Parliamentary questions

Health Services Staff

Richard Bruton

545. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Health if he will indicate the categories of post which are being exempted from the freeze on recruitment, such as in the area of disability, and whether he can extend this to other areas of acute need; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53447/23]

Transport Infrastructure Ireland

Richard Bruton

11. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Transport if he is aware of the difficulties with the access and the underground car park at Clongriffin, which is a vital hub in the new public transport strategy for Dublin, and if he will convene the key stakeholders to seek to broker a solution. [52816/23]

Electric Vehicles

Richard Bruton

63. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Transport when the regulations for e-bikes and scooters will be completed; how it is intended to monitor the 25 km/h speed limit, which is to be the threshold for tax and insurance, where the capacity of many of the items in use seem to be able to exceed such thresholds. [52811/23]

School Patronage

Richard Bruton

102. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Education if she will outline the new approach to the promotion of the transfer of patronage of schools which her Department has adopted; and if she will outline the key milestones that it is intended to reach in the next three years. [52817/23]

Education Policy

Richard Bruton

143. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Education if she plans to take new initiatives to promote the understanding of biodiversity in education programmes, both within and outside the curriculum. [52818/23]

Artificial Intelligence

Richard Bruton

172. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs what international compacts are in development to regulate the impact of artificial Intelligence on economic, social and political life within and beyond the EU; and how Ireland intends to participate in emerging new arrangements. [50243/23]

EU Membership

Richard Bruton

200. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs whether prospective new member states of the EU have made significant progress to date in reaching the milestones for membership; what changes in the operation of the EU are under consideration to accommodate wider membership; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50242/23]

School Patronage

Richard Bruton

335. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Education her views on the progress in developing more multi-denominational choice at primary level; her further views on the new approach being developed by her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47386/23]

Teaching Qualifications

Richard Bruton

381. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Education whether substitute teachers filling positions as English language teachers can be paid the substitute’s daily rate; if she will make arrangements in order that these subs can be entered into the online system for payment; and her views on the shortfall of pay to substitutes at a school (details supplied). [53171/23]

Public Expenditure Policy

Richard Bruton

54. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform the programmes of public expenditure that will be subject to evaluation in the coming year, and whether this process needs to be reformed. [52333/23]

Public Expenditure Policy

Richard Bruton

57. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform whether the budgeting process operated by his Department promotes innovation to a sufficient extent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52334/23]

Jury Service

Richard Bruton

399. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Justice whether there are any arrangements whereby small businesses can be compensated if an important member of staff is called for jury duty, which can be highly disruptive and costly; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51832/23]

An Garda Síochána

Richard Bruton

425. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Justice if it has ever been considered that certain Garda duties should be accompanied by a white Garda helmet, which have been successful in other jurisdictions in enhancing visibility and a sense of safety. [52465/23]

Disease Management

Richard Bruton

589. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Health if he has evaluated the dexcom diabetes treatment pillars, which have been submitted for consideration by the Houses of the Oireachtas; and if he is in a position to put them into action. [52073/23]

Business Supports

Richard Bruton

20. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment his plans for strengthening the capacity of the LEO network to give specialist support to enterprises, with varying needs and regional specialisms, within their remit and to the development of regional centres of excellence. [51510/23]

Climate Change Policy

Richard Bruton

24. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he is concerned that a high proportion of businesses have yet to embark on the transition to the European Green Deal to sustainability. [51509/23]

Fiscal Policy

Richard Bruton

140. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Finance if he will indicate the plans for Ireland to adopt the European taxonomy in investment. [51512/23]

Banking Sector

Richard Bruton

143. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Finance to review the recovery of funds invested in the rescue of the pillar banks during the financial crisis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51511/23]

Schools Building Projects

Richard Bruton

220. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Education whether there are plans to locate a future primary and/or post-primary school in the growing north Santry area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51794/23]

Schools Building Projects

Richard Bruton

221. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Education whether there are plans to locate a second-level gaelcholáiste in the Swords area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51795/23]

Social Welfare Benefits

Richard Bruton

344. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Social Protection if the extension of parental benefit from seven to nine weeks from August 2024, will give the extra two weeks also to children born up to two years before the commencement date. [51026/23]

European Union

Richard Bruton

30. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications whether consensus is emerging in the EU on future reforms in the electricity market; their likely impact on Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50279/23]

Climate Change Negotiations

Richard Bruton

39. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications whether Ireland plans to enter new undertakings in the context of the upcoming COP 28; if he will outline his priorities for the event; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50278/23]

Primary Care Centres

Richard Bruton

233. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Health if his Department plans to open a primary care centre in Santry/Whitehall for the Dublin 9 area. [50359/23]

Health Services Staff

Richard Bruton

234. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Health his Department’s plans to improve the health outcomes in Dublin 9 by providing more medical professionals. [50360/23]

Health Services

Richard Bruton

235. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Health his Department’s strategic plan for health care delivery for Dublin 9. [50361/23]

Family Law Cases

Richard Bruton

113. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Justice if she will outline her plans for the reform of the family courts to improve access and streamline the processes for balancing rights in handling cases; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50285/23]

Departmental Strategies

Richard Bruton

220. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Education if she will outline the strategies and the specific policy tools which are driving the uptake of digital technology in secondary schools; if there are any specific initiatives in specific subject areas, such as languages, mathematics, and so on; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49858/23]

Naturalisation Applications

Richard Bruton

349. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Justice whether there is any reason for the long delay in the naturalisation process for a person (details supplied) who has been educated in Ireland from the age of nine years, and for whom third level education will be unaffordable without naturalisation, bearing in mind the initiation of this process almost two-and-a-half years ago. [49879/23]

Tobacco Control Measures

Richard Bruton

477. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Health if there is any restriction on the opportunity to advertise e-cigarettes in Irish media; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49892/23]

Tobacco Control Measures

Richard Bruton

593. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Health if he is concerned about the ease of access to, and advertising for, e-cigarettes; if the risk of recruiting new users to dependence on nicotine necessitates new regulation; and if he has undertaken any analysis of the matter.; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49891/23]

Departmental Data

Richard Bruton

44. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on the throughput of patients being treated in key categories and the trends in patient numbers compared to the corresponding period in 2022 and to the equivalent period in 2019, before Covid struck. [48359/23]

National Treatment Purchase Fund

Richard Bruton

82. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on the throughput of the National Treatment Purchase Agency in 2023; and the plans for 2024. [48358/23]

Housing Provision

Richard Bruton

156. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide an update on the latest information on the purchases of homes by first-time buyers and the supply of affordable homes for purchase by such buyers. [48356/23]

Local Government Reform

Richard Bruton

164. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the proposals he plans to table for consideration by the citizens of Dublin of future governance for the city. [48357/23]

Pension Provisions

Richard Bruton

210. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform if he will indicate the number of requests from the trustees of pension funds of state bodies for increases to be made to pensioners which are now outstanding and awaiting ministerial approval; under what circumstances would such increases be rejected in the present inflationary environment; and if steps can be taken to speed up the processing of such applications. [49140/23]

Health Services Staff

Richard Bruton

310. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Health to provide a list of current vacancies in community health posts serving the Balbriggan area, including occupational therapists, speech and language therapists, physiotherapists and so on; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49118/23]

Tax Code

Richard Bruton

32. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Finance whether the implications of a new approach to taxing medical partnerships for the wider policy arrangements in health have been assessed by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48967/23]

General Practitioner Services

Richard Bruton

132. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Health whether the implications of a new approach to taxing medical partnerships for the wider policy arrangements in Health have been assessed by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48966/23]

Childcare Services

Richard Bruton

49. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the progress made to date in rolling out a capital programme for childcare and putting in place a development agency for the sector. [48354/23]

Childcare Services

Richard Bruton

71. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he has examined the sustainability of different segments of the childcare sector; and how he intends to use the additional resources allocated in the budget for core funding. [48355/23]

Road Safety

Richard Bruton

241. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Transport if he will outline the approach he intends to adopt to setting new speed limits; how he will ensure that there is a focus on dangerous speeds, rather than on minor exceedances; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47930/23]

Road Traffic Offences

Richard Bruton

263. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Transport if using an electric powered scooter or bike is an offence against which Garda enforcement is possible; and whether the new legislation on the regulation of such vehicles requires regulations or a commencement date before they become effective. [48319/23]

Educational Disadvantage

Richard Bruton

562. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Education if she plans to review the DEIS status of schools now that the results of Census 2022 have been reported; if she envisages granting a new DEIS status to any schools in the near future; how the disadvantage status of a person in homeless accommodation is assessed under the scheme; and whether this might result in the disadvantage status being misread. [48733/23]

Immigration Policy

Richard Bruton

797. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Justice the security checks that are carried out on international applicants immigrating to Ireland; whether the Irish Immigration Service carries out criminal record checks on people arriving from other European countries; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47466/23]

Road Traffic Offences

Richard Bruton

825. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Justice her views on the reports that the number of checks for dangerous driving have fallen sharply; and if she plans any particular initiatives to emphasise the need for compliance to reduce road deaths. [47931/23]

Children in Care

Richard Bruton

971. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the reason foster allowance reduces at 18 years of age, even if the person is in full-time education; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47251/23]

Childcare Services

Richard Bruton

1058. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the compliance and standards that will be required of childminders who seek to participate in the national childcare scheme from September 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48317/23]

Public Expenditure Policy

Richard Bruton

8. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform what programmes of public expenditure will be subject to evaluation in the coming year; and whether this process needs to be reformed [46962/23]

Public Expenditure Policy

Richard Bruton

14. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform whether the budgeting process operated by his Department promotes innovation to a sufficient extent. [46963/23]