Parliamentary questions

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]

Wind Energy Generation

Kathleen Funchion

204. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the reason for the delay in considering the Kilkenny wind energy strategy proposed by Kilkenny County Council; if he will outline the process involved in considering the matter and confirm a timeframe for a decision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47183/23]

International Protection

Kathleen Funchion

262. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will intervene in the case of a Ukrainian family who are living at a location (details supplied). [47136/23]

Social Welfare Benefits

Kathleen Funchion

349. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated annual, total first and full-year cost to increase equally the guardian payment by 100% over three years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46063/23]

Children in Care

Kathleen Funchion

448. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the estimated annual, total first and full-year cost to increase the number of State residential care units for children in care by 10%, 25% and 50%, in tabular form; what this equates to in bed numbers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46061/23]

Children in Care

Kathleen Funchion

449. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the estimated annual, total first and full-year funding allocated to private, for-profit foster care organisations for 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023. [46062/23]

Childcare Services

Kathleen Funchion

450. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the estimated first year, full-year and annual cost to reduce childcare fees by 50% from September 2024. [46064/23]

Early Childhood Care and Education

Kathleen Funchion

264. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the estimated first, full year and annual cost of increasing the current minimum rate of pay for an early years educators, by 0.85cent, €1.00, €1.25, €1.50, €1.75 and €2.00; and the first, full year and annual estimated cost to increase all other grades covered by the early years employment regulation order. [46033/23]