Ceisteanna Parlaiminte

Housing Policy

Richard Bruton

43. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he has considered the provision of incentives towards the creation of safe secure living in town centres suitable for those seeking to rightsize and to gain access to homes where assisted living within the community could be facilitated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15265/24]

Housing Schemes

Richard Bruton

92. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the extent to which the scheme for promoting the sale of apartments to owner-occupiers has been taken up; and if he would consider simplifying its terms so that higher take-up can be achieved. [15264/24]

Pension Provisions

Richard Bruton

106. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Finance if he has considered relaxing the rules on pension drawdown to permit drawdown for certain purposes which might contribute to positive ageing, such as home adaptations, installation of technology, or caring support; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15929/24]

Public Sector Staff

Richard Bruton

109. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform the distribution of retirees from the public service, by age of retirement; and his estimate of the number of public servants at work aged 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, and 70 or over. [15928/24]

School Funding

Richard Bruton

118. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Education if she will assess the position of a school (details supplied) which lost out last year through the cancellation of the Covid grant, the IT grant and the minor works grant and fears that the IT grant will again not be paid, thereby undermining its funding position. [15791/24]

Housing Policy

Richard Bruton

150. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage what policy tools have been put in place to support rightsizing of accommodation for those, particularly older people to move to a smaller home or to adapt their existing home into two residential units, releasing unneeded space upgrading the energy use and comfort of the home; and if he will indicate his estimate of the number of such moves which are being made annually. [15930/24]

Housing Policy

Richard Bruton

151. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the directives which are in place requiring local authorities to make adequate provision for a positive environment to support a ageing population in their area; and whether any audit of the adequacy of planning policy to meet this challenge has been undertaken. [15931/24]

Housing Policy

Richard Bruton

152. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he has set any target for the development of purpose-built housing for older people by the councils or Approved Housing Agencies, distinguishing the level of wrap-around service for those designated for people who require assisted living. [15932/24]

Health Services

Richard Bruton

257. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Health if he will indicate the growth in the acute hospital budget in each year since 2000; and the growth in the budgets for primary care and for community care services over the same period. [15933/24]

Nursing Homes

Richard Bruton

258. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Health what the lessons have been for public health policy of managing a pandemic in nursing home settings; and whether new protocols are being put in place to embed these lessons. [15934/24]

Legislative Measures

Richard Bruton

259. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Health whether he has plans to implement safeguarding legislation of the sort advocated by the Law Reform Commission and others seeking reform in the area. [15935/24]

Tax Code

Richard Bruton

5. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Finance if he has considered how the tax system might make a better contribution towards adjustment to a longer and more fruitful retirement through supporting rightsizing, early release of pension savings in certain circumstances, more flexibility in continued working from employers, better recognition of family carers and in other ways; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15262/24]

Tax Credits

Richard Bruton

20. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Finance if he has considered the extent of unclaimed tax allowances and other benefits; if he would consider establishing a cross-Government initiative to promote better take-up of such benefits; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15263/24]

Departmental Data

Richard Bruton

1. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Taoiseach if he will indicate the life expectancy at birth and at age 65 in 1950, 1970, 1990, 2010 and the most recent year for which data is available. [13516/24]

Departmental Data

Richard Bruton

2. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Taoiseach the numbers of people aged 65-74, 75-84, and 85+ in 2000, 2022, and projected for 2040, and the corresponding ratio each represents as a proportion of those of working age in those years. [13517/24]

Departmental Data

Richard Bruton

3. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Taoiseach the ratio of those aged 65+ to the population of working age in each local authority. [13518/24]

Departmental Data

Richard Bruton

4. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Taoiseach the numbers of people at work who have pension coverage beyond the social insurance pension, and the number who do not, distinguishing the pattern for male versus female workers, and for those aged under 50 years, and those 50+ years. [13519/24]

Departmental Data

Richard Bruton

5. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Taoiseach the number of people aged 65-69, 70-74, and 75+ who are still in employment. [13520/24]

Schools Building Projects

Richard Bruton

525. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Education the status of the planning for a new secondary school (details supplied), and if her Department has had an update on new developments under construction or in the pipeline which will drive pupil numbers. [14944/24]

Schools Building Projects

Richard Bruton

526. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Education the status of the masterplan for the new build for a school (details supplied) in Swords; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14945/24]

Development Contributions

Richard Bruton

714. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he has considered extending the deadline for the temporary waiver of development fees, as many applicants were unable to complete the process within the short timeframe given. [15376/24]

Social Welfare Payments

Richard Bruton

787. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Social Protection if she has considered the costs for a homeless family being rehoused in unfurnished accommodation; whether the present ceiling of €3,000 for establishment costs adequately reflects the true cost of a family setting up home; and if she would consider establishing a higher limit. [14742/24]

Departmental Staff

Richard Bruton

1015. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine whether his Department, where it mistakenly placed an employee on too high a PRSI deduction for a lengthy period, will repay the over-deduction over the full period; and if not, if the refund will only apply to the four year period for which the Department of Social Protection will make repayments. [14835/24]

National Treatment Purchase Fund

Richard Bruton

1468. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Health if the NTPF has set out an activity plan for 2024 setting out the outpatient appointments, inpatient procedures and diagnostic evaluations and scopes that will be carried out in the course of the year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14708/24]

Health Services Staff

Richard Bruton

1534. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Health if he has considered a Dublin premium for health workers where there is a high level of attrition from posts; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14943/24]

Defence Forces

Richard Bruton

22. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence if he has undertaken an assessment of Ireland's defence vulnerabilities in light of the deteriorating defence situation in Europe. [13260/24]

Just Transition

Richard Bruton

136. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the projects which have been funded to date from the Just Transition Fund in County Offaly; their scope and planned impact; the number of applications from the county; and their current status. [13544/24]

Just Transition

Richard Bruton

137. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he has reviewed the operation of the Just Transition Fund to date; the lessons which have been learnt; when it is intended to establish a Statutory Commission; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13545/24]

Public Transport

Richard Bruton

177. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Transport the number, location and capacity of local link transport services; and his plans to grow this service. [13533/24]

Transport Policy

Richard Bruton

178. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Transport if he has considered the possibility of creating a digital platform for people living in isolated areas where public service transport is not feasible to access rides either by volunteers or on a cost covering basis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13534/24]

Road Network

Richard Bruton

179. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Transport if he has reviewed the adequacy of the funding for regional and local roads in 2024; how it compares with last year; how need is measured; what measure he uses to establish relative need in different counties; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13546/24]

Tax Code

Richard Bruton

185. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Finance if he is aware that “community gain” allocations under the process for developing renewal energy projects, is subject to income tax; and if he would consider altering its tax status or allowing a tax free amount, in order that it could become of greater value to the communities affected by these essential infrastructures for a net-zero world. [13548/24]

Public Sector Pensions

Richard Bruton

187. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform the number of people who now have a public service or State body pension; and his projection for this number for 2030 and for 2040. [13521/24]

Public Sector Pensions

Richard Bruton

188. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform the estimated proportion of income which would be necessary to set aside during each working year of a typical public servant in order to create an adequate actuarial fund to pay the prospective public service pension. [13522/24]

Public Sector Pensions

Richard Bruton

189. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform the size of the fund that would be needed at retirement age to pay a prospective public service pension of €20,000 per year. [13523/24]

Swimming Pools

Richard Bruton

219. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if she is aware of the damage suffered to a swimming pool (details supplied); if he is considering setting aside a special fund to support swimming pools in forthcoming capital allocations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13547/24]

Housing Policy

Richard Bruton

235. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the extent to which the actions in Housing Options for Our Ageing Population have been achieved; the areas in which achievements have fallen short of expectation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13535/24]

Housing Policy

Richard Bruton

236. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if, based on the policy Housing Options for Our Ageing Population, data has been collected on the level and the growth of accommodation in the core categories required by an ageing population namely adapted family homes, dedicated homes for older people with varying degree of attendant services below the levels of more acute support requiring institutional care; and if he will indicate the baseline in 2018, and the additional provision since. [13536/24]

Housing Policy

Richard Bruton

237. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the size of the stock of housing held by local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies dedicated to the accommodation of older people; how this has grown since 2010; and the size of the national waiting list for older persons accommodation. [13537/24]

Housing Policy

Richard Bruton

238. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the proportion of the stock of housing held by local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies dedicated to the accommodation of older people, which has ancillary support services, and the numbers of homes with the various range of such supports. [13538/24]

Pension Provisions

Richard Bruton

244. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Social Protection the target of income adequacy in old age; the contribution which she hopes that auto-enrolment will make to achieving that; and by what date she expects people retiring to have reached that target. [13551/24]

Money Advice and Budgeting Service

Richard Bruton

245. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Social Protection the role, if any, which MABS plays in advising on pension and financial planning for old age; and if she has considered developing a programme in mid-career by MABS which would equip people to plan better for their retirement. [13552/24]

Social Welfare Code

Richard Bruton

246. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Social Protection if her Department has systems for identifying and supporting more vulnerable carers, such as older parents caring for ageing children with disabilities, in order that extra supports could be developed in partnership with other Government agencies. [13553/24]

Home Help Service

Richard Bruton

316. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Health the number of man hours allocated to provide home help and homecare services; and the number of persons receiving those services in 2000, 2010, 2020 and allocated for 2024. [13524/24]

Home Help Service

Richard Bruton

317. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Health the steps necessary to be taken to put in place a national statutory homecare scheme; and the date on which he hopes to reach each milestone. [13525/24]

Home Help Service

Richard Bruton

318. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Health if he has carried out an audit of the assistive technology that is now available to support care in the home; if he has assessed the feasibility in each case of supporting their use to better manage care in the home; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13526/24]

Health Services

Richard Bruton

319. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Health the estimated proportion of consultations with GPs, with medical consultants, with nurse practitioners and with therapists which were conducted at their peak during Covid; the extent to which this has been sustained as practices have returned to normal; if he has undertaken a review to see whether such approaches should take a more prominent position in future care; and the barriers which may need to be overcome to achieve that. [13527/24]

Health Services

Richard Bruton

320. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Health if he has conducted any census of carers to identify the circumstances of their care, their access to information and support, their age profile, and their capacity to continue; if he will indicate where the findings may be obtained; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13528/24]

Health Services

Richard Bruton

321. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Health the performance reports which he receives on the HSE's enhanced community care initiatives and its component elements to illustrate its reach, its intensity and its impact; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13529/24]

Health Promotion

Richard Bruton

322. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Health whether he has received reports on the evolution of the indicators in the Healthy Ireland Outcomes Framework instituted in 2018 to date; and whether the impact of Covid and the return to more normal conditions illustrates challenges for public policy in this area. [13530/24]