Broughan, Thomas P.

Budget Statement 2019 (Continued)

At the outset, I wish to acknowledge the sterling work and reports of the Committee on Budgetary Oversight and the Parliamentary Budget Office during the year.

This budget was framed against a background of several challenges, such as the impact of a possible hard Brexit, trying to keep an open border with the North, President Trump's "America First" po...

As I indicated several times to the Minister for Finance at the Committee on Budgetary Oversight, despite the recent surge in corporation tax I still believe the introduction of the rainy day fun...

Last week, I delivered my pre-budget submission to the Minister, entitled "A Budget for All Our People". The key expenditures I outlined cost €3.4 billion to €3.5 billion. The necessary revenue...

For years I have been calling on the Government to declare a housing emergency and introduce emergency legislation along the lines of FEMPI, but for housing. However, the housing package announc...

I am a member of the informal Oireachtas group on disability. I urged the Government to introduce a €20 per week cost of disability payment but all we got today was a commitment from the Ministe...

As with housing, the Government’s response to the ongoing crisis in the health sector has been incredibly lacklustre. Lengthy waiting lists of over 700,000 have become the norm as citizens langu...

The small restoration measures for social welfare recipients and pensioners in recent budgets have been welcome, but I expected the Minister to go a little further today with perhaps a basic €7 p...

When the teacher unions and teacher constituents contacted me over the past year, their key demands were pay equality, lower pupil-teacher ratios, increased capitation rates and restored necessar...

The current and capital education budget increases amount to just under €500 million and they do little but address the demographic needs of our population. For example, only €4 million will be pr...

The Revenue Commissioners' statistics and economic research branch provided information on income, USC and other key tax changes which could have been positive. I welcome the change in the stand...

International Election Monitoring

Asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade: the result of the election monitoring panel competition which closed on 20 August 2018; the number of monitors nominated; the way in which his Department will conduct competitions in the future; an...

Vehicle Registration

Asked the Minister for Finance: the records of registration that are kept in respect of ownership of motorbikes, scramblers and other off-road vehicles; the location in which these records are kept; the agency charged with admini...

Tax Avoidance

Asked the Minister for Finance: the plans he and the Revenue Commissioners have to address the loss of tax revenue through tax avoidance schemes outlined in the Comptroller and Auditor General's annual report; and if he will make...

Asked the Minister for Finance: his views on the September 2018 annual report by the Comptroller and Auditor General, which found that a quarter of 140 high-net-worth individuals had taxable income of less than the average indust...

Tax Data

Asked the Minister for Finance: the estimated cost of all tax expenditure inclusive of the domicile levy and all other tax reliefs and credits; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Garda Station Refurbishment

Asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform: the capital works the OPW has carried out in Howth Garda station in each of the years 2016, 2017 and to date in 2018; if the OPW has further capital works planned to be carried out at the station o...

Court Orders

Asked the Minister for Justice and Equality: the number of drivers disqualified in court in each of the years 2016, 2017 and to date in 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Drugs Crime

Asked the Minister for Justice and Equality: the measures being taken to address dealing and distribution of crack cocaine, particularly in areas of Dublin and County Limerick; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Drugs in Prisons

Asked the Minister for Justice and Equality: if he will report on the use of crack cocaine among the prison population; the number of persons who have access to detox beds in the medical units of each prison in each of the years 2016, 2017 an...

Road Traffic Offences Data

Asked the Minister for Justice and Equality: the number of persons charged with selling off-road vehicles including scramblers to underage persons in each of the years 2015 to 2017 and to date in 2018; the number of persons charged with the m...

Garda Operations

Asked the Minister for Justice and Equality: the number of test purchases carried out by gardaí in the R and J districts under the Intoxicating Liquor Act 2008 in 2017 and to date in 2018, in tabular form; the frequency with which these test ...

Homeless Accommodation Provision

Asked the Minister for Health: the number of beds in homeless accommodation; if they are supported temporary accommodation, temporary emergency accommodation or other available specifically for homeless persons leaving hospital ...

Mental Health Services

Asked the Minister for Health: if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the waiting times for accessing mental health supports in Dublin 5 (details supplied) is 16 weeks; the steps he is taking in order to address the ma...

Asked the Minister for Health: the waiting times for an appointment in each of the mental health services in Dublin 5 (details supplied); the average time a patient will wait for an appointment in each of these facilities; and i...

Drug Treatment Programmes

Asked the Minister for Health: the measures being taken to address the rise in use of crack cocaine in view of the reported increase of this substance in recent years; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Addiction Treatment Services

Asked the Minister for Health: the number of detox beds available by county; the average length of time a person is waiting to access such a bed; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Medicinal Products Availability

Asked the Minister for Health: when the diet supplement Kuvan will be available to late treated adults with PKU; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Mental Health Services Staff

Asked the Minister for Health: if he will report on the lack of trained psychiatrists in the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital metabolic unit and the HSE mental health services for late treated adults with PKU; and if he w...

Home Care Packages Funding

Asked the Minister for Health: the estimated full-year cost of providing 5,000 extra home care packages; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Hospital Charges

Asked the Minister for Health: the way in which he will abolish inpatient charges for patients receiving treatment for cancer; when these charges will be abolished; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Patient Data

Asked the Minister for Health: the number of persons receiving inpatient treatment for cancer who do not qualify for a medical card and do not have private health insurance; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Fishery Harbour Centres

Asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine: if he will bring forward the fishery harbour centre (rates of charges) order Bill; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Driver Licences

Asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport: when he will address the anomaly in SI No. 129/2017 of 4 April 2017, by which the amendment to the 2002 Act under section 33 of the 2016 Act, by which a judge is only required to request a driver's...

Road Safety Authority Data

Asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport: the number of disqualified drivers that subsequently surrendered their licences to the Road Safety Authority in each of the years 2016, 2017 and to date in 2018; the number of follow-ups undertaken...

Fuel Allowance Expenditure

Asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection: the estimated full-year cost if the fuel allowance was increased by €2.50 per week; and if she will make a statement on the matter.

Emergency Accommodation Data

Asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government: the number of beds in homeless accommodation; if they are supported temporary accommodation, temporary emergency accommodation or other available specifically for young persons leaving care in each...

Asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government: the number of beds in homeless accommodation; if they are supported temporary accommodation, temporary emergency accommodation or other available specifically for persons leaving prison in each of ...

Asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government: the number of beds in homeless accommodation; if they are supported temporary accommodation, temporary emergency accommodation or other available specifically for homeless persons leaving hospital ...

Central Statistics Office Remit

Asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government: when the responsibility will be given to the Central Statistics Office for housing output data, homeless and housing figures and other statistics in this sector; and if he will make a statement on ...

Wildlife Rangers

Asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: the estimated full cost of recruiting an extra 50 full-time conservation rangers for the National Parks and Wildlife Service; and if she will make a statement on the matter.