Parliamentary questions

One-Parent Family Payment Eligibility

Eoin Ó Broin

530. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her plans to amend the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 as amended by section 13 of the Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2008 to include a foster parent in the definition of a qualified parent for the purposes of determining eligibility for the one-parent family payment (details supplied). [8060/18]

Social Welfare Benefits Data

Catherine Murphy

531. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of adult dependants in receipt of a social welfare payment by county, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8109/18]

Social Welfare Benefits Data

Catherine Murphy

532. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of adult dependants on a social welfare labour activation scheme by county, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8110/18]

Disability Allowance Payments

Maurice Quinlivan

533. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to the fact that persons awarded a disability allowance by the social welfare appeals office in December 2017 are still not in payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8127/18]

Social Welfare Benefits

John McGuinness

534. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if the disability allowance claim being paid to a person (details supplied) will be examined to ensure that the person is on full benefit; if the jobseeker's benefit to the person's partner is the maximum amount; if it covers their five children; and if the family is in receipt of children's allowance for five children. [8130/18]

Working Family Payment Payments

Pat Breen

535. Deputy Pat Breen asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when a decision will issue to a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8148/18]

Public Services Card Data

John Curran

536. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of public services cards that have been issued; the number of cards issued to persons under 18 years of age; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8165/18]

Public Services Card

John Curran

537. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the payments and services for which the use of a public services card is now mandatory; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8166/18]

Widow's Pension Appeals

Bernard Durkan

538. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when a widow's pension will be restored in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8236/18]

State Pensions

Catherine Murphy

539. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 273 of 8 February 2018, the way in which a farmer's spouse is entitled to a State pension in the context of being in an informal partnership; if the direction to issue this entitlement is a result of a European Union directive; the level of engagement her Department had with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine on the matter; if other sectors can avail of the arrangement; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8262/18]

Supplementary Welfare Allowance

Maureen O'Sullivan

541. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to the number of elderly persons who relied on the assistance offered by the clothing grant and the inadequacy of the exceptional needs payment due to the fact that clothing is budgeted and therefore not an exceptional need; her plans to reinstate the clothing grant in the future; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8287/18]

Carer's Allowance Applications

Michael Healy-Rae

542. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the status of an application for carer's allowance by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8292/18]

Departmental Reports

Margaret Murphy O'Mahony

543. Deputy Margaret Murphy O'Mahony asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the progress made on each of the recommendations contained in the Make Work Pay report published by her Department in 2017, in tabular form. [8313/18]

State Pension (Contributory) Applications

Peter Fitzpatrick

544. Deputy Peter Fitzpatrick asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the status of a pension application by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8331/18]

Widow's Pension Eligibility

Bernard Durkan

545. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the basis on which the surviving partner or spouse of a person divorced outside this jurisdiction cannot qualify for a contributory widow's or widower's pension in view of the fact that they would have been compliant with Irish law when they remarried here; the number of persons refused a widow's or widower's pension on the basis of one of the partners having been divorced outside the country in each of the past five years to date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8361/18]

Widow's Pension Eligibility

Bernard Durkan

546. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if persons who divorced outside of this jurisdiction have forfeited their rights to a widow's, widower's or survivor's pensions, notwithstanding the fact that they would have had to have been compliant with the law to remarry here; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8362/18]

Widow's Pension Applications

Bernard Durkan

547. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when a widower's pension will issue in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8363/18]

Widow's Pension Applications

Bernard Durkan

548. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when a widow's pension will issue in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8364/18]

Carer's Allowance Applications

Bernard Durkan

549. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when a carer's allowance will be awarded to a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8365/18]

Exceptional Needs Payment Applications

Bernard Durkan

550. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when an exceptional needs payment will issue in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8366/18]

Carer's Allowance Appeals

Brendan Smith

551. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the status of an appeal for a carer's allowance by a person (details supplied); the reason for the delay in the transfer of departmental papers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8415/18]

Labour Court

Clare Daly

552. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if discussions are expected to reclassify stable staff as agricultural workers further to a recent determination (details supplied) issued by the Labour Court into the classification of stable staff working in horse racing. [8459/18]

Labour Court

Clare Daly

553. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the efforts she is making to protect stable staff involved in horse racing under the Organisation of Working Time Act 1997; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8460/18]

State Pension (Contributory) Data

Clare Daly

554. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of persons within each of the six payment bands who are in receipt of the State pension (contributory). [8462/18]

Pensions Reform

Clare Daly

555. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when she plans to launch the public consultation on pension reform further to her announcement in November 2017; the details and timeframe of the public consultation process; the steps she will take to amend section 48 of the Pensions Act 1990 and the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 that will provide pension members with more choice, such as approved retirement funds when scheme trustees decide to wind up pension schemes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8463/18]

One-Parent Family Payment Appeals

Aengus Ó Snodaigh

556. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the status of an application for a one-parent family payment by a person (details supplied); and when a decision will issue. [8498/18]

State Pension (Contributory)

Tom Neville

557. Deputy Tom Neville asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if a matter will be addressed regarding the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8519/18]

Disability Allowance Applications

John McGuinness

559. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of applications received by her Department from a person (details supplied) in respect of a disability allowance; and if the person's current application will be reviewed in view of medical evidence submitted. [8564/18]

Domiciliary Care Allowance Appeals

Michael Healy-Rae

560. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the status of an appeal for a domiciliary carer's allowance by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8582/18]

Occupational Injuries Benefit Applications

James Browne

561. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the position on an application for illness benefit by a person (details supplied); when payment will commence; if there was a delay in the processing of same; the reason a medical certificate signed by a doctor in the hospital was not acceptable; the reason the person was required to pay for a general practitioner to provide a medical certificate; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8634/18]

State Pensions Payments

Fiona O'Loughlin

562. Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if a situation relating to the State pension payment of a person (details supplied) will be investigated. [8646/18]

Household Benefits Scheme

Noel Rock

563. Deputy Noel Rock asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her plans for a payment to persons with a disability for their television licence; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8654/18]

Departmental Properties

Róisín Shortall

564. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of vacant habitable dwelling units and vacant derelict residential dwelling units in the ownership or part ownership of, or under the control of, her Department and the agencies under her remit; the county in which each unit is located; the length of time each unit has been vacant, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8664/18]

Film Industry

Peadar Tóibín

565. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the steps taken by Scope to ensure that much of the self-employment in the film industry is not bogus self-employment; and the investigations Scope has made in the past five years to ensure that those registered as self-employed are actually self-employed. [8674/18]

Social Insurance Payments

Michael McGrath

566. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the options open to a person (details supplied) in County Cork to continue to pay PRSI contributions or receive credits that would be reckonable for the State contributory pension. [8695/18]

Disability Allowance Payments

Maurice Quinlivan

567. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the reason disability allowance appeals awarded in December 2017 have yet to be paid. [8727/18]

Community Employment Schemes Data

Pearse Doherty

568. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 310 and 311 of 7 March 2017, the details in respect of community employment schemes for 2017 and to date in 2018; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8786/18]

Social Welfare Overpayments

Bernard Durkan

569. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will review the manner in which investigations into overpayments are carried out to ensure strict adherence to due process and natural justice; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8803/18]

State Pensions

Bernard Durkan

570. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the extent to which provision continues to exist to allow credit in respect of employment in the context of the determination of eligibility for a State pension in respect of a period of employment in which contributions are omitted; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8804/18]

Youth Unemployment Measures

Bernard Durkan

571. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the extent to which the various youth unemployment alleviation measures continue to result in successful full-time job placements; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8805/18]

Social Welfare Payments Waiting Times

Bernard Durkan

572. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the extent to which backlogs have been addressed in respect of various headings and payments operated by her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8808/18]

Exceptional Needs Payments

Bernard Durkan

573. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if provision will be made for emergency payments in cases of extreme hardship by way of exceptional needs payment or otherwise; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8809/18]

Pensions Data

Bernard Durkan

574. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of applications for old age (contributory) pension on appeal; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8810/18]

Pensions Data

Bernard Durkan

575. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of applications for old age (non-contributory) pension on appeal; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8811/18]

Exceptional Needs Payments

Bernard Durkan

576. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of applications for exceptional needs payment pending or refused in 2017; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8812/18]

Social Welfare Benefits

Bernard Durkan

577. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her plans to address issues of contributory entitlements such as illness benefit or other similar payments in which persons qualify for a payment worth approximately half of that applicable to an old age pensioner; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8813/18]

Social Welfare Appeals Data

Bernard Durkan

578. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the applications for various social welfare payments which are most commonly refused on application and referred to appeal or oral hearing; the number of cases subsequently rejected or approved on appeal; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8814/18]

Social Welfare Eligibility

Bernard Durkan

579. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the extent to which the self employed can qualify for various social welfare supports now and in the future; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8815/18]

Social Welfare Benefits

Bernard Durkan

580. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the extent to which her Department can assist those in danger of becoming homeless, with particular reference to situations where a primary payment is terminated and rent support likewise, resulting in hardship, anxiety and despair; if in such cases rent support will not be terminated until all has been decided; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8816/18]

Youth Unemployment Data

Bernard Durkan

581. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the extent of youth unemployment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8817/18]

Unemployment Data

Bernard Durkan

582. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the extent of long-term unemployment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8818/18]

Social Welfare Appeals Data

Bernard Durkan

583. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of decisions in respect of various refusals for payments that have been overturned on appeal in the past four years to date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8819/18]

Housing Policy

Jackie Cahill

584. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government his plans to introduce legislation or regulations that would encourage vulture funds to make residential properties that are in their ownership available to the market to reduce the shortage of housing (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8071/18]

Irish Water Administration

John McGuinness

585. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government when legislation or regulations needed to make Irish Water accountable to the Comptroller and Auditor General will be in place. [8476/18]

Local Authority Staff Remuneration

Marcella Corcoran Kennedy

586. Deputy Marcella Corcoran Kennedy asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if the case of a person (details supplied) who has been offered a position at the minimum entry point on a pay scale will be reviewed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8555/18]

Local Authority Housing Mortgages

Catherine Murphy

587. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the arrangements that were made with banks to provide letters of refusal in the context of the new local authority mortgage scheme; the options available in cases in which refusals are occurring but the banks or building societies will not provide a letter to this effect; if this situation was anticipated; if discussions were held with the lending institutions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8080/18]

Water Quality

Thomas Byrne

588. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the status of the national roll-out of testing of alarm systems to ensure the non-occurrence of elevated chlorine levels in the public water supply. [8114/18]

Water Quality

Thomas Byrne

589. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the recent malfunction of an elevated chlorine alarm system in an area (details supplied) in County Meath which resulted in a water ban for over 500 homes. [8115/18]

Water Quality

Thomas Byrne

590. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the number of water plants that have been fitted and not fitted respectively with testing of alarm systems for elevated chlorine levels. [8116/18]

Mortgage Insurance

Eoin Ó Broin

591. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if mortgage protection insurance is a mandatory requirement of the new first-time buyers council mortgage; if so, the reason therefor; and the nature of the policies required. [8121/18]

Irish Water Remit

Bríd Smith

592. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the functions and operations that are the remit and responsibility of Irish Water. [8133/18]

Irish Water Remit

Bríd Smith

593. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the reason Irish Water is reported to be refusing to undertake responsibility for works that are concerned with surface level water management. [8134/18]

Social and Affordable Housing Data

Catherine Connolly

594. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the number and location of homes built under the affordable homes scheme that remain unsold by county, in tabular form; the outstanding debt on those homes in relation to capital cost and interest accruing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8158/18]

Mortgage Insurance

Thomas P. Broughan

595. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the parameters for mortgage protection for mortgages granted under the Rebuilding Ireland home loan scheme; the mortgage protection options open to these persons; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8190/18]

Mortgage Insurance

Thomas P. Broughan

596. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if he will report on the Rebuilding Ireland home loan scheme and mortgage protection options for mortgages; if a person with a mortgage is open to source appropriate and competitive mortgage protection from providers; his views on whether their consumer rights are being restricted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8191/18]

Housing Assistance Payment Eligibility

Róisín Shortall

597. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the number of days to the expiry of a tenancy that a tenant must face to be eligible for the homeless HAP scheme; the rationale for the number of days; and the statutory basis for same. [8194/18]

Water Meters Data

Catherine Murphy

598. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if new build commercial and residential structures are supplied with a water meter; the body responsible for its installation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8211/18]

Local Authority Housing Maintenance

Seán Crowe

599. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the amount each local authority has budgeted for repair and maintenance of its housing stock in each year for the past four years; and the amount of housing stock each has in tabular form. [8226/18]

Planning Data

Seán Crowe

600. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the number of times each local authority has been to court as plaintiff against unauthorised developments in the past four years in tabular form. [8227/18]

Solar Energy Guidelines

Seán Crowe

601. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if solar farms need an environmental impact assessment before they can be built. [8228/18]

Asbestos Remediation Programme

Seán Crowe

602. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the assistance his Department is providing to families that have asbestos on their property to help mitigate against its future harm. [8229/18]

Water and Sewerage Schemes Status

Robert Troy

603. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the status of an application to provide a group sewerage scheme (details supplied). [8243/18]

Mortgage Insurance

Seán Haughey

604. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the fact that local authorities are insisting that applicants under the new Rebuilding Ireland home loan scheme take out mortgage protection which results in lower amounts being loaned to them; his views on whether it is appropriate for applicants to be obliged to take mortgage protection from local authorities which are also the mortgage advisers in similar cases; if his attention has been further drawn to the fact that local authorities are quoting more than three times the average amount which can be obtained elsewhere in the market for mortgage protection; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8275/18]

Local Authority Housing Waiting Lists

Richard Boyd Barrett

605. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if a decision to remove a family from the housing list due to temporarily exceeding the income thresholds is open to appeal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8276/18]

Pyrite Issues

Joe Carey

606. Deputy Joe Carey asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the advice he would give to persons in County Clare who are affected by pyrite on the best course of action to have the problem addressed; if the possibility of including these properties in the State pyrite remediation scheme will be examined; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8412/18]

Seaweed Harvesting Licences

Catherine Connolly

607. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the number and status of outstanding licence applications for seaweed harvesting; the number of licences granted in each of the past five years; the location, licencee, fees attached and term of the licence; the number in operation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8499/18]

Water and Sewerage Schemes

Peter Burke

608. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if relief measures will be put in place for individual members of group water schemes in view of the discontinuation of the domestic water charging regime; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8617/18]

Ministerial Communications

Mary Lou McDonald

609. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 698, 699 and 700 of 13 January 2018, if following a High Court libel judgment (details supplied) he will revoke his predecessor's public statement on 24 April 2013 that includes the same selected excerpt from a report as used by a council. [8635/18]

Vacant Properties Data

Róisín Shortall

610. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the number of vacant habitable dwelling units and vacant derelict residential dwelling units in the ownership of or part ownership of or under the control of both his Department and agencies under his remit; the county in which each unit is located; the length of time each unit has been vacant, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8668/18]

Seaweed Harvesting Licences

Eoin Ó Broin

611. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government further to Parliamentary Question No. 660 of 13 February 2018, the County Clare coastline that could potentially be affected by plans to sell the harvesting rights of kelp disk seaweed to a company (details supplied) in percentage terms. [8771/18]

Road Network

Jackie Cahill

612. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if the required funding will be made available to Tipperary County Council for the provision of infrastructure to provide pedestrian and cyclist access to the new ETB apprentice training centre at Archerstown, Thurles, County Tipperary from the N62 junction at Turtulla Cross; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8785/18]

Water and Sewerage Schemes Provision

Kevin O'Keeffe

613. Deputy Kevin O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the number of dwellings per development which have sought planning permission from their respective local authorities but cannot proceed to development due to the fact Irish Water is not in a position to permit a connection to the respective public sewers in each local authority, in tabular form. [8798/18]

Housing Adaptation Grant Data

Jan O'Sullivan

614. Deputy Jan O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government further to Parliamentary Question No. 670 of 13 February 2018, the funding allocated to each local authority for council tenants under the housing adaption grant scheme for older persons, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8800/18]

National Monuments

Thomas Byrne

615. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht her plans to increase amenities on the Hill of Tara; and her views on the lack of parking and other vital services at this location. [8090/18]

Turf Cutting Compensation Scheme Applications

Michael Healy-Rae

616. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the status of an application by a person (details supplied) to cut their bog; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8239/18]

Deer Culls

John Brassil

617. Deputy John Brassil asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the status of a deer management plan for Killarney National Park, County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8101/18]

National Monuments

Thomas Byrne

618. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht when a report that was commissioned by her Department on the conservation and management of the Hill of Tara will be published; and her views on whether there is a need for increased services, for example, more parking and toilet facilities at this location. [8125/18]

National Parks

John Brassil

619. Deputy John Brassil asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the progress that has been made to control the spread of rhodedendron in Killarney National Park; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8129/18]

National Parks and Wildlife Service Staff

John Brassil

620. Deputy John Brassil asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht her views on whether staffing levels are adequate to manage the spread of rhododendron and control deer numbers in Killarney National Park; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8137/18]

Hare Coursing Regulation

Clare Daly

621. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if her attention has been drawn to the fact that a club (details supplied) held a meeting in adverse weather conditions on 11 February 2018 putting the welfare of the dogs and hares at risk; and if her Department will review licensing conditions to take into consideration adverse weather conditions that compromise the safety and welfare of the animals that are exploited for the purposes of hare coursing events. [8231/18]

Wildlife Conservation

Clare Daly

622. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht her views on the increased reports of a shortage of hares; and the actions her Department will take to honour EU directive 92/43/EEC which directs that the State maintain a hare population at a favourable conservation level. [8232/18]

EU Directives

Clare Daly

623. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if information will be provided on matters (details supplied) further to the award of the contract for a review of the derogation process under Article 9(a) of the EU birds directive. [8571/18]

EU Directives

Clare Daly

624. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if information on matters (details supplied) will be provided further to the review of the derogation process under Article 9(a) of the EU birds directive for the protection of public health and safety and in view of her Department’s previously stated non-competence in matters of public health and safety. [8572/18]

EU Directives

Clare Daly

625. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if the review of the derogation process under Article 9(a) of the EU birds directive will be completed in time to inform the 2018 derogation declaration, which is normally published on or before 30 April each year; and if not, her plans in regard to the derogation declaration due to be made on 1 May 2018. [8573/18]

Ferry Services

Mick Barry

626. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if the decision to replace the ferry to Tory Island built in 1992 with a 1976 built model will be reviewed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8652/18]

Departmental Properties

Róisín Shortall

627. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the number of vacant habitable dwelling units and vacant derelict residential dwelling units in the ownership of or part ownership of or under the control of both her Department and agencies under her remit; the county in which each unit is located; the length of time each unit has been vacant, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8661/18]