253. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will investigate the reason that an autistic person's home support hours have been reduced by an autism support service (details supplied); what process to appeal this reduction is open to the person affected; if this person's care plan can be unilaterally changed like this; if the HSE will ensure that their hours are reinstated with appropriate and necessary home support; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28933/23]
103. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will clarify when his Department will issue a money message or a reasoned response for the Petroleum and other Minerals Development (Climate Emergency) Amendment Bill; if he can clarify why this has taken his Department this length of time to issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28758/23]
90. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he has plans to ensure the Commission for Regulation of Utilities will regulate the prices charged to consumers on district heating systems; if he has plans to change the current charging system that apply to district heating systems; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28759/23]
85. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he can detail the actions that the Climate Action Plan for 2024 will take that will address the projected overshoot in the first carbon budget identified in the Environmental Protection Agency projections; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28757/23]
1242. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health if he has plans to establish a formal agreement to address the following: the pay disparity of Section 39 organisations; a multi-annual, sustainable funding model for voluntary organisations; a review of the out-of-date Health Act 2004, which does not reflect the reality and essential nature of services provided by Section 39 organisations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28132/23]
1082. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he can detail the procedures and systems in place in the Citywest centre for IPO applicants, specifically in relation to a matter (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28078/23]
792. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will clarify if there is a limit on the amount of savings a person can have if they are to be successful in obtaining an additional needs payment; if she will clarify what this limit is; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27254/23]
761. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if a series of matters (details supplied) will be clarified in relation to the tenant in situ purchase scheme in cases in which a local authority is interested in purchasing a house that is for sale with tenants on social housing supports; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28105/23]
652. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he can detail in the event of pollution and damage being caused to waterways in the Republic of Ireland from effluent originating in Northern Ireland the actions his Department or the State can take at EU level or with UK authorities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27113/23]
651. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he can detail how compliance with EU nitrates directives and other environmental protection regulations are enforced or monitored along the Border counties when potential harmful discharges into waterways may be occurring in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27111/23]
650. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he or his Department have had any correspondence or discussion with officials from Northern Ireland in relation to defective slurry/effluent tanks built and operated in Northern Ireland which discharge into waterways feeding into the South; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27109/23]
646. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if changes made by his Department now require a tenant to have resided in their home for ten years before accessing this scheme in relation to the tenant purchase scheme for local authority tenants, or if years previously spent on social housing supports, and so on, count towards this ten-year period; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27059/23]
339. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Finance if his Department is aware of insurers writing to consumers on the issue of the danger of having homes underinsured, and so on; if the companies are now using the issue of potential underinsurance as a mechanism to reduce potential pay-outs to tenants for certain claims; if any regulatory authority under his Department has received any complaints or notification of this practice [27081/23]
159. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will detail the progress made on reaching SDGs and on international aid; what the target is; and where we are at specifically in relation to, a Voluntary National Review on the SDGs, reaching 0.7% ODA/GNI with high-quality, poverty-focused overseas aid and climate financing; if the Government will address Irish civil society's five key recommendations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28114/23]
25. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the work of the Shared Island Dialogue all-island women's forum civic initiative. [28610/23]
37. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health if he can detail any plans to review the criteria for medical card eligibility; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26687/23]
21. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health if he can clarify the position in relation to a person carrying prescribed medicinal cannabis products from an another state, specifically in relation to Article 75 of the Schengen Implementing Convention, which states that it is permissible to transport drugs and psychotropic substances needed as part of medical treatment if the person concerned has a certificate issued by a competent authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26688/23]
788. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the estimated cost of increasing the HEA contribution towards graduate entry medicine tuition fees by €5,000 and €10,000 per student, respectively based on the latest available student numbers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25552/23]
663. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health the current status of the drug vyepti (details supplied), following its completion of the approval process; if he will acknowledge that there are many migraine sufferers who are resistant to current drugs available and who are desperate to access this new drug in an effort to relieve their pain; the proposed timeline for the drug to be available to those who need it; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25684/23]
642. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health if there are plans to include athletic therapy in the CORU regulation process and in the provision of HSE care services; when this will happen; the rationale for its exclusion to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25550/23]
612. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the current position in relation to the Programme for Government commitment to end the direct provision system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26005/23]
610. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will change policy to ensure that all refugees will in future be provided with accommodation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26002/23]
446. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection if she can detail the supports that are available for a public sector employee diagnosed with a serious illness (details supplied) who does not qualify for any payments from their employer, the HSE, because of previous use of critical illness benefit, and who has paid PRSI contributions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25610/23]
231. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform if he can clarify in relation to a public sector worker (details supplied) who has suffered a critical illness and having returned to work, is diagnosed with a second, separate critical illness within months. [25609/23]
186. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Transport if he will clarify the guidelines or regulations, if any, that are issued by his Department or the National Transport Authority when liaising with schools involved in the ‘safe routes to school’ programme around the use of cargo bikes by parents to transport children; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25842/23]
142. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he can clarify whether the one stop shop system of retrofitting supports is applicable to apartment complexes or individual apartment owners; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25765/23]
141. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the supports available for apartment complexes in terms of energy-efficiency upgrades, or access to the installation of solar panels and any other energy efficiency supports. [25764/23]
136. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications when he will authorise the payment of pension increases due to postal workers since January 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25658/23]
62. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the supports that are available for people currently seeking international protection who are unaccommodated (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25933/23]
43. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of refugees who have not been provided with accommodation since the change of policy announced on 24 January 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26001/23]
33. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of childcare providers that participated in the core funding scheme but have subsequently raised fees for services despite the commitment in the scheme not to (details supplied); if his Department has received any complaints about this practice; if any service provider has done so; if so, the penalties his Department apply to that provider; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26324/23]
182. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will clarify his Department’s position on four housing issues (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25393/23]
108. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if his Department or any agency under the aegis of his Department has any responsibility to ensure the safety or environmental integrity of residents from the effects of construction works in their area; if the EPA has any statutory or legal role in ensuring construction works operate in a safe and environmentally appropriate manner (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25394/23]
31. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Justice if he will provide an update in relation to the case of a person (details supplied); the status and expected date for publication of the scoping report; the actions he intends to take; if he will clarify the reason for the ongoing delays in acting on the wishes of the person's family for a full public inquiry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25243/23]
28. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Taoiseach if he will provide an update on the work of the policing reform implementation programme office in his Department. [24734/23]
16. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the strategic goals of his Department’s Strategy Statement 2021-2023; and if he plans to update those goals. [24733/23]
4. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the implementation of the high-level action plan for the report of the Commission on the Defence Forces. [24735/23]
761. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on the promised return of nursing staff to Curlew Road health centre; if he will clarify whether staffing levels have increased; when the health centre will have a full complement of staff back to deliver much-needed health services to the population of Drimnagh; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24253/23]
561. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Justice if he will clarify when the familicide and domestic homicide review commissioned by the Government will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24765/23]
483. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection if she is aware that people dependent on disability benefit are living significantly below the poverty line; the measures she will take to protect them against increases in the cost of living; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15768/23]
179. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will clarify the responsibilities and duties of energy providers when dealing with and identifying vulnerable customers, including four particular aspects (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24600/23]
122. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection the supports that are or will be available for older people facing higher energy bills, in particular, high gas bills; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24650/23]
102. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection the numbers of applicants to date in 2023 for exceptional needs payments, by category of the exceptional need (for example, energy bills, and so on); the number of those that were successful in receiving a payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24651/23]
456. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health if he can clarify when legislation will be in place to ensure there are safe zones to protect women and medical staff in health settings facilities to ensure they can access or provide abortion services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23807/23]