Ceisteanna Parlaiminte

Artists' Remuneration

Bríd Smith

138. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if she will clarify her plans in relation to the current basic income for arts scheme; if applicants who were unsuccessful for the current scheme can reapply in the coming year; if any possible anomalies in the lottery system will be removed; if any assessment of artists' current income and circumstances such as risk of poverty will be taken into account concerning future plans for the scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47782/22]

Covid-19 Pandemic

Bríd Smith

239. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the lack of specialist, multidisciplinary treatment and care for children with long-Covid; the reason there are currently no long-Covid clinics for children in Ireland, given those affected are being treated by general paediatricians and general practitioners without the necessary level of expertise to manage this debilitating illness; if there are plans to assemble multidisciplinary teams, including physicians, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, psychologists, dieticians et cetera within dedicated long-Covid clinics; if so, when these will be in place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47666/22]

Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Bríd Smith

264. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the fact many private nursing home staff are experiencing substantial financial difficulty as a result of the cost-of-living crisis and are relying on the pandemic payment of €1,000 to help them in the coming months; if he will give a definitive date for when they will receive the payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47808/22]

Public Transport

Bríd Smith

108. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Transport if he will provide a breakdown of staff requirements in terms of driver numbers in each of three companies (details supplied) in order for them to fulfil their scheduled pubic transport services, in tabular form; the current actual diver numbers in each company; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47394/22]

Public Transport

Bríd Smith

109. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Transport if a transport provider (details supplied) is still operating Saturday schedules on Monday-to-Friday services on some routes; the reason this is the case; when this will revert to full service; if he will request the National Transport Authority to provide figures for the total number of cancelled scheduled departures by the provider across all of its services from January 2022 to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47395/22]

Public Sector Staff

Bríd Smith

123. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will provide a breakdown of the total number of employees in the public service and Civil Service by earnings in specific increments (details supplied), in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47401/22]

Public Sector Pensions

Bríd Smith

124. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will clarify recent changes, if any, to the rights and procedures of retired civil and public sector workers to take cases to the pensions ombudsman; the rationale for these changes; if representative organisations were consulted ahead of the changes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47496/22]

Energy Prices

Bríd Smith

31. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if his attention has been drawn to gas prices paid by some residents connected to district heating systems that seem to have risen by disproportionate amounts in recent months, even compared to the general trend; if his Department will examine this; if district heat schemes are covered by the Commission for Regulation of Utilities guidelines and regulations in relation to customers having energy supplies cut-off for non-payment et cetera; if the CRU has any role in the price setting et cetera of such DHSs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46588/22]

Bus Services

Bríd Smith

70. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Transport if his attention has been drawn to the impact on students and workers of scheduled bus services being cancelled without notice, who then have to pay substantial amounts on taxis to get to school or work; if he will investigate the failure of a transport operator (details supplied) to provide a regular reliable service which is causing significant problems for public transport users who require a consistent, reliable service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46720/22]

School Equipment

Bríd Smith

257. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Education the estimated cost to the State of a policy to provide devices such as notebooks or similar to each student who is required to have them; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46975/22]

Childcare Services

Bríd Smith

340. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he or his Department will intervene in relation to the suspension of childcare provision at a community centre (details supplied) in which dozens of families have faced disruption to essential childcare provision; if he will contact Tusla to attempt to expedite the inspection and certification of an alternative site; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46584/22]

Primary Care Centres

Bríd Smith

428. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health if funding has been allocated to the building of primary healthcare centre in Drimnagh, Dublin; the timeframe for the commencement of building work; the estimated timeframe for the opening of this facility; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46583/22]

Medicinal Products

Bríd Smith

510. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health if there are plans to make the drug evusheld available in Ireland given that it has been approved by the European Medicines Agency and is currently in use in Europe and America; the stage that these plans are at; when those who are immunosuppressed are likely have access to the drug; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46973/22]

Bus Services

Bríd Smith

17. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Transport the position in relation to new BusConnects routes and scheduled implementation of same in Dublin given the difficulties in recruiting and retaining drivers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45703/22]

Bus Services

Bríd Smith

43. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Transport if he will detail the shortfall in bus driver numbers in all public service obligation service providers including Bus Éireann, Dublin Bus and Go Ahead; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45694/22]

Public Transport

Bríd Smith

56. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Transport if he will re-examine the policy on free public transport in light of recent moves in a number of EU Member States to reduce fares and its impact on numbers increasing on public transport; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45701/22]

National Transport Authority

Bríd Smith

86. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Transport if he will re-examine the role of the National Transport Authority in the provision of bus services across Ireland given the recent failures of their tendering and contracting process in relation to public service obligation services, specifically the attempt to contract out the 101 Bus Éireann service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45699/22]

Bus Services

Bríd Smith

89. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Transport if his attention has been drawn to the current difficulties in Bus Éireann in relation to the retention of drivers and its impact on services across Ireland; if he has any plans to raise these shortages with the National Transport Authority or company management; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45696/22]

Defective Building Materials

Bríd Smith

141. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Finance his plans, if any, to afford owners of defective apartment blocks built during the Celtic Tiger-era additional tax reliefs on the costs of redress which they face; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46238/22]

Tax Code

Bríd Smith

159. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Finance if he will examine changes to the tax rules affecting section 31E of the stamp duty legislation which are impacting schemes to help elderly persons remain in their homes when they experience financial difficulties (details supplied); his plans, if any, to exempt such products from the current rules; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46237/22]

Social Welfare Benefits

Bríd Smith

275. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to the backlog in assessing applications for exceptional needs' payments (details supplied); the length of time that it is taking to assess applications and to reply to persons who apply for the payment; the steps that are being taken to deal with the increase in the number of those applying; if the exceptional needs' payment can be applied for again in the future in cases in which families experience further difficulty in paying future energy bills given spiralling costs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46402/22]

Housing Schemes

Bríd Smith

53. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage further to Parliamentary Question No. 217 of 14 September 2022, the way that the twin goals of sustainable communities and long term tenancies are advanced in the case of a tenant who has resided in a council home for over 30 years and who has recently married, yet now finds that they are barred and delayed from availing of this scheme due to the new ruling that both tenants in a joint tenancy must have 10 years on housing supports before availing of the scheme; If he considers this reasonable; if it discriminates against long-term tenants who marry or have a new partner who becomes a joint tenant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46145/22]

Special Educational Needs

Bríd Smith

76. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Education her plans to support the proposal of the board of management of a school (details supplied) to use the already sanctioned ASD class for students with an ASD diagnosis already enrolled in the school and on their own waiting list; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46233/22]

Energy Policy

Bríd Smith

55. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the position on the building of a liquefied natural gas, LNG, terminal; if it will be privately built or State-built; the way such a facility can be compatible with the climate objectives of the State; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45986/22]

Energy Prices

Bríd Smith

69. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the way in which future supports for people to deal with energy costs will be administered in view of the fact that some groups such as Travellers were unable to access the previous grants in the same manner as most people; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45739/22]

Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Bríd Smith

89. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if the sectoral ceilings for greenhouse gas emissions as announced are compliant with the Climate Act 2021 and with the states obligations under the Paris Treaty; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45737/22]

Energy Policy

Bríd Smith

98. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will clarify the policy in relation to building a liquefied national gas terminal here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45736/22]

Energy Prices

Bríd Smith

102. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will examine the current liberalised energy system and its impact on energy prices; if his department will look at the policies of other States that have moved to some forms of renationalisation of energy generation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45740/22]

Energy Policy

Bríd Smith

115. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he has examined reports on the use of the current energy crisis by the fossil fuel industry to expand its growth and infrastructure; if he is concerned about this trend in relation to the state’s climate targets; and if the advocacy for liquefied natural gas within the Government poses a threat to Ireland's Climate obligations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45741/22]

School Staff

Bríd Smith

326. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Education if her attention has been drawn to the fact that many schools have been unable to fill their allocated teaching posts and some schools have reported up to eight unfilled teaching posts, and that principals and staff have significant concerns about the increasing difficulty of delivering the expected level of education to the children in their schools; the measures that schools are expected to take during the coming months as teacher absences increase; the immediate steps she is taking to rectify the teacher shortage crisis as a matter of priority; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45626/22]

Covid-19 Pandemic

Bríd Smith

497. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health if firefighters in Dublin Fire Brigade are entitled to the €1000 pandemic bonus payment for frontline workers; when they and staff in private nursing homes may expect payment; the number of workers who are entitled to this payment and who remain unpaid; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45529/22]

Cost of Living Issues

Bríd Smith

25. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he has considered using price control mechanisms to limit price rises on basic commodities such as milk, bread and so on; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38603/22]

Public Transport

Bríd Smith

180. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Transport if he will provide a breakdown and rationale for the figures provided by the National Transport Authority for the provision of free public transport given that previous estimates were based only on fare collections from public transport which were considerably lower (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45307/22]

Tax Data

Bríd Smith

191. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Finance the estimated revenue from an annual levy on the profits in the residential building sector, similar to the proposed levy in the UK in light of the Grenfell disaster, at rates of 5%, 10% and 15% respectively in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45305/22]

Defective Building Materials

Bríd Smith

210. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the estimated cost of providing full redress to Mica-affected homes by removing any cap on payments to homeowners; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45304/22]

Social Welfare Payments

Bríd Smith

251. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost of raising all social insurance and social protection payments to €300 per week, excluding disability allowance, invalidity and blind pensions, and all carer’s payments; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45306/22]

Housing Schemes

Bríd Smith

206. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide the definitive date for the increase in HAP payments and other associated changes that were due at the end of August 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44421/22]

Housing Schemes

Bríd Smith

217. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if the incremental tenant purchase scheme introduced in 2016 is still operating; the funding allocated to the scheme in the past three years; if changes to the scheme now stipulate that tenants must be in receipt of housing assistance for ten years before availing of such schemes; the reason for this change; if such criteria applies across all local authorities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44544/22]

Nursing Homes

Bríd Smith

545. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health the position concerning the case of two elderly persons (details supplied); if one of the homeowners can refuse to sign fair deal scheme forms resulting in the denial of full-time appropriate care for the other deteriorating homeowner; if the homeowner can be legally compelled to sign the forms in order that full-time care can be provided; the measures that can be employed in such cases; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44646/22]

Health Service Executive

Bríd Smith

565. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to a matter in which a Section 39 care provider who could not provide consistent and regular care to two women with disabilities in County Wicklow was advised to approach the HSE home-support approved providers to determine whether there is capacity to fill the gaps in these women’s care (details supplied); the steps that he will immediately take to address the issue of no carer capacity in the Greystones area at present; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44730/22]

Healthcare Policy

Bríd Smith

596. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health if he will acknowledge the ongoing issues and needs of the diabetes community in Ireland, that is, living with one of the top-ten most-challenging health problems, as described by the World Health Organisation; if he will commit to establishing a national diabetes strategy as a matter of urgency; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44939/22]

Energy Prices

Bríd Smith

88. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will clarify the position in relation to the previous scheme of support for electricity bills and specifically the position of some Traveller sites without individual supply; if the funding given to those individuals in these sites which was taken from an accommodation budget has or will be reimbursed to that fund from his Department; if he will further clarify whether alternative arrangements are in place to deal with this in the case of any future support scheme on electricity costs being implemented; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43029/22]

Energy Infrastructure

Bríd Smith

116. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will clarify the state of affairs at Huntstown power station operated by an organisation (details supplied); if another company can provide details; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43716/22]

Public Sector Pensions

Bríd Smith

123. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the position in relation to the proposed 2% rise to the An Post pension scheme; when he will sanction same; the likely timeframe for payment to retired workers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43867/22]

Departmental Policies

Bríd Smith

213. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Transport the steps that he is taking to address the recent violent attacks including those occurring on public transport on members of the LGBTQ+ community; the steps that are being taken to challenge the anti-gay and trans rhetoric evident in the national media recently; the ways in which he is working with the community to identify new and effective strategies to address issues of homophobia and transphobia; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42781/22]

Rail Network

Bríd Smith

237. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Transport the estimated cost of the following measures to improve Irish Rail services; increasing the frequency of current DART services by 10% and 20% respectively; increasing the frequency of current commuter services by 10% and 20% respectively; increasing the frequency of current Intercity services by 10% and 20% respectively; and the expected cost of completing the Western Rail Corridor. [43035/22]

Tax Code

Bríd Smith

407. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Finance if he will examine the impact of changes in the Finance Act 2022 in relation to section 31E of the Stamp Duties Consolidation Act 1999 (as amended), which introduced an increased rate of 10% stamp duty on multiple purchases of housing units; the impact of this change on home reversion products which seek to help elderly persons remain in their home in situations in which they have fallen into mortgage arrears and so on; if he will consider amending the Act to allow for persons to continue to avail of such help and such products; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43837/22]

Housing Policy

Bríd Smith

590. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his plans, if any, to legislate or alter current regulations on subletting of a tenancy without the consent of a landlord given the increase in such practices and the impact on living conditions and tenant rights of those affected; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43214/22]

Wildlife Conservation

Bríd Smith

630. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the species of birds which are on the open season hunting list; if these include birds that are amber and red listed or for which there are conservation concerns; and if the working group that was established in 2021 has reported to him yet; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43423/22]

Defective Building Materials

Bríd Smith

650. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the supports that he intends to provide for owners of defective apartments; if he will support a redress scheme similar to the mica and pyrite schemes for those homeowners; if owners of defective apartments built prior to the 1990s and 2000s will be included in any future support schemes or tax treatment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43835/22]