Parliamentary questions

Childcare Services

Kathleen Funchion

420. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if his Department developed the national childcare scheme hourly rate rule; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50552/23]

Rail Network

Kathleen Funchion

48. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Transport the reason there is not a commuter train service from Kilkenny to Waterford to get people to Waterford city for 9am; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50194/23]

Pension Provisions

Kathleen Funchion

283. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide an update on auto-enrolment for retirement savings system for employees; when she expects it to be operational; if she will confirm if there will be a central processing authority to manage and administer the AE system on behalf of the participants; when she expects the legislation to underpin this to be introduced; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49317/23]

Ambulance Service

Kathleen Funchion

486. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Health if he will launch an investigation into the unacceptable delay on 4 November of over six hours for an ambulance to attend a gravely ill person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49319/23]

Assisted Human Reproduction

Kathleen Funchion

102. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Health when the proposed surrogacy legislation will be published (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48844/23]

Childcare Services

Kathleen Funchion

32. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth how the extra €7 million allocated in budget 2024 to the access and inclusion model, AIM, programme will be delivered; to provide further clarity on the number of extra hours eligible children will receive; what ages the scheme is being extended to; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48401/23]

Industrial Disputes

Kathleen Funchion

58. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to provide an update on the ongoing dispute around the reopening of a job evaluation scheme between Tusla and the Fórsa trade union; to confirm if either he or his officials have met with representatives of Fórsa trade union; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48403/23]

Mother and Baby Homes

Kathleen Funchion

78. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to provide an update on the mother and baby institutions payment scheme; when applications are due to open; when he expects after this date that payments will issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48402/23]

Postal Services

Kathleen Funchion

136. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if an incorrect Eircode for a dwelling (details supplied) in County Kilkenny will be corrected; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47250/23]

Departmental Schemes

Kathleen Funchion

137. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications what options are available to customers of pre-pay energy companies to recoup the Government energy credits if they did not receive any of them; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47265/23]

Social Welfare Payments

Kathleen Funchion

694. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons in receipt of the guardians payment for 2021 and 2022, in tabular form; the cost to increase the payment to €400; to outline any outreach being done to alert families who are caring for children and young people and are not in receipt of any payment;; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47202/23]

Residency Permits

Kathleen Funchion

853. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Justice if she will review the case of a person (details supplied) to facilitate residency; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48456/23]

Child Poverty

Kathleen Funchion

1066. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth when he expects the Pobal Annual Early Years Sector Profile Report will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48405/23]

Equality Issues

Kathleen Funchion

1067. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth his views on the proposed Equal Participation Model; how he envisages it will support children who may be vulnerable or are experiencing disadvantage; what changes are being made to the sponsorship process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48406/23]

Childcare Services

Kathleen Funchion

1072. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if, given the 25% fee reduction in Budget 2024, he will outline if he has any plans to go further than freezing fees and begin the process of reducing fees charged by services; to qualify how families who use a childminder will be able to access NCS subsidies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48404/23]

Mental Health Policy

Kathleen Funchion

1166. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Health if he is aware that the practice of night-time confinement in all units (except high-secure) at the National Central Mental Hospital, Portrane, continues to be operational, despite the ceasing of this activity being a condition of its registration, as set out by the Mental Health Commission and HSE, dated 12 May 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47689/23]

Community Care

Kathleen Funchion

1335. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Health if he is aware that the Caredoc phone services for St. Dymphna's Hospital, Carlow is run out of Dublin, and not locally in Carlow, and as a consequence, the phones are not being answered all the time, nor are calls being returned in an efficient manner; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48600/23]

Third Level Education

Kathleen Funchion

1375. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the cost to increase the number of places on social workers’ graduate programmes by 25%; how many additional places this equates to; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47263/23]

Technological Universities

Kathleen Funchion

1376. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will support SETU’s bid for a new veterinary medicine school at its campus, given that there is only one veterinary school in the country presently, and given the proven track record SETU has in delivering land sciences education and related research in conjunction with regional stakeholders; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47264/23]

Meteorological Services

Kathleen Funchion

196. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if the flood forecasters at Met Éireann meet daily, including weekends; if there are minutes or notes available from these meetings; if there was a meeting on Tuesday and Wednesday, 17 and 18 October 2023; if information from those meetings on those dates can be shared with the public; if there is a plan to share this type of information going forward; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47074/23]