Parliamentary questions

Carer's Allowance Applications

Bríd Smith

1072. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when a person (detail supplied) will receive a decision on an application for a carer's allowance. [54547/18]

Social Welfare Appeals Waiting Times

Bríd Smith

43. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the action she plans to take to deal with backlogs in applications for social welfare schemes, including carer's allowance, and appeals to decisions taken by her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53444/18]

State Pension (Contributory) Eligibility

Bríd Smith

48. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if the cases of persons who have failed to qualify for a contributory pension under new criteria introduced in 2012 that raised the minimum contributions needed to 520 will be examined; if the impact on those applicants who subsequently failed to qualify for a non-contributory pension will be examined; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53452/18]

Proposed Legislation

Bríd Smith

55. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the status of proposed legislation to deal with bogus self-employment; the progress in drafting such legislation; when such a Bill will be brought before Dáil Éireann; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53450/18]

Back to Education Allowance Eligibility

Bríd Smith

56. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the reason her Department is refusing access to the back to education allowance to applicants undertaking a professional masters degree in adult and community education; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53451/18]

JobPath Programme

Bríd Smith

72. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if the contracts with JobPath providers will be extended; the date on which the current contracts expire; if a value for money study will be commissioned into the service provided by both companies; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53449/18]

JobPath Programme

Bríd Smith

84. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if the increase in sanctions and penalties taken against jobseekers is due to the interaction of the JobPath providers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53448/18]

Departmental Reports

Bríd Smith

237. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if his attention has been drawn to a new report (details supplied). which found on the basis of a meta-analysis of studies from 33 countries that criminalisation of sex workers or their clients is associated with a significantly greater risk of physical or sexual violence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53514/18]

Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Bríd Smith

79. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if the recent report from the climate change performance index, which ranked Ireland as the worst in climate action among European nations, will see a shift in policy, specifically if the climate emergency measures Bill will be supported and if the Government will cease issuing licences for fossil fuel exploration; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53175/18]

National Broadband Plan

Bríd Smith

105. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his alternative plans for rural broadband in the event that the one remaining bidder is found to be not fit by the procurement process team; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53176/18]

NAMA Property Sales

Bríd Smith

139. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Finance if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the removal of height restrictions has a major upward impact on site value of the lands sold and that the price obtained for the land disposed of by NAMA recently is thus considerably less than could have been obtained; and if he discussed the likely impacts with NAMA officials before it disposed of lands. [52841/18]

NAMA Property Sales

Bríd Smith

140. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Finance if NAMA had been informed of the forthcoming changed height regulations but continued to completion with such sales; if so, the reason NAMA was permitted to dispose of such sites at considerable discount to its subsequent revaluation; and if he was advised of these sales and disposals prior to the announcement on height restrictions. [52842/18]

NAMA Property Sales

Bríd Smith

141. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Finance if he discussed the likely impact on land prices, and specifically NAMA-controlled sites, of the measures on height restrictions with either the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government or officials in his Department or outside agencies or bodies; and the details of discussions and meetings that took place at which these height restrictions were discussed. [52843/18]

Redundancy Payments

Bríd Smith

171. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he has set a cap of two years salary as a maximum in potential redundancy packages for affected workers in terms of proposed or future redundancies that may arise in the public sector; if this cap is being applied in other Departments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52738/18]

Redundancy Data

Bríd Smith

181. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason redundancy offers to school secretaries are capped at a maximum of two years' salary; when the cap was introduced; and if it applies to other grades and positions in his Department and related sectors. [52739/18]

Work Permits Eligibility

Bríd Smith

287. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation if a person with a stamp 3 visa whose partner has a stamp 4 visa can take up an offer of work here; if not, if the person must apply for a separate visa; and if so, the steps they should take in this regard. [52732/18]

Patient Safety

Bríd Smith

349. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 137 of 7 November 2018, if he will request further clarification from the HSE on issues (details supplied) from its reply. [52746/18]

NAMA Property Sales

Bríd Smith

654. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the removal of height restrictions has a major upward impact on the site value of the lands and that the price obtained for land disposed of by NAMA recently is considerably less than what could have been obtained; and if his Department discussed the likely impacts with NAMA officials before they disposed of lands. [52805/18]

NAMA Property Sales

Bríd Smith

655. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if NAMA had been informed of the forthcoming change to height regulations but continued to completion with such sales; if so, the reason NAMA was permitted to dispose of such sites at considerable discount to their subsequent revaluation; and if he was advised of these sales and-or disposals prior to the announcement on height restrictions. [52806/18]

Trade Union Recognition

Bríd Smith

133. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the decision of the HSE to refuse to recognise a trade union that represents ambulance drivers will result in industrial action by those workers; his plans to deal with such a dispute; the effects this will have on hospital services nationally; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52565/18]

Trade Union Recognition

Bríd Smith

134. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health if the HSE will be instructed to recognise the union chosen by workers in the ambulance service to represent them; if the decision to withdraw from cooperation with this union was notified to him by the HSE; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52566/18]

Bus Services

Bríd Smith

31. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he has been notified of ongoing difficulties and the failure to deliver the promised levels of service on the bus routes recently handed over to a company (details supplied) in Dublin; if the service failures are a result of revised and shortened travelling time allocated by the company on these routes; if the ability to operate these routes with reduced running times formed part of the winning bid by the company; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52104/18]

Public Transport Fares

Bríd Smith

36. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if his attention has been drawn to the decision of the NTA to sanction a fare increase in public transport; his views in relation to same; if his attention has been further drawn to the fact that cash fares have risen in some cases by 87% since 2011; and the way in which this decision is in line with measures to tackle climate change. [52103/18]

HSE Governance

Bríd Smith

276. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health the actions he has taken in relation to a protected disclosure from persons at a hospice (details supplied). [51526/18]

HSE Governance

Bríd Smith

277. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to reports regarding governance issues at a hospice (details supplied), specifically in regard to bullying and harassment of staff; and the steps he will take to address concerns regarding recent audits of finances at the hospice. [51527/18]

HSE Governance

Bríd Smith

278. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the fact that a person involved in making a protected disclosure at a hospice (details supplied) was subsequently dismissed by the hospice following disciplinary procedures; and if he will investigate governance at the hospice to ensure such breaches are not occurring and that public funding is not inappropriately used. [51528/18]

Public Transport Fares

Bríd Smith

442. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the details of increases and changes in Dublin Bus cash and card including Leap fares each year since 2008, in tabular form; and the details of increases and changes in Luas cash and card including Leap card fares since 2008, in tabular form. [51770/18]

Public Sector Pay

Bríd Smith

94. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the changes made as a result of sick leave to the manner in which public servants avail of incremental pay increases since 2010; and the changes to rules governing sick leave and their impact on scheduled incremental pay increases in recent years. [51256/18]

Public Sector Pay

Bríd Smith

95. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the changes, as a result of FEMPI or the Public Service Pay and Pensions Act 2017, regarding the impact that sick leave may have on the projected incremental pay levels of public servants. [51257/18]

Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service Administration

Bríd Smith

126. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Justice and Equality his views on whether the delays in processing applications from migrant workers to work here are justifiable (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51298/18]

Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service Administration

Bríd Smith

127. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if delays and ongoing technical difficulties in receiving documentation and processing applications as experienced by migrant workers coming here could be eased by the use of online applications without the need for visits to GNIB offices especially in cases of workers already resident here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51299/18]

Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service Administration

Bríd Smith

128. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Justice and Equality his plans for extra resources to be deployed in the INIS and GNIB in view of delays facing migrants who need to apply for visas or for renewal of residency permits, and in further view of the exit of the United Kingdom from the EU and the added pressure this may place on the system in 2019; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51300/18]

State Pension (Contributory) Eligibility

Bríd Smith

256. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if the case of a person (details supplied) will be examined; the reason her Department does not inform persons in the years prior to their retirement age that they may fail to qualify for a pension without additional contributions, paid or voluntary; if such advanced warning will be provided in the future; the reason credited contributions and discounted years in the homemaker's scheme do not count towards or are credited when calculating the minimum 520 contributions; and her plans to allow applicants use credited contributions or receive some credits for their homemaker years in future changes to the contributory scheme. [51253/18]

State Pension (Contributory) Data

Bríd Smith

273. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of applicants for a State contributory pension since 2012 who have been refused a a contributory pension due to the fact that they did not have 520 contributions; and the number who had over 260 contributions. [51471/18]

State Pension (Contributory) Data

Bríd Smith

274. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of applicants for the State contributory pension who failed to qualify due to the fact they did not have 520 contributions but over 260 and failed to qualify for a non-contributory pension due to a means test. [51472/18]

Maternity Services Provision

Bríd Smith

36. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health the way in which he will ensure that women have access to healthcare, including the right to abortion services, at the proposed maternity hospital on the grounds of St. Vincent’s Hospital in view of concerns in relation to the possible influence of a religious ethos on the provision of these services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50770/18]

Disabilities Assessments

Bríd Smith

45. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the fact that parents of children who are in one community healthcare organisation or CHO area with regard to gaining access to assessments of needs lose their place in the queue if they move home and are placed in a different CHO area; and if, in view of the housing crisis, the way in which access to these services is impacted by such a move, which is often forced on parents, will be examined. [50773/18]

Hospital Services

Bríd Smith

77. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health his plans in the event of a strike by nurses in public hospitals to deal with extended waiting lists and access to emergency department services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50772/18]

Cancer Screening Programmes

Bríd Smith

84. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health his plans to ensure that future CervicalCheck screening can be carried out in publicly run facilities here to the highest standards; if the requirements needed in terms of suitably qualified graduates and university programmes have been examined to ensure such a programme can operate effectively; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50775/18]

Nursing Staff Recruitment

Bríd Smith

100. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health the measures he plans to take to address the crisis in the retention and recruitment of nursing and specialised nursing staff in various departments of the public hospital system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50774/18]

Cancer Screening Programmes

Bríd Smith

128. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health the number of the 221 cases of false negatives given to women under the CervicalCheck screening programme by laboratory. [50771/18]

Defence Forces Properties

Bríd Smith

104. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the reason he has withdrawn from a promised arrangement to allow persons (details supplied) to purchase their homes; the arrangements he plans to put in place to secure the homes of these persons; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50214/18]

Disability Services Provision

Bríd Smith

335. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health if he or his officials will meet with representatives of a group (details supplied) to discuss its concerns about the resources available to meet its needs and the allocation of resources specifically by an organisation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50243/18]

Health Services Staff Recruitment

Bríd Smith

491. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health his plans to allocate extra resources to aid in the retention and recruitment of nursing and other front-line staff in public facilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43950/18]

Nursing Staff Data

Bríd Smith

492. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health if future pay deals with nurses in the public sector health service have been costed; if he will meet with nursing union representatives to discuss such proposals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49211/18]

Garda Misconduct Allegations

Bríd Smith

13. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will consider new legislation or new regulations to prevent members of An Garda Síochána from retiring when they are subject to an ongoing investigation into their conduct in view of recent cases; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49789/18]

Commissions of Inquiry

Bríd Smith

15. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will commission a public inquiry into a case (details supplied) in view of the fact that the GSOC report on the tragic case has failed to provide answers to the family or the public that are needed to restore confidence in the state criminal justice system and the rule of law. [49788/18]

Offshore Exploration Licences

Bríd Smith

192. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if the recent findings of the ObSERVE Programme into marine life will inform his policy on issuing licences for the exploration of oil and gas in view of the fact that such activity is known to destroy plankton, damage breeding grounds for many species and cause disorientation to many whale species listed in the ObSERVE study; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49955/18]

Planning Data

Bríd Smith

242. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the number of planning applications for the development of social housing by local authorities and approved housing bodies in each of the years 2010 to 2017 and to date in 2018, in tabular form. [49915/18]

Local Authority Housing Data

Bríd Smith

243. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the number on social housing waiting lists nationally; the number of applicants (details supplied); and the number of cases in which the applicant is applying for a family; and the size of families on the waiting list; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49916/18]

Schools Building Projects Administration

Bríd Smith

108. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Education and Skills the cost relating to the operation of the various competitive tendering models or public procurement models used in education to build schools at primary and secondary levels since 2008, that is, the costs involved in selecting a winner to build schools not the actual cost of the building; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49214/18]

Public Sector Pay

Bríd Smith

109. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Education and Skills if additional agreements with teachers in primary and secondary levels in order to deal with outstanding issues on equal pay and cuts made in past years have been costed; the figures for meeting such outstanding issues; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49212/18]

Public Procurement Regulations

Bríd Smith

83. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if the policy in relation to the delivery of public infrastructure to examine the long-term costs and benefits of the present reliance on private sector providers will be reviewed in view of recent issues with competitive tendering and public procurement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49215/18]

Public Service Stability Agreement

Bríd Smith

87. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the way in which he plans to use FEMPI legislation to deal with unions and workers that do not sign up to proposed pay deals; if he has received legal advice on targeting workers of a particular union in the same workplace as other workers who have agreed to such a deal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49213/18]

Defence Forces Personnel

Bríd Smith

62. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the measures he is taking to deal with the crisis in the Defence Forces in respect of the retention and recruitment of staff, for example, the basic operations of the Naval Service in its fishery protection role; and if he will review the policy in respect of recognition of representative associations in the Defence Forces as a mechanism to deal with some aspects of this crisis. [48587/18]

Defence Forces Expenditure

Bríd Smith

70. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the amount of the budget in 2018 which will be taken by additional costs associated with PESCO related activities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48393/18]

Ministerial Meetings

Bríd Smith

89. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if he or his officials have met with representatives of a group (details supplied); the progress he has made in addressing the issues it has raised; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48390/18]

Defence Forces Expenditure

Bríd Smith

91. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the way in which the increase in the budget for his Department will be allocated; if this increase will deal with the working conditions and poor pay of members of the Defence Forces; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48392/18]

Defence Forces Representative Organisations

Bríd Smith

94. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence his plans to recommend that the Defence Forces representative associations have access to the industrial relations machinery of the State, including the Workplace Relations Commission, WRC, and Labour Court; his views on whether such access will assist with the crisis in staff retention and numbers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48394/18]

Defence Forces Operations

Bríd Smith

96. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if Ireland's participation in PESCO is a breach of Ireland's neutrality in view of recent comments by EU leaders; if the view of other EU leaders that it is a step toward an EU army is shared by him; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48391/18]

Home Loan Scheme

Bríd Smith

121. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the number of successful applications for home loans under the Rebuilding Ireland scheme for first-time buyers; and the number that have applied for mortgages under this scheme to date. [47156/18]

Homeless Persons Data

Bríd Smith

134. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the details of recent changes in the calculation of homeless numbers; the rationale behind all such changes; and his additional plans and schemes to deal with vulnerable homeless persons during the winter months. [47157/18]

Cancer Screening Programmes

Bríd Smith

181. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health the reason a reply has not issued from the HSE regarding the number of reviews per laboratory (details supplied) in view of evidence provided to the Committee of Public Accounts on 10 November 2018. [47254/18]

Cancer Screening Programmes

Bríd Smith

229. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health the details of the requests from women for their slides from the cervical screening process by laboratory (details supplied). [47361/18]

Homemakers Scheme

Bríd Smith

76. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when the women affected by the gaps in the homemaker's scheme can expect to see the changes that will bring them in line with post-1994 women; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46890/18]

Employment Rights

Bríd Smith

90. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the legislative measures she plans to prioritise to deal with bogus self-employment and related denials of workers' rights; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46847/18]

Pension Provisions

Bríd Smith

110. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the measures she will take to ensure equality in the State pension (contributory) scheme; when pensioners affected by current rules can expect to see those measures enacted; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46846/18]

Pensions Reform

Bríd Smith

113. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her plans for legislation that will offer CIÉ workers and other semi-State workers protection on their pension schemes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46892/18]

Pensions Reform

Bríd Smith

115. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when she will introduce measures to offer workers in defined benefit pension schemes adequate protection; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46891/18]

Mining Industry

Bríd Smith

181. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Finance if a figure (details supplied) in revenue from corporation taxes comes from the four commercial gas fields in Irish waters or from the entire category of mining and utilities sector. [46837/18]

Mining Industry

Bríd Smith

182. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Finance the companies and geographic sites involved in the category of mining and utilities sector that are liable to pay corporation tax; and if he will itemise the contribution to the overall figure from each of these companies. [46838/18]

Protected Disclosures

Bríd Smith

78. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason a protected disclosure is not being enacted (details supplied). [46293/18]

State Pension (Contributory)

Bríd Smith

264. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when correspondence will issue to pensioners who have the State pension (contributory) to inform them of proposed changes; and if this will be expedited within the original timeframe [46170/18]

Protected Disclosures

Bríd Smith

83. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to a protected disclosure regarding Waterford and Wexford Education Training Board; and the steps he will take to ensure the person is protected in this case (details supplied). [46079/18]

Patient Safety

Bríd Smith

137. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 180 to 182, inclusive, of 3 October 2018, if clarification will be provided and the specific questions asked answered (details supplied). [46099/18]

Schools Building Contractors

Bríd Smith

304. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Education and Skills the process under which a company (details supplied) received contracts to build schools from his Department; the procurement process used; the criteria for awarding the contracts; the officials within his Department who oversaw the process; if his Department was involved in the decision to award the contracts; if not, if the process was conducted by an external agency; and if so, the name of the agency and the process under which the agency was given oversight of the tendering process and awarding of contracts. [45070/18]

Schools Site Acquisitions

Bríd Smith

315. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Education and Skills the site visits to building sites for school projects conducted by his Department or by other agents on his behalf, specifically all visits to sites operated by a company (details supplied) since 2008; and the reports and or observations submitted as a result of these visits. [45129/18]

Bord na Móna

Bríd Smith

837. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the source and amount of biomass that Bord na Móna will import to co-fire the affected power stations that use peat production; the plans Bord na Móna has to source biomass in the period ahead to replace its ceased peat production; and the studies carried out on the projected CO2 emissions of this sourced biomass. [45402/18]

Film Industry Tax Reliefs

Bríd Smith

19. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Finance if the granting of section 481 status for film productions and his Department's role in sanctioning such production will be examined in view of concerns that budgets have been overestimated to avail of the scheme; the safeguards in place to ensure this does not happen; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39808/18]

Public Sector Pay

Bríd Smith

91. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if recent comments concerning circumstances in which some nursing staff may not be awarded the same increases offered to other public sector staff under the agreement to deal with pay inequality are accurate; the legislation under which such measures could be implemented; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43951/18]

General Practitioner Services

Bríd Smith

71. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health his plans to improve general practitioner coverage nationally in view of the strain that the proposed legislation on abortion rights will put on general practitioners and access for women nationally. [43626/18]

Protected Disclosures

Bríd Smith

106. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to a protected disclosure by staff at Harold's Cross Hospice; his role in such cases; and if the governance and management of the hospice in relation to public funding and industrial relations with staff will be examined. [43624/18]

Cancer Screening Programmes

Bríd Smith

108. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health the location of the laboratories that conducted the tests on the 221 women identified to date (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43623/18]

Cancer Screening Programmes

Bríd Smith

124. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health if the laboratories in which the 221 cases of women given false negative results conducted by CervicalCheck are known to him, the HSE and CervicalCheck management; and if so, the reason this information has not been provided to this Deputy in view of numerous requests for same. [43627/18]

Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services

Bríd Smith

142. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health if the situation at Linn Dara CAMHS in Cherry Orchard in relation to the operation of the service, reported staff shortages and reductions in bed capacity will be clarified. [43625/18]

Tribunals of Inquiry Reports

Bríd Smith

4. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the actions he plans to take to ensure accountability and transparency in An Garda Síochána on foot of the Charleton report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42707/18]

Direct Provision System

Bríd Smith

10. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the steps he plans to take to end the direct provision system; and his views on recent reports regarding the number of children in the direct provision system. [42443/18]

Garda Misconduct Allegations

Bríd Smith

52. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the reason no public inquiry into the death of a person (details supplied) has commenced; his plans to commission one; and when he expects a GSOC report on this case to be completed. [42446/18]

Direct Provision System

Bríd Smith

63. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if an investigation into the death in direct provision of a person (details supplied) will be commissioned; the circumstances in which the person was accommodated; if the reason the person was placed in a male provision centre will be determined; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42444/18]

Northern Ireland

Bríd Smith

66. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if a meeting between a group (details supplied) and the new Garda Commissioner will be facilitated to discuss disclosure of all relevant information on the deaths of their loved ones. [42447/18]

Cancer Screening Programmes

Bríd Smith

157. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health the laboratories involved in testing the smear tests of the 221 women involved in the audit. [42620/18]

Cancer Screening Programmes

Bríd Smith

387. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health if he will ask HIQA to investigate the misdiagnosed slides of the 221 women involved in the CervicalCheck scandal; and if this investigation will identify the laboratories involved and the cause of the errors committed in these laboratories. [41940/18]

Control of Dogs

Bríd Smith

523. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 959 of 7 September 2018, if he will expand on the term "available evidence" which he stated in his reply indicates a very high level of compliance with the microchip legislation; if his attention has been drawn to the feedback from rescue groups that there is an extremely low level of compliance with microchipping legislation; and if he will clarify the source and the extent of the available evidence. [41897/18]

Control of Dogs

Bríd Smith

524. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 959 of 7 September 2018, if there is a legal aspect of the microchip legislation under review; if so, the detail of same; and the cause, possible implications and proposed timeframe involved until the issue is resolved. [41898/18]

National Broadband Plan

Bríd Smith

22. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment when the procurement team will announce its decision on the remaining bid for the national broadband plan, NBP; the way in which this procurement process can have competitive tension with just one bidder; if it remains open to the team to reject this bid; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41215/18]

National Broadband Plan

Bríd Smith

34. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the formal or informal discussions he has had with representatives of the remaining consortium competing for the national broadband plan. [41214/18]

National Broadband Plan

Bríd Smith

187. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the contingency plans in the event that the remaining bid for the national broadband plan is deemed untenable by the procurement team or otherwise becomes inoperable; the estimated costs of the NBP; the cost to date of the tendering process undertaking; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41487/18]

Foster Care Supports

Bríd Smith

240. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the payments or supports available for a foster parent who fosters young children and who as a consequence is not available to seek full-time work and thus will not qualify for jobseeker's allowance. [41445/18]

Foster Care Expenditure

Bríd Smith

241. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if the payment made by Tusla for fostering is not taken into account when means testing a foster parent's entitlement to social welfare payments; and the support available when the only payment entering such a household is the Tusla foster care allowance and child benefit allowance. [41446/18]

NAMA Operations

Bríd Smith

57. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Finance if NAMA has interests, current or historical, in lands or debts connected to the current difficulties of a company (details supplied); and the detail of these interests and transactions, including dealings connected with the company or other companies. [40796/18]