Parliamentary questions

Housing Adaptation Grant Funding

Róisín Shortall

145. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the amount allocated to local authorities in 2016 for home adaptation grants with a breakdown by grant type; and the number of households projected to be covered by these grants in 2016 in each case. [28018/16]

Nursing Staff Remuneration

Róisín Shortall

173. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the reasoning behind his Department’s decision not to honour the December 2015 agreement reached between the Department of Health, the HSE and the nursing unions; his views on the fact that this has created a significant anomaly whereby 2016 graduates are earning more than those who graduated in the previous five years; and his further views on the fact that this anomaly is contributing to recruitment and retention difficulties with nurses and a resultant high agency nurse bill. [27897/16]

Home Care Packages Provision

Róisín Shortall

186. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health if he will prioritise investment in community and home-based care for persons suffering with Alzheimer's disease in budget 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27875/16]

Prescriptions Charges

Róisín Shortall

187. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the cost in 2017 and in a full year of reducing the prescription levy by 25%, 50% and 75% and of eliminating it altogether. [28015/16]

Home Care Packages Provision

Róisín Shortall

207. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health if he will prioritise investment in community and home-based care for persons suffering with Alzheimer's disease in the context of his Department's discussions on budget 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27876/16]

Nursing Staff Remuneration

Róisín Shortall

215. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the efforts he is making to reach an agreement with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform on the recognition of the 36-week incremental credit for all nursing graduates, in line with the December 2015 agreement made with the nursing unions by his Department and the HSE; his views on whether this has created a significant anomaly where 2016 graduates are earning more than those who graduated in the previous five years; his further views that this anomaly is contributing to recruitment and retention difficulties with nurses and a resultant high agency nurse bill; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27896/16]

Better Energy Homes Scheme Data

Róisín Shortall

259. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the amount allocated in 2016 for home energy grants; and the number of households projected to be covered by these grants in 2016. [28017/16]

Social Insurance Fund

Róisín Shortall

160. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Social Protection if actuaries have been appointed to date to carry out the actuarial review of the social insurance fund up to 31 December 2015 announced by the previous Minister on 22 March 2016; if appointed, whether he can supply details of the company carrying out the work and the date of publication; to undertake to produce actuarial reports on the fund on a more frequent basis, for example, every three years rather than the statutory maximum; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27666/16]

Unemployment Data

Róisín Shortall

63. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Taoiseach his estimate of the number of persons currently without a job but not included in the live register figures. [24661/16]

Legislative Programme

Róisín Shortall

98. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality her plans to bring forward legislation to combat the spread of so-called revenge pornography in line with best international practice; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26696/16]

Tax Yield

Róisín Shortall

191. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Finance further to his announcement on 6 September 2016 regarding a proposed amendment to section 110 of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997, the anticipated yield from this measure in each of the next five years. [26949/16]

VAT Rate Reductions

Róisín Shortall

205. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Finance the current VAT rate charged for the repair of goods, for example, white goods, bicycles and so on; and his estimate of the cost of reducing the VAT rate charged to the next lowest bracket. [27199/16]

Property Tax Administration

Róisín Shortall

218. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Finance the rate of interest applied to persons who defer their local property tax; and the cost to the Exchequer in 2017, 2018 and 2019, respectively, for every percentage point reduction in this rate. [27525/16]

School Textbooks Rental Scheme

Róisín Shortall

247. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of secondary schools operating book rental schemes by county, in tabular form; and the efforts made by his Department to encourage the uptake of such schemes. [26660/16]

Education Centre Network

Róisín Shortall

248. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide a list of funding allocations from his Department to an institution (details supplied) in Dublin 9 over each of the past three years; if he will provide details of proposed changes to this years budget as recently indicated by the TES section of his Department; the rationale for these changes; and the implications for existing staff levels and the likely impact on the schools which this centre serves. [26686/16]

School Staff

Róisín Shortall

310. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of English as an additional language, EAL, posts in each county for each school year since 2012-13, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27471/16]

Water Charges

Róisín Shortall

358. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government his estimate of the cost of reimbursing those who have paid their domestic water charges to Irish Water, net of the amount already paid to persons under the water conservation grant scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27367/16]

Disability Allowance

Róisín Shortall

401. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Social Protection when a review will be completed of a disability allowance application for a person (details supplied) in Dublin 11. [26934/16]

Social Welfare Benefits Data

Róisín Shortall

448. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Social Protection the cost to the Exchequer for every extra week the fuel allowance is payable at current rates. [27450/16]

Overseas Development Aid Data

Róisín Shortall

464. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the projected cost of increasing Ireland's overseas development aid, ODA, budget to 0.4 %, 0.5%, 0.6% and 0.7% of GNP for 2017 and for a full year, in tabular form. [27207/16]

Departmental Expenditure

Róisín Shortall

498. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the extra costs to the Exchequer in 2017 of demographic pressures without any change in current tax or spending policy, with a breakdown by Department. [26646/16]

Departmental Expenditure

Róisín Shortall

499. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the costs to the Exchequer in 2017 of measures that are already committed in 2017, both capital and current and including pay and extra services, with a breakdown of each. [26647/16]

Primary Care Services Provision

Róisín Shortall

545. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to an anomalous service provision discrepancy between community heath organisations, CHOs, (details suppled); if he will consider providing a standardised list of items that each CHO must provide to ensure equitable service provision across the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26463/16]

Medical Aids and Appliances Provision

Róisín Shortall

546. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health if he will provide a list of HSE equipment (details supplied) in tabular form. [26464/16]

Legislative Measures

Róisín Shortall

604. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health when Parts 2 and 3 of the Children and Family Relationships Act 2015, allowing for the parents of children conceived through assisted human reproduction be listed as parents on their child's birth certificate, will come into force; and if he will provide a timeline for the implementation of same [26662/16]

Domiciliary Care Allowance

Róisín Shortall

622. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the cost in 2017 of providing a medical card for all children in receipt of the domiciliary care allowance. [26734/16]

Home Care Packages Data

Róisín Shortall

723. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the number of persons on the waiting list for home care packages; the estimated cost in 2017 of eradicating this list. [27284/16]

Child and Family Agency Data

Róisín Shortall

964. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of cases awaiting allocation to a social worker in each Tusla local office area, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27472/16]

Unaccompanied Minors and Separated Children

Róisín Shortall

55. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality further to her statement of 22 September 2015 on the migration crisis following an emergency meeting of EU Justice and Home Affairs Ministers, the steps taken by her Department to ensure that, as per her statement, special priority will be given to the plight of unaccompanied minors in the provision of supports and services; the status of this commitment; the nature of these supports; the number of unaccompanied minors that the State has accepted; if she will commit to accepting more of these vulnerable children as part of Ireland's response the migration crisis; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24841/16]

Garda Deployment

Róisín Shortall

183. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of gardaí by rank in each of the Garda stations on Dublin's northside at 1 September 2016, 1 March 2016 and 1 September 2015. [26203/16]

Tax Reliefs Costs

Róisín Shortall

223. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Finance the reason the Revenue Commissioners did not include the various provisions of section 110 in the published list of tax expenditures published on their website when the section clearly provides various extraordinary and unusual forms of relief (details supplied); if he will now provide the tax cost of the tax expenditures granted under section 110; and if, in future, the Revenue Commissioners' statistics unit will provide a complete and comprehensive list of tax expenditures and their costings. [24645/16]

Financial Services Regulation

Róisín Shortall

231. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Finance if he has yet made a decision to amend section 54BX(3)(b) of the Central Bank and Financial Services Authority of Ireland Act 2004 in order that customers who were missold financial products, such as endowment mortgages, are in a position to pursue claims against the sellers of such products within a reasonable period of identifying this misselling; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24842/16]

Budget Targets

Róisín Shortall

346. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Finance the projected fiscal space on which he is basing budget 2017. [26336/16]

Insurance Industry Regulation

Róisín Shortall

347. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Finance the status of each of the working streams in respect of addressing the cost of insurance. [26339/16]

Tax Data

Róisín Shortall

348. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Finance the cost to the Exchequer of indexing the entry point to the 49.5% marginal rate of tax to wage growth for every 1% increase in wage growth. [26343/16]

Tax Data

Róisín Shortall

349. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Finance counting PRSI, income tax and the universal social charge, the percentage of income earners who pay tax on their income at each of the marginal rate bands with a breakdown for employed persons and the self-employed persons. [26344/16]

School Curriculum

Róisín Shortall

497. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Education and Skills the timescale for the inclusion of physical education as a leaving certificate exam subject. [26153/16]

Schools Site Acquisitions

Róisín Shortall

532. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of the purchase of land at Charlesland, Greystones, County Wicklow for the provision of a new community national school; the size of the land under negotiation; the proposed size of the school; the proposed date of completion; if his Department will be responsible for the build or if it is intended to transfer that role to the Kildare Wicklow Education Training Board; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26331/16]

Live Register Data

Róisín Shortall

694. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to address the problem of persons who are not counted among the live register figures and who do not have access to education, training and activation options of those who are included in the Live Register; and if his attention has been drawn to the social exclusion felt by these persons. [24660/16]

State Pensions

Róisín Shortall

776. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to increase the State pension by €25 over five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25786/16]

Household Benefits Scheme

Róisín Shortall

777. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will commit to reinstating the telephone allowance in the upcoming budget; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25787/16]

Fuel Allowance Payments

Róisín Shortall

778. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will commit to reversing the cuts to the fuel allowance in the upcoming budget; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25788/16]

Local Drugs Task Forces

Róisín Shortall

814. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will ensure that his Department is centrally involved and formally represented in each Local Drugs Task Force given the key role his Department plays in activation and training. [26198/16]

State Pensions

Róisín Shortall

820. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Social Protection the cost to the Exchequer for every 1% increase in social protection payments, with a breakdown of this cost by payment type. [26337/16]

State Pensions

Róisín Shortall

821. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Social Protection the cost to the Exchequer for every 1% cent increase in the rate of child benefit in respect of children aged 12 years of age and over. [26340/16]

Social Welfare Benefits Eligibility

Róisín Shortall

822. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Social Protection the cost to the Exchequer if eligibility criteria were altered to allow lone parents in employment whose children are between seven and 14 years of age to receive both the jobseeker's transition payment and family income supplement if they meet the qualifying criteria. [26341/16]

Personal Micro Credit Scheme

Róisín Shortall

823. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Social Protection the current scope of the personal micro-credit initiative. [26342/16]

Wildlife Protection

Róisín Shortall

966. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if she will respond to the serious concerns raised by a number of organisations (details supplied) with respect to proposed changes to section 40 of the Wildlife Act that would permit the setting of gorse fires in March and the cutting of hedgerows in August; if she is satisfied that this proposal will not adversely affect the protection and preservation of indigenous flora; her views on the fact that many birds, such as the yellowhammer, nest chicks until well into September; if she is satisfied that these proposed changes do not conflict with the 2007 European Court of Justice ruling in case C-418/04: Commission v. Ireland, which found that the State failed to adequately protect indigenous bird habitats; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25185/16]

Patient Data

Róisín Shortall

1324. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the number of hospital bed days required by the number of patients undergoing full and partial lower limb amputation procedures in 2014 and 2015 by county; the number of these patients who had diabetes and the number of bed days they required, by county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25717/16]

Home Help Service Oversight

Róisín Shortall

1342. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health if consideration will be given to re-orienting the funding stream for home care packages and home help hours to a demand-led model as opposed to the current block grant system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25789/16]