Parliamentary questions

Raidió Teilifís Éireann

Brendan Griffin

19. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of staff, including total WTE positions and grade breakdowns, working in the Department's scope section; if the section is adequately staffed to undertake the work required of it in relation to examining bogus self-employment in large organisations such as RTÉ; how long she expects the RTÉ scope investigation to take to conclude; if the scope section plans to examine cases of workers at RTÉ prior to the period currently under examination by the scope section; if the scope section is currently examining or has plans to examine other State or semi-State agencies; if so, which ones; the annual budget for the scope section for each of the past five years; how many prosecutions her Department has initiated as a result of bogus self-employment cases in each of the past five years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18380/24]

Employment Rights

Brendan Griffin

28. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Social Protection what threshold needs to be cleared for an appeal to be granted by her Department’s appeals office in respect of challenges to decisions by her Department's scope section against employers in relation to findings on bogus self-employment; if applications for appeal are scrutinised, what percentage of appeal applications by employers in respect of scope decisions on bogus self-employment were granted in 2023; the average time such an appeal takes to be heard and decided upon; the number (and percentage) of appeal hearings in 2023 initiated by employers in respect of scope decisions on bogus self-employment, where the appellant subsequently did not present for the hearing; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18381/24]

Forestry Sector

Brendan Griffin

80. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he is considering the suspension of log imports from Scotland until better safeguards are in place to prevent the spread of the spruce bark beetle to this country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18348/24]

Forestry Sector

Brendan Griffin

95. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will review the regulatory factors constraining commercial forestry growth, with a view to establishing a more industry-friendly and financially incentivised sector; if such a review would examine the timelines for planting and felling licensing and plantation thresholds regarding broadleaf versus coniferous trees; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18347/24]

Broadband Infrastructure

Brendan Griffin

126. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications to provide clarification on a matter (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18530/24]

Wastewater Treatment

Brendan Griffin

214. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage for clarification on a matter (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18508/24]

Road Projects

Brendan Griffin

24. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Transport the current status of a safety improvement scheme (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18170/24]

School Staff

Brendan Griffin

72. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Education if a teacher in County Kerry (details supplied) will be granted the pre-2011 academic allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18418/24]

Tourism Funding

Brendan Griffin

77. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media her views on a matter (details supplied); if her Department will provide financial support to an organisation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18349/24]

Television Licence Fee

Brendan Griffin

79. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the latest figures regarding TV licence renewal and purchase for 2024 versus 2023; the end of year figures for same for 2023 as a whole versus 2022; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18417/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Brendan Griffin

101. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Social Protection if a decision has been made on an application for partial capacity benefit by a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18175/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Brendan Griffin

103. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Social Protection if a decision has been made on an application for child benefit by a person in County Kerry (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18182/24]

Dental Services

Brendan Griffin

164. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on the new dental contract for medical card patients; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18186/24]

Dental Services

Brendan Griffin

190. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Health the number and details of the dentists providing dental care to medical card holders in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18384/24]

Departmental Priorities

Brendan Griffin

32. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Justice her priorities for the year ahead; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17719/24]

Crime Prevention

Brendan Griffin

38. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Justice if she will consider a weapons amnesty to help take more guns and knives off the streets and generate greater awareness about knife crime in particular; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17718/24]

Teaching Council of Ireland

Brendan Griffin

299. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Education to provide clarification on a matter (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17639/24]

Teaching Qualifications

Brendan Griffin

300. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Education for clarification on a matter (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17641/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Brendan Griffin

392. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Social Protection if a decision on a rent supplement application (details supplied) by a person who had to leave the family home will be reviewed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17347/24]

Social Welfare Appeals

Brendan Griffin

413. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Social Protection if a decision has been made on an invalidity pension appeal by a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17811/24]

Immigration Status

Brendan Griffin

425. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Justice for advice and-or clarification on a matter (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17319/24]

Agriculture Schemes

Brendan Griffin

488. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a 2023 organics payment will issue to a farmer in County Kerry (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17681/24]

Medical Cards

Brendan Griffin

608. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Health if GP visit and medical card holders with underlying conditions should be charged for blood tests by their GPs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17531/24]

Broadcasting Sector

Brendan Griffin

29. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the up-to-date position on the provision of funding to safeguard the future of RTÉ; if the issue of bogus self-employment and the potential cost to the organisation of this debacle is being considered; the steps she will take in respect of other public service news and broadcasting services; her views on whether these could be dealt with separately and sooner, while the RTÉ issue continues to be examined; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17006/24]

Raidió Teilifís Éireann

Brendan Griffin

34. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the position regarding the publication of the two Government-commissioned reports pertaining to RTÉ; if she has seen either report; if so, when she received the report(s); when each will be published; if Dáil Éireann will have an opportunity to debate the reports; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17005/24]

Tourist Accommodation

Brendan Griffin

63. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment how he plans to support and compensate business owners in towns such as Killarney, County Kerry, where the displacement of tourism accommodation for use as emergency accommodation has resulted in significant reductions in footfall and consumer spending; the supports he is planning for the broader SME sector and businesses exposed to vastly increased overheads; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17023/24]

Industrial Development

Brendan Griffin

127. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if IDA Ireland still plans to proceed with providing a new advance technology facility at Kerry Technology Park in Tralee, County Kerry; the reason for the apparent lack of progress on the plan over the past four years; the current position; if the target in respect of this facility as set out in IDA Ireland's own plans will be met; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17022/24]

Road Safety

Brendan Griffin

147. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Transport the number of schools in County Kerry that applied for the safe routes to school scheme; the status of each application, in tabular form, outlining the schools whose programmes have been fully implemented, the planned completion dates, approved but no works commenced, and awaiting inclusion in the scheme; the number of schools completed to date that are classed as rural schools or are outside urban areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17238/24]

Tax Reliefs

Brendan Griffin

157. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Finance if he has been approached by the Department of Transport to consider expanding the bike-to-school provision; if so, if an anticipated cost figure has been established; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17194/24]

Flood Risk Management

Brendan Griffin

162. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform if he will provide an update on a river flooding risk (details supplied); what solutions the local authority has proposed; if his Department will provide funding for the solutions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17235/24]

Sports Funding

Brendan Griffin

196. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if there is any grant aid available for a club (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17080/24]

Vacant Properties

Brendan Griffin

225. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of applications to date in Kerry for the vacant property refurbishment grant, in tabular form; the number of approved applications; the number of pending applications; the number of drawdowns commenced and completed; the number of refusal; to provide a breakdown of applications for properties intended for rental or for owner occupation; to provide a breakdown of the lower or higher maximum grant 50/70; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17293/24]

School Meals Programme

Brendan Griffin

226. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Social Protection the up-to-date position regarding the rolling out of further hot school meals in schools in County Kerry; the number of new schools that are included in the most recent addition of schools; if she will provide a list of all schools in County Kerry now benefitting from the scheme, including the date on which the schools were approved for the programme; the number of schools in County Kerry that remain outside the programme; the number of them that expressed an interest in the programme in the most recent call; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17236/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Brendan Griffin

227. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Social Protection when an application for supplementary welfare will be processed in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17082/24]

Social Welfare Appeals

Brendan Griffin

231. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Social Protection if the practice of the Social Protection Appeals Office accepting appeals in the context of scoping decisions without grounds for those appeals being set out and-or examined will be discontinued; how frequently this practice occurred in each of the past five years; the amount of time, on average, between an appeal being lodged and a case being further decided upon; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17125/24]

Care Services

Brendan Griffin

294. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Health if a bed will be made available through emergency community support for a person in County Kerry (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17156/24]

Departmental Schemes

Brendan Griffin

319. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development how she is determining whether value for money is being achieved by local authorities through the spending of State funding and local contributions on the local improvement scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. []

Departmental Schemes

Brendan Griffin

320. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development how many audits of local authorities have taken place in relation to the spending of State funding and local contributions on the local improvement scheme; the local authorities that were audited, the years audited; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17203/24]

Departmental Schemes

Brendan Griffin

321. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if her Department has carried out price comparisons on the cost of roads being improved by different local authorities under the local improvement scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17204/24]

Departmental Schemes

Brendan Griffin

322. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if her Department has carried out price comparisons on the cost of roads being improved by local authorities under the local improvement scheme versus private contractor quotations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17205/24]

Departmental Schemes

Brendan Griffin

323. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if her Department has queried any returns from any local authorities in the past eight years under the local improvement scheme; if any further examination of drawdown and inspection has taken place; if so, the specific local authorities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17206/24]

Departmental Schemes

Brendan Griffin

324. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if her Department has identified any circumstances in local authorities where funding was drawn down under the local improvement scheme in respect of roads that were not completed at the time of drawdown; if so, if she will identify the local authorities that were involved and list each such instancy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17207/24]

Departmental Schemes

Brendan Griffin

325. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the total amount in local contributions from residents and landowners, per local authority, under the local improvement scheme since 2016, in tabular form; the number of roads improved in each of these local authority areas in the corresponding period; the total length/area of road completed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17208/24]

Departmental Schemes

Brendan Griffin

326. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the amounts sought by each local authority and subsequently granted to each local authority under the local improvement scheme for each year since 2016, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17209/24]

Departmental Schemes

Brendan Griffin

327. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development when the ORIS stream 3 funding allocations will be announced; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17237/24]

Tax Collection

Brendan Griffin

24. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Finance if he will urgently examine the situation whereby some RTÉ employees are being forced to make punitive payments to the Revenue Commissioners in respect of bogus self-employment contracts wrongly issued by their employer over many years; if settlements by RTÉ entered into with Revenue have also covered these individuals; if so, if the individuals continue to make payments to Revenue in respect of already settled cases; if, in the event that these individuals' cases were not settled by RTÉ, the reason therefor, as it would be the responsibility of the party issuing the bogus self-employment contract to do so; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17067/24]

Public Sector Pensions

Brendan Griffin

36. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Education if a person (details supplied) is on the correct rate of teacher's pension; if there is any other pension or benefit available to the person from the Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16785/24]

Tourism Schemes

Brendan Griffin

66. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media what progress has been made on commitments in the programme for Government in respect of developing a wild Atlantic walkway and a Carlingford-to-Cobh coastal route; what stage each project is at; if either is a real priority at this stage; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17068/24]

Wastewater Treatment

Brendan Griffin

70. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when a sewerage scheme will be available for a housing estate in County Kerry (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16819/24]

Social Welfare Appeals

Brendan Griffin

85. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Social Protection when a decision will be made on a carer's allowance appeal (details supplied) in respect of a person in County Kerry. [17050/24]