Parliamentary questions

Social Welfare Eligibility

Richard Bruton

789. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Social Protection where the payment of a qualified adult allowance is under review, if half of the savings of a couple are automatically attributed to the qualified adult, regardless of whose name is on the bank account; and whether in the same way if the savings are in an account in the name of the qualified adult, that person will still only be assessed with half of the savings. [13176/24]

International Protection

Richard Bruton

1107. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth whether accommodation previously assigned for those seeking temporary protection from Ukraine is becoming available for use for international protection; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11787/24]

Childcare Services

Richard Bruton

1164. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth in view of the delay in opening the portal for the submission of financial data for the core funding support of childcare, if he will he consider extending the deadline of 23 March 2024. [12521/24]

Emergency Departments

Richard Bruton

1211. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Health when it is scheduled for Beaumont Hospital to open a new accident and emergency department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11536/24]

Health Services Staff

Richard Bruton

1266. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Health if he is aware that many US trained nurses are failing to get permits to practice in Ireland; whether he has received any report on this pattern; and if he plans initiatives that could facilitate such well trained nurses to find a pathway into practice. [11796/24]

Covid-19 Pandemic

Richard Bruton

1361. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Health if he is aware that people who have become ill and debilitated with long-Covid, contracted while delivering essential services during the pandemic, face the cut-off of their pay continuation scheme at the end of March; and if he can make arrangements to extend this cover. [12288/24]

Healthcare Policy

Richard Bruton

1444. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Health if he has monitored the progress made under the actions specified in the National Positive Ageing Strategy 2013 and published annual progress reports; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12648/24]

Mental Health Services

Richard Bruton

1476. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Health if he will consider removing mental health services from the present health recruitment embargo; and if a manpower plan for 2024 is close to agreement. [12850/24]

Health Services Staff

Richard Bruton

1504. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Health whether his Department, where it mistakenly placed an employee on too high a PRSI deduction for a lengthy period, will repay the over-deduction over the full period; if not if the refund will only apply to the four year period for which the Department of Social Protection will make repayments. [13036/24]

Departmental Schemes

Richard Bruton

1558. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if there is a shortage of training places in Dublin for those wishing to do apprenticeships, which is requiring people to train far away from home; and if he plans to roll out more facilities in Dublin to meet the need. [12918/24]

European Union

Richard Bruton

40. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will outline the discussions within Europe on the level of hostile online activity by foreign states, and the effectiveness of defences; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11130/24]

Departmental Strategies

Richard Bruton

105. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will indicate the sectors for which a circular economy strategy is being prepared; if the values on key targets specified in the Circular Economy Act have been decided; and if he will indicate when each is likely to be published. [11129/24]

Energy Production

Richard Bruton

121. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will outline the prospective generation capacity needs under each category of generation and storage over the next two years to achieve 2025 targets; if he has identified the critical barriers to be overcome; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11128/24]

Care of the Elderly

Richard Bruton

5. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Health whether his Department is evolving strategies to divert the flow of older patients from accident and emergency departments into more suitable pathways; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9730/24]

Health Strategies

Richard Bruton

12. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Health whether his Department has mapped out a pathway for the role technology can play in keeping patients healthy and in the planned statutory homecare scheme; and the status of the roll-out of the planned actions. [9731/24]

Early Childhood Care and Education

Richard Bruton

100. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he report on the remit and progress of the new Childcare Development Agency; how it will integrate the work of county childcare committees; and the new planned capital budgets for Childcare Development. [9732/24]

International Protection

Richard Bruton

144. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will outline the methods in place for ensuring that new international protection centres are supported with necessary services and activities so that integration into the community is facilitated. [9733/24]

Sports Facilities

Richard Bruton

210. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if she will review the funding allocated to the sports lottery fund and allocate extra investment in sports facilities across Ireland, where there is a growing population, and where the annual house building target is expected to increase by 100%, to 60,000 per annum. [9771/24]

Education and Training Provision

Richard Bruton

8. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he plans to develop Skillnet Ireland in its capacity to accelerate adaptation to the challenges of sustainability and digital transformation of business models. [9082/24]

Further and Higher Education

Richard Bruton

15. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he has considered the role that further and higher education could play in the future in supporting the contribution of people after they retire from full-time work both from their past experience and empowering them for a third age; and if he will consider evolving a new strategy in this sphere. [9081/24]