Ceisteanna Parlaiminte

Departmental Reports

Brendan Smith

113. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection when the Social Protection Annual Report for 2022 will be published; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24441/23]

Social Welfare Code

Brendan Smith

127. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection if her Department will review the PRSI contributions system in order that adult dependents who have worked in the home may be entitled to full future social welfare benefits, such as the recent €200 cost-of-living support payment; if she will provide a full explanation for the reason that adult dependents and others with insufficient PRSI contributions who have worked in the home were not entitled to the recent €200 cost-of-living support payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24440/23]

Tourism Promotion

Brendan Smith

44. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the proposals, if any, there are to intensify marketing of the tourism potential of the Hidden Heartlands; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23676/23]

Tourism Policy

Brendan Smith

69. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the consultations to date between her Department and its agencies with their counterparts in Northern Ireland in relation to the development of cross-Border tourism projects under the Peace Plus Programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23675/23]

Housing Provision

Brendan Smith

90. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the progress to date since 2020 in bringing back to habitable use local authority housing stock that was vacant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23543/23]

Housing Provision

Brendan Smith

139. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to outline the voids programme for 2023; the national allocation and the funding made available to counties Cavan and Monaghan local authorities for this year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23542/23]

Dublin-Monaghan Bombings

Brendan Smith

182. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will have further discussions with the British Foreign Secretary and the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on the need for the British government to respond positively and without further delay to the unanimous requests of Dáil Éireann concerning the Dublin and Monaghan bombings of May 1974; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23940/23]

Small and Medium Enterprises

Brendan Smith

236. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will pursue immediately with an international company the concerns outlined by a retail representative organisation (details supplied) regarding the withdrawal of products from a large number of shops throughout the country which would impact negatively on smaller scale retail stores; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23774/23]

Social Welfare Eligibility

Brendan Smith

359. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection the systems that are in place to ensure that persons living outside this jurisdiction are not in receipt of payments that require a person to be resident in this State; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23766/23]

Banking Sector

Brendan Smith

43. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Finance if funding from the banking levy could be used to assist in ensuring a network of bank branches throughout the country, in view of the major loss of such facilities in many towns particularly affecting rural communities; if he will give detailed consideration to proposals (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23597/23]

School Transport

Brendan Smith

70. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Education the measures being implemented to deal with the shortage of qualified drivers for vehicles such as school buses; if she is aware of the difficulties that have arisen for Bus Éireann and private bus and coach operators with such shortages impacting on different areas, such as the operation of the school transport system; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23624/23]

School Staff

Brendan Smith

323. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Education for an update on the review of the SNA contract in line with commitments under the Building Momentum national pay agreement; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22677/23]

School Staff

Brendan Smith

324. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Education to provide an update on the implementation of the new pay deal for school secretaries; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22678/23]

Social Welfare Benefits

Brendan Smith

462. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection if her Department will review the PRSI contributions system in order that adult dependents who have worked in the home may be entitled to full future social welfare benefits such as the recent €200 cost-of-living support payment; if she will provide a full explanation for the rationale for why adult dependents and others with insufficient PRSI contributions who have worked in the home were not entitled to the recent €200 cost-of-living support payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22970/23]

Healthcare Policy

Brendan Smith

280. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 548 of 27 September 2022, the progress to date in reviewing the Tobacco Products Directive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22321/23]

Departmental Data

Brendan Smith

281. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Health if there are statistics available in relation to the number of patients admitted to hospital as a direct result of the effects of the use of e-cigarettes and vaping; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22322/23]

Business Supports

Brendan Smith

84. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Finance the number of businesses in counties Cavan, Monaghan, Leitrim, Donegal and Louth, respectively, that have applied for assistance under the temporary business energy support scheme to date; the number that have been successful in each county; the estimated value or worth of the support to date for businesses in each county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21508/23]

Tax Reliefs

Brendan Smith

115. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Finance the number of home buyers in counties Cavan, Monaghan, Leitrim, Donegal and Louth, respectively, who have availed of the enhanced help-to-buy scheme since 23 July 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21509/23]

Wildlife Regulations

Brendan Smith

488. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the measures that will be implemented to deal with the increasing prevalence of wild deer, particularly in view of dangers posed to many motorists by deer running wild on public roads; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21322/23]

General Practitioner Services

Brendan Smith

613. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Health when GP visit cards will be extended to cover children aged six and seven years, as announced in budget 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21449/23]