1098. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Justice if applications for all stages of citizenships are dealt with in chronological order in relation to when applications are made; if he will clarify that no recent applications have been acknowledged or have been processed to the e-vetting stage ahead of older applications made previously; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13618/23]
1097. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Justice the average processing times for citizenship applications (details supplied) in each of the years 2015 to date in 2023, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13617/23]
1044. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Justice if he can clarify when and if Ireland will ratify the UNCRC second optional protocol on children, child prostitution and child pornography; when and if the State will act on Article 19A, the provision dealing private counselling therapy records in relation to a victim of sexual abuse; if these are made available to the accused abuser; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12326/23]
990. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if IPAS has decided that current applicants for international protection staying in accommodation in rooms on their own will now be roomed with at least one other, regardless of Covid or other health concerns; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13942/23]
907. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if, in light of the recent announcement that one in ten asylum seekers has no accommodation, there are plans to allow members of the public to offer a place to stay to those applying for asylum; if he envisages a payment to homeowners who provide accommodation similar to the accommodation recognition payment currently offered to people who provide a place for Ukrainian refugees; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12679/23]
906. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will acknowledge the huge work, support and solidarity shown by communities around the country in welcoming Ukrainians into their homes and wider communities; if he will listen to these voices of support and, in particular, a community group (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12638/23]
761. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Education the status of the proposed funding of two schools (details supplied) in Dublin 4 and Dublin 6; when these facilities will be developed given that primary school children in the wider area may have no options to locate to co-educational multi-denominational facilities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13610/23]
494. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will clarify the reason there is no appeal mechanism for a parent to query a decision by their local authority to refuse an application for medical priority for housing as a result of a medical condition of their child; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13731/23]
372. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform if he can clarify in relation to retired OPW workers, if these retired workers will receive a due pension increase; when this increase will be paid and the categories of retired workers affected; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13901/23]
221. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Transport if he will provide clarification in relation to the scheme aimed at encouraging taxi drivers to convert to EV vehicles; if the unintended consequence (details supplied) of extending licences for some vehicles as a Covid-related measure, is that vehicles and drivers that would have qualified for the EV grant may now lose out as a result of both of the Covid extension together with ongoing delays in getting EVs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12235/23]
211. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the reason his Department has not issued a money message or a reasoned response in relation to the Petroleum and Other Minerals Development (Amendment) (Climate Emergency Measures) Bill 2018 despite being requested to do so by the Bills Office in May 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13602/23]
182. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications when he expects to approve a proposed increase in the pension entitlements of An Post workers; if the S.I. to give effect to this will be ready soon; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12951/23]
99. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if he had any discussions on the impacts of Israel’s continued aggression and illegal occupation of Palestinian territory and its destabilising effects on the region during his recent trip to Lebanon; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5133/23]
147. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he can clarify the additional supports or arrangements that he has in place in terms of emergency provision of beds and accommodation for those persons who face eviction in April 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11881/23]
166. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will clarify, where a dispute exists between an employee and an employer as to the status of the person regarding being self-employed or an employee, how such a dispute impacts the person's contributory record if it is subsequently found that the person has been incorrectly categorised as self-employed; if the period spent is calculated as a period of paid reckonable contributions for the purpose of calculating future benefits; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11965/23]
165. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will clarify in relation to periods spent on illness benefit, or on Covid supports, such as the temporary Covid-19 wage subsidy scheme and Covid illness benefit whether such periods count in terms of paid contributions in relation to calculating a person's contributory record for the purposes of the State pension and so on; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11963/23]
115. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will confirm whether a contract for security work at 90 North King Street from his Department has been awarded to a firm (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11971/23]
475. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he can clarify in relation to the operation of Ireland's community sponsorship programme for refugees led by the Irish refugee protection programme, the reason communities seeking to welcome refugees via this programme must first fundraise €10,000; if any consideration has been given to ensuring that such funding is provided by the Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11290/23]
304. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health the reason melatonin and propranolol are not covered by a student medical card while venlafex, which has been prescribed as part of a trio of medication, is; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that having to pay for these two medications is having a significant financial impact, especially when other college costs are also factored in; if there are any other supports or schemes a student can access to cover the cost of their medications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10748/23]
68. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Transport if he or his officials have been briefed on industrial relations issues at a company (details supplied) and proposed industrial action at the company; if he has any proposals to ensure disputes at the company do not arise as a result of lower levels of pay or conditions being imposed on drivers as a result of the way the NTA awards routes under the competitive tendering system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10459/23]
40. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Transport if he will intervene with the NTA in relation to the ongoing deterioration of bus services in Ballyfermot as a result of the introduction of the new BusConnects routes, specifically the collapse of services in Lower Ballyfermot as a result of the introduction of the new 60 route; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10457/23]
37. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Transport if he can clarify the proposed progressing of the BusConnects scheme for Dublin in the coming year, specifically if the NTA intends to push ahead with existing dates for implementation, given the difficulty transport companies concerned have in recruiting and retaining staff; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10458/23]
20. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Transport if the Government intends to continue to implement reduced fares on public transport across the State; if any consideration has been given to extending that reduction or moving to providing fare-free public transport; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10461/23]
18. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Transport If he will examine the way the contracts for the national car testing system are awarded in light of the recent crisis at the NCT centres and the ongoing industrial relations issues at an organisation (details supplied) and the inability to retain and recruit suitably skilled staff; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10460/23]
128. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will clearly outline the rationale for the stopping of child benefit at the age of 18 years; if she will acknowledge that many children are still in full-time secondary education at this age and that their parents or guardians still rely on the payment to help with costs; if she will further acknowledge that in the current cost-of-living crisis, this presents significant financial difficulties for parents with schoolgoing children of 18 years and above; if there are plans to legislate for an increase in the age at which child benefit will cease; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10523/23]
70. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if the proposed amendment to the Planning and Development Act 2020, currently before Dáil Éireann, will impact in any way on current regulations and provisions that deal with allotments and the provision of allotments by local authorities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10304/23]
53. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Transport the total number of scheduled weekly departures that will be provided as a result of the recently announced improvements in rural transport links; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10466/23]
106. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if, in light of a recent report (details supplied) on global methane emissions, he has any plans to seek to reduce the State’s methane emissions from dairy and beef herds or from the potential impact from the recently approved gas-fired emergency generators or any future LNG proposals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9968/23]
73. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he has any concerns about the impact on the State’s climate targets from the recently announced plans by a major company to build another hyper-scale data centre in Dublin; if he has any plans to introduce a moratorium on such centres, given that this is additional to 16 confirmed cases of new data centres approved for connection to the national grid; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9971/23]
71. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will clarify the total amount of carbon credits purchased by the State since 2019 to date; the planned purchase for the coming period; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9970/23]
57. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he can clarify the Government’s plan to deal with recent Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, figures that show increases in CO2 emissions in the State, and that Ireland is the worst performer in the EU, according to EUROSTAT data; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10335/23]
28. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his plans for referendums, including the referendum on housing committed to in the programme for Government. [9964/23]
144. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will meet with representatives of workers of a supermarket chain (details supplied) who have been employed there since before 1998 and who have faced numerous attacks on their status by the company, including the refusal by the company to award them pay rises given to other staff; if he can clarify the protections that are presently in place or are planned by his Department to stop employers like the aforementioned company from targeting senior staff in this way; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9248/23]
143. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will abolish sub-minimum rates of pay for young workers and ensure that all workers receive at least the national minimum wage; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9250/23]
126. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment his views on non-compliance by private security firms with the Employment Regulation Order for the security industry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9252/23]
95. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will amend the Employment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2018 to prevent employers from treating the upper range of banded hours as a cap when additional hours are being distributed (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9249/23]
92. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if his attention has been drawn to a recent survey (details supplied) showing that the vast majority of workers have not received wage rises in line with inflation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9251/23]
71. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will support the progress to Committee Stage of the Industrial Relations (Provisions in Respect of Pension Entitlements of Retired Workers) Bill 2021; the proposals his Department has to enhance the representative rights of retired workers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9411/23]
83. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Transport if he will clarify the position of holders of free travel cards when using train services; the reason Irish Rail imposes a booking fee on some services; when this practice was first introduced; if the imposition of such fees undermines the concept of the free travel scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8995/23]
16. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Taoiseach if he has met with the Attorney General following publication of his report on nursing home charges and the disabled persons maintenance allowance. [8834/23]
448. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection her proposals to remedy the discrimination suffered by homemakers whose time out of the workforce prior to 1994 is not taken into account, and who have not qualified for a State pension (contributory); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8090/23]
447. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated number of affected persons who, due to their years as a homemaker prior to 1994, have not qualified for a State pension (contributory). [8089/23]
446. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of women currently receiving State pension (contributory) but whose years out of the workforce as a homemaker prior to 1994 are not disregarded when working out the yearly average contributions for the pension. [8088/23]
312. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the reason a homeowner (details supplied), whose property is rented to a local authority with a HAP tenant and who now wishes to sell the property and is willing to sell to the local authority concerned, has been told that the council cannot purchase the home; if this is in contradiction to the Government’s stated policy; and if his Department will contact the authority concerned to ascertain the reason it will not purchase the home; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8539/23]