Written answers
Wednesday, 29 April 2015
- Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport
- Cycling Facilities Funding
10. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to make funding available to local community groups that apply for the construction of new greenways; and if he will make a...
- Rail Services
12. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport in view of the recent rise in rail transport use here, if he is satisfied that the provisions laid out in his Department’s...
- Airport Development Projects
13. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide details on the level of investment that is required to upgrade facilities at Ireland West Airport Knock; his plans to...
- Tourism Industry
14. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport in relation to the recently launched south-east tourism initiative which it was estimated could bring €950 million in tourism...
- Sale of Aer Lingus
15. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his views on the sale of the State's share in Aer Lingus, following advice from the review group on the possible sale of the shares. [16499/15]
- Dublin Bus Services
16. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he acknowledges the anxiety and worry the decision to privatise a percentage of Dublin Bus routes is causing staff of the company, and...
- Road Network
17. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the extent to which his Department continues to monitor the extent to which various major road networks, as currently constructed, are...
- Road Projects
18. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the position regarding the much needed new section of the N22 from Ballyvourney to Macroom in County Cork; and if he will make a statement...
- Public Transport Subsidies
19. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he has carried out any review with Bus Éireann and Dublin Bus to develop projections of the amount by which the Government subsidy...
- Sale of Aer Lingus
20. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if the pension issue was raised during discussions in relation to the International Airlines Group takeover bid for Aer Lingus; if not,...
- Tourism Project Funding
21. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the plans his Department has in place to develop tourist amenities at Malin Head in County Donegal; the level of funding that his...
- Sports Capital Programme Administration
22. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the criteria employed for deciding upon the allocation of funding provided through the sports capital grant programme; if he is satisfied...
- Public Transport Initiatives
23. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport when a decision will be taken with regard to the best route and infrastructure option in connecting Dublin city with Dublin Airport; his...
- Public Transport
24. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to work with public transport companies to help stamp out racism on their services. [16511/15]
- Dublin Bus Services
25. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he supports the privatisation of 10% of Dublin Bus routes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16500/15]
- Road Projects Status
26. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the position regarding the much needed Adare bypass; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16441/15]
- Roads Maintenance Funding
28. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport in view of the absolute carnage Irish Water is creating on the roads in County Waterford while installing water meters, if his Department...
- Airport Promotion
29. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the overall revenue spent by his Department and any and all Government agencies, for each of the past five years, on marketing new routes...
- Sports Capital Programme Administration
30. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport in relation to the sports capital programme and the confusion regarding the deadline, the online register having closed on 10 April 2015...
- Sale of Aer Lingus
31. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his views on the proposed sale of the Government's stake in Aer Lingus; and if he will report on the advice received from the review group...
- Bus Éireann Services
32. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport further to Parliamentary Question No. 115 of 10 March 2015, the progress made in the reconfiguration of bus services in the south east in...
- Ports Development
33. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will confirm that the due diligence that is currently being carried out on the assets of Dún Laoghaire Harbour in County...
- National Car Test
34. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide an update regarding the steps being taken to reduce the backlog for those drivers waiting to obtain a national car...
- Rail Services
35. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to deal with overcrowding on the Dublin area rapid transit, DART, during peak times; if Irish Rail has sought more funding to...
- Tourism Industry
36. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to develop the country's cruise tourism potential in the west and in County Donegal, in view of the recent INTERREG funding of...
- Sale of Aer Lingus
37. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the extent to which discussions in regard to the future of Aer Lingus have been concluded; if he expects the ultimate decision on the...
- Road Safety Strategy
38. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport further to previous parliamentary questions and in view of the recent increase in road fatalities, if further consideration has been given...
- Department of Social Protection
- Carer's Allowance Applications
39. To ask the Minister for Social Protection when a carer's allowance application will be dealt with in view of the conflicting information provided by Department officials each time the...
- Departmental Staff Recruitment
40. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if there is a public recruitment process for the position of social welfare appeals officer; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16880/15]
- Pension Provisions
42. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she received the petition of the deferred Irish aviation superannuation scheme pensioners highlighting the effects that this is having on relevant...
- Disability Allowance Payments
44. To ask the Minister for Social Protection when a decision on arrears of disability allowance will issue in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Clare; and if she will make a...
- Back to Education Allowance Eligibility
45. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the financial supports that are available in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare who hopes to complete a course in animation...
- Disability Allowance
46. To ask the Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 250 of 21 April 2015 the length of time, in weeks, that is considered to be a reasonably short duration; if...
- Employment Support Services
47. To ask the Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 53 of 21 April 2015, the rate of compliance of the EmployAbility service with the named monthly performance...
- Bereavement Grant
50. To ask the Minister for Social Protection her views on correspondence regarding the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16976/15]
- Department of Finance
- Tax Code
51. To ask the Minister for Finance if consideration has been given to tax breaks for landlords to encourage them to accept rent allowance tenants; and if he will make a statement on the matter....
- IBRC Operations
52. To ask the Minister for Finance if he will provide a list of the shareholders who benefitted from the Irish Bank Resolution Corporation 2012 Siteserv transaction, when €5 million was...
- Revenue Commissioners Resources
53. To ask the Minister for Finance if he will report on whether additional mobile X-ray scanners are needed for the Revenue Commissioners; and if he will report the cost of providing each...
- IBRC Operations
54. To ask the Minister for Finance if he or any of the officials in his Department raised the question of a possible breach of state aid rules arising from a certain transaction involving the...
- Revenue Commissioners Resources
56. To ask the Minister for Finance the current strength of the customs personnel; the average number of checks carried out on a monthly basis; and the number of detections of use of illegal...
- Tax Credits
57. To ask the Minister for Finance for his views on a matter (details supplied) regarding a tax credit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16945/15]
- Departmental Staff
59. To ask the Minister for Finance if he will confirm that the primary adviser at Davy Corporate Finance (details supplied) with responsibility for the 2012 Siteserv sale, who was also...
- IBRC Operations
60. To ask the Minister for Finance if, as part of his departmental inquiries into the sale of Siteserv by the Irish Bank Resolution Corporation in 2012, he was aware that shares in Siteserv were...
- Departmental Staff
65. To ask the Minister for Finance if he is satisfied that all staff employed in his Department do not have financial interests which may conflict with their public service duties; the...
- Department of Public Expenditure and Reform
- Public Sector Pensions Levy
66. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his plans to abolish the pensions-related deductions (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16869/15]
- Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation
- Social Enterprise Sector
67. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation his Department's strategy in relation to social enterprise; if he has a strategic plan for this sector; the number of jobs created by...
- Retail Sector
68. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the reason supermarkets are not required to publish their financial situation in terms of profit or loss on an annual basis; if this is...
- Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
- Milk Quota Applications
69. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny did not receive an allocation from the milk quota national reserve. [16862/15]
- Fishing Industry Development
70. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if consideration has been given to the proposal for the development of a recreational bluefin tuna fishery made to him recently, if...
- Special Areas of Conservation Designation
71. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on when the special areas of conservation area border infringes on and extends in on the border of land that is under grant...
- GLAS Data
72. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the total allocation under the rural development programme for the GLAS scheme excluding transitional payments for the rural...
- Department of Justice and Equality
- Crime Prevention
73. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if she will report on the collaborative action she is taking with her colleagues in Government to address the growing number of recent physical...
- Juvenile Offenders
74. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the current measures in place to deal with juvenile perpetrators of violent acts against vulnerable children and young persons; and if she will...
- Charities Regulation
75. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality is she will report on the current status of the Charities Regulatory Authority; the activities that will prevent charities from accessing CHY and...
- Liquor Licensing Laws
76. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if she will report on the remaining sections of the Intoxicating Liquor Act 2008 that have yet to be commenced; when she will commence these...
- Ombudsman for Children Reports
77. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the progress on the implementation of the recommendations of the Ombudsman report into the Roma cases. [16934/15]
- Property Ownership
78. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if she will confirm that the transfer of 28,000 charges by Bank of Scotland Ireland over the weekend of 17 April 2015 were transferred in full...
- Proposed Legislation
80. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if she will bring forward a mediation Bill to promote mediation as a viable, effective and efficient alternative to court proceedings, thereby...
- Courts Service Data
82. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of cases in 2014 where the applicant was a person against whom proceedings have been issued for the repossession of that person's...
- Garda Remuneration
83. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality her views on a matter (details supplied) regarding a payments issue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16978/15]
- Department of Children and Youth Affairs
- Youth Work Projects Administration
84. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he will support the role of the voluntary sector as the prime provider of youth work here, consistent with the Youth Work Act 2001; and...
- Child Care Services Funding
85. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if the early years capital grant 2015 will allow an existing community child care provider extend a current property with a new building...
- Child Protection
86. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the action his Department is taking regarding the recent growing number of physical attacks on vulnerable children; and if he will make a...
- Departmental Reports
87. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the status of the recommendations put forward by the independent child death review group. [16935/15]
- School Completion Programme
89. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the position regarding school completion programmes, such as that operated successfully in Westside, Galway city; if he will confirm that...
- Department of Health
- Hospital Staff Recruitment
90. To ask the Minister for Health if any new surgeons have been employed to date by the Health Service Executive to carry out kidney transplants in Beaumont Hospital, Dublin 9; and if he will...
- Hospital Waiting Lists
91. To ask the Minister for Health the current waiting list for lower limb amputations on diabetic patients; the arrangements made to carry out these procedures in a timely fashion; and if he...
- Long-Term Illness Scheme Administration
92. To ask the Minister for Health when a refund will issue in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Meath, regarding a payment of prescription charges despite the person holding a...
- Mental Health Services Provision
93. To ask the Minister for Health the reason an autistic child (details supplied) in Dublin 7 has not been offered child and adolescent mental health services despite multiple referrals from the...
- Medical Card Applications
94. To ask the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on a medical card application in respect of persons (details supplied) in County Limerick; when a decision is likely to be made;...
- Home Help Service Data
95. To ask the Minister for Health if he will provide, in tabular form, the number of persons in receipt of home help and the number of hours involved in the Dublin Bay North constituency in 2014...
- Medical Card Eligibility
97. To ask the Minister for Health the reason the information provided in relation to a property valuation requested for a medical card application (details supplied) is not accepted by the...
- Primary Care Centre Expenditure
98. To ask the Minister for Health the cost of a project (details supplied) in North Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16916/15]
- Hospital Waiting Lists
99. To ask the Minister for Health if he will have surgical intervention prioritised in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare who is a full-time carer for his spouse; his...
- Accident and Emergency Services Provision
100. To ask the Minister for Health the progress to date in building capacity within emergency departments for 24/7 contact and response, as committed to in the Health Service Executive mental...
- Medical Aids and Appliances Provision
101. To ask the Minister for Health when the wheelchair of a child (details supplied) in County Clare who suffers from cerebral palsy will be repaired, as the child currently has no working...
- Home Help Service Provision
102. To ask the Minister for Health if home help hours will be reinstated in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16938/15]
- General Practitioner Services
103. To ask the Minister for Health the yearly cost of extending free general practitioner care to the population over six years of age and under 70 years; and if he will make a statement on the...
- Departmental Legal Costs
104. To ask the Minister for Health the full extent of the cost of litigation to the State, to date, with regard to a case (details supplied). [16942/15]
- HSE Expenditure
105. To ask the Minister for Health further to his comments in Dáil Eireann on 25 March 2015, the progress achieved by the Health Service Executive in its engagement on the issue of unsocial...
- Hospital Waiting Lists
106. To ask the Minister for Health if he is aware of the case of a person (details supplied) in County Wexford who was first seen by an orthopaedic consultant in 2008 and had to wait six years...
- Hospital Services
107. To ask the Minister for Health the position regarding the transfer of pancreas transplant services from Beaumont Hospital, Dublin 9, to St. Vincent's Hospital, Dublin 4 (details supplied);...
- Hospital Facilities
109. To ask the Minister for Health if consideration will be given to correspondence received by a company (details supplied), in which it is stated that a hospital is bound by all national...
- Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
- Passport Applications
110. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will provide an update on the list of professions which are approved for section 7 of the passport application process; if there has...
- Foreign Conflicts
111. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will report on the assistance the State is giving at European Union and United Nations levels to combat the rise of the Islamic State...
- Departmental Staff Data
112. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the number of staff in each Irish embassy in the years 2013 and 2014 and to date in 2015. [16898/15]
- Debt Cancellation
113. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding debt justice at the United Nations; and if he will make a statement on the matter....
- Department of Education and Skills
- Third Level Facilities
115. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide resources for Mary Immaculate College in County Limerick to improve the library facilities, in order that the number of study...
- State Examinations
118. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will defend the integrity of the junior certificate by having external, fair and objective assessment for certification; and if she will...
- Third Level Facilities
119. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will report on the possibility of funding for Mary Immaculate College, South Circular Road, County Limerick, to extend its library...
- Special Educational Needs Service Provision
120. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will confirm that a special needs unit will be provided in a school (details supplied) in County Meath when it is built; and if she will...
- State Examinations Fees
121. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the steps she will take to reduce the unjustified fee being charged to students who repeat the leaving certificate at the rate of €301 for...
- Student Grant Scheme Eligibility
122. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the grant assistance for further education that is available in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare who wants to complete a...
- Schools Building Projects Administration
123. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if consideration has been given to the provision of a new school in an area (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a...
- School Accommodation
124. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide an update on an application from a school (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the...
- Schools Building Projects Status
125. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide an update on applications from schools (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter....
- Third Level Facilities
126. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will support the students at Mary Immaculate College, County Limerick, on their urgent need for an extension to their current library...
- Special Educational Needs Service Provision
127. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the progress that has been made on the provision of autism spectrum disorder unit spaces at secondary level in an area (details supplied) in...
- Department of Environment, Community and Local Government
- Dormant Accounts Fund
128. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the amount of money which is in dormant accounts from the years 2011 to 2015; if he will provide a breakdown on the...
- Departmental Funding
130. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government further to Parliamentary Question No. 15564/15 which was disallowed, if he will report on his responsibility for funding...
- Ministerial Responsibilities
131. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government further to Parliamentary Question No. 14134/15 which was disallowed, if he will report on his role in relation to Irish...
- Departmental Funding
132. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if there is any grant aid available to a Gaelic Athletic Association club (details supplied) in County Kerry to make its...
- Housing Adaptation Grant Funding
133. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government when he will inform the local councils of the funding they have been allocated for the housing adaption and aid for the...
- Local Authority Staff Recruitment
134. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government his views that it is appropriate for a local authority to publicly advertise a position (details supplied), while at the...
- Building Regulations Application
135. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide guarantees on the statutory register of builders in order that more than one register of builders is...
- Proposed Legislation
136. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will consider introducing legislation for the resolution of problems associated with high hedges and trees, similar...
- Local Authority Housing
137. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if elected members of local authorities are entitled to know, as members of the statutory housing authority for their...
- Seniors Alert Scheme
138. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government further to Parliamentary Question No. 644 of 21 April 2015 and previous related parliamentary questions, wherein he...
- Local Authority Finances
139. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he is aware of the annual financial statement of Sligo County Council for the year ending 31 December 2013, which was...
- Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources
- Broadband Service Provision
141. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will provide an update on the provision of broadband in an area (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he...
- Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport
- Road Traffic Offences
142. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport further to Parliamentary Question No. 711, if he will report on the reply by the Road Safety Authority regarding the number of...
- Taxi Regulations
143. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to improve data protection for taxi drivers and their licences in order to make it harder for criminals to clone licences or to...
- Public Transport Provision
145. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport further to Parliamentary Question No. 196 of 1 October 2014, in which it was stated that Bus Éireann would not be privatised and...
- Sports Capital Programme Expenditure
146. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide, in tabular form, the amount of unspent sports capital allocation on a county basis since 2012. [16861/15]
- National Car Test
147. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will report on the current waiting times for an appointment for the national car test in each test centre in Dublin and elsewhere....
- Road Traffic Offences
148. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport further to Parliamentary Question No. 609 of 20 January 2015, if he will report on the current status of the arrangements for the...
- Rail Services
149. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if European Union funding is available for the purchase of extra inter-city rail and Dublin area rapid transit rail cars for Iarnród...
- Railway Stations
150. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his views on a matter (details supplied) regarding storage facilities at Heuston Station, Dublin 8; and if he will make a statement on...
- Public Transport Initiatives
151. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the extent to which he is satisfied that offering selected bus routes for tender to private bus operators will not damage the integrity...
- Sale of Aer Lingus
152. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he expects to conclude his consideration in respect of the role of Aer Lingus in international air transport in the future; and if he...
- Tourism Promotion
153. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans for the promotion of tourism in the coming year in all regions; if he envisages opportunities for the sector around specific...
- Road Network
154. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the extent to which he is aware of the inadequacy of a number of major roads to meet current traffic volume demands, such as the M50 and...
- Sporting Events
155. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the extent to which he continues to have discussions with various national and international sporting organisations, with a view to...
- Swimming Pool Programme Status
156. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the extent to which he expects to be in a position to offer grant funding from the national lottery proceeds to fund municipal swimming...
- Regional Airports
157. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the extent to which he is satisfied that all regional airports are sufficiently funded to meet their requirements; if he has received...
- Transport Costs
158. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he remains satisfied that transport costs are competitive in the context of such costs in other European countries in the rail, road,...
- Sports Capital Programme Administration
159. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the extent to which he expects to be in a position to assist local sporting organisations in the context of capital sports grants, major...
- Olympic Games Facilities
160. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if it is likely his Department can directly or indirectly assist in preparing Irish competitors for the next Olympics; and if he will...
- Airport Development Projects
161. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the prospects for the creation of an intercontinental air transport hub here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16992/15]
- Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht
- Commemorative Events
162. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if she and the Government, in liaison with the four Dublin local authorities, have given any consideration to the naming or renaming...
- Special Areas of Conservation Designation
163. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the steps she is taking to protect the environmentally fragile heathlands of the Howth peninsula, County Dublin; and if she will...
