Dáil Éireann

Written answers

Some recent written answers

Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Meteorological Services (5 December 2019)

Willie Penrose:

417. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the estimated full-year cost of recruiting six extra full-time meteorologists and six extra full-time meteorological posts in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50949/19]

Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Small and Medium Enterprises (3 December 2019)

Tom Neville:

54. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the status of the development of a new SME and entrepreneurship strategy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50117/19]

Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Procurement Regulations (3 December 2019)

Robert Troy:

162. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his views on the recommendations in a report (details supplied) with regard to improving SME access to public procurement contracts; if his officials examined the proposal; and the findings of same. [50027/19]

Department of Health: Services for People with Disabilities (5 December 2019)

Margaret Murphy O'Mahony:

269. To ask the Minister for Health the number of residential places for persons with a disability being provided at the end of November 2019 or the latest date available by CHO area, in tabular form. [50981/19]

Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy (3 December 2019)

Martin Heydon:

616. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government his plans to have an annual review of the regional spatial and economic strategy for the eastern and midlands area to allow for changes and additional inclusions into the strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49985/19]

Department of Education and Skills: Schools Refurbishment (3 December 2019)

John Lahart:

193. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the nature of works being carried out on a school (details supplied); the timeline for completion of the works; if he is satisfied that the level of works being carried out at the school is safe while the school is open; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49814/19]

Department of Finance: Central Bank of Ireland Staff (28 November 2019)

Michael McGrath:

87. To ask the Minister for Finance the number of employees in the Central Bank dedicated to international financial services, including the funds and asset management industries; the number of open vacancies in the area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49674/19]

Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Fuel Allowance Eligibility (3 December 2019)

Brendan Griffin:

569. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the reason a person (details supplied) in County Kerry on disability allowance and who was in receipt of fuel allowance for 2018-2019 did not receive it automatically for 2019-2020 and had to make a new application resulting in losing the fuel allowance payment for one month; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49833/19]

Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Mica Redress Scheme (3 December 2019)

Charlie McConalogue:

615. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will ensure that lenders support homeowners that are affected by mica to access the 10% finance needed for the redress scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49984/19]

Department of Defence: Defence Forces Transport (5 December 2019)

Willie Penrose:

50. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the number of armoured logistics vehicles purchased for the Defence Forces in each of the years 2017, 2018 and to date in 2019, in tabular form; if extra armoured logistics vehicles will be purchased in 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50951/19]

Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Departmental Expenditure (28 November 2019)

Barry Cowen:

134. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the amount spent by her Department and each agency under the aegis of her Department on the National Ploughing Championships in each of the years 2016 to 2018 and to date in 2019, by online advertising, offline advertising, promotional material, wages, photography, stand rental and other costs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49533/19]

Department of Health: Community Pharmacy Services (3 December 2019)

Seán Haughey:

380. To ask the Minister for Health if he will unwind FEMPI cuts to pharmacy fees; if he will reconsider the cuts to pharmacy funding due to be introduced on 1 January 2020; if he will commence negotiations on a new pharmacy contract; if he will invest in improved pharmacy services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49956/19]

Department of Health: Cross-Border Health Services Provision (3 December 2019)

Stephen Donnelly:

435. To ask the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the fact that only a fraction of the cost of medical procedures is being refunded to patients who have surgery carried out under the cross border directive such as in the case of a patient (details supplied) in County Galway; if this partial refund is a new policy direction; if not, the steps that can be taken by patients to recover their out of pocket spending; if there are other medical schemes that can help patients in this situation including but not limited to the National Treatment Purchase Fund, NTPF, treatment abroad scheme and so on; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50299/19]

Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homelessness Strategy (4 December 2019)

Darragh O'Brien:

263. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the status of plans to strengthen the existing housing-led approach in Dublin and extend it to other urban areas focusing on persistent rough sleepers and long-term homeless households. [50517/19]

Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Public Transport Expenditure (4 December 2019)

Catherine Martin:

207. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the planned expenditure in each of the next five years for new projects in public transport (details supplied); and the definition of new roads used in the statement, for example, if it includes the widening of existing roads. [50525/19]

Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Boards (3 December 2019)

Michael Harty:

211. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated cost in capital or rental terms and the staffing costs to establish and maintain on a yearly basis the payroll shared services centre for the education and training boards in Blanchardstown, Dublin 15; if the facility will be operated through central funding only; if not, the alternative funding mechanism to be deployed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49950/19]

Department of Justice and Equality: Immigration Status (3 December 2019)

Paul Murphy:

250. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the reason for the two-year delay for a review by the INIS of the EU treaty rights of a person (details supplied) who has applied for citizenship. [49690/19]

Department of Health: Services for People with Disabilities (3 December 2019)

Maureen O'Sullivan:

321. To ask the Minister for Health if funding will be secured to enable the work of the national platform of self-advocates to continue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49695/19]

Department of Health: Occupational Therapy Provision (3 December 2019)

Ruth Coppinger:

430. To ask the Minister for Health if an increase in occupational therapy services will be provided for school age children attending a school (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50273/19]

Department of Health: Disability Support Services (5 December 2019)

Margaret Murphy O'Mahony:

267. To ask the Minister for Health the number of persons with disabilities in receipt of home support hours in each LHO area at the end of November 2019 or the latest date available; the number of persons on the waiting list for same in each LHO area; and the number waiting 0 to three, three to six, six to 12 and more than 12 months, respectively, in tabular form. [50979/19]