260. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the impact the Government’s privatisation of public transport services will have on the free travel scheme; if she will carry out an assessment of this policy change on the free travel scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22345/15]
241. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection when the child care supports will be put in place to ensure that those receiving payment under the one-parent family payment can avail of returning to employment or education, as promised by her on 18 April 2012; if she will honour her commitment to those persons who feel that their family status is discriminated against, in particular those lone parents who are employed part-time or in low-paid employment, who are self-employed, or who are in education; how persons in these categories, who receive family income supplement, can increase their income by increasing their hours to 19, as outlined by her, taking into consideration that lone parents who already work 19 hours will be cut, and given that many lone parents are restricted by low-hour contracts, where employers refuse to sign family income supplement forms guaranteeing hours; and where there are increased child care costs if hours are increased, and there is a loss to those in receipt of rent supplement and housing assistance payments of up to 75% of any increase, which does not cover the additional cost of working; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22056/15]
231. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the reason a decision remains with an inspector since March 2015 pertaining to a carer's allowance in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Limerick; the reason the inspector in question is unable to reach a decision to date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21989/15]
222. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection her plans to extend the free travel pass to include pensioners from other European Union countries; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21842/15]
220. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will provide, in tabular form, in five year blocks, the length of service accrued by currently employed community employment scheme supervisors, both male and female; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21829/15]
190. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will provide, in tabular form, the costs of the community employment schemes for each year from 2009 to 2014; the projected costs and actual costs under the headings, materials budget, training budget, supervisory budget and participant allowances; the number of participants and supervisors employed under the schemes for each of these years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21551/15]
166. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection when a Department inspector will review payments under the disability allowance in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Limerick who is a spina bifida patient and in financial difficulty pending an increase following the cessation of a maintenance payment from that person's estranged spouse for their now independent adult child, her Department having been notified of same on 1 May 2015. [21278/15]
89. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Defence if he will amend records regarding the family of a person (details supplied) who was executed in Arbour Hill 1916; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20888/15]
244. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will provide in tabular form the age profile, male and female, in five year blocks of community employment scheme supervisors who are currently employed under the community employment projects; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20687/15]
223. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the current stage of the review by her Department into its position to establish the action that can be taken where employers such as a company (details supplied) which have ceased trading without engaging in a formal wind-up process and which owe moneys to an employee; when the review will be completed; her plans regarding this type of problem; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20464/15]
346. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost of providing free general practitioner care to the approximately 57,000 recipients of the carer's allowance. [19562/15]
138. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Finance if he will provide, in tabular form, for each tax credit, the estimated full-year cost of making each of the following tax credits refundable, that is, single person tax credit, married person or civil partner tax credit, widowed person or surviving civil partner tax credit, pay as you earn - employee tax credit and single person child carer credit. [19676/15]
75. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the estimated full year cost of replacing the 38-hour threshold for family income supplement qualification, with a sliding scale system (details supplied) that would reflect the fact that many persons may be working, or wish to work, less than 19 hours per week, and may be in just as much need as current recipients of this supplement. [19564/15]
74. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the estimated full year cost for replacing the three day rule for the payment of jobseeker’s benefits, with a sliding scale system determined by hours worked. [19563/15]
40. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection when a decision will be made on an appeal for back payment of jobseeker's benefit in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Limerick; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18947/15]
169. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Education and Skills if those who have been paid over the past two years, at a post-2011 entrant fee of €34 hourly, should in fact have been paid at the pre-2011 rate of €42, as currently advertised on her Department's website; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18775/15]
232. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection when arrears of a disability allowance application in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Limerick will issue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18275/15]
187. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if a submission from Limerick City and County Council was received concerning acquisition and development of Brannigan's site on Mulgrave Street, Limerick, to create a community centre for the Garryowen area; when a decision will be made; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17002/15]
197. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to allow Luas security workers to operate as transport police, similar to airport police; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15051/15]
118. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the reason for the refusal of a respite care grant for 2014 in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Limerick; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14859/15]
67. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will acknowledge that it is current Government policy to discourage lone parents from engaging with postgraduate education in view of the fact that it is virtually impossible to undertake a postgraduate course without a maintenance grant; her views on whether the provision for the special rate is in actual fact a smoke screen to convey that such an option is a possibility for some when in reality, under the current legislation, any support, scholarship or moneys granted for the purpose of completing a Master of Arts degree can result in the withdrawal of the provision of fees at the special rate; in view of the fact that 98% of lone parents are women, if she acknowledges that the reforms discriminate against lone parents on grounds of class and gender; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14268/15]
176. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he is aware of the consequences Pobal's senior alert proposal will have on volunteer groups such as Neighbourhood Watch, in that it will sideline these groups which have played a major role in communities; if he will postpone the changes in view of this fact; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13464/15]
610. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government when the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014 and the regulations to be made thereunder will be implemented in order that local authorities will have a proper legal process to pursue tenants who are in breach of the terms of their tenancy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12709/15]
439. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Health his plans to have a Jigsaw hub in County Limerick, in view of the fact there are now ten Jigsaw hubs in other communities, and young persons in County Limerick would benefit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12688/15]
234. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she is aware that persons are losing out on a significant portion of their contributory pension as a result of changes implemented by her Government in 2012; her views that persons should lose out on pension entitlements because they worked part-time jobs when they were students; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13203/15]
195. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the training opportunities available to an unemployed person who has been refused participation on a community employment scheme and on SOLAS training courses, in view of the fact the person was previously self-employed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12692/15]
232. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he is aware that many persons who reside outside the country and own homes here were unaware of the introduction of the non-principal private residence tax, and yet they are now facing interest and penalties for not paying the original tax; his views that this is fair; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12540/15]
596. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Health if wireless free internet WiFi is available at University Hospital Limerick; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11401/15]
258. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Finance his views on the stated intention of the Bank of Ireland to pay dividends to its shareholders in the second half of 2016, in view of the facts that it consistently refuses to write off any secured debt for bonuses, that it repossessed 200 family homes in 2014, that it forced the sale of another 500, that it is increasing its application for repossessions and that it forced its subsidiaries' bondholders, including credit unions, to settle for as little as 1% of the value of their securities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11389/15]
161. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection when a decision will be made on an application for a jobseeker's allowance in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Dublin; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11174/15]
44. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the outcome of her officials' discussion with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform on a pension plan for community employment supervisors; when they will report back, which they had previously indicated would be by January 2015; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10650/15]
588. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to ensure all public transport services are put out to tender; if it will be covered by the free travel scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5023/15]
303. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Justice and Equality when a decision will be made by the Garda vetting office regarding an application for a contractor's licence (details supplied) in County Limerick; the reason for the delay; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9883/15]
40. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection her response to the proposal by the National Youth Council to double JobBridge payments; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9122/15]
31. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the measures she is putting in place to tackle food poverty; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9126/15]
30. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection her targets for expenditure on social protection, as a proportion of gross domestic product; the latest figures for Irish expenditure on that matrix; the way it compares to the European Union average; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9124/15]
18. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection when she will bring forward proposals for a new supplementary workplace retirement saving scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9123/15]
15. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection her views on her Department's recent report, which states that better-off families are set to be the main beneficiaries of budget 2015; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9125/15]
4. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection her views that the F grade for the Government in the area of child poverty in the 2015 report card of the Children's Rights Alliance is a fair assessment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9403/15]
1. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection her plans to postpone the proposed changes to lone parent payments; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9402/15]
61. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Finance if he will provide a report which outlines the cost to the Exchequer of providing a €6,000 housing cost tax credit; his views that the housing cost tax credit should be assigned to any person who in providing a principal private residence for them, or their family, has engaged in a lease or mortgage; that this housing cost tax credit would replace the current mortgage interest relief scheme and remaining claims for tax relief on rent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8579/15]
48. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will provide a report outlining the cost of increasing the current assistance rate to an employer to employ a person in the JobsPlus scheme, to a rate which would provide each employer with a subsidy of 70% of the minimum wage, for 37.5 hours per week, for each employee, for a period of 18 months; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8578/15]
186. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the funding available from the case officers in the Intreo offices for all courses, for example, fork-lift training, Further Education and Training Awards Council, FETAC, courses and so on; and if any of this training, being funded, is subject to having a job secured, prior to funding being approved. [7843/15]
191. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if an exception will be made in respect of an application for a jobseeker's allowance from a person (details supplied) in Dublin 22, as the reason the claim was closed was due to dockets being submitted late, even though her Department was informed that the dockets would not always be on time from the employer; if the original claim will be re-opened, or if the new claim will be expedited; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6838/15]
97. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform further to Parliamentary Question No. 258 of 16 December 2014, if any provisions or exceptions will be provided to public service workers who were on long-term illness leave, more than a year prior to the new illness scheme being introduced, in view of the fact that the look-back period is four years, and as a result, these workers now have no entitlement to sickness allowance for the coming year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6547/15]
33. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection her views on the relaxation of the current time limits and capping rules, placed on participants of community employment schemes, who are a year off retirement; if she will grant these participants a special exemption to allow them to work until they are 66 years of age; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6231/15]
51. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection her plans to reverse the proposed changes to the one-parent family payment which will take effect in July 2015; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4915/15]
42. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will provide the latest statistics for the long-term unemployed here; if she is satisfied with the current impact of labour activation matters in her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4914/15]
31. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will review the caps currently in place on the rent supplement scheme; if she will provide an update on the HAP scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4912/15]
21. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection her views on recent IMF commentary on the issues surrounding child benefit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4913/15]