Parliamentary questions

Social Welfare Benefits

Kathleen Funchion

485. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost to award foster carers' entitlements to PRSI credits to recognise their contribution as carers of vulnerable children on behalf of the State; and if this cohort will qualify for the enhanced State pension in January 2024. [24719/23]

Ukraine War

Kathleen Funchion

676. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of unaccompanied Ukrainian minors that are currently in Ireland arising from the Temporary Protection Directive. [24415/23]

Ukraine War

Kathleen Funchion

677. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to set out the legal status of Ukrainian unaccompanied minors, specifically whether they are in the care of the Irish State. [24416/23]

Ukraine War

Kathleen Funchion

678. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of Ukrainian unaccompanied minors who have been allocated a designated social worker. [24417/23]

Ukraine War

Kathleen Funchion

679. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the services and supports which are available to Ukrainian unaccompanied minors. [24418/23]

Ukraine War

Kathleen Funchion

680. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the supports Ukrainian unaccompanied minors will be entitled two when they turn 18 years of age if they are not able to return to Ukraine before that date, and specifically whether they will be eligible for aftercare support available to Irish care leavers. [24419/23]

Children in Care

Kathleen Funchion

681. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the estimated cost of increasing the foster carer's basic payment by 25%. [24423/23]

Early Childhood Care and Education

Kathleen Funchion

682. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of early childhood care and education only providers, that is, providers that do not offer a service outside of ECCE provision; the amount of annual funding they received; the number of childcare providers in receipt of State funding in same; the amount of annual funding received; the number of providers in receipt of funding that do not provide ECCE; and the amount of annual funding received in 2022. [24424/23]

Early Childhood Care and Education

Kathleen Funchion

683. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of successful applicants for the building blocks improvement grant in 2021, 2022; and 2023 and the total in funding, respectively for each year. [24425/23]

Departmental Budgets

Kathleen Funchion

684. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the amount of funding that was allocated in 2022 to the national childcare scheme; and the amount of this allocation that was spent in 2022, in tabular form. [24426/23]

Departmental Budgets

Kathleen Funchion

685. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the amount it cost the State to increase the universal subsidy under the national childcare scheme from 50c to €1.40. [24427/23]

Departmental Budgets

Kathleen Funchion

686. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the amount it cost the State to increase the universal subsidy under the national childcare scheme by 25% for all recipients. [24428/23]

Childcare Services

Kathleen Funchion

687. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of community creches who rely solely on State funding. [24429/23]

Childcare Services

Kathleen Funchion

688. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the total of additional ECCE places created in 2022. [24430/23]

Childcare Services

Kathleen Funchion

689. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the total number of new early years and childcare facilities to open in 2022; and the total number of closures in 2022. [24431/23]

Childcare Services

Kathleen Funchion

690. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the total of additional 0-2-year-old baby/toddler places created in early years services in 2022, per unit. [24432/23]

Social Workers Register

Kathleen Funchion

691. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the total number of social care workers that have been promoted to social worker level in the previous five years (2018 - 2022). [24433/23]

Departmental Expenditure

Kathleen Funchion

692. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the total percentage of State spending and parental spending in 2021 and 2022 on early learning, care and school-age childcare, in tabular form. [24434/23]

Childcare Services

Kathleen Funchion

693. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the percentage of childcare agencies' income that is made up of fees. [24435/23]

Early Childhood Care and Education

Kathleen Funchion

694. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the cost of increasing the building blocks improvement grant to €100,000 from a current ceiling of €75,000. [24436/23]

Child and Family Agency

Kathleen Funchion

706. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the total spend allocated to Tusla under the third Domestic, Sexual and Gender Based Violence Strategy for capital works; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24826/23]

Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence

Kathleen Funchion

707. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the total estimated cost to build a ten room domestic violence refuge; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24827/23]

Mother and Baby Homes

Kathleen Funchion

709. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the estimated cost of a one-off payment of €10,000, €15,000 or €20,000 to the approximately 4,800 boarded-out children as part of the mother and baby homes institutional payment scheme, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24953/23]

Mother and Baby Homes

Kathleen Funchion

710. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the total estimated cost of including all 24,000 mother and baby homes survivors currently excluded from the mother and baby homes payment scheme. [24954/23]

Family Resource Centres

Kathleen Funchion

711. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the estimated cost of raising funding by 20% across the State to family resource centres. [24955/23]

Early Childhood Care and Education

Kathleen Funchion

712. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the estimated first- and full-year cost of increasing the ECCE capitation grant by 10%; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24957/23]

Childcare Services

Kathleen Funchion

713. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the estimated first- and full-year cost of increasing the affordable childcare subsidy for children under three years of age by €1 per hour; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24958/23]

Freedom of Information

Kathleen Funchion

721. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Health if he will assist a person (details supplied) to access their medical files at St. Vincent’s Hospital, Dublin. [24027/23]

Broadband Infrastructure

Kathleen Funchion

170. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications when a property owner (details supplied) will be able to avail of high-speed broadband. [22696/23]

School Accommodation

Kathleen Funchion

314. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Education if she will confirm when a school (details supplied) can expect an update on its school accommodation extension submission; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22412/23]

Social Welfare Benefits

Kathleen Funchion

446. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will consider writing off, on compassionate grounds, the debt of a person (details supplied). [22513/23]

Legislative Programme

Kathleen Funchion

485. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Justice if he will provide an update on the progress of the Family Courts Bill 2022; when he expects it to reach Committee Stage; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22419/23]

Early Childhood Care and Education

Kathleen Funchion

555. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will confirm the portion of the €259 million full-year core funding that was used to meet the ERO pay agreement for early years’ staff; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22456/23]

Early Childhood Care and Education

Kathleen Funchion

556. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will confirm the budget allocation for the early years' workforce plan 'nurturing skills: the workplace plan for early learning and care and school age childcare 2022-2028'; if he will provide an update on same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22466/23]

Public Sector Pay

Kathleen Funchion

578. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will confirm the salary scale range, including all benefits, for the grade of chief social worker. [23002/23]

Children in Care

Kathleen Funchion

250. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will confirm the number of children currently in care who do not have an allocated social worker, by county; the length of time that the children have been waiting on a social worker; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22137/23]

Child and Family Agency

Kathleen Funchion

254. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of successful family reunifications by Tusla in the five years from 2018 to 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22300/23]

Health Service Executive

Kathleen Funchion

259. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Health if he will expedite the case of a person (details supplied). [22180/23]

Child and Family Agency

Kathleen Funchion

154. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will confirm the total number of successful family reunifications facilitated by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency during its operation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21929/23]

School Accommodation

Kathleen Funchion

283. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Education if she will provide an update with regard to a school (details supplied) which in August 2022 was offered a purchase option on a six-room modular building; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21355/23]

Childcare Services

Kathleen Funchion

523. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the additional cost of increasing the universal national childcare scheme subsidy by €1 and €2, in tabular form. [21050/23]

Childcare Services

Kathleen Funchion

524. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the additional cost of increasing core funding by 50 cent, €1.00, €1.50 and €2.00 for the following early years pay grades; Educator, lead educator, graduate lead educator, duty manager, manager and graduate manager, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21051/23]

Driver Test

Kathleen Funchion

120. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Transport the reason a person (details supplied) has to wait eight months for her full driving licence test. [20832/23]

Departmental Functions

Kathleen Funchion

26. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Taoiseach to provide an update on the work of the child poverty and well-being unit within his Department. [20134/23]

Driver Test

Kathleen Funchion

101. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Transport if the case of a person (details supplied) will be resolved. [20587/23]

Official Engagements

Kathleen Funchion

119. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Finance if he spoke with the Commissioner of Internal Revenue during his recent visit to the United States. [20675/23]

Special Educational Needs

Kathleen Funchion

146. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Education the options available to a child (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20247/23]

Wind Energy Generation

Kathleen Funchion

204. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the procedure when a wind farm development goes through An Bord Pleanála for approval and not a local authority; the procedure around local residents receiving notification of planning; the timeframe for lodging an objection; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20252/23]

Health Services Staff

Kathleen Funchion

464. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Health the number of WTE paediatric speech and language therapists working in each primary care centre within CHO 5 in each of the years 2021, 2022 and to date in 2023, in tabular form. [20672/23]

Health Services Staff

Kathleen Funchion

465. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Health if he will provide a list of public health nurses operating in the relevant areas in counties Carlow and Kilkenny; the locations in which vacancies exist at present; and when these vacancies will be filled, in tabular form. [20673/23]