Ceisteanna Parlaiminte

Social Welfare Eligibility

Éamon Ó Cuív

759. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Social Protection if she intends increasing the upper threshold of €310 per week for entitlement to a qualified adult payment for social insurance-based schemes in the forthcoming social welfare Bill; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48305/23]

State Pensions

Éamon Ó Cuív

760. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Social Protection the number, by each €10-per-week income band, of State pension (contributory) qualified adults in receipt of the total IQA allowance and of a tapered rate of qualified adult allowance where the qualified adult is 66 or over; whether she intends changing the way the increase for a qualified adult is calculated; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48306/23]

State Pensions

Éamon Ó Cuív

761. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Social Protection the number, by each €10-per-week income band, of State pension (contributory) qualified adults in receipt of a tapered rate of qualified adult allowance where the qualified adult is aged under 66 years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48307/23]

Social Welfare Eligibility

Éamon Ó Cuív

762. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of pensioners in receipt of a non-contributory State pension; the number of these that are receiving a reduced rate; the estimated cost to her Department of exempting the first €200 of self-employed income from the means test similar to regime that applies to employed income; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48308/23]

Social Welfare Benefits

Éamon Ó Cuív

769. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason that individuals on farm assist and fish assist continue to receive letters from her Department inviting them to attend recruitment fairs, as they believe they are in receipt of jobseeker's allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48485/23]

Healthcare Infrastructure Provision

Éamon Ó Cuív

1265. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Health the progress made in providing a new primary care centre for An Spidéal, Contae na Gaillimhe; the next steps proposed in progressing this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48270/23]

Mental Health Services

Éamon Ó Cuív

1266. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Health the number of prisoners, by gender with acute mental health issue on the waiting list for transfer from prisons to the Central Mental Hospital for treatment; the length the longest person on the waiting list is waiting for such a transfer; the reason for the delay in providing this urgent medical care; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48275/23]

Mental Health Policy

Éamon Ó Cuív

1267. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Health when a prisoner (details supplied) will be transferred from a prison to the Central Mental Hospital; the length of time they have been the waiting list for treatment in the hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48276/23]

Third Level Fees

Éamon Ó Cuív

1443. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science whether students who are liable for full third-level tuition fees are eligible for the reduction in fees for the academic year 2023/2024, as announced by him as part of the cost-of-living measures recently as part of Budget 2024; if not, if he will consider extending the supports to include students, such as repeat students, who are liable for full fees and who are also affected by the cost-of-living increases; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48763/23]

Departmental Reviews

Éamon Ó Cuív

66. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Social Protection the progress made on the review of means testing rules of social welfare schemes; whether it is still intended to complete the review and publish it in quarter four this year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46369/23]

Departmental Reviews

Éamon Ó Cuív

67. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Social Protection the changes proposed to the means testing rules of social welfare and employment schemes in Budget 2024; whether it is intended to add to these changes in the Social Welfare Bill; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46368/23]

Social Welfare Appeals

Éamon Ó Cuív

371. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Social Protection when an appeal for carer’s allowance will be processed and a decision made (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46532/23]

Pesticide Use

Éamon Ó Cuív

429. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine whether his Department intends to introduce a ban on a substance (details supplied) being used due to concerns that it may be carcinogenic and do other environmental damage; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46357/23]

Caiteachas Ranna

Éamon Ó Cuív

34. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív den Aire Turasóireachta, Cultúir, Ealaíon, Gaeltachta, Spóirt agus Meán cén méadú atá i meastacháin a Roinne do 2024 ar an gcaiteachas reatha agus caipitil don Ghaeilge agus don Ghaeltacht; cé mhéad de sin a bhaineann le soláthar caiteachais breise do phá agus tuarastail in Údarás na Gaeltachta agus Foras na Gaeilge; agus an ndéanfaidh sí ráiteas ina thaobh. [45690/23]

Departmental Funding

Éamon Ó Cuív

49. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the increase provided for in the estimates for 2025 in funding for TG4 and RTÉ respectively; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45689/23]

Irish Language

Éamon Ó Cuív

73. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the interaction his Department has had to date with the statutory committee set up under the Official Languages Act 2021 to plan for the requirement under the Act that 20% of public servants being recruited from 2030 will have competency to do business with the public in Irish; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45688/23]

Grant Payments

Éamon Ó Cuív

104. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science whether post-graduate students studying medicine on dedicated courses in third level institutions to become medical practitioners are or will be able to avail of SUSI grant-aid while attending university on these courses, in view of the need to urgently increase the supply of doctors in the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45687/23]

Bord na Móna

Éamon Ó Cuív

167. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the policy of his Department in relation to redundancies in Bord na Móna; the number of redundancies proposed; whether these will be all voluntary redundancies and whether it will be open to all existing staff members to apply as Bord na Móna moves away from its original core business; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45960/23]

State Pensions

Éamon Ó Cuív

182. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform when arrears of pension owing since 2021 will be paid to retired general operatives and supervisors that worked for the Office of Public Works; the reason for the delay in making these payments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45965/23]

School Funding

Éamon Ó Cuív

198. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Education whether there will be a grant available to primary schools this year, similar to what happened previously for the upgrading of technology and ICT; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45961/23]

Burial Grounds

Éamon Ó Cuív

227. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of skeletons removed from an island (details supplied); whether it is intended to return all of them for reburial or only some; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45964/23]

Social Welfare Benefits

Éamon Ó Cuív

234. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Social Protection when an application for a working family payment will be processed and a decision made (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45921/23]

Social Welfare Payments

Éamon Ó Cuív

235. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Social Protection when a review of a carer’s allowance payment will be carried out (details supplied) as requested by the carer due to a change in means; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45922/23]

Agriculture Schemes

Éamon Ó Cuív

260. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of participants in the ACRES scheme; the number for which the Department have received the scorecard from the relevant ACRES advisors; the number of these that have been checked and validated to date; whether when this is done if participants will be informed of the detailed outcome and given a chance to appeal the scoring before payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45883/23]

Health Services Staff

Éamon Ó Cuív

363. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Health whether it is intended to officially recognise centres for ambulatory surgery which are carrying out work on contract for the HSE on, for example, patients who need hand surgery, so that the anaesthetic consultants in them do not face large increases in insurance premiums that would make such work prohibitively expensive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45962/23]

General Practitioner Services

Éamon Ó Cuív

364. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Health the steps being taken to ensure that all medical card holders have access to a GP within their area, taking into account that more people are finding it harder and harder to get on a GP's list; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45963/23]

Forbairt Calaí agus Céanna

Éamon Ó Cuív

391. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív den Aire Forbartha Tuaithe agus Pobail cén uair a cheadófar deontas, mar atá iarrtha ag Comhairle Contae na Gaillimhe le staidéar a dhéanamh ar na féidireachtaí cur le na saoráidí calaíochta ag Céibh an Chalaidh Mhóir in Inis Meáin; an fáth go bhfuil moil ag ceadú an staidéir seo; agus an ndéanfaidh sí ráiteas ina thaobh. [45958/23]

National Broadband Plan

Éamon Ó Cuív

392. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development whether her Department is willing to fund or co-fund the provision of an undersea fibre cable to each offshore island that is included in the National Broadband Plan, out of the dedicated islands fund available to her Department, as mainland to island fibre was not provided for in the National Broadband plan; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45959/23]

Housing Schemes

Éamon Ó Cuív

192. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when a decision will be made on an application submitted to his Department by Galway City Council for a housing grant in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Galway; the reason for the delay in making a decision, given that the works involved are essential to deem the property suitable for the tenant who has very poor mobility; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45672/23]

School Management

Éamon Ó Cuív

52. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Education the breakdown by county of the number of primary schools with only a principal in them, a principal and one mainstream class teacher and a principal and two mainstream teachers respectively provided in tabular form; whether she intends changing the pupil teacher ratio for small rural schools considering the challenge in teaching multiple classes in the same classroom; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45009/23]

School Management

Éamon Ó Cuív

68. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Education the number of primary schools that had a staffing schedule of mainstream class teachers consisting of a principal plus one mainstream classroom teacher for the school year 2022/2023; the number of these that had more than 40 pupils enrolled in this school year; whether she intends lowering the threshold significantly for the retention and appointment of a second classroom teacher in primary schools in view of the challenge of teaching multiple classes with more than 20 pupils in each classroom in a "two teacher school"; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45008/23]

School Textbooks

Éamon Ó Cuív

240. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Education her estimate of the number of secondary students in counties Galway, Mayo and Roscommon, respectively that will benefit from the introduction of free school books next year; the number of primary students that are currently benefiting from free school books in each of the counties; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44972/23]

Capitation Grants

Éamon Ó Cuív

241. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Education how much the increased capitation announced in Budget 2024 will be worth to schools in counties Galway, Mayo and Roscommon, respectively; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44973/23]

Scéimeanna Teanga

Éamon Ó Cuív

296. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív den Aire Turasóireachta, Cultúir, Ealaíon, Gaeltachta, Spóirt agus Meán céard iad na riachtanais bhreise ó thaobh saoráidí tithíochta a gcaithfear cloí leo sa bhreis ar na rialacha tógála le bheith cáilithe chun scoláirí a choinneáil faoi Scéim na bhFoghlaimeoirí Gaeilge; agus an ndéanfaidh sí ráiteas ina thaobh. [45261/23]

Social Welfare Benefits

Éamon Ó Cuív

365. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Social Protection if a person (details supplied) has an entitlement to dental benefit based on his or her PRSI contributions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45004/23]

Agriculture Schemes

Éamon Ó Cuív

156. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine whether each participant farmer has been given a detailed outline of the scoring scheme under the ACRES scheme by his Department; when farmers will be given their score for this year under the scheme; when the first payments will be made; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44564/23]

Cúrsaí Gaeilge

Éamon Ó Cuív

114. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív den Aire Turasóireachta, Cultúir, Ealaíon, Gaeltachta, Spóirt agus Meán cén uair a dhéanfar íocaíocht le bean tí (sonraí tugtha) as ábhar oidí a chothaigh sí ar chúrsa i lár Mí Lúnasa; údar na moille lena híocaíocht; agus an ndéanfaidh sí ráiteas ina thaobh. [44380/23]

Cúrsaí Gaeilge

Éamon Ó Cuív

115. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív den Aire Turasóireachta, Cultúir, Ealaíon, Gaeltachta, Spóirt agus Meán cén céatadán de na teaghlaigh a chothaigh scoláirí faoi Scéim na bhFoghlaimeoirí Gaeilge an samhradh seo a fuair íocaíocht iomlán as gach cúrsa; cén uair atáthar ag súil go n-íocfar an chuid eile; agus an ndéanfaidh sí ráiteas ina thaobh. [44381/23]

Passport Services

Éamon Ó Cuív

16. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs when a passport will issue to a person (details supplied); the reason for the delay in issuing this passport; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44112/23]

Passport Services

Éamon Ó Cuív

17. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs when a passport will issue to a person (details supplied); the reason for the delay in issuing this passport; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44113/23]

Passport Services

Éamon Ó Cuív

18. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the reason applications for passports where additional documentation is requested and fully supplied cannot be finalised within a week of the supply of this information; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44114/23]

Bus Services

Éamon Ó Cuív

21. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Transport whether he will make further resources available to the NTA to ensure that it can provide capacity along rural routes to ensure that passengers are not regularly left stranded at bus pick-up points because buses are full; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42785/23]

Bus Services

Éamon Ó Cuív

29. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Transport whether he is aware that there are bus routes on the rural link services where bus stops are up to 14km apart, thus rendering them unsuitable for use by people living in dispersed rural communities; if he is aware of the issue, the steps he has taken to ensure in dialogue with the NTA that all rural dwellers have access to these services along the routes they travel on, similar to the basis that Bus Éireann provides pick-up for passengers along rural routes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42784/23]

Tax Code

Éamon Ó Cuív

206. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Finance whether he intends changing the rules that to qualify for agricultural relief for capital acquisitions tax that the farm must represent 80% of the recipient of lands assets, in view of the fact that this rule mitigates against farmers on smaller holdings or holdings on poorer land particularly in the west of Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43330/23]

Office of Public Works

Éamon Ó Cuív

228. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform the reason the OPW took the decision to prevent a concert taking place at a venue at the last minute (details supplied); the steps being taken to ensure that as far as possible, this will not occur again; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43326/23]

International Protection

Éamon Ó Cuív

315. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of vacancies in the accommodation housing Ukrainian refugees; the reason there are Ukrainian refugees being housed in tents, when not all the centres for accommodating Ukrainian refugees are full; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43328/23]

International Protection

Éamon Ó Cuív

316. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of vacant beds in a centre accommodating Ukrainian refugees; the reason for these vacancies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43329/23]

Scéimeanna Rannacha

Éamon Ó Cuív

80. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív den Aire Iompair chun a fhiafraí den Aire Iompair cén uair a cheadófar airgead do Chomhairle Contae na Gaillimhe chun dul ar aghaidh le staidéar tionchair timpeallachta a dhéanamh ar Bhóthar Chuan na Loinge le gur féidir an bóthar a ardú leis an taoille a stopadh ag teacht trasna an bhóthair ann faoi scéim na mbóithre straitéiseacha condae, cén fáth a bhfuil moill leis an airgead seo a cheadú; agus an ndéanfaidh sé ráiteas ina thaobh. [42992/23]

Defence Forces

Éamon Ó Cuív

93. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the plans he has to strengthen the Irish Naval Service and Air Corps so that they can properly patrol Irish waters in relation to intercepting drug consignments being transported through our waters, enforcing fishery laws as well as assisting in search and rescue missions off our coast; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42549/23]

Ukraine War

Éamon Ó Cuív

119. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the total military aid given by the EU to Ukraine since the beginning of the Ukrainian war; the amount promised but not yet given; the contribution given by Ireland to date; the contribution promised in the future; whether Ireland supported the giving of such aid in the EU Council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42548/23]