Parliamentary questions

Climate Change Policy

Richard Boyd Barrett

51. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will report on the input his Department had into Cabinet discussions on Ireland's role in and contribution to global climate change mitigation in advance of the Bonn climate change conference; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47044/17]

Forestry Management

Richard Boyd Barrett

52. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to establish a special task force to liaise and co-ordinate between his Department and the Departments of Communications, Climate Action and Environment and Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht to examine and drive a co-ordinated and coherent plan for utilising and expanding native forestry to maximise its multiple benefits in line with commitments on climate change mitigation, environmental and heritage protection and enhancing biodiversity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47045/17]

Forestry Management

Richard Boyd Barrett

53. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on whether his Department is not sufficiently supporting small scale coppice management of existing hedgerows and woodlands on farms (details supplied); his plans to use existing funding not currently being availed of for same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47041/17]

Forestry Management

Richard Boyd Barrett

66. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason there has not been a specific move to target the 500,000 acres of non-commercially viable Coillte lands identified by the McCarthy report in 2010 for the development of mixed native woodlands (details supplied) in view of the problem of land availability for forestry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47042/17]

Forestry Management

Richard Boyd Barrett

70. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason his Department is not adopting the full suite of agroforestry measures that are funded and provided for within the rural development regulation for farming and forestry; the further reason he is not actively encouraging the creation of linear riparian native woodlands on farms to act as buffers to collect nitrate and phosphate run off in view of the problem for farm sustainability; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47043/17]

Cabinet Committee Meetings

Richard Boyd Barrett

3. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Taoiseach when Cabinet committee B, social policy and public services, will next meet. [44043/17]

One-Parent Family Payment

Richard Boyd Barrett

72. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her views on her Department's response to a review (details supplied) of the amendments to the one-parent family payment and, in particular, its impact on child poverty; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43793/17]

State Pensions

Richard Boyd Barrett

79. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her plans to ensure pension equality by removing the band changes made to the way in which pensions are calculated and reducing the number of contributions needed to qualify for the State pension from 520 to 260; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46798/17]

Mental Health Services Provision

Richard Boyd Barrett

655. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health the supports in place for persons engaging in mental health services that have complaints about service providers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45802/17]

Health Services Provision

Richard Boyd Barrett

661. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health the way in which a person (details supplied) can be referred for treatment to a specialist of neurology in the UK; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45826/17]

National Lottery Funding Data

Richard Boyd Barrett

663. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health the reason for the drop in funding from the Health Service Executive national lottery grant scheme to an organisation (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45848/17]

Child and Family Agency Investigations

Richard Boyd Barrett

1093. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs further to Parliamentary Question Nos. 516 of 17 October 2017 and 183 of 27 September 2017, when a formal response will be issued; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45772/17]

Labour Activation Measures

Richard Boyd Barrett

1166. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her views on the case of a person of 62 years of age who has recently lost their job and has been invited to participate in JobPath but is not allowed to take up part-time work in their chosen field and instead is expected to find work for 30 hours or more a week in another field; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45659/17]

Invalidity Pension Applications

Richard Boyd Barrett

1167. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the reason the invalidity pension of a person (details supplied) has been stopped in view of the fact that their condition has remained the same and is likely to continue to remain the same into the future and evidence has been provided of same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45828/17]

Employment Rights

Richard Boyd Barrett

1168. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to the practice in the film industry of certain companies hiring unpaid runners; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45831/17]

Employment Support Services

Richard Boyd Barrett

1176. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the arrangement between her Department, JobPath, a company (details supplied) and Turas Nua; the mandate that these companies have regarding jobseekers; the details of the contracts with these companies; if there is a pay by result remuneration for each jobseeker that gains employment through the scheme, if so, their salary and the reason it is required that jobseekers must sign a contract with these private companies; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45663/17]

Local Authority Housing Waiting Lists

Richard Boyd Barrett

1301. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if there is a scheme to facilitate persons on the housing list in Dublin to move outside of Dublin and take vacant properties in rural areas if they wish to do so; if not, his plans to set up such a scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45799/17]

Housing Assistance Payment

Richard Boyd Barrett

16. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the way in which he envisages reaching the housing assistance payment, HAP, targets in Rebuilding Ireland in view of current rent prices and supply problems in Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45301/17]

Homeless Accommodation Provision

Richard Boyd Barrett

17. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government his views on whether the process that homeless persons must go through when there is no placement available for them from the DRHE to be satisfactory in view of the chronic shortage of both emergency placements and hotel and guesthouse accommodation; his plans to make changes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45302/17]

Social and Affordable Housing

Richard Boyd Barrett

18. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if an affordable housing scheme to guide councils in providing affordable homes and to ensure that affordable homes will remain affordable into the future, even if there is a change of ownership, will be put in place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45303/17]