularly to those persons that have lost loved ones to suicide; and if it will be restored during the Government's term. [27369/17]

Child Care Services Funding

Kathleen Funchion

259. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the detail of the higher subsidy rate for persons under three years of age when introduced as part of the affordable childcare scheme; and the difference in amount compared with the ECCE higher and lower capitation rates. [26347/17]

Early Years Sector

Kathleen Funchion

260. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs when the under three years of age subgroup of the early years forum will produce their recommendations to support and sustain provision for children under three in ECCE; and when this information will be readily available for consideration. [26348/17]

Teacher Training Provision

Kathleen Funchion

150. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of training CPD days both primary and secondary school teachers receive each year; the cost for those days; and his Department's total budget for teacher CPD training and the number of teachers. [26161/17]

School Staff

Kathleen Funchion

205. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason a school (details supplied) was not allocated with an EAL teacher in 2017 in view of the fact that the school requested and was previously allocated one EAL teacher for the previous three consecutive school years; and the reason this decision changed in 2017 in view of the fact that there has been no change to the school's percentages. [24119/17]

Medical Goods Regulation

Kathleen Funchion

434. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Health the reason Macushield and Artelac medications are not being made available for medical card holders. [24041/17]

Child Care Services Staff

Kathleen Funchion

655. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if recommendations in her Department's sustainability audits of community services recommend that services cut pay to child care staff; and if so, the capacity in which, the amount involved and the circumstances in which this was decided. [24120/17]

Child Care Costs

Kathleen Funchion

656. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the estimated cost under the proposed universal subsidy of increasing the €80 per month subsidy in €20 intervals up to the amount of €600 for all eligible parents. [24165/17]

Early Childhood Care and Education Programmes

Kathleen Funchion

657. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the funding for every level provided within the AIM programme in tabular form. [24166/17]

Early Childhood Care and Education Funding

Kathleen Funchion

658. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the breakdown of level 7 funding between the 10 and 15 hours options allowed within the AIM programme; the amount provided for the total 10-hour allocation and total 15-hour allocation nationally; and the number of children each of those total amounts provide for. [24167/17]

Early Years Sector

Kathleen Funchion

659. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her plans for a review of the early years child care sector; and the Government body that will conduct the review. [24168/17]

Child Care Services Data

Kathleen Funchion

660. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the cost per year of the ACS in the event that the wage rate for educators is revised from the current proposed wage rate for level 5 educators to €11.50 an hour, €13.00 an hour for level 6 educators and €14.75 an hour for level 7 educators. [24169/17]

Preschool Services

Kathleen Funchion

674. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs further to Parliamentary Question No. 368 of 12 April 2017, the costs of the Tusla early years inspections, the Department of Education and Skills early years inspections and the Pobal compliance visits per year, in tabular form. [24564/17]

Child Care Services Data

Kathleen Funchion

678. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of children under three years of age her Department estimates will take up both private and community crèche-based child care in September 2017; and the number of children under three years of age that attended both private and community crèche-based services from September 2016 to date in 2017. [24762/17]

Early Childhood Care and Education Standards

Kathleen Funchion

17. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if her Department has given consideration to a streamlining of the inspections system for the early years sector in order to decrease the amount of administrative work carried out by services. [22310/17]

Early Years Sector

Kathleen Funchion

30. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her plans to tackle the lack of availability of early years service provision to those under three years of age; and the work being undertaken by her Department to ensure that there is not a monopoly of early childhood care and education provision in the services for babies under three years of age. [22311/17]

Birth Data

Kathleen Funchion

194. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Health the number of babies that were delivered prematurely in 2016; and the number of babies that have been delivered prematurely to date in 2017. [22231/17]

Child and Family Agency Data

Kathleen Funchion

661. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of admissions of women to a centre (details supplied) in the past ten years. [22006/17]

Child and Family Agency Data

Kathleen Funchion

662. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of children or babies of women attending a centre (details supplied) in the past ten year period who have been taken into care by social services as a result of being deemed at high risk. [22007/17]

Maternity Benefit Data

Kathleen Funchion

128. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Social Protection the full combined cost of increasing maternity benefit by €20, €30, €40 and €50 per week while extending maternity benefit by two, three, four, five and six weeks, in tabular form. [21167/17]

Special Educational Needs Staff

Kathleen Funchion

161. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Health the hourly cost for ten HSE therapists employed as part of level 6 of the access and inclusion model, AIM, for children with additional needs taking part in the free preschool year. [21163/17]

Special Educational Needs Staff

Kathleen Funchion

162. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Health the duties of a HSE therapist working as part of level 6 in AIM; the number of hours a therapist spends with a child per day; and the number of days a week. [21164/17]

Special Educational Needs Staff

Kathleen Funchion

163. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Health if a HSE therapist working with a child as part of AIM works consistently with the same child over a period of time or if the therapist changes every visit. [21165/17]

Early Years Sector

Kathleen Funchion

263. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of persons (details supplied) with additional needs registered with early years services. [21166/17]

Accident and Emergency Departments

Kathleen Funchion

75. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Health the special steps or initiatives taken since November 2016 in response to the deteriorating overcrowding situation; the status of these initiatives or steps that were announced; the preparations which are being made for winter 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20217/17]

Home Care Packages

Kathleen Funchion

102. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the fact that persons under 65 years of age now account for one in every four strokes, yet home care packages are not tailored to the specific needs of persons that could be living with the side effects of strokes for decades; if he will create an entitlement to home care that is appropriate for stroke survivors of all ages; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20218/17]

Schools Building Projects Status

Kathleen Funchion

151. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of the construction process for a school (details supplied); the response from the design team to date; and when his Department expects the project to commence and be completed. [20919/17]

Garda Vetting Applications Data

Kathleen Funchion

98. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of persons on a list in 2017 to be cleared of Garda vetting for the purpose of working in early years services. [20639/17]

Maternity Benefit

Kathleen Funchion

606. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Social Protection the cost of increasing the weekly maternity benefit payment by €20 for one year based on maternity leave uptake numbers in 2016. [20497/17]

Garda Vetting Applications Data

Kathleen Funchion

1452. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the amount of extra funding allocated to an organisation (details supplied) to shorten the backlog of Garda vetting; when that extra funding was allocated; and the number of early years practitioners that have been cleared of their Garda vetting to date as a result of that extra funding. [20638/17]

Capitation Grants

Kathleen Funchion

1453. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the estimated cost to increase both lower and higher capitation rates by €9 to all registered service providers engaging in the free pre school year. [20640/17]

Departmental Reviews

Kathleen Funchion

385. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the expected cost of the independent review of the cost of providing quality child care in private and community settings; and if her Department will require additional money in budget 2018 to meet the cost. [19108/17]

Paternity Leave Scheme

Kathleen Funchion

217. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Social Protection the cost of statutory paternity benefit in 2016; and the number of men who availed of the full two weeks. [18667/17]

Maternity Benefit Data

Kathleen Funchion

218. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Social Protection the cost of statutory maternity benefit in 2016; and the number of women who availed of the full 26 weeks. [18668/17]

Maternity Benefit Data

Kathleen Funchion

219. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost of extending maternity leave by a further two weeks in one budgetary year. [18669/17]

Preschool Services

Kathleen Funchion

366. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the cost of the inclusion of seven days of non-contact time for all early years services in budget 2017. [18670/17]

Early Years Strategy Implementation

Kathleen Funchion

367. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of early years services, both community and private, that have completed the full Aistear curriculum to date; and the number that have yet to complete the curriculum. [18671/17]

Preschool Services

Kathleen Funchion

368. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of inspectors employed by Tusla to inspect all services in the early years sector. [18672/17]

Preschool Services

Kathleen Funchion

369. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the cost for inspectors employed by Tusla to inspect all services in the early years sector in one budgetary year. [18673/17]

Preschool Services

Kathleen Funchion

370. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if an allocation of additional funding has been made towards community-based crèches which face imminent closure; and if so, the amount and the number of those community services being targeted with the additional funding. [18674/17]

Departmental Expenditure

Kathleen Funchion

797. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the estimated cost of increasing the capitation grant for the free preschool year by €5 per week per child for both existing lower and higher capitation rates. [17575/17]

Preschool Services

Kathleen Funchion

798. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the estimated cost of employing ten new special needs assistants working for early years services at five hours per day five days a week for 52 weeks. [17576/17]

Child Care Services

Kathleen Funchion

799. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs further to Parliamentary Question No. 839 of 7 March 2017, the estimated cost for the number of children anticipated to avail of targeted subsidies in the ACS scheme in year one. [17598/17]

Child Care Services

Kathleen Funchion

800. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs further to Parliamentary Question No. 840 of 7 March 2017, the estimated cost for the number of children anticipated to avail of the universal subsidy in the ACS in year one. [17599/17]

Early Childhood Care and Education Staff

Kathleen Funchion

349. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of early years practitioners currently registered and working across the State in early years services, private and community, with qualification five and qualification six respectively. [16893/17]

Early Childhood Care and Education Staff

Kathleen Funchion

350. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of early years practitioners currently registered and working across the State in early years services with qualification seven and qualification eight respectively. [16894/17]

Early Childhood Care and Education

Kathleen Funchion

351. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the amount of funding allocated to the learner fund for 2016-2017; the number of practitioners who availed of places available; and if all the funding allocated to the fund was availed of. [16895/17]

Citizenship Status

Kathleen Funchion

114. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality in view of the referendum result in June 2016 and the triggering of Article 50 for Brexit the status of foreign nationals residing permanently in Northern Ireland whose children were born on the island of Ireland and are citizens; if it is the case that even though these children qualify for Irish citizenship their parents will be treated differently; and if the same citizenship rights apply to foreign nationals who reside in Northern Ireland as to foreign nationals who reside here. [16069/17]

Child Care Services Funding

Kathleen Funchion

685. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the estimated cost to increase the average subsidy under the new universal scheme for every €50 million per annum increase in investment over a five year period. [16072/17]

Child Care Services Funding

Kathleen Funchion

686. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the estimated total cost under the proposed universal subsidy of increasing the €80 per month subsidy in €20 intervals up to the amount of €300 for all eligible parents. [16073/17]

Child Care Services Staff

Kathleen Funchion

19. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the measures she is implementing as part of the new affordable child care scheme to tackle the issue of poor working conditions of the early years sector; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15277/17]

Special Educational Needs Service Provision

Kathleen Funchion

26. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the status of the implementation of the access and inclusion model; her views on whether it will be sufficiently accessible to all children who are in need of extra assistance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15218/17]

Child Care Services Provision

Kathleen Funchion

55. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her plans to tackle the threat of imminent closures of community-based crèches due to high operational costs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15217/17]

Vaccination Programme

Kathleen Funchion

404. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Health his plans to examine the pre-medical condition of girls claiming to be affected by the HPV vaccination in each of the years 2010 to 2016; his views on whether an injustice is being done to such a vulnerable group; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15388/17]

Vaccination Programme

Kathleen Funchion

405. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Health his views on the HPV controversy; his plans to meet the girls affected to discuss a resolution to this situation; his views on the case of these girls and their families and the major cost implications in receiving medical attention within and outside the State; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15389/17]

Vaccination Programme

Kathleen Funchion

406. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Health his views on the fact that by continuing with the HPV vaccination programme there will be a further percentage of girls displaying serious medical difficulties if action is not taken now and in view of the fact that it is highlighted to all parties involved and may yet lead to a public inquiry at some date in the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15390/17]

Vaccination Programme

Kathleen Funchion

407. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Health his views on the HPV controversy and the cost implication for the families in addressing their considerable medical needs; the structures he plans to put in place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15391/17]

Children in Care

Kathleen Funchion

599. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of children currently in foster care in 2017; and the number of those children under 12 years of age, between 12 and 16 years of age and between 16 and 18 years of age, in tabular form. [14823/17]

Children in Care

Kathleen Funchion

600. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of children currently in foster care who have been diagnosed with special needs, physical or mental. [14824/17]

Children in Care

Kathleen Funchion

601. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of children currently on waiting lists to access the services of designated social workers. [14825/17]

Child and Family Agency Data

Kathleen Funchion

602. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of social workers who are currently employed with Tusla. [14826/17]

Unaccompanied Minors and Separated Children

Kathleen Funchion

603. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the estimated cost of supporting arriving refugee unaccompanied minors here in 2017; the number of minors to be expected; the cost per child; and the amount that has been allocated by her Department for the care of arriving refugee children and minors. [14828/17]

Legislative Programme

Kathleen Funchion

207. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Health his plans to bring forward legislation regarding commercial surrogacy in the near future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14350/17]

Early Start Programme

Kathleen Funchion

818. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if there is a taskforce for the development of the early years strategy; and if so, the detail of the members of the taskforce, their title and their organisation. [11185/17]

Child Care Services Provision

Kathleen Funchion

838. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of children that availed of centre based child care, both community and private, in 2016. [12150/17]

Child Care Services

Kathleen Funchion

839. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of children anticipated to avail of targeted subsidies in the affordable child care scheme, ACS, scheme in year one; and the estimated cost for that number. [12151/17]

Child Care Services

Kathleen Funchion

840. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of children anticipated to avail of the universal subsidy in the affordable child care scheme, ACS, in year one; and the estimated total cost for that number. [12152/17]

Child Care Services Funding

Kathleen Funchion

841. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the estimated cost of reinstating the childminding advisory service. [12153/17]

Child Care Services Funding

Kathleen Funchion

842. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the estimated cost over a five-year period of increasing her Department's agreed threshold of €47,500 of a household's combined income year on year for those five budgetary years by €500 per year, that is, year one increasing the threshold to €48,000, in tabular form; and the total cost over a five-year period for all households eligible for affordable child care scheme, ACS, subsidies. [12180/17]

Child Care Services

Kathleen Funchion

822. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the way applications by persons and registrations and payments to Tusla registered child care providers will work with respect to the targeted subsidy (details supplied). [10220/17]

Information and Communications Technology

Kathleen Funchion

823. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs when the IT system for both the universal and targeted subsidy will be fully automated (details supplied); and if her Department is factoring in a reasonable amount of time to be allowed to services and county child care committees to become familiar with the system themselves prior to it being automated. [10221/17]

Child Care Services

Kathleen Funchion

75. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her views on whether the child care settings will be equipped to cope with the roll out of the single affordable child care scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7090/17]

Further Education and Training Programmes

Kathleen Funchion

180. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Education and Skills to set out the number of tourism and hospitality skills training positions that were allocated to the Carlow-Kilkenny constituency in 2015 and 2016. [6817/17]

Further Education and Training Programmes

Kathleen Funchion

181. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Education and Skills to set out the amount of funding that was allocated to the Carlow-Kilkenny constituency for tourism and hospitality skills training in 2015 and 2016 by his Department. [6819/17]

Further Education and Training Programmes

Kathleen Funchion

182. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Education and Skills to specify the agency or Government body that has oversight and responsibility for hospitality and tourism skills development policy. [6821/17]

Tourism Funding

Kathleen Funchion

625. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the amount of funding that was allocated to the Carlow-Kilkenny constituency for tourism and hospitality skills training in 2015 and 2016 by his Department. [6820/17]

Community Employment Drug Rehabilitation Projects

Kathleen Funchion

323. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Social Protection the way in which participants will be chosen for the Kilkenny city community employment scheme which is being run by an organisation (details supplied); and the type of work participants will be engaged in through the programme. [5902/17]

Proposed Legislation

Kathleen Funchion

703. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs when the legislation for the affordable childcare scheme, ACS, is expected to be passed; if passed, if the background work will have been completed to ensure roll-out for September 2017; and when the guidelines for the ACS will be made available. [5907/17]

Medicinal Products Prices

Kathleen Funchion

60. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Health the status of an initiative he is taking with other countries to negotiate collectively to lower the prices of drugs; the status of meetings that both he and officials from his Department have had with their counterparts on this; the way he will proceed on this; if targets have been set; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4701/17]

Assisted Human Reproduction

Kathleen Funchion

111. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 400 of 24 January 2017, the status of the review of international public funding models for fertility treatment, in view of the fact that it was to be furnished to him by the end of 2016; the reason for the delay in finalising the review; the timeframe to receive the review, analyse it and publish it; the knock-on effects this has for the general scheme of legislative provisions dealing with assisted human reproduction, AHR; the timeframe for the legislation dealing with AHR; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4571/17]

Child Care Services

Kathleen Funchion

773. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her plans to tackle the ongoing issue of high commercial rates within the child care sector for private operators in view of the fact that rates bills being received currently for 2017 are up from 40% to 80% in some areas compared with 2016; and her views on whether this is not sustainable and will result in a negative impact on the child care infrastructure if pursued. [3805/17]

Domestic Violence Services Funding

Kathleen Funchion

777. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the amount of funding a group (details supplied) received in 2016; and the amount it should expect to receive in 2017 and when. [4292/17]