1. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection his views on the assertion by an organisation (details supplied) that the main impacts of the reform of the one-parent family payment have been to reduce the income of lone parents in employment and to reduce the likelihood of lone parents who are not in employment, education or training take up work or education in the near future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29009/16]
259. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection when a decision will be made on an application for disability allowance by a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28063/16]
382. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated full-year cost in 2017 of lowering the requirement to qualify for family income supplement from 19 hours per week to 15 hours per week for one-parent households only; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26650/16]
229. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will extend the SUSI grant scheme to students (details supplied) in view of the fact that the college they attend can be designated as an outreach college of UCD; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26469/16]
819. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated full year cost of amending the home-maker scheme by disregarding up to 200 pre-1994 A1 PRSI payments for the purpose of calculating a person's entry to the workforce; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26320/16]
807. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection the youth unemployment rate here; the way in which this figure compares to the European average; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26108/16]
806. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection when the report by a person (details supplied) regarding lone parent households and commissioned by his Department will be released; the date the report was first commissioned and submitted to his Department by the author; the reasons for the delay in releasing the report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26107/16]
805. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans, if any, to extend the homemaker scheme prior to 1994; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26106/16]
804. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection the average waiting time in 2016 for a decision in respect of all social protection payments in tabular form; the average waiting time for appeal for each of these where there is no oral hearing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26105/16]
803. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of applicants who received for the back to school clothing and footwear allowance in 2016 to date; the total number granted or refused the allowance; the total number who have appealed the decision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26104/16]
365. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide the estimated full year cost in 2017, based on the projected number expected to access direct provision, of increasing the adult rate by €5 and the child rate by €5 in tabular format; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24053/16]
364. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide the full year cost in 2017 of increasing maternity benefit by one week, two week, three weeks and four weeks in tabular format; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24052/16]
474. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection to set out the estimated full-year cost to the State in 2017 of increasing the wage contribution to the community services programme to match the new national legal minimum wage; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22854/16]
473. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection when successful applicants for the community services programme support fund will receive funding; if he is aware that they have been obliged to pay the new national minimum wage rate since the 1 January 2016, incurring significant additional costs and placing many under considerable financial strain; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22853/16]
472. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection to discuss the expectation of community services programmes, CSPs, to pay market rates and the living wage where possible, given that his Department's contribution to CSPs no longer matches the legal minimum wage; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22852/16]
471. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection to outline the changes to the most recent operation manual for community services programmes, dated 4 April 2016, Version 1, in particular, the stipulation that working hours must be spread over four days, resulting in new entrants of the programme no longer being able to claim jobseeker's allowance; if he has considered the adverse effects this may have on persons wishing to participate in the programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22851/16]
458. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated full-year cost in 2017 of restoring the Christmas bonus to 75% and 100% of its previous rate; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22639/16]
454. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection the expenditure on the school meals programme; the cost in 2017 of increasing expenditure on this programme by 5% and 10%; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22610/16]
442. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection the projected increase due to changing demographics in the number of persons availing of the free travel scheme over the next five years; the cost of maintaining the scheme at current levels, taking account of the projected increase in users; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22358/16]
441. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated full-year cost in 2017 of increasing the qualified child increase by €2, €3 and €5, and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22357/16]
144. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection if he has examined and costed, the possibility of introducing a sliding scale for family income supplement, as opposed to the current system of 19 hours per week; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21483/16]
143. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection if he has examined and costed, moving to a system based on hours worked rather than days worked, to qualify for jobseeker's allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21482/16]
142. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated full year cost in 2017, of extending family income supplement, to one parent households in receipt of the jobseeker transitional payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21481/16]
Bill entitled an Act to allow for the provision of home care services to a person who qualifies for and is being offered long-term residential care in circumstances where suitable home care services can be devised for that person and such services are less costly on the State than the long term residential care being offered and to provide for related matters.
503. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Health if he is aware that there is an extremely long waiting list for scoliosis patients to meet with a consultant and that the subsequent waiting list for surgery is also very long; the current waiting list periods; his plans to deal with the waiting list for this debilitating condition; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20649/16]
364. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of one-parent households in consistent poverty; the number of one parent households experiencing deprivation; the way these figures compare to the European average; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20567/16]
363. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection the average waiting time in 2016 for a decision in respect of all Social Protection payments in tabular form; the average waiting time for appeal for each of these where there is no oral hearing and where there is an oral hearing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20565/16]
362. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons referred to JobPath to date in each county in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20563/16]
361. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will provide the name, position and annual salary awarded to his special advisers; if he will provide details for requests, if any, for an increase above the special advisers' pay cap as set by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20562/16]
360. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection if it is mandatory to attend a SAFE appointment for the new public services card; if a person does not attend, if this will have negative consequences for the current social protection payment to the person; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20551/16]
359. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection if his attention has been drawn to the anomaly in the free travel scheme whereby children who are being cared for by their carers are excluded in circumstances where the carers obtain a free travel pass on the basis of them caring for their children who have a disability; if he will investigate this anomaly as a matter of urgency; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20547/16]
358. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection when will a decision be made on an application for a carer's allowance in respect of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20508/16]
125. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Taoiseach the number of persons currently engaged in activation and employment support schemes; the number of persons engaged in such schemes in 2015 in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20564/16]
17. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Health the reason for the substantial increase between December 2015 and May 2016 in the number of outpatients waiting more than one year for a consultation in University Hospital Limerick. [20983/16]
251. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Health if he is aware that the home care package is exhausted in County Limerick since April 2016; if he will provide extra funding for same; if so, when he will do this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20260/16]
32. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the progress that has been made in establishing an interdepartmental group, as indicated in correspondence (details supplied), to examine the issue of those who are forced to retire at 65 years of age but are not eligible for a pension until 66 years of age; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18691/16]
563. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Health if he is aware that funding for the home care package has been fully allocated in County Limerick since April 2016; if and when he will provide extra funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19628/16]
313. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated full year cost in 2017 of increasing all working age payments, including the costs of proportionate increases for qualified adults, by €10, listing all working age payments in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19680/16]
39. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection if he has increased the contribution to the community services programme in line with the increase in the national minimum wage; if the programmes have as of yet received this funding; if he can provide assurances that the contribution to the community service programmes will be increased in line with any future increases in the national minimum wage as set out in the programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18694/16]
34. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection the status issue of determination orders which were not catered for in the jobseeker's transition legislation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18693/16]
21. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to address the adequacy of social protection rates given that a recent report by the Vincentian Partnership for Social Justice which found that in 2016 social protection did not provide an adequate income for 183 of the 214 urban household cases examined; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18692/16]
7. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection his views on the fact that only 2% of applications for the domiciliary care allowance were awarded within the standard timeframe in 2015 and that only 32% of applications for the carer's allowance were awarded within the standard timeframe in 2015; his views on the processing and appeals times for social protection payments in general; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18690/16]
3. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to tackle poverty in view of the anti-poverty targets that have been missed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18819/16]
1. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection the assurances that can be provided that jobseekers who have been selected for the JobPath activation scheme will not be forced into unsuitable and inappropriate jobs given that participation on JobPath is mandatory; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18818/16]
215. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will re-examine regulations recently introduced by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency which will compel childminders to complete Fetac level 5; if she is aware that this change in regulations may compel many persons who are providing childminding services in their own homes to discontinue this practice; if she is further aware that this will be a serious inconvenience to parents who prefer this arrangement rather than sending their children to a crèche; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18574/16]
344. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he has received correspondence from a person (details supplied); if he has examined the issue raised; his views on this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18391/16]
310. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection the full year cost in 2016 of increasing the grant under the carer's support scheme by €50, €75, €100, €120, €125, €150, €175 and €200; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18499/16]
309. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection the full year cost in 2016 of increasing the entitlement under the disability allowance scheme, the carer's benefit scheme, the invalidity pension scheme and the blind pension scheme by €5, €6, €7, €8, €9, €10, €15 and €20 per week, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18498/16]
308. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection the full year cost in 2016 of extending the number of weeks the entitlement is paid under the fuel allowance scheme by one, two, three and four weeks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18497/16]
307. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection the full-year cost in 2016 of restoring the entitlement under the telephone allowance scheme to the rate it was at in 2010 and in 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18496/16]