Troy, Robert

Financial Resolution No. 1: Tobacco Products Tax (Continued)

I mentioned to my colleague, Deputy Calleary, that while I do not have a difficulty with the increase in the price of cigarettes, the amount of illegal tobacco entering the State is a major issue, ...

Financial Resolution No. 2: Stamp Duties (Continued)

Following on from the issue my colleague raised earlier, I want to add my voice to the concern that we intend to fund many of the increases announced in the budget from stamp duty. As Deputy Calle...

The Minister referred to the transitional period. With regard to people who have purchased commercial property through auctions and have paid their deposit, are those transactions covered under ...

Budget 2018

Asked the Minister for Finance: the regulatory impact assessment he has carried out prior to tax changes he plans announcing in Budget 2018.

Pupil-Teacher Ratio

Asked the Minister for Education and Skills: his views on the fact that the average class size here is now the fifth-highest in the OECD and the highest in the eurozone.

Schools Building Projects

Asked the Minister for Education and Skills: the position regarding the extension to a school (details supplied).

School Accommodation Provision

Asked the Minister for Education and Skills: the status of the prefab replacement programme for schools; and the length of time a school can expect to be waiting for inclusion in this programme.

School Costs

Asked the Minister for Education and Skills: if the cost of insurance to schools (details supplied) will be examined; and if the possibility of putting in place a national school insurance policy will also be examined.

Asked the Minister for Education and Skills: his views on whether it is equitable for small rural and older schools to pay the same insurance premium as large urban schools.

Asked the Minister for Education and Skills: if the budget allowance to schools will be increased in view of testimonials which state that parents are having to fund basic essentials such as insurance, electricity and oil.

Capitation Grants

Asked the Minister for Education and Skills: his views on whether the recent drop in capitation payments for schools from €200 to €165 is justified; and the reason for the large gap between the capitation payment received at primary and secon...

Mental Health Services

Asked the Minister for Education and Skills: if he will carry out a review of the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, CAMHS, in order to ensure that there is support in place if a child's needs cannot be met in school.

Asked the Minister for Education and Skills: his plans to tackle the shortage of behavioural therapists in some regions and the two-year waiting list experienced by students to access the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, CAMHS.

Educational Supports

Asked the Minister for Education and Skills: if he will liaise with Tusla to rectify a situation whereby a child with behavioural issues must be expelled from school in order to access more suitable services.

Asked the Minister for Education and Skills: the measures in place to support principals dealing with pupils who are misbehaving in the extreme, in some cases putting themselves or other students in danger through their behaviour.

Special Educational Needs

Asked the Minister for Education and Skills: if he will address concerns from schools regarding changes to student profiling (details supplied).

Asked the Minister for Education and Skills: his views on whether it is appropriate for a child who has had the benefit of a special needs assistant, SNA, in a national school to then go on to secondary school with no form of assistance.

Asked the Minister for Education and Skills: his plans to address the two-and-a half-year waiting list for access to a behavioural support unit at primary school level.

Asked the Minister for Education and Skills: his plans to examine the treatment of pupils diagnosed with behavioural or learning difficulties in view of the fact that in many instances a diagnosis is given after a long period of time, with no...

Teacher Recruitment

Asked the Minister for Education and Skills: his plans in place to deal with the critical shortage of substitute teachers; and his further plans to tackle the shortage of Irish language teachers in secondary schools.

Teachers' Remuneration

Asked the Minister for Education and Skills: his plans to address the imbalance in the teachers' pay scale which is seeing young graduates leave Ireland to take up more profitable positions abroad; and the timeframe for rectifying this imbala...

Schools Administration

Asked the Minister for Education and Skills: his plans to provide greater access to administration services for smaller schools that have a teaching principal (details supplied).

Asked the Minister for Education and Skills: his plans to address the shortage of middle management positions across the school system.

Asked the Minister for Education and Skills: his plans to address the level of policy change and scheme roll-out, which is having a severe effect on time management across schools.

School Funding

Asked the Minister for Education and Skills: if he has given consideration to providing funding and grants to schools in one payment either in January or at the start of the school term (details supplied).

Teacher Training Provision

Asked the Minister for Education and Skills: if he will liaise with universities to ensure that teaching qualifications which are required are prioritised by third-level institutions.

Primary Online Database

Asked the Minister for Education and Skills: if he will examine the issue whereby the pupils of a special needs school are automatically listed on the primary online database (details supplied).

School Accommodation

Asked the Minister for Education and Skills: his plans to address the design criteria for special needs facilities in schools in view of the fact in some instances classrooms are designed on a large scale and certain students may require much...

Schools Building Projects Status

Asked the Minister for Education and Skills: the status of an application (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Health Services Staff

Asked the Minister for Health: the conversations his Department has had with representatives of personal assistants or the persons whom they care for regarding the implications of the Organisation of Working Time Act 1997 on the...

Health Services Staff Data

Asked the Minister for Health: the number of personal assistant hours in County Westmeath in the past five years, in tabular form.

General Medical Services Scheme

Asked the Minister for Health: the status of the general practitioner blood tests under the medical card scheme (details supplied); the general practitioner functions that are not covered under the medical card scheme; and if he...

Hospital Appointments Delays

Asked the Minister for Health: if an appointment for a person (details supplied) will be scheduled; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

HSE Funding

Asked the Minister for Health: the status of funding within the HSE to carry out valve-replacement surgery and the purchase of replacement valves; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Respite Care Grant Applications

Asked the Minister for Health: if financial assistance will be given to a person (details supplied) to assist with respite care bills; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Dental Services Provision

Asked the Minister for Health: if dental treatment for a person (details supplied) will be expedited; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Fisheries Protection

Asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment: if he has secured the necessary funding to introduce a hardship fund for eel fishermen who have experienced severe hardship since the eel fishing ban was introduced.

Public Transport Data

Asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport: the absentee rate in Irish Rail, Bus Éireann and Dublin Bus across all divisions, for example, drivers, management, administration and mechanics for each month of the past two years, in tabular form.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport: the steps he will take to reduce greenhouse gases in view of the fact that 19.8% of 2015 greenhouse gas emissions were caused by public transport.

Electric Vehicles

Asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport: if companies will be permitted to reclaim VAT on petrol and or diesel to facilitate the purchase of hybrid and plug in hybrid cars.

Asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport: his plans to introduce free car parking, free toll and the use of certain bus lanes for electric car users.

Asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport: the percentage of all State vehicles that are hybrid or electric; and the way in which this figure compares with 2015 and 2016 and projected targets up to 2020.

Vehicle Registration

Asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport: his plans to extend the VRT grant for full hybrid vehicles beyond 31 December 2018.

Rail Services

Asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport: if he will address a matter (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Sports Capital Programme Applications

Asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport: if an application for sports capital funding by a club (details supplied) will be approved; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Child Care Services Provision

Asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs: the status of a facility (details supplied).

After-School Support Services

Asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs: if there are supports for community childcare facilities to pick up children for provision of after-school care; and if not, if she will review same.

Rent Supplement Scheme

Asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection: if an investigation will be carried out into a case (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter.