321. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated cost of increasing all social assistance payments by €5, €10, €15, €20, €25 and €30, respectively, taking into account increases announced in budget 2019 by the name of each payment, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42789/18]
320. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated cost of increasing all social insurance payments by €5, €10, €15, €20, €25 and €30, respectively, taking into account increases announced in budget 2019 by the name of each payment in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42788/18]
319. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she has considered the impact increasing the national minimum wage has on income disregards to qualify for payments; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42787/18]
318. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she has examined the position of full-time carers who due to their full-time duties as a carer may not qualify for a State pension; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42786/18]
317. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated full-year cost of increasing all carer payments by €20, taking into account increases announced in budget 2019; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42785/18]
316. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated full-year cost of increasing the income disregard for carer's allowance from €332.50 to €665, single, and from €450 to €900, taking into account increases announced in budget 2019; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42784/18]
315. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated full-year cost of extending the free travel scheme to children in receipt of the domiciliary care allowance, taking into account increases announced in budget 2019; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42783/18]
314. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated full-year cost of extending eligibility for carer's benefit to the self-employed, taking into account increases announced in budget 2019; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42782/18]
214. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of persons who have applied for carer's benefit in 2017 and to date in 2018 in view of the fact that there is no means test required for carer's benefit; the reason applications are taking so long to process when applications for illness benefit can be processed in a much shorter time; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42650/18]
646. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government his plans to use lands from old institutions for housing, both social and private, in view of the fact the moneys made from the sale of these lands were promised to be used to develop mental health services and that this is a commitment under A Vision For Change; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41753/18]
642. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of applications received each week in the carer's benefit section; the reason it takes a considerable amount of time to process an application even though it has all the correct paperwork (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42530/18]
630. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her plans to undertake research on the costs associated with disability as announced during her briefing on budget 2019; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42252/18]
458. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Health the reason a person (details supplied) who is resident in a nursing home cannot avail of services such as ulcer dressing at primary care centres when required; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42259/18]
360. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Health if funding for an additional community based diabetes podiatrist in County Limerick will be made available in budget 2019; the reason for the sudden increase; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41792/18]
349. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Health his views on a matter (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41752/18]
195. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if her Department or another Department will provide financial compensation to former residents of the mother and baby homes. [41676/18]
194. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the status of the investigation into the operation of the mother and baby homes; the date by which this investigation will be complete; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41675/18]
237. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the reason there were long delays with issuing the payment of the back to school clothing and footwear allowance in 2018; if provisions were put in place for families awaiting the payment; if she will consider putting mechanisms in place to ensure delays with issuing the payment do not occur in 2019; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41331/18]
100. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Health if funding for an additional community based diabetes podiatrist in County Limerick will be made available in budget 2019; the reason for the sudden increase of foot ulceration treatment and lower limb amputation in County Limerick (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41306/18]
515. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government his views on whether HAP and similar payments provide no return for the State in that they are not adding to supply that is to either the national housing stock or State owned housing stock; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40593/18]
514. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if HAP and similar rental assistance payments for 2018 and for 2019 will be estimated in terms of State spending; his policy in terms of maximum expenditure in these categories; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40591/18]
513. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the number of households that were dropped from the housing list due to exceeding the income limits to qualify for social housing in the period pertaining to the statistics (details supplied); his plans to raise the qualifying income limit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40587/18]
512. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if it is his policy that complex regeneration projects will ensure that 60% of the development on public owned land will be for private sale at market prices; his views on the regeneration project in Inchicore, Dublin 8; if the project falls into the category of complex regeneration projects; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40583/18]
477. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if it is still her plan to issue payments under the new calculation method for the contributory pension in the first quarter of 2019; the legislative steps that still need to be taken to ensure that this comes into effect on schedule; if all persons potentially affected by this have been contacted; the number that have been contacted to date; the number outstanding that remain to be contacted; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40726/18]
475. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the reason a back to education allowance application by a person (details supplied) has been refused; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40635/18]
415. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the bilateral meetings he has had with his EU counterparts over the past six months regarding Brexit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41196/18]
141. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated amount it would cost to recruit an extra 500 special needs assistants for the 2019/2020 school year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41186/18]
260. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if the primary purpose of the Land Development Agency is to use prime publicly owned land to generate housing in the private market to meet demand in a growing economy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40577/18]
259. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if he will continue to pursue a policy of providing social housing through the HAP and other schemes in preference to using all of the Land Development Agency-acquired public land initially to provide social and affordable housing to stem the flow into homelessness, to house those in hubs and hotels and to reduce the waiting time on housing lists; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40558/18]
258. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if the focus of the Land Development Agency is not to provide social and affordable housing on public land on a scale to stem the tide of homelessness (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40527/18]
246. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the external consultant reports commissioned by her Department since she came into office, in tabular form; the cost per report; the company involved; the title of the report; the publication date or estimated publication date if not already published; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40513/18]
245. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the average waiting time for a decision on appeal for social protection payments paid on a weekly basis in cases in which there is no oral hearing and in cases in which there is an oral hearing in 2018, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40512/18]
244. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of social welfare appeals lodged in each of the years 2012 to 2017 and to date in 2018, in tabular form; the percentage of appeals which were successful; the average waiting time in these years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40511/18]
192. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Health his plans to approve automatically a medical card to persons who suffer from spinal injuries; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40224/18]
99. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she has received a pre-budget submission from an organisation (details supplied) outlining its various proposals and recommendations; if so, her views on these proposals; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38772/18]
89. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when the report on the future of local employment services is due to be published; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38770/18]
84. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the consultations that have taken place on the proposed auto enrolment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38769/18]
70. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of persons to date who have applied for invalidity pension since self-employed persons with sufficient contributions have become entitled to it; the number of persons that have successfully applied for this payment to date; the number of persons that have been refused this payment to date; her plans for changes to the qualifying rules; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38771/18]
57. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the consultation that has taken place on the proposed changes to the qualifying criteria for the State pension (contributory); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38896/18]
55. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the rationale for the changes to the illness benefit form; if her attention has been drawn to the difficulties and disruption this is causing for general practitioners and applicants; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38895/18]
515. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the way in which housing waiting lists are to be met in the context of the Land Development Agency operating a 10% ceiling on public owned building land to be used for social housing purposes; his views on whether the waiting list figures indicate a housing boom would be required to meet the demand; if local authorities will be required to acquire building land via the land development agency for the purpose of meeting social housing needs; if acquisitions and rezoning will take place independently of the Land Development Agency; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38319/18]
773. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when payment will issue to a person (details supplied) in relation to a disability allowance application; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37850/18]
741. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when a decision will be made on a disability allowance review in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37346/18]
717. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to reports that due to the ongoing dispute relating to illness benefit forms that persons are being denied their entitlement to illness benefit which is based on their contributions and are instead being means tested for supplementary welfare allowance which is based on their means and are subsequently denied this payment thereby denying them financial support; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37044/18]
716. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to the impact that changes to the illness benefit form are having on persons' entitlement to illness benefit; the steps she has taken to resolve this matter; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37043/18]
397. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Health the number of full-time HSE dentists and orthodontists who have private practices; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37067/18]
365. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Health his plans to reinstate the motorised transport grant for new applicants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36995/18]
164. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason a person (details supplied) who is pursuing a course under the VTOS scheme is not being paid an appropriate allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37725/18]
1407. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to a shortfall in the funding allocated to Limerick City and County Council for the purpose of making adjustments to council owned houses for disabled persons; if an extra allocation will be allowed in 2018 to help reduce the backlog that has built up; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36754/18]
2454. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when arrears will issue in respect of a disability allowance claim by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32891/18]