Ceisteanna Parlaiminte

Land Development Agency

Bríd Smith

532. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government further to Parliamentary Question No. 37 of 27 September 2018, the 30 sites referred to as projects supported by the local infrastructure housing activation fund by county, in tabular form. [40921/18]

Defence Forces Remuneration

Bríd Smith

83. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence his plans to deal with the outstanding issues of low pay across the Defence Forces; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40062/18]

Patient Safety

Bríd Smith

180. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to a serious incident of self-harm that occurred in Clontarf Hospital on 9 May 2017; and if his attention has been further drawn to the fact that staff had prior to the event voiced their concern for the well-being of the person and the lack of training and experienced staff in dealing with patients with psychiatric illnesses. [40199/18]

Patient Safety

Bríd Smith

181. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health if, following the incident of self-harm to a person in Clontarf Hospital, a report on the incident was notified to the HSE, HIQA or An Garda Síochána; if a State agency has investigated the incident; and if there are ongoing concerns for patient safety at the hospital [40200/18]

Patient Safety

Bríd Smith

182. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health if he will instruct or recommend that HIQA investigate fully the incident of self-harm at Clontarf Hospital; and, if so, if the investigation will ensure that the hospital meets all national guidelines and standards relating to the care of patients with psychiatric illnesses in their care and the manner in which staff were dealt with by management, including a report that staff were forced under threat of disciplinary action to change their statements regarding this incident, is examined. [40201/18]

National Cultural Institutions

Bríd Smith

109. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht her views on reports that leading cultural institutions including the National Gallery, National Museum and Irish Museum of Modern Art that are funded by the State are engaged in the widespread use of hiring unpaid interns; the effect this will have on the art and cultural sector; if this practice has been approved; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39809/18]

Film Industry Tax Reliefs

Bríd Smith

181. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Finance if allegations that a company (details supplied) has inflated expenses on a film production here in order gain a larger tax rebate under the section 481 tax clause will be investigated; if his Department or the Revenue Commissioners have audited or investigated companies that avail of this section in order to ensure that expenses and costs are correct; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39921/18]

National Monuments

Bríd Smith

646. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the number of times she or her departmental officials have met with representatives of a company (details supplied) regarding the Moore Street site; her role and responsibilities in implementing the recommendations of the Moore Street, Securing History report published in March 2017. [39389/18]

Rent Pressure Zones

Bríd Smith

51. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the measures he plans to take to deal with the widespread breaching of rent increases in rent pressure zones; and if his Department is independently investigating such breeches or monitoring the levels of rent increases in these zones. [39091/18]

Land Development Agency

Bríd Smith

52. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the proposed projects that the Land Development Agency will enter into with private developers; the way in which an affordable home under such partnerships will be defined; and the estimated time it will take to build social and affordable homes in projects under the charge of the agency. [39090/18]

Budget Measures

Bríd Smith

77. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the budgetary measures she plans to take in view of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Social Protection's report on the position of lone parents published in June 2017; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38853/18]

JobPath Programme

Bríd Smith

81. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her views on the growth in the use of sanctions by her Department against social welfare claimants on foot of their interaction with JobPath providers; if a review mechanism prior to the enactment of such sanctions will be considered; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38854/18]

Social Welfare Benefits Payments

Bríd Smith

88. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her plans to restore the bereavement grant and the fuel allowance grant to 32 weeks in view of the recommendations of a report by an organisation (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38856/18]

State Pension (Contributory)

Bríd Smith

93. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when legislation will be brought forward to enact new proposals on the State contributory pension scheme; when claimants will have their current contributory pensions reviewed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38852/18]

Proposed Legislation

Bríd Smith

97. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the priority legislative proposals she will be bringing forward to deal with issues affecting workers such as the growth of bogus and precarious employment contracts, restrictions on the right to join a representative body and have it recognised by employers; her plans to include safeguards to existing defined benefit pensions schemes in view of the changed remit of her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38855/18]

Palliative Care Services Provision

Bríd Smith

162. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health the capital funding application received by the HSE for the project to redevelop the palliative care unit at Our Lady’s Hospice, Harold’s Cross; if the application has been approved; and if HSE funding was allocated to this project. [38938/18]

Voluntary Hospital Sector

Bríd Smith

163. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health the costs to date of suspensions of staff at Our Lady’s Hospice, Harold’s Cross; and the cost of external investigators hired by the hospice over the past five years to conduct disciplinary or other inquiries into staff. [38939/18]

Voluntary Hospital Sector

Bríd Smith

164. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health if section 38 and 39 organisation such as Our Lady’s Hospice, Harold’s Cross are covered by the procurement guidelines that govern the hiring of external investigators to examine industrial relations of staff-related issues in their organisations. [38940/18]

Cancer Screening Programmes

Bríd Smith

165. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health the reason his reply to two previous parliamentary questions on the ISO accreditation of US-based labs stated that these labs had ISO status while the Scally report states they did not. [38941/18]

Cancer Screening Programmes

Bríd Smith

166. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health if screeners in US labs have the same or comparable levels of qualifications to screeners who examine cervical check slides here. [38942/18]

Cancer Screening Programmes

Bríd Smith

167. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health the reason HSE documents that relate to the procurement and tendering of contracts for CervicalCheck were destroyed in 2017; and the steps he will take to ensure all such documents are retained and available for scrutiny in the future. [38943/18]

Cancer Screening Programmes

Bríd Smith

168. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health the reason the identity of the labs involved in the false negative results that affected 221 women, as sought in previous parliamentary questions, has not been revealed; and his plans to ensure this information is made available. [38944/18]

Cancer Screening Programmes

Bríd Smith

169. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health his plans to build up the capacity of public labs based here to conduct all CervicalCheck screening in the future on foot of the Scally report; if he will initiate a program of university graduate and undergraduate classes necessary to train the required number of medical scientists for such a scenario; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38945/18]

Cancer Screening Programmes

Bríd Smith

170. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health if future contracts or procurement arrangements with a provider for CervicalCheck services will place the emphasis on awarding such contracts on criteria other than costs on foot of the Scally report; and if he will instruct the HSE to examine the workplace conditions, qualifications and workload of such screeners or examiners of slides. [38946/18]

Cancer Screening Programmes

Bríd Smith

171. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health his views on the reference in the Scally report to the plans of a CervicalCheck provider to use laboratories in Australia to conduct future tests; if a risk assessment of such a practice will be conducted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38947/18]

Bus Services

Bríd Smith

23. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will request the NTA to reconsider its plan to remove 10% of direct bus services into the city in view of concerns from many residents in Dublin over the proposed BusConnects plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37772/18]

Bus Services

Bríd Smith

48. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his views on the awarding of bus routes in Dublin to a company (details supplied) in view of its record in Britain and the levels of pay and conditions of employment that workers at the company will have; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37773/18]

Energy Infrastructure

Bríd Smith

45. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if his attention has been drawn to proposals to build a liquefied natural gas, LNG, terminal here; his views on whether such facilities are compatible with the State's commitments to tackle climate change; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37591/18]

Petroleum and Gas Exploration

Bríd Smith

51. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the extensions and renewals to licences for petroleum exploration issued in 2018; and the way in which the issuing of these licences is compatible with commitments to tackle climate change. [37615/18]

National Broadband Plan

Bríd Smith

52. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the way in which the national broadband plan will meet its targets; if there have been changes to the costs of the plan from when it was first announced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37617/18]

Post Office Closures

Bríd Smith

69. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his plans to save the existing post office network in view of the recent closures of rural post offices and the plans for future closures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37614/18]

Electricity Generation

Bríd Smith

82. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if his attention has been drawn to plans by Bord na Móna and the ESB to generate electricity by use of large scale biomass and that such plans could result in the destruction of forests outside the State and lead to the generation of increased emissions of CO2; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37616/18]

Hospital Waiting Lists

Bríd Smith

639. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health the number of persons who have been contacted in relation to being on a HSE waiting list; and the number who have been removed from the waiting list for not returning correspondence. [35682/18]

Control of Dogs

Bríd Smith

959. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the enforcement of the 2015 legislation to microchip dogs that is in place; the fines and penalties that have been imposed since the legislation came into force; the reason some pounds are still not microchipping dogs three years after the legislation was enacted; and the details of the new databases in view of concerns that the new database is not approved (details supplied). [35580/18]

Departmental Contracts Data

Bríd Smith

41. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Taoiseach if an audit of all external workplace investigations conducted by companies (details supplied) will be provided; the outcome regarding complaints against his Department; when the investigation will commence relating to an allegation against an employee, that is, the number of occasions on which a complaint was upheld against his Department by the investigators; and the number of occasions on which an investigation against an employee found grounds for disciplinary action. [35375/18]

Departmental Contracts Data

Bríd Smith

76. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if an audit of all external workplace investigations conducted by companies (details supplied) will be provided; the outcome regarding complaints against his Department; when the investigation will commence relating to an allegation against an employee, that is, the number of occasions on which a complaint was upheld against his Department by the investigators; and the number of occasions on which an investigation against an employee found grounds for disciplinary action. [35369/18]

Office of Government Procurement

Bríd Smith

406. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the number and cost of all tenders awarded to companies (details supplied) under the external workplace investigations services guidelines of 2015. [33167/18]

Departmental Investigations

Bríd Smith

407. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if an audit of all external workplace investigations conducted by companies (details supplied) will be provided; the outcome of complaints against his Department; when the investigation will commence into an allegation against an employee; the number of occasions on which a complaint was upheld against his Department by the investigators; and the number of occasions on which an investigation against an employee found grounds for disciplinary action. [33168/18]

Office of Government Procurement

Bríd Smith

408. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the companies selected to be placed on the panel for external workplace investigation services since the first contracting out of such investigations; the number of investigations undertaken by each company; and the cost of each investigation. [33169/18]

Departmental Contracts Data

Bríd Smith

611. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Education and Skills if an audit of all external workplace investigations conducted by companies (details supplied) will be provided; the outcome regarding complaints against his Department; when the investigation will commence in regard to an allegation against an employee, that is, the number of occasions on which a complaint was upheld against his Department by the investigators; and the number of occasions on which an investigation against an employee found grounds for disciplinary action. [35370/18]

Departmental Data

Bríd Smith

1214. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if an audit of all external workplace investigations conducted by companies (details supplied) will be provided; the outcome regarding complaints against his Department; when the investigation will commence relating to an allegation against an employee, that is, the number of occasions on which a complaint was upheld against his Department by the investigators; and the number of occasions on which an investigation against an employee found grounds for disciplinary action. [35373/18]

Cancer Screening Programmes

Bríd Smith

1431. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health if the contract for the analysis of the smear test results will be put out for tender; if so, when this will commence; if the original procurement guidelines will be reviewed with a view to improving them; if retests are being analysed within the original standards; and if not, if standards have been upgraded, for example, to include extra safeguards. [32881/18]

Cancer Screening Programmes

Bríd Smith

1432. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health the laboratories from which misread cervical smear tests came; and if the misread figures will be distinguished from those that were false negatives. [32882/18]

Ministerial Meetings

Bríd Smith

1517. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health the meetings, briefings or lobbying he or his departmental officials have had with representatives, either in an official or unofficial capacity, of a company (details supplied) since 2013. [33265/18]

Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services

Bríd Smith

1766. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 42 of 28 June 2018, if the information sought will be provided as a matter of urgency in view of the fact that no reply has been received from the HSE; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34745/18]

Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services

Bríd Smith

1767. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 87 of 28 June 2018, if the information sought will be provided as a matter of urgency in view of the fact that no reply has been received from the HSE; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34746/18]

Departmental Staff

Bríd Smith

1883. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health if an audit of all external workplace investigations conducted by companies (details supplied) will be provided; the outcome in relation to complaints against his Department; when the investigation will commence in relation to an allegation against an employee; the number of occasions on which a complaint was upheld against his Department by the investigators; and the number of occasions on which an investigation against an employee found grounds for disciplinary action. [35372/18]

Veterinary Inspection Service

Bríd Smith

1897. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if veterinary inspectors will visit mink farms to ensure that all measures are being met to alleviate suffering for the animals in view of the recent hot weather (details supplied) [32592/18]

Departmental Staff

Bríd Smith

2012. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if an audit of all external workplace investigations conducted by companies (details supplied) will be provided; the outcome of complaints against his Department; when the investigation will commence of an allegation against an employee, that is, the number of occasions on which a complaint was upheld against his Department by the investigators; and the number of occasions on which an investigation against an employee found grounds for disciplinary action. [35367/18]

Departmental Data

Bríd Smith

2047. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the meetings, briefings or lobbying he or his departmental officials have had with representatives either in an official or unofficial capacity of a company (details supplied) since 2013. [33266/18]