Written answers

Thursday, 5 May 2016

  • Department of Social Protection
    • Community Employment Schemes Funding
      1. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the cost of providing an additional 1,000 community employment scheme places; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9205/16]
    • Disability Allowance Appeals
      2. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the status of an appeal by a person (details supplied) under the disability allowance scheme. [9224/16]
    • Rent Supplement Scheme Data
      3. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the number of households in receipt of rent supplement, for each month since January 2015. [9244/16]
    • Domiciliary Care Allowance Appeals
      4. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the status of an appeal by a person (details supplied) under the domiciliary care allowance scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter....
    • Supplementary Welfare Allowance Eligibility
      5. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if and when she will pay basic supplementary welfare allowance to a person (details supplied) while an appeal is pending; and if she will make a...
    • Invalidity Pension Applications
      6. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the status of an application by a person (details supplied) under the invalidity pension scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9271/16]
    • Carer's Allowance Eligibility
      7. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if a person (details supplied) is entitled to a carer's allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9274/16]
    • Labour Activation Measures
      8. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the extent to which unemployment alleviation measures continue to make a positive impact on long-term and youth unemployment; and if she will make a...
    • Live Register Data
      9. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the extent to which she continues to monitor the age profile of those on the live register with a view to making necessary adjustments to assist those...
    • State Pension (Contributory)
      10. To ask the Minister for Social Protection to support a matter (details supplied) regarding homemakers, pre-1994 and the State pension (contributory); and if she will make a statement on the...
    • Carer's Allowance Delays
      11. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the reason for the delay in processing an application by a person (details supplied) under the carer’s allowance scheme; and if she will make...
  • Department of Finance
    • Tax Relief Availability
      12. To ask the Minister for Finance why psychotherapy fees for persons suffering from mental health issues are not subject to tax relief in the same way as other medical expenses. [9246/16]
    • Household Debt Statistics
      13. To ask the Minister for Finance his views on private household debt being very heavily concentrated among the poorest households, given recent analysis by the Think-tank for Action on Social...
    • Personal Debt
      14. To ask the Minister for Finance his views on the Central Bank's private debt figure, households and corporations combined, coming to 258% of gross domestic product in the third quarter of...
    • Banking Operations
      16. To ask the Minister for Finance further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 91 of 14 April 2016 and 99 of 26 April 2016, if officials in his Department have or had knowledge of a bank's...
    • Vehicle Registration
      17. To ask the Minister for Finance the status of the case of a person (details supplied) who paid vehicle registration tax on an imported car; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9289/16]
    • Departmental Bodies
      18. To ask the Minister for Finance the degree to which he monitors the performance of all Government Departments and State or semi-State agencies with a view to maximising their contribution...
    • Tax Yield
      19. To ask the Minister for Finance to provide details of receipts for betting duty from traditional, remote and commissions, for 2016, to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter....
  • Department of Public Expenditure and Reform
    • Flood Prevention Measures
      20. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the progress made between the Office of Public Works and Kildare County Council, regarding flooding prevention measures in the Lower...
    • Land Ownership
      21. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will clarify a query from persons (details supplied) regarding a plot of land; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9349/16]
    • Employment Support Services
      22. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform to support a matter (details supplied) regarding employment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9317/16]
  • Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
    • Young Farmers Scheme
      23. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when he will issue payment to a person (details supplied) under the young farmers scheme; the reason for the delay; and if he will...
    • Greyhound Industry
      25. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to investigate reports that Irish greyhounds are being exported to Hong Kong in order to be raced at the track known as the Canidrome...
    • Fishery Harbour Centres
      26. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to report on the rent collected and the arrears in all tenancies of State property at Howth Harbour in County Dublin in 2015; and if...
    • TAMS Applications
      27. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when he will approve an application for grants for slurry tanks with a trailing shoe for a person (details supplied) under the...
    • District Veterinary Offices
      28. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of an inquiry by a person (details supplied) with a District Veterinary Office; and if he will make a statement on the...
    • GLAS Eligibility
      29. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine why land, with even a small amount of heather, is excluded from the Low Input Pasture Measure of the Green Low-Carbon Agri-Environment...
    • Coillte Teoranta
      30. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he is concerned about the manner in which it was first announced that staff in Coillte would be facing a redundancy programme, that...
    • Areas of Natural Constraint Scheme Payments
      31. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will address a matter (details supplied) regarding a payment under the areas of natural constraint scheme. [9249/16]
    • GLAS Payments
      32. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine for an update on payments for 2015 and 2016 to a person (details supplied) under the green low-carbon agri-environment scheme. [9257/16]
    • Forestry Sector
      33. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if there is a scheme to allow for the reconstruction of forestry that suffered wind damage as a result of severe weather conditions;...
    • Areas of Natural Constraint Scheme Payments
      34. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of payments to a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9264/16]
    • Coillte Teoranta
      35. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to close Coillte offices; and the number and location of these. [9265/16]
    • Rural Environment Protection Scheme Appeals
      36. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a payment will issue to a person (details supplied) following a successful appeal. [9273/16]
    • TAMS Applications
      37. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of an application by a person (details supplied) under the targeted agricultural modernisation scheme 2; why the person has...
    • GLAS Payments
      38. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to issue payment to a person (details supplied) under the green low carbon agri-environment scheme; and if he will make a statement on...
    • Fishing Industry
      39. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the extent to which he and his colleagues in the European Union are aware of the difficulties facing families dependent on the fishing...
    • Beef Genomics Scheme
      40. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of a payment to a person (details supplied) under the 2014 beef genomics scheme. [9326/16]
    • Agriculture Scheme Eligibility
      41. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to give consideration to entitlements for a person (details supplied) under the national reserve scheme; and if he will make a...
    • TAMS Applications
      42. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a person (details supplied) will receive grant aid for a slatted shed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9343/16]
    • Agri-Environment Options Scheme Payments
      43. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when he will issue payment to a person (details supplied) under the agri-environment options scheme. [9346/16]
  • Department of Defence
    • Defence Forces Recruitment
      44. To ask the Minister for Defence to extend the deadline for recruitment into the Defence Forces from 22 May to 1 June 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9251/16]
    • Defence Forces Deployment
      46. To ask the Minister for Defence if members of the Defence Forces are serving and stationed in Afghanistan. [9290/16]
    • Defence Forces Medicinal Products
      47. To ask the Minister for Defence if the Defence Forces or doctors contracted by the Defence Forces conduct or ever conducted specialised testing for the neurotoxic side-effects of mefloquine...
  • Department of Justice and Equality
    • Court Accommodation Refurbishment
      50. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the status of redevelopment plans by the Courts Service for the remaining five provincial city and county town venues in need of significant...
    • Direct Provision System
      51. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality to respond to the implementation of the report of the working group on the protection process report this week which found that most...
    • Refugee Status Applications
      52. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality to increase the resources needed for the Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner and the Refugee Appeals Tribunal to address the...
    • Immigration Status
      53. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of applications made under the European Court of Justice, ECJ, judgment in the Zambrano case by persons who had no current right of...
    • Civil Legal Aid
      54. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality to extend the civil legal aid scheme administered by the Legal Aid Board in order to provide dedicated legal advice to debtors at repossession...
    • Garda Transport Provision
      55. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality to provide funding for the purchase of extra Garda Síochána command and control vehicles; and if she will make a statement on the...
    • Garda Transport Expenditure
      56. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality when the contract for the supply of fuel to the fleet of An Garda Síochána was last put out to tender; the length of time the contract...
    • Garda Station Refurbishment
      57. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality her plans to provide funding for the renovation and upgrading of Garda stations in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter....
  • Department of Children and Youth Affairs
    • Children in Care
      58. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of young persons in care and without an allocated social worker in County Kildare, in tabular form; and if he will make a...
    • Adoption Services Provision
      59. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs to support a matter regarding post-adoptive services, particularly for children adopted outside Ireland (details supplied); and if he will...
  • Department of Health
    • Special Educational Needs Service Provision
      60. To ask the Minister for Health to facilitate extra hours with a special needs assistant for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9307/16]
    • Vaccination Programme
      61. To ask the Minister for Health the reason parents are not being provided with the manufacturer's patient information leaflet on the risk involved prior to the administration of a drug...
    • Hospital Appointments Status
      62. To ask the Minister for Health the status of the provision of surgery for a person (details supplied) and if he will ensure that the person receives surgery with immediate effect. [9209/16]
    • Health Services Provision
      63. To ask the Minister for Health the reason a hydro-pool project for Dungloe in County Donegal has been on-hold since 2006 despite the Health Service Executive making a political commitment to...
    • Hospital Waiting Lists
      64. To ask the Minister for Health when he will provide a person (details supplied) with a date for surgery. [9216/16]
    • Treatment Abroad Scheme
      66. To ask the Minister for Health the status of an application by a person (details supplied) under the treatment abroad scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9247/16]
    • Dental Services Provision
      67. To ask the Minister for Health if the Dublin Dental University Hospital has changed its policy on accepting patients without a referral letter; if the hospital now conducts its assessments...
    • Mental Health Services Funding
      68. To ask the Minister for Health if he has received correspondence from a person (details supplied); and if he will respond to same. [9260/16]
    • Mortality Data
      69. To ask the Minister for Health for a report on the health status of the persons in the north east, particularly the causes of death of persons from County Louth in the past five years [9261/16]
    • Mental Health Services Provision
      70. To ask the Minister for Health if he will continue to provide 24 hours a day, seven days a week care beyond July 2016 in the acute psychiatric unit at Our Lady's Hospital in Navan in County...
    • Hospitals Data
      71. To ask the Minister for Health the number of beds available for organ transplant procedures in hospitals; the number of transplant procedures cancelled because of a shortage of beds, by...
    • Organ Donation Data
      72. To ask the Minister for Health to set down by hospital and in tabular form the number of organs donated for transplant that were unused due to no bed being available to facilitate the...
    • Hospital Services
      73. To ask the Minister for Health to set down the number of respiratory paediatric centres by hospital group, in accordance with the paediatric model of care; and if he will make a statement on...
    • Health Services Staff Data
      74. To ask the Minister for Health to set down the number of paediatric asthma nurses that the Health Service Executive employs in each of the six paediatric centres; and if he will make a...
    • Hospital Services
      75. To ask the Minister for Health to set down the number of dedicated paediatric lung function laboratories with paediatric-trained lung function physiologists located outside County Dublin; and...
    • Medicinal Products Regulation
      76. To ask the Minister for Health to set out the status of the progress of approval of the drug Lumacaftor or Ivactor; the actions he will take to ensure its availability; the criteria he will...
    • Primary Care Centres Provision
      77. To ask the Minister for Health the status of the proposed new primary care centre in Edenmore in Dublin 5; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9293/16]
    • Health Insurance Prices
      78. To ask the Minister for Health the extent to which he continues to monitor the various issues affecting the cost of private health insurance; if he has identified any particular contributing...
    • Orthodontic Services Waiting Lists
      79. To ask the Minister for Health the number of children listed as waiting for orthodontic treatment; the extent to which the waiting list has fluctuated in each of the past five years to date;...
    • Health Services Funding
      80. To ask the Minister for Health the amount of funding the Health Service Executive provided to organisations (details supplied), by adult, in the past three years; and if he will make a...
    • Hospital Equipment
      81. To ask the Minister for Health his plans to provide adequate resources and trained staff, on a full-time basis, to ensure that the dual energy X-ray absorptiometry scanner in Merlin Park...
    • Health Services Provision
      82. To ask the Minister for Health his plans to provide for an action plan for osteoporosis in the west of Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9310/16]
    • Hospital Appointments Status
      83. To ask the Minister for Health when he will provide an appointment for an operation for a person (details supplied); the reason for the delay, given the urgency of the medical circumstances;...
    • Health Services Staff
      85. To ask the Minister for Health the status of the lack of paediatric rheumatologists; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9314/16]
    • Medical Card Eligibility
      86. To ask the Minister for Health to support a request for medical cards for persons over 70 years of age (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9322/16]
    • Medical Card Applications Data
      87. To ask the Minister for Health the number of medical cards, the number of general practitioner cards, and the number for each type of card issued on a discretionary basis, as of 1 April 2016....
    • Medical Card Eligibility
      88. To ask the Minister for Health why a person (details supplied) was not awarded a full medical card given that, within the guidelines, the person clearly qualifies for one, as can be confirmed...
    • Hospital Appointments Delays
      89. To ask the Minister for Health the number of operations and procedures that have been cancelled or postponed in 2016 to date, by public hospital, in tabular form. [9330/16]
    • Nursing Staff Recruitment
      91. To ask the Minister for Health the number of new nursing staff recruited in each hospital (details supplied) from April 2014 to April 2015, in tabular form; the number of nursing staff that...
    • Nursing Homes Support Scheme
      92. To ask the Minister for Health the number of applications approved and awaiting funding under the nursing homes support scheme. [9334/16]
    • Hospital Consultant Recruitment
      93. To ask the Minister for Health the number of consultants recruited in 2016 to date; the full-year cost of the recruitment; and the net increase in consultant numbers resulting from the...
    • Nursing Staff Recruitment
      94. To ask the Minister for Health the number of nurses newly recruited in 2016 to date; the full-year cost of the recruitment; and the net increase in nursing numbers resulting from the...
    • Dental Services
      95. To ask the Minister for Health the number of children hospitalised for dental treatment in 2015 and in 2016 to date, by county or local health office, in tabular form. [9344/16]
    • Medical Card Applications
      96. To ask the Minister for Health if he will re-open an application by a person (details supplied) for a medical card, given the reasons set out in correspondence dated 8 April 2016 to the...
  • Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
    • Passport Services
      97. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the additional staff he will allocate to the Passport Office over the busy summer period to deal with passport applications. [9206/16]
    • Consular Services Staff
      98. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the number of staff currently working in the Irish embassies in Brazil, Cyprus, India, Turkey and United Arab Emirates, by grade; and if he...
  • Department of Education and Skills
    • Summer Works Scheme Data
      99. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the primary and secondary schools in County Donegal that applied for the summer works scheme 2016-2017; the proposed works in respect of each...
    • School Funding
      100. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the amount of funding approved for each ​of ​two schools (details supplied). [9263/16]
    • Teachers' Remuneration
      101. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her views on a matter (details supplied) regarding unequal pay in the teaching profession; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9272/16]
    • Teaching Qualifications
      102. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the reason for the planned phasing out of regulation 3, which gives full recognition to Montessori teachers trained by the Association Montessori...
    • Schools Building Projects Status
      103. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she has received recent correspondence dated April 2016 from the local management of Maynooth Education Campus, Maynooth Community College and...
    • Special Educational Needs Service Provision
      106. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her views on the case of a person (details supplied) and available places for second level students in autism spectrum disorder units in County...
    • Schools Site Acquisitions
      107. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if the proposed school for Claregalway Educate Together in County Galway will be built on a site, given her previous confirmation that her...
    • Pupil-Teacher Ratio
      108. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the extent to which optimum pupil-teacher ratios continue to be an objective in primary and secondary level schools, having particular regard to...
    • Schools Anti-Bullying Procedures
      109. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the extent to which she is to combating bullying in schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9301/16]
    • Summer Works Scheme Eligibility
      110. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will include the improvements to the playground of a school (details supplied) in the summer works scheme, given the urgency of the...
    • School Discipline
      111. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to support a matter regarding the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9319/16]
  • Department of Environment, Community and Local Government
    • Housing Assistance Payments Data
      112. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the number of claimants under the rent supplement scheme who have been transferred to the housing assistance payment...
    • Irish Water
      113. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the annual wage bill for employees in Irish Water for 2015. [9200/16]
    • Local Authority Housing
      114. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he is aware that Sligo County Council purchased a house in 2015 to house persons (details supplied); that the council...
    • Social and Affordable Housing Funding
      115. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the capital allocation for social housing for each of the years 2000 to 2016 to date, in tabular form. [9226/16]
    • Social and Affordable Housing
      119. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government for a progress report on the €400 million allocation in the Social Housing Strategy 2020 for a new Housing Finance...
    • Private Rented Accommodation Costs
      124. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government for a progress report on the cost rental pilot project, as committed to in the Social Housing Strategy 2020. [9235/16]
    • NAMA Social Housing Provision
      125. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government for a progress report on the National Asset Management Agency special purpose vehicle. detailed in the Social Housing...
    • Housing Adaptation Grant Data
      126. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the number and cost of housing adaptation grants provided, by grant type, and by the number of persons on the waiting...
    • Emergency Accommodation Data
      127. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the number of households, persons and children in emergency accommodation for more than six months, 12 months, 18 months,...
    • Social and Affordable Housing Data
      128. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the social housing new build projects he has agreed, but which have not yet been completed, by unit, by size and by number...
    • Homelessness Strategy
      129. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if involuntary long-term homelessness will be brought to an end by the end of 2016, as committed to in the Government's...
    • Social and Affordable Housing Expenditure
      130. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will proceed with annual housing needs assessments from 2016; and the additional resources he is making available to...
    • Local Authority Staff Data
      131. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the number of staff and full-time equivalents working in local authority housing departments, by local authority in...
    • Housing Issues
      133. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government further to Parliamentary Question No. 436 of 26 April 2016, why a housing association (details supplied) remains on the...
    • Social and Affordable Housing Eligibility
      134. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the terms of refusal and the options available to a person who has been refused entry onto the Meath County Council social...
    • Irish Water Administration
      135. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he is concerned that any changes to pre-qualification criteria in Irish Water contracts could restrict the number of...
  • Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources
    • Broadband Service Provision
      136. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources to upgrade the broadband line from Mullingar to Ballynacargy in County Westmeath and to include the Walshestown Bunbrosna...
    • National Broadband Plan Administration
      137. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the reason for the recent delay in administering tenders for the national broadband plan; and if he will make a statement...
    • Broadband Service Provision
      138. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he is satisfied with the level of competitiveness in the provision of broadband services, and if he is concerned that...
    • National Broadband Plan Implementation
      139. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the projected timetable for connecting all premises as planned under the national broadband plan; when he will award the...
    • Renewable Energy Generation Targets
      140. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the figures on Ireland’s energy targets for 2020, including renewable energy targets, by overall percentage...
    • Energy Prices
      141. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if his Department or the Commission for Energy Regulation have conducted an analysis of the price gap between the...
    • Semi-State Bodies Dividends
      143. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the dividends paid to the Exchequer by each of the semi-State energy companies; their reported profits, for each of the...
    • Commission for Energy Regulation
      144. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources to outline the regulatory function of the Commission for Energy Regulation in regard to cost and consumer protection; the...
  • Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport
    • Public Transport Provision
      145. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if the National Transport Authority will provide funding to purchase extra buses for the fleet of Dublin Bus; and if he will make a...
    • Air Traffic Control Services
      146. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he considered suspending or ending the discretionary exemption from en route charges for the provision of air traffic control and...
    • International Agreements
      147. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if a bilateral agreement is in place between Ireland and the United States of America, or a multilateral agreement to which both...
    • Sport and Recreational Development
      148. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the extent to which he evaluates the need for the promotion and development of sporting and recreational facilities, with a view to...
    • Departmental Strategies
      149. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he evaluates employment creation opportunities, directly and indirectly, through co-ordinated efforts between the areas of transport,...
    • Road Traffic Offences
      150. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport when he will issue a final reply to correspondence (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9333/16]
  • Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht
    • Turf Cutting
      151. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if her Department or the National Parks and Wildlife Service has written to landowners in the Slieve League area (details supplied)...