Parliamentary questions

Children in Care

Gary Gannon

37. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he considers the €25 increase in the foster carer's payment announced in budget 2024, after a period of 14 years of no increases, to be reasonable, given inflation rates during that period, and the continuous decrease in the number of foster carers year after year. [46364/23]

Visa Applications

Gary Gannon

141. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Justice if she will provide a breakdown of the awards of study visas, by country of origin of awardees, since the beginning of 2022, in tabular form. [46812/23]

Social Welfare Eligibility

Gary Gannon

59. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason lone parents working on CE schemes are excluded from receiving the €400 cost of living payment, given the scheme’s proven track record of helping people who are long-term unemployed and disadvantaged to get back to work by offering part-time and temporary placements in jobs based within their local communities. [46362/23]

Budget 2024

Gary Gannon

96. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason the qualified child payment only saw an increase of €2 in Budget 2023 and €4 in Budget 2024, despite the ESRI repeatedly pointing out that substantially increasing the payment has the potential to make significant reductions in child poverty. [46361/23]

Departmental Data

Gary Gannon

97. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Social Protection the number and percentage of lone parents in receipt of the working family payment from the beginning of 2018 until the end of 2022; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46363/23]

Vacant Properties

Gary Gannon

44. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media to outline any plans her Department has to repurpose vacant and or derelict commercial sites as creative spaces for artists. [45742/23]

Departmental Projects

Gary Gannon

70. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media to list any initiatives, projects and developments planned by her Department for Dublin's north inner city due to begin in 2024. [45743/23]

Budget 2024

Gary Gannon

71. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media to outline how the additional €10 million provided for overseas marketing of Ireland as a holiday destination in Budget 2024 will be spent. [45744/23]

Third Level Staff

Gary Gannon

106. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to outline the justification for only raising PhD stipends to a meagre €22,000 per annum, when an independent national review of State support for PhD researchers last May recommended a figure of €25,000 per annum. [45748/23]

Student Accommodation

Gary Gannon

114. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the action his Department is undertaking to tackle student accommodation shortages. [45747/23]

Education Costs

Gary Gannon

133. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the reason why the €1,000 reduction in student contribution fees in Budget 2024 has been deemed a once off measure by his Department. [45746/23]

Grant Payments

Gary Gannon

157. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if his Department is partaking in any work to assess the difficulty and accessibility of the SUSI application process; and if he will consider making the process easier to complete for applicants. [45745/23]

School Staff

Gary Gannon

4. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education to outline the actions being undertaken by her Department to tackle teacher shortages and ensure that teachers remain in the profession, and to attract new teachers to posts in primary and secondary schools. [45381/23]

School Transport

Gary Gannon

47. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education the actions that are being taken by her Department to tackle teacher shortages at primary and secondary school level, including the 740 special educational needs teachers announced in Budget 2024. [45065/23]

School Staff

Gary Gannon

63. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education to explain the omission of the restoration of posts of responsibility (such as assistant principal posts) from Budget 2024, despite making promises to do so last Easter. [45068/23]

Special Educational Needs

Gary Gannon

72. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education the number of special educational needs classes that are currently being taught by mainstream teachers due to shortages of special educational needs teachers. [45066/23]

Information and Communications Technology

Gary Gannon

78. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education when primary schools, particularly DEIS primary schools, can expect to receive their Information and Communications Technology (ICT) grant. [45067/23]

Special Educational Needs

Gary Gannon

81. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education the number of new special needs assistants who were hired since 2022; and if there is an action plan outlining how the1,200 additional SNA posts provided for in Budget 2024 will be filled. [45064/23]

Bus Services

Gary Gannon

62. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Transport the consultation that took place with residents when deciding to remove two bus stops (details supplied) on the North Strand Road, Dublin 3; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43772/23]

Commemorative Plaques

Gary Gannon

247. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the current position regarding an initiative to erect a commemorative plaque at the birthplace of War of Independence leader, Rory O’Connor, as we approach the close of the Decade of Centenaries. [43768/23]