Dáil Éireann

Written answers

Some recent written answers

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (25 April 2024)

Niamh Smyth:

118. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to expedite a passport application by a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18663/24]

Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (30 April 2024)

Neasa Hourigan:

474. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the rationale for the conditions for the PRSI contributions for the benefit payment for 65-year-olds; the reason a person would not be eligible for the benefit payment at 65 years old, even if they are eligible and have made enough PRSI payments to qualify for the State pension a year later; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19518/24]

Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Schemes (2 May 2024)

Éamon Ó Cuív:

323. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development whether new expressions of interest are being accepted at present by her Department for the community services project scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20035/24]

Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (30 April 2024)

Catherine Murphy:

443. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of applications for State pension (contributory) that were refused by her Department in each month of 2023 and to-date in 2024, in tabular form. [18899/24]

Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Rail Network (25 April 2024)

Martin Kenny:

145. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport for an update on the circa €2 billion investment in the DART expansion programme, including electrification of services to Drogheda, Celbridge/Hazelhatch, Maynooth and M3 Parkway, hybrid-electric fleet expansion and new interchange stations with bus, LUAS and Metro networks as outlined in the National Development Plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18491/24]

Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (30 April 2024)

Noel Grealish:

424. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will consider allowing local authority houses acquired under the Part V planning process to be sold to tenants under the tenant incremental purchase scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19439/24]

Department of Health: Hospital Services (30 April 2024)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn:

737. To ask the Minister for Health if he will support and implement the call from a group (details supplied) for a consultant neurology service to be based in Letterkenny University Hospital.; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19466/24]

Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Disability Diagnoses (25 April 2024)

Mark Ward:

282. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the list of recognised disabilities under the Disability Act 2005; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18494/24]

Department of Health: Cancer Services (2 May 2024)

Duncan Smith:

34. To ask the Minister for Health if he will commit to funding the National Cancer strategy in full in Budget 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19397/24]

Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Projects (30 April 2024)

Brendan Griffin:

207. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if traffic-calming measures will be installed at a location in County Kerry (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19044/24]

Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (30 April 2024)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin:

308. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if her Department will consider allowing teachers previously registered with the Teaching Council to make an application for incremental credit assessment before they have obtained a teaching job (details supplied). [19036/24]

Department of Education and Skills: Dental Services (2 May 2024)

Brendan Howlin:

318. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills in relation to the proposed expansion in the number of dentists to be trained in Ireland, if he will set out the optimum number he believes should be catered for annually in third level colleges in Ireland; his plans to expand the number of dentistry places available at University College Cork and Trinity College Dublin; the plans he has to provide a new dental school and hospital at UCC; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19910/24]

Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Welfare (25 April 2024)

Réada Cronin:

264. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the State will instigate/increase funding for animal refuges and rescues that are facing spiralling admissions due to a serious increase in the surrender of pets because of the housing crisis and emigration, the abandonment of companion animals due to the cost of living, the extreme and ongoing neglect of horses and the huge costs to those same refuges in facilities, vet services, pet food and hay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18613/24]

Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (25 April 2024)

Frank Feighan:

200. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when the minor works grant for primary schools will be paid. [18582/24]

Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (30 April 2024)

Seán Crowe:

297. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills whether there are plans for an ASD unit to be put in place at a school (details supplied) given its size and the present demand for such services. [18983/24]

Department of Health: Budget 2024 (30 April 2024)

Bernard Durkan:

636. To ask the Minister for Health for an itemised list of exactly how the additional €10 million allocated to mental health in Budget 2024 will be spent, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18794/24]

Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Active Travel (25 April 2024)

Martin Kenny:

133. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport for an update on the comprehensive urban cycling and walking network for metropolitan areas, including 200km of cycle lanes under BusConnects; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18455/24]

Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Rail Network (1 May 2024)

Alan Kelly:

114. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the budget allocation in 2024 by Iarnród Éireann on personnel security within its stations and on its trains; and the percentage of the 2023 security budget allocation that was actually spent, in tabular form. [19804/24]

Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Network (30 April 2024)

Niamh Smyth:

192. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the measures his Department is taking to allocate further funding to Cavan and Monaghan County Councils and throughout the country, given the dire state of Ireland’s minor and local road network; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18820/24]

Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (30 April 2024)

Eoin Ó Broin:

416. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the average all in cost to the Exchequer for social housing acquisitions purchased in 2023 with a breakdown, by local authority with the number of acquisitions and the average cost in each local authority area. [19303/24]