Written answers
Wednesday, 14 May 2008
- Department of Social and Family Affairs
- Departmental Applications
Question 85: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the steps she is taking to improve her Department's application processing times and overall customer service performance; and if...
- Pension Provisions
Question 86: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if she has assessed the impact of stock market losses on the robustness of pension provision; and if there are implications for...
- Social Welfare Code
Question 87: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the position regarding the lone parent reforms proposed by her; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18713/08]
- Social Welfare Benefits
Question 88: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the rationale for not paying child benefit and early childcare supplement to foster parents from the commencement of their foster...
- Social Welfare Appeals
Question 92: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs her intention to provide statutory independence to the Social Welfare Appeals Office. [18611/08]
- Pension Provisions
Question 94: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the rationale for applying the formula used to assess entitlement to a pre-1953 State pension where credits from a country with...
- Social Welfare Benefits
Question 95: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs her views on whether the top rate of maternity benefit, currently €280, is an amount that new mothers, during perhaps the most...
- National Carers Strategy
Question 98: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the progress to date on the national carers strategy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18695/08]
- Social Welfare Benefits
Question 99: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the actions she has taken on foot of the commitments in the programme for Government to examine urgently the introduction of free...
- Social Welfare Appeals
Question 102: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs when she proposes to introduce new guidelines for the habitual residence rule in view of the inconsistencies identified in...
- Services for People with Disabilities
Question 103: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs her views on the community and voluntary sector advocacy programme funded through the Citizens Information Board; her plans to...
- Personal Advocacy Service
Question 106: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the reasons for the ongoing delay with introducing a personal advocacy service; the month in 2008 when she expects it to be...
- Social Welfare Code
Question 107: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if her attention has been drawn to the developments in the area of child care since she proposed the upcoming lone parent's Bill,...
- Social Welfare Appeals
Question 109: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the extra language or translation resources she will provide to the Social Welfare Appeals Office to overcome interpretation...
- Tax Collection
Question 112: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the way she proposes to comply with the provisions of the Finance Act, 2007 in relation to the collection and transfer of landlord...
- Social Welfare Code
Question 113: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if she will review the qualifying criteria for the back to school clothing and footwear allowance in order that low income...
- Community Welfare Service
Question 115: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the discussions that have taken place between herself and the Health Service Executive in relation to the moving of community...
- Social Welfare Schemes
Question 116: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if her attention has been drawn to the Central Statistics Office's consumer price index detailed sub-indices report of March, 2008...
- Social Welfare Code
Question 118: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs her views on the recent report on One Family's New Futures Project Increasing Labour Market Outcomes for Lone Parents; and if she...
- Social Welfare Fraud
Question 119: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if her attention has been drawn to the concerns of the Social Welfare Appeals Office of the actions of deciding officers in...
- Pension Provisions
Question 121: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs her views on offering social welfare contribution credits for old age pension purposes to carers who have spent a major proportion...
- Social Welfare Benefits
Question 122: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the actions she has taken to explore the possibility of including in the household benefits package, a national waste services...
- Pension Provisions
Question 125: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the procedures in place to deal with personal queries submitted as part of the public consultation process for the Green Paper on...
- Social Insurance
Question 126: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if there are plans to withdraw funds from the social insurance fund to pay for rising unemployment costs; and if so, the amount...
- Homeless Persons
Question 127: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the consultation she has had with the Department of Health and Children and the Health Service Executive in regard to...
- International Agreements
Question 128: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number of countries with which Ireland has bilateral social welfare agreements thereby enabling some citizens to qualify for...
- Social Welfare Code
Question 130: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs when she proposes to expand the free telephone rental scheme by providing for free broadband for older people as promised in the...
- Social Welfare Benefits
Question 134: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs her plans to improve entitlements in relation to the backdating of welfare payments; and if she will bring it into line with the...
- Social Insurance
Question 135: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the way she proposes to deal with the anomalous position of the social insurance status of company directors as outlined in the...
- Personal Advocacy Service
Question 136: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the action she will take to raise awareness and understanding of advocacy among people with disabilities and service providers, in...
- Social Welfare Benefits
Question 137: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if she is satisfied that the guidelines in place for recipients of invalidity pension are sufficient; and if she will make a...
- Departmental Audits
Question 139: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if the audit by the Data Protection Commissioner of her Department's procedures for processing personal data is finalised; the...
- Department of Finance
- Disabled Drivers
Question 140: To ask the Minister for Finance if the primary medical certificate scheme in respect of Section 92 of the Finance Act 1989 and the Disabled Drivers (Tax Concessions) Regulations...
- Financial Services Regulation
Question 141: To ask the Minister for Finance if he will ensure that a maximum interest can be charged by all official money lenders and to make unofficial lending a crime punishable by a prison...
- Equal Opportunities Employment
Question 142: To ask the Minister for Finance his views on abolishing the maximum retirement age of 65 for civil servants recruited before 1 April 2004 in line with the absence of such...
- Tax Code
Question 143: To ask the Minister for Finance the sources of income in respect of which persons under the age of 18 years can obtain tax credit to relieve the tax liability which would otherwise...
- Department of Health and Children
- Nursing Homes Repayment Scheme
Question 144: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the exact calculation methods being used to determine the offers made to people under the Health (Repayment Scheme) Act 2006; and if she...
- Pharmacy Education
Question 146: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the number of training placements available in 2007 to allow pharmacy students to complete the pre-registration year; the number of same...
- General Medical Services Scheme
Question 147: To ask the Minister for Health and Children when the Health Service Executive will make payments (details supplied). [18752/08]
- Services for People with Disabilities
Question 148: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if funding will be made available to ensure a person (details supplied) in County Kerry will receive the necessary support. [18783/08]
- Hospital Services
Question 150: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if an outpatient appointment for a person (details supplied) in County Laois for 16 September 2009 at the urology outpatients department...
- Health Service Expenditure
Question 152: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the amount of funding allocated in 2008 for the hospital in the home programme to each hospital involved in the scheme; the number of...
- Health Service Allowances
Question 153: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the reason a person (details supplied) in County Cork has had their domiciliary carer's allowance withdrawn in respect of care provided...
- Ambulance Service
Question 154: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the number of ambulances operating in the greater Dublin area; the number owned by the Health Service Executive; the number owned by...
- Medical Aids and Appliances
Question 155: To ask the Minister for Health and Children when a person (details supplied) in County Clare will receive aids and appliances; and if she will make a statement on the matter....
- Controlled Drug Sales
Question 156: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if and when the sale of a drug (details supplied) will be restricted or banned in this country following the recent decision of the...
- Nursing Homes Repayment Scheme
Question 157: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the number of applications made to the nursing home repayments scheme; the number of payments made; the number of awards that have been...
- Hospital Accommodation
Question 158: To ask the Minister for Health and Children when long-stay beds will be provided for persons (details supplied) in County Mayo. [18899/08]
- Health Services
Question 159: To ask the Minister for Health and Children when the new Health Service Executive public health clinic in Balbriggan will operate to its full capacity; if her attention has been...
- Hospital Staff
Question 161: To ask the Minister for Health and Children when a reply will issue from the Health Service Executive to Parliamentary Question No. 149 of 26 February 2008. [18963/08]
- Medical Cards
Question 162: To ask the Minister for Health and Children when replies will issue from the Health Service Executive to Parliamentary Question Nos. 106 to 109 of 13 December 2007. [18964/08]
- Services for People with Disabilities
Question 163: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the position in relation to a person (details supplied) in County Wicklow who is waiting for a multidisciplinary assessment with the...
- Department of Transport
- Rural Transport Services
Question 165: To ask the Minister for Transport the progress made in regard to the commitment given in the programme for Government to greatly enhance and extend the rural transport initiative...
- Road Signage
Question 166: To ask the Minister for Transport if he plans to introduce increased road markings and visibility aids for county roads nationwide on safety grounds; and if he will make a...
- Department of Foreign Affairs
- International Travel Requirements
Question 167: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs his proposals to deal with passport requirements for entry to the Schengen area; the way he proposes to deal with differing biometric...
- Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment
- Regulatory Reform
Question 168: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the progress made in regard to the commitment given in the programme for Government to review the regulatory...
- Job Losses
Question 169: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of job losses in Waterford City and County in each of the years 2004 to 2007; and if she will make...
- Decentralisation Programme
Question 170: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the reason there is a significant delay in the decentralisation of the Health and Safety Authority to...
- Department of Social and Family Affairs
- Legislative Reform
Question 172: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if she will establish a working group to reform the law to ensure that transgendered people are given recognition by the State;...
- Social Welfare Benefits
Question 173: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if she will expand the carer's programme to facilitate payments to a wider group of carers; and if she will make a statement on...
- Social Welfare Appeals
Question 181: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if she will make arrangements to speed up the processing of social welfare appeals; and if she will make a statement on the...
- Social Welfare Benefits
Question 182: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the average time required to process an application for old age pension or similar payments; her proposals to speed up this...
- Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs
- Community Development
Question 183: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the progress made on the commitment given in the programme for Government to double funding for the CLÁR programme...
- Departmental Reports
Question 185: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the progress made on the commitment given in the programme for Government to conduct an enterprise audit to review...
- Rural Social Scheme
Question 186: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the progress made on the commitment given in the programme for Government to expand the rural social scheme to...
- Tourism Development
Question 187: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the progress made on the commitment given in the programme for Government to initiate a study in consultation with...
- Offshore Islands
Question 191: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the progress made in regard to the commitment given in the Programme for Government to complete the infrastructure...
- Tourism Development
Question 192: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the progress made in regard to the commitment given in the Programme for Government to develop the potential of...
- Community Development
Question 193: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the progress made in regard to the commitment given in the Programme for Government to change the law to enable...
- Recreational Facilities
Question 196: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the progress made in regard to the commitment given in the Programme for Government to ensure that play facilities...
- Irish Language
Question 197: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the progress made in regard to the commitment given in the Programme for Government to establish a senior officials...
- Designated Areas
Question 200: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if he has received an application from a group (details supplied), to extend the RAPID areas within their particular...
- Department of Agriculture and Food
- Fishing Industry Development
Question 201: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the operational programme for fisheries has been rejected by EU...
- Rural Environment Protection Scheme
Question 202: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will clarify whether the growing of willow crops for energy production is classified as an agricultural or forestry...
- Fisheries Industry Development
Question 203: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when grant aid programmes for aquaculture, processing and fisheries will be open to the industry to apply; when these...
- Licence Applications
Question 204: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the position regarding licensing applications on hand; the breakdown of same under the categories of the number of new...
- Fisheries Industry Development
Question 205: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the position regarding the negotiations process with the European Commission on Ireland's operational programme on fisheries...
- Sheep Sector
Question 206: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if his Department has considered the report on the sheep, lamb and goat sector in Europe (details supplied); if in this...
- Farm Inspections
Question 207: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the progress made on the issue of adequate notice to farmers for on farm cross-compliance inspections; and if he will make a...
- Sheep Sector
Question 208: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will request the European Commission to publish a price series on retail, wholesale, processor and producer prices...
- Registration of Entitlements
Question 209: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the policy of his Department and the legal basis for same regarding treatment of entitlements in circumstances where land is...
- Grant Payments
Question 210: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the position in relation to REP scheme payments due to miscanthus growers; the qualifying hectarage of miscanthus which will...
- World Trade Negotiations
Question 211: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food his proposals to address the concerns expressed in correspondence (details supplied); the proposed meetings he is seeking to...
- Department of Education and Science
- School Accommodation
Question 212: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if he will list the primary and post primary schools in County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18735/08]
- School Staffing
Question 213: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if he will review a case for a person (details supplied) in County Meath regarding a pay scale issue; and if he will make a statement...
- Schools Building Projects
Question 214: To ask the Minister for Education and Science when he will make a capital allocation for the building programme at a school (details supplied) in County Cork; when the school...
- School Management
Question 215: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if his attention has been drawn to the ongoing issues in a school (details supplied) in County Kerry regarding the teaching of...
- Pupil-Teacher Ratio
Question 216: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of primary school pupils attending schools in each county council and city council area; the number of pupils in each of...
- School Curriculum
Question 217: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the progress made in regard to the commitment given in the programme for Government to implement further changes in the Irish...
- In-service Training
Question 218: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the progress made on the commitment given in the Programme for Government to build on the provision of in-service for primary teachers...
- School Staffing
Question 219: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the progress made on the commitment given in the Programme for Government to put in place new arrangements to enable Gaelscoileanna to...
- Physical Education Facilities
Question 220: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if his attention has been drawn to the fact that his predecessor made a public commitment to the allocation of funding for a sports...
- Computerisation Programme
Question 221: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if he allocated €30,000 for the specific purchase of computers for a school (details supplied) in County Mayo for 2007; the amount...
- School Accommodation
Question 222: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the position on an application for additional funding by a school (details supplied) in County Longford, which is being examined by...
- Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform
- Residency Permits
Question 223: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the position of the residency application from a person (details supplied). [18726/08]
- Citizenship Applications
Question 225: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the position regarding citizenship in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Louth; and if he will make a...
- Residency Permits
Question 226: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the status and when a decision will be made in relation to persons (details supplied) in County Limerick; and if he will...
- Garda Stations
Question 227: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of Garda stations here which are e-mail enabled and can be contacted by citizens via e-mail; if he will list...
- Garda Investigations
Question 228: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of warrants that are outstanding in each Garda division; if he will break down the total outstanding warrants...
- Prisoner Releases
Question 230: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform further to his reply to Parliamentary Question No. 523 of 8 May 2008, the date of the decision to reject the application of...
- Licensing Laws
Question 233: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform his views on and his plans to address the contents of correspondence (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on...
- Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government
- Sport and Recreational Development
Question 234: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the progress made in regard to the commitment given in the Programme for Government to implement proposals...
- Planning Issues
Question 236: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the progress made in regard to the commitment given in the Programme for Government to set up a national...
- Community Wardens
Question 237: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the progress made in regard to the commitment given in the Programme for Government to extend the successful...
- Planning Issues
Question 238: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the progress made in regard to the commitment given in the Programme for Government to build on recent...
- Local Authority Housing
Question 240: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the status of an application by Westmeath County Council to replace and renew a significant number of houses...
- Water and Sewerage Schemes
Question 242: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his proposals to provide funding to Waterford City Council to extend the main sewerage scheme to an estate...
- Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources
- Salmon Hardship Scheme
Question 244: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the funding given to each country from the hardship fund to compensate salmon fishermen; and if he will make a...
- Telecommunications Services
Question 245: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the progress made in regard to the commitment given in the programme for Government to provide broadband on all...
- Alternative Energy Projects
Question 246: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the progress made in regard to the commitment given in the programme for Government to introduce a scheme for...
- Telecommunications Services
Question 248: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources when the enablement of broadband will be provided at an exchange (details supplied) in County Tipperary. [18750/08]
- Inland Fisheries
Question 249: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the name in respect of the years 1985 and 1995, of each of the ESB subsidiary and associate companies involved...
