Written answers
Thursday, 7 October 2021
Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection
- Social Welfare Offices
9. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when in-person appointments will resume in social protection offices. [48665/21] - Social Welfare Payments
10. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will consider reviewing the reduced rate of jobseeker’s allowance for persons under 26 years of age who are... - Employment Support Services
17. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if the terms of reference of the procurement tender in relation to the request for tender of the Regional Employment Service... - Social Welfare Payments
18. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the numbers availing of parent’s leave and parent’s benefit since the extension was announced on 1 April 2021;... - Departmental Schemes
19. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the status of a review into the farm assist scheme. [47521/21] - State Pensions
20. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the specific actions her Department will be taking to address low-income farmers being locked out of State pension schemes.... - Social Welfare Payments
21. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the supports that are currently available to families with children in hospital; if consideration has been given to placing a... - Fuel Prices
24. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her plans to expand the fuel allowance given the significant increases in fuel prices. [48661/21] - Social Welfare Payments
28. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her views on increasing the disability allowance personal rate by €20 a week. [48682/21] - Public Services Card
29. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 629 of 28 July 2020, the status of the cost-benefit analysis of the public services... - EU Directives
30. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the Article in the EU Directives on Public Procurement 2014/24/EU in which it states that it is obligatory to go to public... - Covid-19 Pandemic Supports
31. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if consideration has been given to the establishment of a Covid-19 discretionary fund to assist households with heating and... - Social Welfare Payments
32. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of persons availing of the exceptional needs payment, urgent needs payment and supplementary welfare allowance... - Pensions Reform
33. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the status and timeline for the introduction of a pension auto-enrolment system; and if she will make a statement on the... - Employment Support Services
34. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her plans to establish a stakeholder forum which would include community organisations, service users, elected... - Social Welfare Payments
37. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her plans to maintain the enhanced illness benefit scheme for Covid-19; and if the scheme will be extended in circumstances in... - Arts Policy
38. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the measures that are being examined to exempt qualifying arts sector workers from unsuitable activation measures during... - Social Welfare Payments
39. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if consideration will be given to increasing the income disregard for the carer’s allowance until it is in line with... - Employment Schemes
40. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if the rural social scheme will be amended to enable participants who wish to remain on the scheme until pension age; and if... - Employment Support Services
41. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the status of the proposed privatisation of local employment services. [47684/21] - School Meals Programme
42. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of children availing of hot school meals in Fingal, County Dublin; the number nationally; and if she will make a... - Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment
43. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will reconsider the deadline for moving those in receipt of €203 on the pandemic unemployment payment to the... - Employment Support Services
44. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the work her Department plans to carry out with employers in order to match persons currently on the live register or on the... - Social Welfare Payments
45. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her views on whether persons on illness benefit should be included in the fuel allowance scheme. [48535/21] - Community Employment Schemes
50. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the steps she is taking to ensure that Tús and community employment places on schemes are filled; and if she will make a... - Departmental Policies
51. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the way the universal basic income payment will be distinguished from a working age payment that is also being discussed; and... - Departmental Data
52. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of persons availing of the fuel allowance per main qualifying payment in tabular form; and if she will make a... - Community Welfare Services
53. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to the low morale that exists amongst community welfare officers due to the increased workload... - Departmental Data
55. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of persons who have signed off from the pandemic unemployment payment in County Louth since the peak of claims in... - Social Welfare Inspections
57. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to the absence of statistical data on the use of site visits including home visits by social... - Employment Schemes
58. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the status of the take-up of the additional 3,000 places for employment support schemes announced as part of the 2020 July... - Departmental Data
59. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of persons in receipt of a pandemic unemployment payment who have transferred to the work placement experience... - Employment Schemes
60. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if the new local employment schemes contract will cater for walk-ins; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48612/21] - Departmental Policies
62. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the status of the implementation of the Roadmap for Social Inclusion 2020-2025; and if she will make a statement on the... - Pension Provisions
63. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the up-to-date position in relation to the provision of pensions for community employment supervisors; and if she will make a... - Care Services
65. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her plans to acknowledge the significant burden on carers throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. [48660/21] - Employment Support Services
66. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the EU directive or regulation on public procurement that requires the dismantling of the current local employment services... - Rural Schemes
67. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will ensure that self-employed fishermen and women who crew fishing vessels but who do not meet the current criteria... - Employment Support Services
68. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the measures in place or planned to support groups facing additional challenges accessing work such as lone parents, persons... - Departmental Data
70. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of persons under 25 years of age in receipt of the pandemic unemployment payment in County Mayo; the number... - Rural Schemes
72. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will consider removing a rule in relation to the rural social scheme (details supplied); her views on the adequacy of... - Employment Support Services
73. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the detail of the changes to community employment service criteria; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48634/21] - School Meals Programme
74. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will commit to providing a hot school meal for every DEIS school in Budget 2022; and if she will make a statement on... - Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment
76. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the position regarding the number of persons currently in receipt of the pandemic unemployment payment in County Wicklow; the... - State Pensions
77. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the status of the commitment to benchmark pension rates in the Roadmap for Social Inclusion 2020-2025; and if she will make a... - Employment Schemes
78. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if the new local employment scheme contract will take account of current providers that experience issues with cash flow; and... - Employment Support Services
80. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the measures in place to improve employment opportunities for persons with disabilities; and if she will make a statement on... - Employment Schemes
81. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she has assessed the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on persons who have been supported under the back to work enterprise... - Social Welfare Payments
85. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will remove PhD stipends and scholarship awards for PhDs from means-tested social welfare payments as she has already... - Employment Support Services
86. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will ensure that employees about to finish their Covid-19 related payment have ready access to an alternative payment... - EU Directives
87. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the specific clauses her Department is quoting from under the EU directive in regard to the public tendering process for local... - Departmental Policies
90. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she has examined the report of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection and Rural and Community Development... - Rural Schemes
91. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will remove the six-year cap on participation on the rural social scheme; and if she will make a statement on the... - State Pensions
92. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if there will be an increase in the old age pension in budget 2022 given rising living costs; and if she will make a statement... - Social Welfare Payments
94. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if there will be a review of the rates of payment for the parent’s leave and benefit scheme to ensure that parents can... - Departmental Priorities
106. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth when he will publish the national action plan against racism. [48559/21] - Asylum Seekers
107. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth when an independent inspection regime of accommodation centres for asylum applicants will be established. [48557/21] - Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries
108. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will facilitate subject access requests from survivors seeking personal information from the archive of... - Child Protection
111. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if his attention has been brought to recent reports which raise concerns about child protection and governance... - Departmental Correspondence
112. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if Cork City Council has presented her with the results of an accessibility audit undertaken in the city and if... - Domestic Violence
113. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth further to Parliamentary Question No. 69 of 6 July 2021, the status of the strategic review by Tusla of... - Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries
114. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth when he will publish the Government’s plans for a restorative recognition scheme for survivors of mother... - Early Childhood Care and Education
116. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth his views on the current status of the Childminding Action Plan considering the crisis in capacity within the... - Direct Provision System
117. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth when it is expected that HIQA will commence inspection of direct provision accommodation; and if he will make a... - Youth Services
120. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if his attention has been drawn to the adverse effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on young people and youth... - Early Childhood Care and Education
121. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the progress in developing proposals for an agency which would drive the development of early childhood... - Childcare Services
123. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the measures that are being taken to address the staff shortage issues in childcare facilities; and if he will... - Departmental Funding
124. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the steps he will take to increase the funding and resources for services combating gender-based violence and... - Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries
125. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the steps he has taken to progress a thorough investigation of the grounds at the former Bessborough Mother and... - Medical Cards
126. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will provide an update on the work undertaken to date to fulfil obligations arising from an amendment to... - Early Childhood Care and Education
127. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if it is proposed to expand the capital grant scheme for the provision of upgraded and or additional childcare... - Departmental Reviews
128. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth his views on a recommendation in a report by an adoptee organisation (details supplied). [48685/21] - International Protection
129. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the progress that has been made implementing the Report of the Advisory Group on the Provision of Support... - Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries
130. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth further to Parliamentary Question No. 1237 of 27 July 2021, the status of the report of the interdepartmental... - Direct Provision System
133. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the steps he is taking to take children out of the direct provision system; and if he will make a statement on... - Childcare Services
134. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the status of the current review into the national childcare system; the expected timeframe for completion of... - Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries
136. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth when the redress scheme for survivors of mother and baby homes to applications will be opened. [48558/21] - Departmental Policies
137. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the progress on the successor to the Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures: the National Policy Framework for... - Special Educational Needs
138. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth his plans to increase specialist supports for children with additional needs attending afterschool services; and... - Childcare Services
139. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth his proposals to ensure that childcare providers have the resources to pay adequate wages to staff in childcare... - Third Level Admissions
141. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if his attention has been drawn to the barriers faced by persons within the naturalisation process in accessing... - Childcare Services
142. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he has considered greatly expanding the role of the county childcare committees in order that they could... - Early Childhood Care and Education
143. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the status of work by the expert group established in September 2019 to develop a new funding model for ELC and... - Parental Leave
145. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if it is the policy of his Department to extend parent’s leave in 2022 and in subsequent years; the final... - Domestic Violence
146. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if a commitment will be given to increase the number of domestic violence refuge spaces above the current... - Medical Records
147. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if it is the case that some survivors submitting subject access request applications for their records are being... - Child Protection
149. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the extent to which reports relating to children at risk have been updated during the lockdown; the extent to... - Departmental Priorities
150. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the way his Department is assisting Youth Climate Justice efforts; and if he will make a statement on the... - Childcare Services
151. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the steps he is taking to ensure that childcare is affordable and accessible to all families; and if he will... - Early Childhood Care and Education
152. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if there are plans to alter the eligibility for the ECCE scheme given the cut-off dates currently set as part of... - Direct Provision System
153. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth further to Parliamentary Question No. 253 of 3 December 2020, the reason the latest inspection report on the... - Departmental Policies
154. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the way in which his Department supports play and play facilities nationally; and if he will make a statement on... - Asylum Seekers
155. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the status of commitments to transfer unaccompanied minors to Ireland as refugees; and if he will make a... - Departmental Data
156. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the results of the survey of providers and parents and the data gathered in respect of the review of the... - Direct Provision System
157. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the status of the process to end the direct provision system. [48683/21] - Departmental Reports
158. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the status of the work of the Anti-Racism Committee; when he expects the final report to be published; the... - Domestic Violence
160. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the development of proposals to provide a statutory entitlement to domestic violence leave; and if he will make... - Divorce Process
161. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will liaise with the Minister for Justice on the matter of some section 47 assessments and reports given... - Departmental Policies
163. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth when he intends to publish the review into the national childcare scheme; the way he plans to implement the... - Child Protection
165. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the extent to which his Department continues to monitor the treatment of children in residential care or... - Departmental Data
166. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the total allocation in 2021 for the childcare capital grant scheme; the projected drawdown of this funding by... - Early Childhood Care and Education
167. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth his plans to expand autism specific services in the early years sector; and if he will make a statement on the... - Youth Services
168. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the amount that has been provided in capital grants to support national youth organisations and local youth...
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