Parliamentary questions

Tax Reliefs

Richard Bruton

214. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Finance if he will indicate how many people have claimed tax relief on their rental payment, and how this number compares to the estimate which his Department made of the likely numbers that would become eligible; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2689/24]

Tax Rebates

Richard Bruton

215. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Finance if he will indicate the total value of claims for the refund of income tax on out-of-pocket medical expenses and if he has made any estimate of the likely underclaiming of such eligible expenses. [2690/24]

Tax Credits

Richard Bruton

216. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Finance if he will indicate the number of persons who claim incapacitated child tax credit and if the Revenue Commissioners have undertaken any assessment as to whether a significant number of people may be missing out on this entitlement. [2691/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Richard Bruton

397. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Social Protection if she has undertaken any assessment of the number of families who may be eligible for the working family payment, but who fail to apply and if she has considered making arrangements with the Revenue Commissioners to transform this payment into a form of credit which could be more easily claimed or automatically accrued by an eligible family. [2692/24]

Departmental Data

Richard Bruton

398. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will indicate the number of people who qualify for the carer’s support grant and how many of these receive it automatically because they are already in receipt of a carer’s payment or domiciliary care allowance; how many qualify through a specific application for the grant and whether she has made any estimate of the numbers of eligible families who may overlook applying for this entitlement. [2693/24]

Departmental Data

Richard Bruton

399. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will indicate the number of persons in receipt of the household benefits package who receive this along with their social welfare entitlement and the number who apply separately for them without having an entitlement to a weekly social welfare payment; if she has any estimate of the numbers over 70 years of age on non-social welfare payments who may be entitled to the payment, but do not apply. [2694/24]

Asylum Applications

Richard Bruton

418. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Justice if she will outline the procedure for managing the application of persons applying for asylum who have no documentation when they land; whether the carriers retain records of the documentation presented when boarding; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2404/24]

General Practitioner Services

Richard Bruton

616. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Health if he will indicate the number of families who are in receipt of GP cards now and how that compares to the level before the means limit was increased to the median wage; if he will indicate how this increase compares to his estimate of how many extra families would become eligible as a result of the change in the means test, and if he considers that a large number may be failing to claim their entitlement. [2695/24]

Nursing Homes

Richard Bruton

617. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Health if he will indicate the date from which the rental earnings on the home of a person receiving support under fair deal will cease to be assessed for the resident’s contribution to the cost of nursing home care, and the estimated cost that is being budgeted for this change in the method of assessment. [2696/24]

Pharmacy Services

Richard Bruton

651. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Health whether the group considering expanding the role of community pharmacists has reported to him; and if he is considering increasing the fees for existing work or introducing funding for new activities, which could see improvements in service. [2934/24]

State Bodies

Richard Bruton

12. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Health if he will outline the membership of the commission on ageing; and how the public will be able to engage with it. [2082/24]

Health Strategies

Richard Bruton

15. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on the Hospital Winter Plan to cope with the seasonal pressure. [2081/24]

Further and Higher Education

Richard Bruton

96. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he believes that the higher and further education sectors should develop a strategy outlining how they might contribute to the ambition to make Ireland the best country in which to grow old, by supporting better understanding, extending new opportunities, and harnessing the experience of those exiting their workplaces. [2083/24]

Apprenticeship Programmes

Richard Bruton

120. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will indicate the participation levels in apprenticeships of the major Government employers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2084/24]

Housing Provision

Richard Bruton

203. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will consider ensuring a simpler approach to first home provisional approval, in order that developers would know that there is a strong pipeline of eligible affordable purchasers for such properties (details supplied). [2143/24]

Housing Provision

Richard Bruton

204. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of homes which have received planning permission, to which the new requirement of 10% affordable applies; the number of homes in developments where the council has exercised its right to specify a minimum proportion of homes for owner occupancy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2144/24]

Further and Higher Education

Richard Bruton

345. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if his Department has carried out an assessment of the potential of remote delivery in further education and if new initiatives are planned in this arena. [50444/23]

Recycling Policy

Richard Bruton

121. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he has assessed the capital investment which will be required in Ireland to meet higher recycling and reuse targets and lower exports of materials for recycling over the years to 2030 and beyond; if it is anticipated that this investment will require State direct investment or State support; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1606/24]

Taxi Regulations

Richard Bruton

192. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Transport if his Department plans to address the difficulties faced by the taxi industry in obtaining taxi plates, the prices of which have increased dramatically since the pandemic; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56758/23]

Special Educational Needs

Richard Bruton

515. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Education whether the extra resources in special education will be used to extend the pilot whereby a team of therapists' team with clusters of schools and pre-schools to offer a more integrated approach than is possible with the traditional referral to the HSE. [56861/23]

School Funding

Richard Bruton

609. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Education if there will be a further opportunity in 2024 for post-primary schools to apply for STEM grant funding from her Department, particularly schools that were not included in the list of successful applicants in December 2023; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1301/24]

School Funding

Richard Bruton

621. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Education the proportion of DEIS schools primary and post-primary that had successful applications in the recent STEM grant round; if a quota for DEIS schools has been considered to ensure that they bridge the gap in STEM take-up between DEIS and non-DEIS schools; and when the next call under this grant can be made in order that the many quality applications which were not successful on this occasion do not lose heart. [1339/24]

Housing Schemes

Richard Bruton

768. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he is aware of any properties in the north Fingal area that have been bought in the past six months by approved housing bodies (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56964/23]

Housing Schemes

Richard Bruton

845. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he is aware that banks will not issue mortgages in the case of a tenant purchase, due to the operation of the clawback clause on the tenant purchase discount, and as result this locks out families whose income does not fit the conditions of a local authority loan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1900/24]

Harbours and Piers

Richard Bruton

1223. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he has undertaken a recent review of siltation in Howth Harbour; and whether he believes that a major scheme is now necessary for the harbour, to complement the smaller improvement initiatives which his Department is undertaking. [56959/23]

Harbours and Piers

Richard Bruton

1259. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he received a report on the consultation conducted regarding licensing additional boats for visitor boat trips from Howth Harbour; if so, when a decision on this is likely to be taken; and how the additional slots will be allocated to potential providers of the service. [1430/24]

Childcare Services

Richard Bruton

1336. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the reason why inspections of childcare facilities are not managed by one agency and how much extra costs does the State incur arising from multiple agencies conducting multiple inspections of the same facility. [56700/23]

Childcare Services

Richard Bruton

1337. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth why the NCS portal closes at 11 p.m. on Tuesday evenings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56701/23]

Childcare Services

Richard Bruton

1338. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of childcare providers that stopped receiving Core Funding in 2023. [56702/23]

Childcare Services

Richard Bruton

1339. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if consideration will be given to linking the Core Funding payment to inflation. [56703/23]

Health Services

Richard Bruton

1555. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Health whether his Department has articulated a policy on the roll-out of pulmonary rehabilitation for those patients suffering with lung fibrosis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56823/23]

Primary Care Centres

Richard Bruton

1632. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Health to provide an update on the provision of a primary care centre in Swords; the expected date for its completion; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1043/24]

Departmental Schemes

Richard Bruton

1730. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Health if he will indicate the proportion of nursing costs paid by the State and by residents and their families under the fair deal scheme, distinguishing payments by families made immediately and payments recovered later from property sales. [1605/24]

Food Industry

Richard Bruton

39. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will consider the possibility of developing, along with other Ministers, a circular compact across the food sector, aimed at designing out the negative environmental features all along the supply chain, from primary production to unnecessary waste. [55783/23]

Agriculture Industry

Richard Bruton

46. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will detail the research being undertaken into the quantification and reward of environmental services generated by actions at farm level to allow water tables rise on organic soils, to switch from livestock to forestry; and whether this can lead to a more extensive financial framework than the present ACRES scheme. [55782/23]

International Protection

Richard Bruton

78. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will outline the progress in integrating those in temporary protection from Ukraine and who have refugee status into work, education and community activity; and whether further policy initiatives are under consideration to improve integration. [55781/23]

Childcare Services

Richard Bruton

109. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he has received submissions on the excessive administrative burden associated with the Core funding scheme; and if modifications are possible. [55780/23]

Departmental Programmes

Richard Bruton

306. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Education if she will outline the programmes of supported work experience or training which her Department or its agencies run for adult persons with a disability, and particularly those on the autism spectrum, who find it difficult to manage in conventional workplaces, in order that they can progress to regular work roles.; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54606/23]

Disability Services

Richard Bruton

465. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will outline the programmes of supported work experience or training which her Department or its agencies run for adult persons with a disability, and particularly those on the autism spectrum, who find it difficult to manage in conventional workplaces, in order that they can progress to regular work roles; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54607/23]

Disability Services

Richard Bruton

667. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will outline the programmes of supported work experience or training which his Department or its agencies run for adult persons with a disability, and particularly those on the autism spectrum, who find it difficult to manage in conventional workplaces, in order that they can progress to regular work roles.; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54605/23]

Equal Opportunities Employment

Richard Bruton

862. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will outline the programmes of supported work experience or training which his Department or its agencies run for adult persons with a disability, and particularly those on the autism spectrum, who find it difficult to manage in conventional workplaces, in order that they can progress to regular work roles; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54608/23]

Departmental Schemes

Richard Bruton

16. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will activate the cities fund to ensure that more of the affordable homes developed in cities, particularly by the Land Development Agency, LDA, can be offered for affordable purchase, and make it easier for potential eligible buyers of such homes to establish that there are sufficient buyers with the necessary access to funds to avoid any uncertainty about take-up. [54192/23]

Mayoral Election

Richard Bruton

77. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will outline the proposals that he plans to table for consideration by the citizens of Dublin of future governance for the city. [54193/23]

Social Isolation

Richard Bruton

139. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Social Protection if she has considered the scope of a partnership with a body like An Post to continue the sort of well-being support offered to people at risk of isolation, which was so successful during Covid, becoming a permanent feature in our communities. [54195/23]

Departmental Programmes

Richard Bruton

147. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Social Protection if she has considered the development of programmes to support people approaching retirement to better prepare for the substantial changes which need to be managed. [54194/23]

Healthcare Policy

Richard Bruton

316. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Health whether his Department has articulated a policy on the roll-out of pulmonary rehabilitation for those patients suffering with lung fibrosis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54307/23]

National Broadband Plan

Richard Bruton

39. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will outline the procedure through which an area in the blue commercial area can be transferred to the NBI area; and if he will indicate whether any such transfers have taken place. [53978/23]

Media Sector

Richard Bruton

60. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if her Department has assessed the future patterns of media consumption and the implications this has for public policy. [53640/23]

School Funding

Richard Bruton

257. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Education if the unspent moneys for Covid in a DEIS school can be reallocated to meet other pressing needs, such as in a case (details supplied). [53758/23]

Defective Building Materials

Richard Bruton

311. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if an application has been received by Fingal County Council for inclusion in the Defective Concrete Blocks Scheme; if he can provide a timeline for the inclusion of local authorities in the scheme once applications are made; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53389/23]