Parliamentary questions

Departmental Staff

Catherine Murphy

52. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection her plans to provide a front-line service for those living in towns where no community welfare officer is in place; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3182/15]

Departmental Staff

Catherine Murphy

53. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection her plans to enable front-line staff to triage applications for benefit related schemes made by the public, ensuring applicants do not spend months waiting on a decision for a scheme for which they should not have made application; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3183/15]

Departmental Staff

Catherine Murphy

54. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection her plans to manage community staff resources where staff move to other areas internally or externally through job progression, retirement or ill health; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3184/15]

Financial Services Ombudsman

Catherine Murphy

80. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Finance if his attention has been drawn to a significant number of persons who made investments during a time when the economy was very healthy and some banks engaged in irresponsible lending practices, and who now find that they fall foul of the six-year limitation period placed upon complaints that can be registered with the Financial Services Ombudsman (details supplied); if he will amend legislation to extend this period and further resource the office of the FSO to support this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3217/15]

Local Authority Housing Maintenance

Catherine Murphy

207. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his plans for the upgrade to insulation of social housing stock; if he has prepared a targeted plan for the retrofit of the worst affected housing; if he will provide a table of intended retrofit projects by town and by county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3185/15]

Local Authority Housing Maintenance

Catherine Murphy

208. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the obligations on local authorities to ensure that the building energy rating is improved in social housing stock; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3186/15]

Local Authority Housing Maintenance

Catherine Murphy

209. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the obligations that lie with local authorities in relation to repairs for housing stock, targets and standards for resolving issues; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3187/15]

Local Authority Housing Maintenance

Catherine Murphy

210. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if damp that is occurring in social housing stock is an issue that should be dealt with by the local authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3188/15]

Hospital Accommodation Provision

Catherine Murphy

21. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Health his views on the optimum number or range of beds in the public system; the current number of available beds; the demographic projections taken into consideration when determining the optimum deployment of beds around the country; the way the existence of centres of excellence at major hospitals has impacted on the general medical services historically provided at those hospitals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2411/15]

Hospital Staff Recruitment

Catherine Murphy

42. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Health the way the current staffing situation at Naas General Hospital, County Kildare, is being addressed; if his attention has been drawn to serious shortfalls in resources and staffing capability; the long-term investment plan for the hospital in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2389/15]

Tax Collection

Catherine Murphy

109. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Finance if there has been a change in the rules regarding the Revenue Commissioners' correspondence with the TAIN-registered agent or representative of a customer; the reasons the Revenue Commissioners may cite to refuse to correspond with such an agent or representative in respect of a person's tax affairs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3033/15]

Small and Medium Enterprises Supports

Catherine Murphy

116. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if his attention has been drawn to the annual fees mandated by the Irish Tax Institute that can in some cases cause severe financial hardship for smaller and solo CTA operators; if, in view of the Government's objective to support small and medium enterprises, he will raise this matter with the Minister for Finance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3002/15]

Hospital Waiting Lists

Catherine Murphy

166. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Health the reason a person (details supplied) who requires urgent surgery has not yet received confirmation of this surgery; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2996/15]

Hospital Beds Data

Catherine Murphy

169. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Health if he will provide, in tabular form, the total number of publicly-funded beds available in each acute hospital in the State for each year from 1985 to date in 2015; the total number of privately-funded beds available in the State for the same period; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3009/15]

Hospital Beds Data

Catherine Murphy

170. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Health the total number of inactive, unfunded beds which currently exist in each acute hospital here; the same figure in each of the past eight years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3010/15]

Hospital Beds Data

Catherine Murphy

171. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Health the total number of critical care beds which are available in each acute hospital in the State at present; the number of such beds which are unfunded and inactive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3012/15]

Nursing Homes Support Scheme Expenditure

Catherine Murphy

172. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Health the amount of money that has been derived from the fair deal nursing home scheme in each year of its operation; the total cost of implementing the scheme in the same period; the average cost per person and average intake per person; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3013/15]

Home Care Packages Provision

Catherine Murphy

174. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to a shortage in availability of agency nurses trained in the correct management of tracheotomies; the measures he will take to address same; the total number of respite and home care package situations which the Health Service Executive is utilising agency nurses for; the total number of these which require training in tracheotomy application and supervision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3017/15]

School Enrolments Data

Catherine Murphy

203. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide, in tabular form, the number of prospective pupils whose parents have indicated a preference to attend three primary schools (details supplied) in County Kildare in September 2015, September 2016, September 2017, September 2018 and September 2019; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2986/15]

School Enrolments Data

Catherine Murphy

204. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide figures in respect of each year in the past five years on the total number of intake students at primary level in north Kildare who commenced in a Gaelscoil; the total numbers whose parents had indicated a preference for a Gaelscoil education but did not secure a place; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2993/15]

School Patronage

Catherine Murphy

205. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Skills the way her Department has measured school diversity in Kildare North in terms of facilitating the major prevailing preferences of parents; the types of schools her Department has identified at this stage as being the likely ones to need more investment to meet this demand; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2994/15]

School Patronage

Catherine Murphy

206. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Skills the criteria used by her Department in measuring choice with regard to school models; the way diversity, co-education, cultural diversity and multilingualism are factored in; if she will provide an update on the reform of patronage models; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2998/15]

School Enrolments Data

Catherine Murphy

207. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 854 of 14 January 2015, if she will provide a copy of the nationwide demographic review on primary school places; if she will share the data with regard to north Kildare and the reasoning by which the Department has come to the conclusions that it has; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3008/15]

Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries

Catherine Murphy

112. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the reason the terms of reference for the commission of investigation into mothers and baby homes and certain related matters do not cover former Magdalen institutions and adoptions which occurred at State hospitals during the relevant periods; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2201/15]

Child Protection Services Provision

Catherine Murphy

115. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of children that are currently waiting to be allocated a social worker; the number of these that are high priority and emergency; if he will provide a breakdown in tabular format of the number of each of these that have been waiting for less than six months, between six months and one year, between one year and 18 months, between 18 months and two years and longer than two years; the number of social workers that are employed at present; the number of these that are on maternity leave; his plans to address the shortfalls; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2189/15]

Courts Service Data

Catherine Murphy

323. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of court exemption orders that were issued to permit a marriage where one or both of the spouses were below the age of 18 years in 2010 to 2014, inclusive; her plans for legislative changes in this area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2435/15]

Departmental Staff Recruitment

Catherine Murphy

59. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the reason short-term employment contracts based in her Department are being offered to persons who are engaged in short-term contracts in other Departments, and consequently cannot accept those positions even though they may only have two or three weeks left on their existing contract; the reason this is marked as a rejection of an offer against them; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2104/15]

Departmental Staff Data

Catherine Murphy

60. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the number of employees of her Department, who were engaged on short-term contracts, that opted to take extra payment in lieu of holiday entitlement accrued at the expiration of their contracts in each of the past three years; the proportion of all employees hired on short-term contracts over this period who opted to do so; if her attention has been drawn to any specific policy within her Department which may serve to encourage persons not to take holiday time accrued; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2105/15]

Public Sector Staff Recruitment

Catherine Murphy

81. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if his attention has been drawn to the fact that a serious problem exists within the processes of the Public Appointments Service whereby persons who are working short-term contracts with one Department are being offered contracts with different Departments before the completion of their current contract, that, as a consequence of not being in a position to accept such offers, the PAS record this as a rejection of an offer, which carries a number of consequences for the person concerned; the reason it is possible for this error to repeatedly occur; if he will commit to compensate in some fashion those who have been forced into this situation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2103/15]

Public Sector Staff Recruitment

Catherine Murphy

82. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the reason a person (details supplied) was offered a 12 week contract of employment with the Department of Social Protection even though they were at the time engaged on a 15 week contract with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and had three weeks remaining; the reason, even though they were obviously not in a position to accept the Department of Social Protection's offer, this was recorded as a rejection within the PAS system; the consequences this has had for their future employment opportunities; if he will review this matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2110/15]

Banks Recapitalisation

Catherine Murphy

166. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Finance if it is still his policy to seek retrospective recapitalisation of formerly guaranteed institutions; the progress made to date; his views on comments made last month (details supplied) that the health of such banks now points towards a partial selling off of Government stakes; if this course of action is being considered; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1648/15]

Banks Recapitalisation

Catherine Murphy

172. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Finance if an application under the direct recapitalisation instrument of the European Stability Mechanism treaty to attain a retrospective recapitalisation of certain Irish financial institutions since the treaty has been constituted; if not, his plans to do so; when it will happen; if this option has been ruled out; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1717/15]

Local Government Fund

Catherine Murphy

179. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Finance if he will provide details of all transfers which have taken place from the local government fund to the Central Fund in 2014 by date and amount concerned; all transfers which took place in the reverse by date and amount; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1750/15]

IBRC Liquidation

Catherine Murphy

180. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Finance in view of the proceeds from the sale of the combined portfolio off floating rate notes and fixed rate bonds which had been acquired by the Central Bank of Ireland following the liquidation of IBRC, the amount of these proceeds which were destroyed in 2014; the dates this occurred; the amount of interest which was paid in 2014 on the elements of the bond portfolio; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1778/15]

Banks Recapitalisation

Catherine Murphy

181. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Finance the discussions and or meetings he has held in the past six months with the European Central Bank and eurozone Ministers for Finance regarding the stated Government policy of seeking retrospective recapitalisation of formerly covered financial institutions; if he has conveyed any change in policy in this regard to them; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1780/15]

Water Meters Installation

Catherine Murphy

227. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of inspections carried out by the Health and Safety Authority at water meter installation sites by date and location; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1461/15]

Crime Data

Catherine Murphy

470. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the reason certain crime statistics, in particular rates of theft and burglary, are higher in the commuter belt counties of Kildare and Meath; if her attention has been drawn to the fact that Garda resources per capita in these counties are the worst in the country; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1681/15]

Garda Deployment

Catherine Murphy

474. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if she will provide a breakdown, in tabular form, of the most up-to-date numbers of gardaí by district and division; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1757/15]

Garda Transport Data

Catherine Murphy

475. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if she will provide a list in tabular form, of all Garda vehicles by vehicle type in each Garda district; the number of vehicles of each type that were retired from service in 2014; the number of new vehicles of each type that were introduced; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1758/15]

Gaelscoil Issues

Catherine Murphy

854. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Skills her views on the reduction of an entire class of available spaces at a Gaelscoil (details supplied) in County Kildare; if her attention has been drawn to the fact that this situation has arisen in part because of the lack of forward planning to take into account the demand for Gaelscoil education in the area; her plans to initiate an immediate assessment of need with a view to catering for this high demand; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1687/15]

Parliamentary Questions

Catherine Murphy

48. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if her Department performs analysis on the nature of parliamentary questions submitted to it in order to try to ascertain trends and developments which require urgent attention or policy change; if so, the way this feeds into policy formation within her Department; if the nature of withdrawn questions is recorded or analysed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49114/14]

Property Tax Exemptions

Catherine Murphy

88. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Finance if he has received revised information as to the number of housing estates which qualify for an exemption from the local property tax since the introduction of the tax; if he will provide a list of all such estates indicating their location and the nature of their exemption, that is, unfinished, pyrite damage and so on, in each case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49084/14]

National Pensions Reserve Fund Investments

Catherine Murphy

89. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Finance if any portion of the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund has been accessed by a company (details supplied) as part of a programme of investment; if so, if he will provide the amount and nature of the funds awarded; the conditions stipulated concerning same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49117/14]

Crime Data

Catherine Murphy

291. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Justice and Equality regarding stolen firearms, if statistics are available indicating the proportion of all firearms recorded as stolen that are in cases where such firearms were taken from a licenceholder; if she will provide this ratio for each year in the past ten years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49103/14]

Firearms Licences

Catherine Murphy

292. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Justice and Equality in view of the court challenges which are mounted against a refusal to award a firearms licence, if she will indicate the cost to the State of court proceedings in these matters since 2009; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49106/14]

Health Services

Catherine Murphy

424. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Health the reason a child cannot simultaneously occupy a place on a list for occupational therapy and a place on the waiting list for access to child and adolescent mental health services; if it is permissible for one service to deny treatment based on the fact that a child has attempted to access another service; if not, if he will investigate this matter (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49222/14]

Planning Issues

Catherine Murphy

543. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government when the forthcoming planning policy statement will be published; the way it will feed into legislation currently being drafted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49107/14]

Departmental Strategies

Catherine Murphy

621. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht when the final national landscape strategy will be published and implemented; the legislative proposals she envisages to provide statutory effect to its provisions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49108/14]

IBRC Liquidation

Catherine Murphy

58. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Finance if he will provide an itemised list of all disposals made by the Irish Bank Resolution Corporation prior to the appointment of a special liquidator; the original value of the liability or loan concerned, in each case; the amount realised at disposal; the method the disposal was made through including examinership, receivership, direct sale or other; the date at which the disposal was made; if he will provide the same information in respect of the period IBRC has been in special liquidation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48755/14]

Irish Water Administration

Catherine Murphy

249. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the number of water application packs that have been returned to Irish Water to date; of the water packs returned, the number that have completed the section F declaration; the number that were returned without any completed information; the number that were returned illegible; of all packs returned, the number that have been counted by Irish Water as indicating the returner wishes to be counted as a registered customer of Irish Water; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48754/14]