Parliamentary questions

State Pension (Contributory) Eligibility

Willie Penrose

291. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the reason a person (details supplied) is only in receipt of a €202 contributory State pension in view of the fact they have made social insurance contributions since 1964-65; if their situation can be reviewed in the context of new proposals to deal with contributory State pension recipients; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7926/18]

Carer's Allowance Applications

Willie Penrose

292. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the status of an application by a person (details supplied) for carer's allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7927/18]

Community Employment Schemes Eligibility

Willie Penrose

299. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her plans to review the operation of the community employment scheme eligibility criteria; her further plans to facilitate persons on community employment schemes who are not in receipt of a social welfare payment in view of the fact their spouses are in full-time employment or in circumstances in which they may be engaged in self-employment such as farming; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8022/18]

Postal Voting

Willie Penrose

306. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if a postal vote facility is available for persons who may be registered in the constituency in which they reside but are attending third level education away from home and may not be able to return to vote in the upcoming referendum in May 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8035/18]

GLAS Payments

Willie Penrose

29. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his strategy to overcome intractable problems faced by thousands of farmers who still have not received GLAS payments; his views on the high level of complaints regarding the operation of GLAS payments; the actions he plans to take to address this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7226/18]

Areas of Natural Constraint Scheme Payments

Willie Penrose

40. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when the consultation with stakeholders will begin regarding the additional €25 million for the areas of natural constraint, ANC, payment; when a decision will be made on the way it will be allocated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7140/18]

Animal Identification Schemes

Willie Penrose

46. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of the discussions held to date with the stakeholders relating to bovine EID tagging; the progress made to comply with the July deadline required in the EU regulations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7143/18]

Forestry Sector

Willie Penrose

61. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the contact he has had with Coillte about the current non-payment of forestry financial instalments due to contracted farmers; his plans to carry out an audit to ensure all lessors are being paid with correct contract terms in place; his further plans to meet Ireland's target of planting 7,100 ha of forestry a year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7141/18]

Livestock Issues

Willie Penrose

74. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason his Department introduced over-onerous conditions under the clean livestock policy for sheep in meat plants in the middle of winter; his plans to ensure that Teagasc can provide workable solutions in order that havoc can be avoided in factories; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7139/18]

EU Agreements

Willie Penrose

86. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the discussions held with the other member states which, along with Ireland, are deeply concerned regarding the impact of the Mercosur proposals to permit increased access to the EU prime beef market; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7142/18]

Defibrillators in Schools Provision

Willie Penrose

226. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Education and Skills the steps he will take to ensure that funding is put in place to enable each primary and secondary school throughout the State to acquire a defibrillator; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7411/18]

Beef Exports

Willie Penrose

478. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if prime beef will be sold by Irish meat plants to China in 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7162/18]

Sheep Welfare Scheme

Willie Penrose

479. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he is satisfied with the operation of the sheep welfare scheme; the amount spent in 2017; the projected spend in 2018; and the amount of the scheme funded by the EU. [7163/18]

Pig Quality Assurance Scheme

Willie Penrose

480. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to legally define the use of the term "free range pork" to provide assurance to both producers and consumers. [7164/18]

Brexit Issues

Willie Penrose

481. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to re-open the agriculture cashflow support loan scheme, following the closure of same in September 2017, with an increased amount of funding. [7166/18]

Telecommunications Infrastructure

Willie Penrose

521. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his views on the impact a lack of broadband and mobile telephone signal has on farmers and agricultural contractors seeking to use technology such as GPS and other applications to implement smart farming; and his plans to address this. [7165/18]

Community Development Initiatives

Willie Penrose

611. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development to outline the funds that will be available to enable elderly persons over 70 years of age meet for recreational and leisure pursuits and for social occasions on a regular basis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7412/18]

Seniors Alert Scheme

Willie Penrose

612. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development in the context of the community alert system and the additional funding promised to expand same to outline the way in which the new scheme will operate; the amount of the charge that recipients of the scheme will pay after the first year of availing of same and for each year thereafter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7413/18]

General Medical Services Scheme Administration

Willie Penrose

215. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Health the position regarding medical card holders undertaking blood tests for the purposes of monitoring their health on a recurring basis; if a charge can be levied by the general practitioner carrying out such blood tests; if so, if it can be reclaimed through the PCRS for the purpose of reimbursement of outlays associated with such a charge; if such charges are consistent with the commitment given by the former Minister of State at his Department in Dáil Éireann on 3 December 2015 which indicated that the contract was clear and explicit in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6599/18]

Commercial Rates

Willie Penrose

299. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if, in respect of the rural incentive scheme, the rural rates alleviation scheme has been formulated and introduced for such rural based businesses, in view of policies announced by the former Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht to help revitalise and bring jobs to rural Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6281/18]