Parliamentary questions

Defence Forces

Gary Gannon

166. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the married quarters and houses that remain within the possession of the Defence Forces or his Department; and the number that are currently occupied. [21559/23]

Defence Forces

Gary Gannon

167. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the married quarters and houses that remain within the possession of the Defence Forces or his Department; and the number currently vacant. [21560/23]

Defence Forces

Gary Gannon

168. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence if he will provide information on whether the occupied married quarters and houses within the possession of the Defence Forces or his Department are currently occupied by current or former members of the Defence Forces; and if he will provide a breakdown of their respective ranks. [21561/23]

Special Educational Needs

Gary Gannon

290. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education the position regarding the provision of autism-specific units for schools (details supplied) in County Dublin; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21552/23]

Social Welfare Rates

Gary Gannon

409. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated yearly cost of increasing the rate of jobseeker's allowance for all young people aged under 25 years in line with the maximum person rate for those aged over 25 years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21553/23]

Passport Services

Gary Gannon

33. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs when a person (details supplied) will have their documents returned to them from the relevant office. [20368/23]

State Examinations

Gary Gannon

267. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education if she will provide a timeline on when the updated deferred Leaving Certificate criteria will be announced. [20142/23]

State Examinations

Gary Gannon

268. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education if additional time is to be granted to Ukrainian students sitting Junior and Leaving Certificate examinations to ensure that they can make all necessary translations. [20143/23]

Child Poverty

Gary Gannon

8. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Taoiseach if he will provide an update on the proposed child poverty unit in his Department. [19317/23]

Departmental Strategies

Gary Gannon

9. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Taoiseach if he will outline the current situation in regard to the development of a national security strategy. [19314/23]

Cabinet Committees

Gary Gannon

21. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on the economy and investment will meet next. [19315/23]

European Council

Gary Gannon

30. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the recent meeting of the European Council which he attended; the issues discussed; and the conclusions reached. [19316/23]

Programme for Government

Gary Gannon

243. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the reason for the decision to abandon the commitment in the Programme for Government to conduct a pilot on universal basic income in the lifetime of the Government (details supplied); if it has been decided to carry out microsimulations of UBI, as recommended by the Low Pay Commission and ESRI; if so, what are the parameters of the proposed microsimulations; who is to carry out the microsimulations; and if this work has commenced already. [19422/23]

Gaeltacht Scholarships

Gary Gannon

290. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if all scholarships under the DEIS Gaeltachta have been allocated for 2023; and if she will provide a breakdown of all scholarships allocations by school and county, in tabular form. [19427/23]

Social Welfare Benefits

Gary Gannon

373. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Social Protection the total number of people in receipt of one-parent family payment; the total number of people in receipt of jobseeker’s transitional payment; and the number of recipients of each payment who are self-employed, in tabular form. [19423/23]

Social Welfare Payments

Gary Gannon

374. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Social Protection when the ending of means testing of child maintenance for lone parents accessing social welfare payments will come into effect. [19424/23]

Social Welfare Benefits

Gary Gannon

375. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Social Protection the total number of people in receipt of working family payment; the estimated cost of extending eligibility for the fuel allowance to recipients of the working family payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19425/23]

Parental Leave

Gary Gannon

376. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of one-parent families that availed of parent's benefit and leave in 2022; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19426/23]

Schools Building Projects

Gary Gannon

528. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education the reasons for the delay in the progression of the permanent building for a school (details supplied), before and since inflationary issues have arisen. [17147/23]

School Accommodation

Gary Gannon

529. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education the date on which a school (details supplied) will move from temporary accommodation. [17148/23]

Schools Building Projects

Gary Gannon

530. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education the support measures in place for schools or neighbouring schools, impacted by the hold on 58 school building projects; if such extenuating circumstances impact re-allocation of teachers and/or prefabs; and which schools have been impacted in this way. [17149/23]

School Staff

Gary Gannon

531. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education the reason a decision has been taken to suppress a ninth teaching post for a school (details supplied), given that it is a developing school and projected enrolment numbers exceed both the required 215 and 231 pupils required to be eligible for an additional post. [17150/23]

School Accommodation

Gary Gannon

532. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education the rationale for reversing the decision to allow a school (details supplied) permission to put in place a second block of prefabs for the 2023-2024 term. [17151/23]

Hare Coursing

Gary Gannon

787. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the total number of hares captured from the wild for the 2022-2023 season; and how many times they were used during capture. [17153/23]

Hare Coursing

Gary Gannon

788. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of hares pinned, injured and killed during the 2022-2023 season. [17154/23]

Hare Coursing

Gary Gannon

1099. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of coursing clubs that were active in the 2022-2023 season. [17152/23]

Hare Coursing

Gary Gannon

1100. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if any welfare studies have been conducted by his Deptartment or Veterinary Ireland on the physical and mental trauma hares suffer as a result of coursing. [17155/23]

Hare Coursing

Gary Gannon

1101. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if any welfare studies have been conducted by his Department or Veterinary Ireland on the physical and mental trauma hares suffer as a result of coursing; and if not, the reasoning for allowing wild animals to be captured, traumatised, injured, and killed for the sake of entertainment and gambling. [17156/23]

Health Services

Gary Gannon

1539. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Health if he is aware of the lack of paediatric palliative care in the south-east region; if there are plans to rectify this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17146/23]

Cabinet Committees

Gary Gannon

12. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Taoiseach when the most recent meeting of the Cabinet committee on housing took place. [14893/23]

Departmental Properties

Gary Gannon

21. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his Department's resource-efficiency action plan. [14894/23]

Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements

Gary Gannon

26. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his recent engagements with the Spanish Prime Minister. [14895/23]

Cabinet Committees

Gary Gannon

10. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on health will next meet. [14890/23]

Ukraine War

Gary Gannon

14. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Taoiseach when the most recent meeting of the Cabinet Committee on a Humanitarian Response to Ukraine took place. [14891/23]

Departmental Offices

Gary Gannon

23. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the international division of his Department. [14892/23]

Fuel Poverty

Gary Gannon

84. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Social Protection if her Department will ensure that households that have accumulated significant debts, including arrears on bills and on prepayment meters, have access to sufficient support to avoid a long-term legacy of indebtedness and reduced financial resilience among the poorest households in Ireland; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15179/23]

Social Welfare Code

Gary Gannon

87. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Social Protection if there are plans to award the fuel allowance to households in receipt of the working family payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15177/23]

State Pensions

Gary Gannon

107. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide an update on the progress being made towards creating a lifetime carer's pension scheme; if she will provide an update on the promised legislation surrounding this area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15175/23]

Departmental Strategies

Gary Gannon

124. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will outline her Department's consumer protection strategy in the wake of a recent report (details supplied) which showed the numbers unable to heat their homes more than doubled in 2022. [15176/23]

Social Welfare Code

Gary Gannon

147. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Social Protection if her Department will consider targeted measures, such as a social energy tariff, rather than universal payments in its future consumer protection and poverty reduction strategies. [15178/23]

State Examinations

Gary Gannon

56. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education if she will provide an update regarding the review of the eligibility criteria of the deferred leaving certificate examinations; when the criteria to be applied to this year's exams will be communicated to students, schools and parents; if a distinction will continue to be made between medical emergencies before and during the examinations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14339/23]

Education Policy

Gary Gannon

84. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education the way the withdrawal of children from the updated sexual education course on the forthcoming curriculum will be facilitated; if that will differ from the facilitation of non-religious children who wish to not attend religious instruction; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14340/23]

School Curriculum

Gary Gannon

118. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education if she will consider obliging schools to print in their admission policies or other documents the exact amount of time to be spent each week on religious instruction under the forthcoming revised primary school curriculum; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14341/23]

Special Educational Needs

Gary Gannon

143. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education when next year's special needs assistant allocation will be announced; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14342/23]

Undocumented Irish in the USA

Gary Gannon

240. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will report on his recent visit to the United States and the efforts he made to regularise the status of the undocumented Irish living there; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14580/23]

Equality Issues

Gary Gannon

241. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if Ireland will join the European Commission’s infringement proceedings against Hungary for its anti-LGBTQ+ propaganda law; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14581/23]

Church-State Relations

Gary Gannon

6. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his recent engagements with church leaders. [12654/23]

Gender Equality

Gary Gannon

9. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the events in his Department to mark International Women's Day; and the measures he has taken to improve gender equality in his Department. [12655/23]

Cabinet Committees

Gary Gannon

13. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on Government co-ordination will next meet. [12656/23]

Northern Ireland

Gary Gannon

8. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on Brexit and Northern Ireland will next meet. [12651/23]

Departmental Meetings

Gary Gannon

14. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Taoiseach the number of meetings of the climate action delivery board, co-chaired by his Department, that have taken place to date in 2023. [12652/23]

Health Strategies

Gary Gannon

23. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the well-being framework for Ireland overseen by his Department. [12653/23]

Undocumented Irish in the USA

Gary Gannon

74. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will report on his recent visit to the United States and efforts he made to regularise the status of the undocumented Irish living there; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13894/23]

Passport Services

Gary Gannon

521. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will intervene in relation to a passport application for a child (details supplied). [12448/23]

Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Gary Gannon

687. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education if there are any updates on the Covid cleaning grant for term 2 that was expected in January 2023; and the timeframe in which it will be delivered. [13045/23]

School Costs

Gary Gannon

688. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education if the €95 per student transition year grant for schools in the free education scheme for post-primary schools directly subsidises the cost of transition year for parents; and if not, if spending is left to the discretion of each school. [13046/23]

Covid-19 Pandemic

Gary Gannon

801. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Social Protection if Covid-19 is to be recognised as an occupational disease for frontline health care workers in Ireland as per EU ACSH Agreement in November 2022. [12450/23]

Social Welfare Benefits

Gary Gannon

860. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Social Protection how reviews are carried out for those in receipt of disability allowance or blind pension who are self-employed (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13895/23]

Social Welfare Benefits

Gary Gannon

861. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Social Protection if she is aware of the backlog of up to 15 weeks for applications for the working family payment; and if measures will be put in place to amend same (details supplied). [13897/23]

Third Level Education

Gary Gannon

999. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number of SUSI applications submitted for dependents under 23 years of age that applied for irreconcilable estrangement from parents; and the number of applications granted regarding estrangement from parents in each of the years 2017 to 2022, in tabular form [12449/23]

Grant Payments

Gary Gannon

1023. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he is aware that affidavits are not accepted by SUSI as proof of estrangement from parents, and if he could outline the reasoning behind this. [13043/23]

Antisocial Behaviour

Gary Gannon

1071. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Justice if she is aware of antisocial behaviour in and around a flat complex (details supplied) in Dublin 1; and if she is aware of any steps being taken to address this. [13044/23]

Departmental Data

Gary Gannon

1514. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Health the number of general practitioners, by HSE regional area, who have applied to be approved to prescribe PrREP to patients under the drug payment scheme, by calendar year from 2017 to 2022, inclusive; the number of general practice practitioners, by HSE regional area, who have been approved to prescribe PrREP to such patients under the DPS during these calendar years; the reasons any number of GP practices have not been approved to prescribe this service to patients, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13896/23]

Northern Ireland

Gary Gannon

4. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Taoiseach the extent of any recent discussions with the various political parties in Northern Ireland in the context of the shared island initiative. [10956/23]

Departmental Priorities

Gary Gannon

2. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the work of the economic policy unit of his Department. [10952/23]

Cabinet Committees

Gary Gannon

15. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on immigration will next meet. [10953/23]

Cabinet Committees

Gary Gannon

28. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on children and education will next meet. [10954/23]

Cabinet Committees

Gary Gannon

29. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Taoiseach when the committee that deals with higher education and research will next meet. [10955/23]

Human Rights

Gary Gannon

332. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if his attention has been drawn to the ongoing CJEU infringement proceedings against Hungary for its so called "anti-LGBTQ propaganda laws"; if he will consider adding the Irish Government's name to the case alongside Belgium; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11617/23]

Middle East

Gary Gannon

333. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs with regard to his recent statement that Ireland stands ready to support a just and lasting two-state solution based on international law and internationally agreed parameters as the only sustainable prospect that will enable Palestinians and Israelis to live in peace, if Ireland's backing for such an initiative is contingent on other E.U or U.N. member states spearheading such a proposal; if Ireland would be willing to take the leading role in view of our strong position on human rights, international law and the taking of territory by force; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11619/23]

Teaching Qualifications

Gary Gannon

409. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education if it is possible for a person (details supplied) to register with the Teaching Council of Ireland if he or she does not possess a Level 8 undergraduate degree but have a Level 9 Master of Arts or MA, and a Level 6 Higher National Diploma.. [11616/23]

State Examinations

Gary Gannon

410. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education if, following on from suspending the leaving certificate reform, the timeline on when she will engage with stakeholders, including student unions and student bodies, to ensure a pathway to the reform of the leaving certificate. [11622/23]

Social Welfare Benefits

Gary Gannon

455. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Social Protection if a case of a family (details supplied) in which a child with multiple diagnoses, who has been refused several financial aides for supporting said child's medical condition can be examined and resolved. [11620/23]

Youth Services

Gary Gannon

483. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the total amount of funding provided under the youth service grant scheme for each of the years 2008 to 2023 inclusive, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11618/23]

Emergency Accommodation

Gary Gannon

484. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he is aware of the living conditions for residents of the Richmond Street emergency accommodation centre (details supplied); and if he plans to remedy these issues on an urgent basis. [11621/23]

National Minimum Wage

Gary Gannon

86. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the reason for paying 17-, 18- and 19-year-olds below the minimum wage per hours worked. [6174/23]

Arts Policy

Gary Gannon

76. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if she will provide an update on the basic income for the arts pilot scheme. [8608/23]

Arts Policy

Gary Gannon

95. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if she will outline the criteria for funding arts festivals. [8607/23]

Tourism Schemes

Gary Gannon

106. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media further to Parliamentary Question No. 139 of 29 September 2022, if she can confirm if Fáilte Ireland have engaged with Dublin City Council about potentially opening the Dublin Fruit Market as a tourist attraction on a full-time basis. [8606/23]

Visa Applications

Gary Gannon

577. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Justice if he will provide a breakdown of the awards of working visas by country of origin of the awardees in the past year, in tabular form. [8609/23]

Urban Development

Gary Gannon

12. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Taoiseach if he will provide an update on the work of the north east inner city task force. [5887/23]

Third Level Staff

Gary Gannon

58. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to clarify the process by which chairs of the review into PhD conditions were selected; and to provide details of the remuneration awarded to chairs. [6933/23]

Departmental Reviews

Gary Gannon

83. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to request the chairs of the review into PhD conditions to contact an organisation (details supplied); and to meet with the organisation as the body representing PhD researchers in Ireland. [6934/23]

Departmental Reviews

Gary Gannon

85. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science his views on the progress of the national review into PhD conditions; if he will provide a full work plan for the review as laid out by the chairs; the meetings the chairs have had or plan to have with stakeholders; and the anticipated date of completion for the review. [6932/23]

Social Welfare Payments

Gary Gannon

404. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason social welfare payments to single mothers, such as the one-parent family payment, are reduced if their ex-partner is still contributing to the family's mortgage payments. [6935/23]

Pensions Reform

Gary Gannon

405. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Social Protection for an update on the progress being made towards creating a lifetime carer's pension scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6936/23]

Social Welfare Schemes

Gary Gannon

406. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Social Protection for details of the average social welfare appeals processing times in weeks for summary decisions and oral hearings, by scheme. [6937/23]

Child Poverty

Gary Gannon

4. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will outline the steps she intends to take to eradicate child poverty. [6395/23]

Social Welfare Inspections

Gary Gannon

19. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will outline the legal basis on which welfare inspectors are entitled to enter a person’s home. [6173/23]

Gender Equality

Gary Gannon

4. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Taoiseach to report on the gender pay gap report from his Department. [5889/23]

Programme for Government

Gary Gannon

45. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Taoiseach if he will provide an update on the programme for Government. [5890/23]

Special Educational Needs

Gary Gannon

254. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education if a decision has been made regarding SNA allocations for September 2023; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6189/23]

Military Neutrality

Gary Gannon

4. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence his views and those of the Government on, “the triple lock”; and if he has any intention to change the current regime to a situation where the Government would have more flexibility to act militarily abroad. [5162/23]

Special Educational Needs

Gary Gannon

92. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education if she will provide an update on the work of her Department in ensuring that special education teachers, and special needs assistants, are not used to plug gaps in mainstream classes in schools suffering from a teacher shortage. [5163/23]

School Curriculum

Gary Gannon

120. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education if she will provide an update on the revamped relationships and sexuality education junior cycle curriculum, which is due to be introduced in the coming months. [5058/23]

Teacher Training

Gary Gannon

122. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education her views on whether the two-year length of the Professional Master's in Education is a prohibiting factor for many wishing to enter the profession; and if she is considering shortening its length and lessening its cost. [5139/23]

School Staff

Gary Gannon

156. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education if she will provide an update on the efforts of her Department to address teacher shortages. [5138/23]

Teacher Training

Gary Gannon

162. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education if she will consider paying teachers in training for their work in placement schools. [5164/23]

Emergency Accommodation

Gary Gannon

539. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to list all properties that have housed Ukrainian refugees and/or other international protection applicants in the past twelve months by county, and in the case of Dublin, by postcode, in tabular form. [4789/23]

Refugee Resettlement Programme

Gary Gannon

540. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of Ukrainian refugees and/or other international protection applicants who have been accommodated in the past twelve months by county, and in the case of Dublin, by postcode, in tabular form. [4790/23]