Parliamentary questions

Abbey Theatre

Joan Burton

326. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the additional projected yield in 2020 from a one cent increase in the National Oil Reserve Agency levy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30300/19]

Abbey Theatre

Joan Burton

330. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if an audit of the number of carparking and bicycle spaces available to Civil Service staff as part of the Climate Action Plan 2019 has been carried out; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30193/19]

Tax Yield

Joan Burton

336. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the estimated yield of a bed night tax or levy of €1 per night in a hotel or bed and breakfast in a full year for each local authority in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30301/19]

School Discipline

Joan Burton

358. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if Tusla plans to inform schools that putting in place a reduced timetable for a child is deemed a suspension under its 2008 guidelines and should be recorded and reported to Tusla and to schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30226/19]

Departmental Budgets

Joan Burton

361. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the requirement for additional revenues in 2020 to meet demographic costs as outlined in the summer economic statement for her Department by additional staff, scheme and programme; the expected allocation her Department will require as submitted to the Department for Public Expenditure and Reform; the specific resources required to fund such as increased staffing commitments or funding to the affordable childcare scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30282/19]

Departmental Budgets

Joan Burton

394. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the requirement for additional revenues in 2020 to meet demographic costs as outlined in the summer economic statement for her Department by programme; the expected allocation her Department will require as submitted to the Department for Public Expenditure and Reform; the specific resources required to fund in terms of additional payments such as pensions or child benefit by scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30281/19]

Foreign Conflicts

Joan Burton

125. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his plans to discuss with EU colleagues the opening of an independent and transparent international investigation into the events of 3 June 2019 in Sudan, in which live ammunition was used against civilians, who were also subjected to torture and gender-based sexual violence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29103/19]

Foreign Conflicts

Joan Burton

126. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his plans to reconsider the role of the State in contributing to the financial support provided by the EU to the rapid support forces in Sudan, which is being used to empower militias and enable the violent violation of the rights of refugees and asylum seekers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29104/19]

Foreign Conflicts

Joan Burton

127. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his plans for the State as a signatory to the convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence to provide practical and psychosocial support for victims of sexual and gender-based violence in Sudan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29105/19]

Aviation Industry

Joan Burton

644. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if his attention has been drawn to recent studies which highlight the bogus self-employment of pilots operating for airlines registered here; if his attention has been further drawn to the Ricardo study completed for the European Commission on working conditions for aircrew which found that the rate of contracted pilots is approximately three times that of the European average and that 93% of self-employment in European aviation is fake; his plans to address same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29676/19]

Employment Rights

Joan Burton

802. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to recent studies which highlight the bogus self-employment of pilots operating for airlines registered here; if her attention has been further drawn to the fact that an association (details supplied) estimates that the use of self-employment contracting by airlines here costs the State in the region of €15 to €16 million per year in employer PRSI contributions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29675/19]

Cabinet Committee Meetings

Joan Burton

2. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Taoiseach when Cabinet committee E, health, last met; and when it will next meet. [26568/19]

Cabinet Committee Meetings

Joan Burton

5. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Taoiseach when Cabinet committee D, infrastructure, last met; and when it will next meet. [25593/19]

Property Tax Exemptions

Joan Burton

113. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Finance the number of households exempted from property tax by county in tabular form; when he expects the households exempted to become liable; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28447/19]

Employment and Investment Incentive Scheme Data

Joan Burton

216. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Finance the estimated amount he expects to be raised by the various EII schemes in 2019 and 2020; the expected tax cost; the likely additional jobs that will be created, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28285/19]

Employment and Investment Incentive Scheme Data

Joan Burton

217. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Finance his views in relation to Part 16 of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997, as amended, on whether the EII scheme offers reasonable value for money despite the poor take-up in previous years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28286/19]

Employment and Investment Incentive Scheme Data

Joan Burton

218. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Finance if a rigorous value-for-money analysis was prepared in advance of the changes in relation to Part 16 of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997, as amended, introduced in respect of EII schemes with effect from 1 January 2019; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28287/19]

Employment and Investment Incentive Scheme Data

Joan Burton

219. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Finance the further changes that may be required to make the scheme in relation to Part 16 of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997, as amended, more effective at raising share capital, rather than debt, for investment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28288/19]

Employment and Investment Incentive Scheme Data

Joan Burton

220. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Finance the estimated number by the Revenue Commissioners of additional jobs created by the EII scheme in each of the years 2012 to 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28289/19]

Departmental Staff Data

Joan Burton

221. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Finance the estimated yield from an annual charge of €250 per parking space on all car parking spaces provided for Civil Service and publicly funded positions, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28291/19]

State Properties

Joan Burton

240. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he has carried out an audit in relation to the number of public buildings that may require retrofitting; if so, the expected cost to the State; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28292/19]

Company Closures

Joan Burton

358. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation her plans to ensure companies have a minimum level of paid-up share capital and reserves which reflects the size of their balance sheet and annual turnover to ensure that if a company ceases to trade, the Exchequer and trade creditors are not left unpaid; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28290/19]

Company Closures

Joan Burton

364. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation her plans to introduce legislation to set the minimum level of paid-up share capital and reserves required by a limited company as a proportion of the annual turnover of the company as a way of preventing companies from ceasing to trade and leaving unpaid taxes and trade creditors; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28295/19]

Energy Efficiency

Joan Burton

576. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he has carried out an audit of the number of public buildings that may require retrofitting; the expected cost to the State; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28293/19]

Cycling Facilities Data

Joan Burton

577. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the estimated number of bicycle spaces available to Civil Service staff; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28294/19]

Cabinet Committee Meetings

Joan Burton

9. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Taoiseach when Cabinet committee B, social policy and public services, last met; and when it will next meet. [26567/19]

Capitation Grants

Joan Burton

51. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to restore capitation grants to the pre-2011 level of €200 per pupil in view of the fact that per-pupil spending at primary level is substantially below OECD and EU averages; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26592/19]

Youthreach Programme Review

Joan Burton

57. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on the recent report by the Economic and Social Research Institute on the evaluation of the national Youthreach programme; his plans to ensure early school leavers are tracked, followed up with and offered a place on a Youthreach or other suitable programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26591/19]

Teachers' Remuneration

Joan Burton

79. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to return to the principle that teachers would start at point three of their pay scale instead of the first point; his plans to reinstate additional payments to teachers with masters qualifications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26594/19]

Special Educational Needs Data

Joan Burton

80. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of additional school places secured in existing schools in Dublin 15 for the provision of autism-specific education for the academic year 2019-20; if existing schools cannot provide the necessary number of places, his plans to ensure children do not go without a school place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26590/19]

Education Funding

Joan Burton

85. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on OECD figures that indicate investment in education here as a percentage of national wealth is at the bottom end of the league table for wealthy countries; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26593/19]

Public Procurement Contracts

Joan Burton

5. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his plans to ensure the Office of Government Procurement revises its tendering processes to allow for the purchase of carbon neutral products for use within State offices and buildings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25710/19]

Public Spending Code

Joan Burton

17. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his plans to ensure robust and credible cost-benefit analysis reports by third parties are provided when assessing costs of projects and other costs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25685/19]

Brexit Preparations

Joan Burton

27. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the estimated cost of preparing for Brexit, in particular for a hard Brexit, in 2018 and to date in 2019; if he anticipates additional resources to be required should a hard Brexit materialise in October 2019; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25683/19]

Health Services Expenditure

Joan Burton

30. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he has instituted new or amended structures in the monitoring of health services expenditure in order to ensure that budgets have a reasonable chance of meeting their targets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25682/19]

Disability Act Employment Targets

Joan Burton

38. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if his Department co-ordinates overall responsibility for ensuring 6% of the Civil Service are persons with disabilities; the number of persons with disabilities that have been employed by the Civil Service in each of the years 2015 to 2018 and to date in 2019; his plans to conduct research and produce a report on career progression of persons with a disability in the Civil Service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25684/19]

Public Service Reform Plan Measures

Joan Burton

42. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if his Department or other Departments have undertaken automation pilot projects; if so, the cost of each of these projects; if staff and employee representatives have been consulted regarding these projects; if the likely impact on staff requirements has been assessed by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25686/19]

Brexit Staff

Joan Burton

63. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Finance the number of additional Revenue Commissioners' staff who have been recruited to meet the challenges posed by Brexit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25888/19]

Wildlife Data

Joan Burton

83. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if his Department maintains a comprehensive inventory of wildlife and biodiversity in the Phoenix Park; if so, if it has provided this information to the relevant stakeholders to ensure the draft Phoenix Park visitor experience strategic review does not include plans that infringe on protected species and habitats; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24277/19]

Office of Public Works Projects

Joan Burton

87. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the number of submissions received by the Office of Public Works regarding its strategic review of the Phoenix Park; the expected timeline to publish a report on the consultations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25885/19]

National Concert Hall

Joan Burton

214. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the timeline for the renovation works at the National Concert Hall; her plans to secure an alternative venue for the National Symphony Orchestra during the course of these works; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25886/19]

National Orchestras

Joan Burton

215. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the timeline for the proposed transfer of the National Symphony Orchestra to the National Concert Hall; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25887/19]

Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements

Joan Burton

3. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his recent meeting with the leader of the UK Labour Party, Mr. Jeremy Corbyn. [25168/19]

Departmental Strategy Statements

Joan Burton

8. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the annual strategy update report in his Department. [25592/19]

Mortgage Book Sales

Joan Burton

38. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Finance his views on State-owned banks selling non-performing loan books to vulture funds; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25320/19]

Banking Sector Remuneration

Joan Burton

44. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Finance his plans to lift the €500,000 pay cap for workers in the banking sector; the reports he has commissioned on the matter; his further plans to make such reports public; when such reports will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25317/19]

Tax Avoidance

Joan Burton

56. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Finance his views on the plans of the OECD for a minimum effective corporate tax rate to cut down on tax avoidance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25318/19]

Tax Agreements

Joan Burton

64. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Finance his views on the recent communiqué by G20 finance leaders on digital services taxes; his further views on plans for a new tax policy based on the amount of business a digital company does in a state and not the location it is headquartered; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25319/19]

Corporation Tax Regime

Joan Burton

74. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Finance his views on the country-by-country report of the European Commission recommending the State to address features of the tax system that may facilitate aggressive tax planning and to focus in particular on outbound payments and reference to the tech giants using Irish corporate tax structures here to repatriate EU wide revenues back to the United States of America; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25323/19]

Departmental Offices

Joan Burton

82. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Taoiseach the cost of renting, leasing and hiring office space for his Department, including public bodies, in each of the years 2015 to 2018 and to date in 2019, in tabular form. [25921/19]