Parliamentary questions

Economic and Social Research Institute

Cian O'Callaghan

172. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when the terms of reference of the ESRI study that he committed to share with Members of the Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage during the Committee stage of the Planning and Development Bill 2023, will be shared; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19603/24]

Rights of Way

Steven Matthews

173. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his attention has been drawn to concerns of local authorities regarding the establishment of rights of way in county development plans (details supplied); if his Department has considered establishing a judicial-led arbitration process to resolve complex disputes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19702/24]

Housing Schemes

Patricia Ryan

174. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he is aware of the length of time it is taking to complete new social housing applications in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19853/24]

Housing Schemes

Patricia Ryan

175. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he is aware of the extraordinarily long time that it is taking to complete and award HAP applications, following approval for social housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19854/24]

Small and Medium Enterprises

Catherine Murphy

176. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he has engaged with Tailte Éireann in respect of valuation reforms for start-ups and established small to medium independent traders in the context of rate setting in the early years of their enterprises when they utilise physical shop spaces in the context of reducing commercial space dereliction in towns and villages across the State. [19888/24]

Public Transport

Carol Nolan

177. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will consider addressing the inequality that still exists regarding the availability of transport in rural areas by making changes to the free travel scheme whereby pensioners could be given the option of obtaining a lump sum payment to cover the cost of taxis or hackney services in rural communities where there is either no public transport or no frequent public transport; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19604/24]

Social Welfare Eligibility

Michael Healy-Rae

178. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection if the case of a person (details supplied) will be urgently reviewed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19538/24]

Citizens Information Services

Pádraig O'Sullivan

179. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Social Protection if she is aware that staff in the citizens information service have not received a wage increase since 2008; if there are plans to implement a wage increase; if there is a timeline for same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19543/24]

Departmental Staff

Cormac Devlin

180. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Social Protection to detail the arrangements in place for where an employee of the Department and each organisation under its aegis, becomes elected or co-opted to a local authority; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19571/24]

Social Welfare Appeals

Colm Burke

181. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of a person's (details supplied) appeal; when a decision is likely to be received, as this has been pending for some time; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19578/24]

State Pensions

Darren O'Rourke

182. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Social Protection if she is aware of the anomaly that some people with less contributions are receiving greater State pensions due to the method of calculation (details supplied); if she has assessed this anomaly; if she intends to address it, perhaps by moving away from the ‘first date of contribution’ criteria; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19616/24]

Social Insurance

Leo Varadkar

183. Deputy Leo Varadkar asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide an update on her plans to introduce pay-related social insurance benefits for jobseekers; the estimated cost of same; and the estimated the cost to extending this approach in case to maternity benefit, paternity benefit, parents benefit and illness benefit. [19664/24]

Gender Recognition

Leo Varadkar

184. Deputy Leo Varadkar asked the Minister for Social Protection when she received the review of the Gender Recognition Act 2015; whether it has been presented to Cabinet or to a Cabinet Sub-Committee; when she will make a recommendation to Government on the matter; and the process that is being followed to aid her to do so. [19665/24]

Gender Recognition

Leo Varadkar

185. Deputy Leo Varadkar asked the Minister for Social Protection if she plans to make provision for people who are medically determined to be intersex due to their chromosomes or characteristics to be recognised in law. [19666/24]

Citizens Information Services

Pádraig O'Sullivan

186. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Social Protection if her Department will engage with members of the Citizen Information Board regarding pay equality concerns; if she will outline the engagement her Department has had to date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19683/24]

Postal Services

Michael Healy-Rae

187. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection the section of the regulations outlining the penalties that can be given to post masters (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19742/24]

Oireachtas Committees

Brendan Griffin

188. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will review the evidence submitted to an Oireachtas Committee by a person (details supplied) concerning activities in her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19856/24]

State Pensions

John McGuinness

189. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Social Protection if a State pension (non-contributory) will be approved immediately for a person (details supplied); if pension benefit is being paid to their husband is respect of the person; and if the application will be expedited. [19892/24]

Citizenship Applications

Jennifer Whitmore

190. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Justice the reason for the delay in issuing minor citizenship certificates; when the minor citizenship certification will be issued for a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19681/24]

Departmental Staff

Cormac Devlin

191. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Justice to detail the arrangements in place for where an employee of the Department, and each organisation under its aegis, becomes elected or co-opted to a local authority; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19570/24]

Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence

Paul Murphy

192. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Justice if a new agency (details supplied) will also deal with the issue of sexual abuse of young males and how that affects them, and by implication their partners, in later life, and the need for support for such survivors and their partners; if the agencies board members will undergo specific training about sexual abuse of young males.. [19591/24]

Mental Health Services

Patrick Costello

193. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Justice if her Department has received a copy of the recently published report by Mental Health Reform "Mental health services & supports in prisons: Service Mapping and Reflections from Lived Experiences"; and if she will make an itemised response to each of the recommendations included. [19611/24]

Visa Applications

Thomas Pringle

194. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Justice if consideration could be given to having an emergency humanitarian visa scheme for Sudan to allow Sudanese people living and working in Ireland to apply to have family members join them here, even on a temporary basis; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19617/24]

Prison Service

Mick Barry

195. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Minister for Justice if she will report on the measures she intends to take to end overcrowding in prisons; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19620/24]

Prison Service

Ivana Bacik

196. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Justice if there are plans to change the purpose of the progression unit at Mountjoy Prison; and, if so, where the progression unit will be located. [19661/24]

Legislative Programme

Pa Daly

197. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Justice if she will outline, further to the published summer legislative programme, the provisions that the proposed Intoxicating Liquor Bill will contain. [19663/24]

Legislative Measures

Leo Varadkar

198. Deputy Leo Varadkar asked the Minister for Justice the status of the criminal justice - disregard for certain convictions related to consensual sexual activity; and if she expects to publish the legislation in advance of Pride. [19672/24]

Prison Service

Éamon Ó Cuív

199. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Justice when the review of remission and temporary release which commenced in Q3 of 2022 will be completed, published and implemented with a view to improving rehabilitation and reduce reoffending and overcrowding in prisons; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19741/24]

Visa Applications

Louise O'Reilly

200. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Justice if her Department has given any consideration to relaxing the financial criteria in circumstances (details supplied). [19756/24]

An Garda Síochána

Paul Murphy

201. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Justice the current number of roads policing vehicles; and the number equipped with technology in ANPR and interconnection with Garda mobility. [19766/24]

An Garda Síochána

Catherine Murphy

202. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Justice the number of persons that were successful at stages 1 and 2 of the Garda trainee application process that were deemed to be generally unsuitable to be offered a place in phase 1 of Garda training in the past three years. [19896/24]

An Garda Síochána

Catherine Murphy

203. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Justice the number of persons that were successful at stages 1 and 2 of the Garda trainee application process in the past three years; the totality of applicants in the past three years to the Garda trainee recruitment programmes; the number of persons that took part in stage 1 of the process over that time period; and the number that took part in stage two of that same time period, in tabular form. [19897/24]

Agriculture Schemes

Claire Kerrane

204. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of applications received for the women farmers' capital investment scheme under the current round; the number that have been refused due to ineligibility; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19549/24]

Greyhound Industry

Paul Murphy

205. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of greyhounds in the racing dog pool as recorded on the race management system for each month in 2022 and 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19598/24]

Agriculture Industry

Darren O'Rourke

206. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if a service of general economic interest exists, or has ever existed, in relation to software for farm management; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19613/24]

Agriculture Industry

Darren O'Rourke

207. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if companies (details supplied) are now part of a national agtech service of general economic interest; if not, whether they have ever been part of one; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19614/24]

Invasive Species Policy

Martin Browne

208. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on calls for the suspension of log imports from Scotland, in light of the most recent detection of the bark beetle; to outline the possibility that arises that the bark beetle may have been introduced here from produce imported from Scotland’s pest-free area; the biosecurity measures in place to prevent the introduction of alien species to Ireland and how they compare to best international standards, if such standards are taken into account; the measures that will be employed to prevent any further instances in which the bark beetle is identified here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19623/24]

Invasive Species Policy

Martin Browne

209. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to provide details on the volume of spruce with bark present imported from Scotland in each of the years 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and to date in 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19624/24]

Fishing Industry

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

210. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he has confidence in the fisheries sales notes system to deliver robust and accurate fisheries data in order that Ireland can comply with its obligations under the Common Fisheries Policy and other EU regulations. [19689/24]

Fishing Industry

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

211. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine what supports he intends to introduce to support fishermen affected by the restrictions on directed fishing for pollack as is the case in the UK under its fisheries and seafood scheme. [19690/24]

Fishing Industry

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

212. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if a social impact analysis has been carried out, prior to the closure of the targeted pollack fisheries in ICES areas 6 and 7. [19691/24]

Fishing Industry

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

213. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he is aware that the pollack ICES benchmark report listed a significant number of issues with the data used to base the closure decision; and the steps being taken to address these shortcomings at a national level. [19692/24]

Fishing Industry

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

214. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he is aware that there is a risk that a future ICES pollack benchmark without appropriate representative inshore survey data being collected will result in prolonged closures with significant social impacts; and the steps being taken to address this. [19693/24]

Fishing Industry

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

215. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the measures being introduced to incorporate fishermen's traditional knowledge into fisheries co-management, in order to improve knowledge and outcomes. [19694/24]

Fishing Industry

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

216. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he has a plan to prioritise selective low-impact fishing practices such as line caught fishing during future fishery negotiations. [19695/24]

Departmental Schemes

Michael Lowry

217. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 475 of 20 June 2023, if he intends this to only apply in situations where the licence has not been actioned (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19746/24]

Departmental Schemes

Michael Lowry

218. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when the climate resilient reforestation scheme will be launched; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19747/24]

Fisheries Protection

Alan Kelly

219. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when he last spoke with the CEO of the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority; and the issues discussed. [19811/24]

Housing Provision

Cormac Devlin

220. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the locations of the 30 sites identified for accelerated builds for refugees and other social housing purposes; if he will outline the plans for the provision of modular homes in the Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council area; the sites under consideration there for the provision of modular homes; the status of such considerations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19568/24]

Departmental Staff

Cormac Devlin

221. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to detail the arrangements in place for where an employee of the Department, and each organisation under its aegis, becomes elected or co-opted to a local authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19575/24]