Questions and answers published after July 2012 can be viewed here. Viewing by Government Department is possible by term or specific dates from March 2016 onwards. Written answers are published as received from departments. To see parliamentary questions published before July 2012, search in Dáil debates.
Questions and answers for Dáil or Seanad term
Page 22 of 22
Tue, 31 Jan 2017
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Child Care Services
Kathleen Funchion
779. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if her attention has been drawn to the recent announcement in budget 2017, that Garda vetted, first aid trained and tax compliant child minders are unregistered and thereby excluded from budget 2017, could be a breach of EU competition laws for the Government by funding one mode of child care business, which is centre based, to the detriment of other businesses in this sector, such as professional child minders and by creating a market dominance and a monopoly for centre based child care businesses. [4426/17]
Wed, 25 Jan 2017
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Child Care Services Funding
Kathleen Funchion
291. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the reason for the delay from her Department regarding the issuing of transitional funding to support the impact to community child care services regarding the exclusion of community employment trainees, without level 5 qualification, from adult-child ratios; if her attention has been drawn to the impact this has on the sustainability of the community child care sector; and if her Department will be focusing on such issues when tackling potential sustainability challenges in the development of the single affordable childcare programme. [3353/17]
Wed, 25 Jan 2017
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Early Childhood Care and Education
Kathleen Funchion
293. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the details of and terms of reference for the cross-Border early childhood care and education consortia; and the way in which a person can apply for access to them. [3458/17]
Tue, 17 Jan 2017
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Early Years Strategy Implementation
Kathleen Funchion
1674. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the measures in place for the potential fallout from the implementation of new guidelines for crèches that will cause huge difficulties for the staffing of services and that will commence as of 1 January 2017, when the new guidelines are proposed to come into effect; if her attention has been drawn to the crisis in the early years sector in which providers are facing being unable to hire new staff with the required level of qualifications in January 2017; the system being put in place to assist these providers whose employees are either currently upskilling and therefore unable to continue with full-time work at their crèches or have not yet commenced the upskilling process; and if she will make any exceptions for those that have been working with particular services for many years, in order for their experience to count towards the new qualification requirements. [41235/16]
Tue, 17 Jan 2017
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Garda Vetting Applications
Kathleen Funchion
1675. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her plans to address the length of time it takes early years services to get Garda clearance for hiring new staff; if her attention has been drawn to the fact that it often has little to do with the actual process and is in fact more to do with a backlog; and if her Department is researching any new options that will relieve this backlog and speed up the process in order that services are not left with a shortage of staff which in turn affects the sustainability of the whole service and the children in it. [41236/16]
Tue, 17 Jan 2017
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Defence Forces
Kathleen Funchion
1721. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the reason the small Army contingent currently serving in Mali, Africa, is not afforded any kind of stipend towards phone call credit to be used to contact families at home while away on duty (details supplied); and his views on whether it is unacceptable that those serving in Mali who are living in isolated locations without access to Internet and Skype should have to rely on family members to call their partners and fathers at their own expense, which is high in cost at international call charges. [41234/16]
Wed, 14 Dec 2016
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Child Care Services Provision
Kathleen Funchion
31. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the steps being taken to encourage childminders to register with Tusla further to the implementation of the new single affordable child care scheme, the assistance that is being given to county child care committees to facilitate registration and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39929/16]
Wed, 14 Dec 2016
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Disability Services Funding
Kathleen Funchion
184. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Health the status of funding for a project (details supplied) in County Kilkenny; and if the HSE will be forthcoming with the initially agreed funding for the project [40324/16]
Tue, 13 Dec 2016
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Long-Term Illness Scheme Coverage
Kathleen Funchion
460. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the new technology for young children with diabetes, the FreeStyle Libre (details supplied); if he will consider investing in this technology to improve blood sugar control in young diabetics; and if he and the HSE will consider approving the freestyle libre on the long-term illness scheme. [39747/16]
Wed, 23 Nov 2016
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School Transport Review
Kathleen Funchion
85. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of the review of the school transport scheme; and if his Department will consider increasing funding to the scheme, in line with a recommendation by a charity (details supplied), by €5 million, resulting in an abolition of fees for parents. [36469/16]
Wed, 23 Nov 2016
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Addiction Treatment Services
Kathleen Funchion
182. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Health the existing drug addiction facilities in County Carlow, specifically around support and follow-up care for addicts who have recently completed rehabilitation programmes. [36468/16]
Tue, 25 Oct 2016
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Hospital Services
Kathleen Funchion
459. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Health the reason, after spending over €12 million on renovations to Our Lady's Hospital, Cashel, County Tipperary, wards are sitting idle with the hospital not running at full capacity; and if this was due to the elevator size as the elevator is incapable of transporting a hospital bed in accordance with HIQA regulations. [31897/16]
Thu, 13 Oct 2016
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School Transport Expenditure
Kathleen Funchion
46. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of the review of the school transport scheme; and if his Department will consider increasing funding to the scheme in line with a recommendation by a charity (details supplied) of €5 million resulting in an abolition of fees for parents. [30045/16]
Thu, 13 Oct 2016
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School Completion Programme
Kathleen Funchion
177. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of schools in receipt of funding for the school completion programme; the total amount of funding allocated from her Department for the school completion programme; and the amount by which the total amount of funding has been cut in 2016. [30053/16]
Thu, 13 Oct 2016
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Child Care Services
Kathleen Funchion
178. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the status of the childminding advisory service; and her plans to reinstate it in view of the need for regulation of the childminding sector. [30054/16]
Thu, 13 Oct 2016
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Child Care Services
Kathleen Funchion
179. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her plans for the regulation of the growing childminding sector. [30055/16]
Tue, 11 Oct 2016
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Hospital Facilities
Kathleen Funchion
377. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Health when the Wexford dialysis unit will be open in view of the pre-election promise to provide a facility; if Wexford County Council blocked planning permission for the Wexford dialysis unit; and, if so, the legislation under which this was permitted. [29343/16]
Tue, 11 Oct 2016
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Hospital Facilities
Kathleen Funchion
378. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Health the amount it is costing to transport patients from County Wexford to Waterford University Hospital and Dublin hospitals for kidney dialysis every week. [29344/16]
Tue, 11 Oct 2016
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Bus Services
Kathleen Funchion
582. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the reason the bus service (details supplied) from Callan, County Kilkenny, to Carrick-on-Suir, County Tipperary, has discontinued; his plans to provide an alternative service. [29391/16]
Fri, 16 Sep 2016
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Departmental Funding
Kathleen Funchion
1640. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the amount Inland Fisheries Ireland receives from the Government every year; and if it allocates the moneys on a river by river basis. [25267/16]
Fri, 16 Sep 2016
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Departmental Communications
Kathleen Funchion
1679. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the reason the HSE and other Government bodies are using telephone numbers which are not free phone or low call that is 0818 or 1890 numbers for public queries; the reason they are not instead supplying local call numbers for the public; his views on whether it is unfair to place these high phone call costs on members of the public who could already be under financial strain; and the companies employed by these Government bodies to administer these calls. [25268/16]
Fri, 16 Sep 2016
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Early Childhood Care and Education Expenditure
Kathleen Funchion
1913. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the estimated cost of making reforms (details supplied) to the ECCE scheme. [24529/16]
Thu, 21 Jul 2016
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Early Years Strategy Implementation
Kathleen Funchion
16. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her plans for early years in detail and timeline for the implementation of the early years strategy on a yearly basis. [23035/16]
Thu, 21 Jul 2016
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Child Care Services
Kathleen Funchion
23. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her plans for the reinstatement of the child minding advisory service. [23036/16]
Wed, 13 Jul 2016
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General Medical Services Scheme
Kathleen Funchion
183. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Health the action the Health Service Executive took in respect of a centre (details supplied) where patients covered by the medical card scheme are still being charged €10 for routine blood tests, given that the Minister of State at his Department previously stated that it was not acceptable for such patients and patients covered under the general practitioner-visit card scheme to be charged for procedures associated with routine diagnosis and treatment. [21438/16]
Wed, 6 Jul 2016
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Child Care Services Regulation
Kathleen Funchion
267. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she has considered reinstating the child minding advisory service and developing a national approach; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19935/16]
Tue, 14 Jun 2016
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Employment Rights
Kathleen Funchion
644. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her plans to introduce guidelines to protect child care workers in sporadic employment. [14842/16]
Tue, 14 Jun 2016
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Company Closures
Kathleen Funchion
645. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she is aware that the rehabilitation facility in County Kilkenny is to close on 30 June 2016; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15984/16]
Tue, 14 Jun 2016
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Early Childhood Care and Education
Kathleen Funchion
646. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she is aware of the community child care facilities in County Clare that closed without notice in February 2016; the compensation measures she has put in place to assist children who have now missed out on their early childhood care and education scheme year as a result; and the status in this regard. [15985/16]
Thu, 9 Jun 2016
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Community Childcare Subvention Programme
Kathleen Funchion
35. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the strategy in place to extend the community childcare subvention programme to those who are most in need of it; her plans to expand the numbers who can avail of the scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14843/16]
Thu, 9 Jun 2016
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Departmental Agencies Board Appointments
Kathleen Funchion
242. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her plans to fill the two vacant positions on the Board of Tusla, the Child and Family Agency; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15193/16]
Thu, 2 Jun 2016
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Traveller Community
Kathleen Funchion
29. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Health his plans to support the extension of the Traveller primary health care teams. [13724/16]
Thu, 2 Jun 2016
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Mental Health Awareness
Kathleen Funchion
44. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Health his plans to roll out a programme of mental health awareness training for general practitioners and other general health workers so that they are better equipped to assist persons in mental distress who are seeking referral or advice on their care. [13725/16]
Thu, 2 Jun 2016
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State Pensions Reform
Kathleen Funchion
196. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Social Protection to consider re-instating the supplementary State transition pension payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14039/16]
Tue, 31 May 2016
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Road Safety
Kathleen Funchion
191. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality how many companies have expressed an interest in the new speed camera contract; the amount the new contract is worth; and the number of hours per worker, per month, required in the new contract. [12817/16]
Tue, 31 May 2016
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Courts Service
Kathleen Funchion
192. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the mileage a company (details supplied) is claiming from the State for its workers attending court; and the rate of pay it is claiming for workers going to court. [12818/16]
Tue, 31 May 2016
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Mental Health Services Funding
Kathleen Funchion
631. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost of providing a full child and adult mental health services programme and team for each county. [12954/16]
Thu, 14 Apr 2016
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School Closures
Kathleen Funchion
686. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she is aware that a school (details supplied) in County Carlow is set to close; that the school was recently renovated two years ago; that it has an extremely important autism spectrum disorder unit; that parents and members of the community were not consulted on the closure; and if she will meet the parent's association to discuss this urgent issue. [6559/16]