Ceisteanna Parlaiminte

Departmental Legal Cases

Michael Fitzmaurice

738. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the steps he will now undertake to ensure that the flawed inspection procedures are immediately changed to ensure that each applicant to the schemes will have their rights protected; the proposed changes and a timeline for their implementation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22452/16]

Departmental Legal Cases

Michael Fitzmaurice

739. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to address the penalties that were applied to farmers where no control report was provided; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22453/16]

Departmental Legal Cases

Michael Fitzmaurice

740. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to provide an estimate on a county-by-county basis of the amount of cases around the country that may be affected by a ruling (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22454/16]

Departmental Legal Cases

Michael Fitzmaurice

741. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on whether the farmers on the commonages that were subjected to a review in 2010 and 2013 are entitled to have the decisions of his Department reviewed in the context of fair procedures arising from the ruling in a case (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22455/16]

Farmers Charter

Michael Fitzmaurice

742. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to ensure the implementation of the farmers charter is adhered to by his officers on the ground in view of the ruling in a case (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22456/16]

Departmental Legal Cases

Michael Fitzmaurice

743. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason his Department did not take remedial action on the provision of a control report when a matter was brought to his attention by many applicants to the schemes prior to the institution of a case (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22457/16]

Agriculture Scheme Eligibility

Michael Fitzmaurice

744. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on whether every on-the-spot check conducted by his Department must be the subject of a control report which must be provided to the farmer prior to his official drawing its conclusions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22458/16]

Agriculture Scheme Appeals

Michael Fitzmaurice

745. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if appeals officers have never contacted any inspecting officers, or vice versa, in cases without notifying the relevant applicant of such communications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22459/16]

Departmental Legal Cases

Michael Fitzmaurice

746. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the resources he has made available to the appeals office to deal with the appeals that may have to be reviewed in view of the ruling in a case (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22460/16]

Departmental Legal Cases

Michael Fitzmaurice

747. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the steps he is taking to address the lack of understanding his officers have in the context of fair procedures when dealing with applicants to the schemes in view of a case (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22461/16]

Basic Payment Scheme

Michael Fitzmaurice

748. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the legal advice he received in respect of interpretation of the EU regulations prior to preparing the terms and conditions of the basic payment scheme; if he receives legal advice prior to the issuing of the terms and conditions of the basic payment scheme; if he is satisfied that the advice he received was appropriate in the context of the recent High Court ruling in a case (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22462/16]

Direct Payment Scheme Eligibility

Michael Fitzmaurice

749. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on whether it is appropriate, in the context of a citizen’s right to natural justice, that his officers can enter lands where that officer has a reasonable belief that the lands are the subject of payments under the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22463/16]

Young Farmers Scheme

Michael Fitzmaurice

187. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of persons who have been accepted by his Department under the young farmer scheme and the value of entitlements which have been allocated to them, by county, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18583/16]

Young Farmers Scheme

Michael Fitzmaurice

188. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of persons who have been accepted by his Department under the old young farmer scheme and the value of entitlements which have been allocated to them, by county, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18584/16]

Bus Éireann

Michael Fitzmaurice

157. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 102 of 26 May 2016, if he monitors payments to Bus Éireann under state aid rules; if Bus Éireann is market oriented; and how he defines market oriented. [16668/16]

Hospitals Funding

Michael Fitzmaurice

126. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Health if he has withdrawn funding for the new rehabilitation unit at Roscommon Hospital which was intended to be a ten-bed unit operating as a satellite centre for the national rehabilitation unit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15092/16]

Capital Allowances

Michael Fitzmaurice

137. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Finance the number of residential units which have been the subject of applications for capital gains tax relief, which was introduced in budget 2012 and applied to property for the first seven years of ownership for properties bought between 7 December 2011 and the end of 2014, where the property is held for more than seven years. [14521/16]

Credit Union Services

Michael Fitzmaurice

157. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Finance if he supports the roll-out of debit cards by credit unions as per the programme for Government; if he will ensure that the Central Bank supports this initiative by the credit union movement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15048/16]

Basic Payment Scheme Applications

Michael Fitzmaurice

547. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 547 of 24 May 2016, if he will list the forms of evidence he accepts from an applicant to the basic payment scheme, when the applicant intends to declare an agricultural area eligible for payment, that was previously deemed ineligible by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14543/16]

Departmental Agencies

Michael Fitzmaurice

613. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the year in which two persons (details supplied) were appointed to the regular staff of CIE-Irish Rail; the year in which the two named persons were accepted into the pension scheme which was available as part of their employment with CIE-Irish Rail; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14337/16]

GLAS Issues

Michael Fitzmaurice

812. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if, in view of the recent inclement spring weather, the date for the sowing of wild bird cover under the green low-carbon agri-environment scheme can be extended; if so, if he will extend this date as due to the condition of the ground it has been unsuitable for ploughing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13367/16]

Rural Transport Programme

Michael Fitzmaurice

95. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Finance for the purpose of promoting rural public transport, to introduce tax incentives and legislate for the provision of a 100% capital tax allowance for the purchase of new buses; to remove road tax and vehicle registration tax on buses and value added tax on tyres for buses; and to introduce income tax incentives for the purchase of commuter bus passes. [11521/16]

VAT Rate Application

Michael Fitzmaurice

111. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Finance to change the value added tax status on bus transport operators to a zero rate rather than an exempt status to enable them to reclaim value added tax payments, as part of a programme to incentivise the use of public transport. [11524/16]

Health Services Provision

Michael Fitzmaurice

478. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Health his plans to change the services provided at St. Joseph's day care centre, Ballaghaderreen, County Roscommon; if the services provided there will continue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11628/16]

Land Issues

Michael Fitzmaurice

546. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he is aware that the agricultural appeals office report of 30 April 2014 on the Keelderry commonage in County Galway appears to contain wording, context and inaccuracies identical to another report prepared by another person (details supplied) dated 2 November 2013 and based on an inspection on 31 October 2013; if the inspection conducted by his agricultural appeals office was fresh, independent, comprehensive, fair and in depth; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11674/16]

Basic Payment Scheme Eligibility

Michael Fitzmaurice

547. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the evidence he requires from an applicant under the basic payment scheme to show that land previously deemed ineligible for what his Department determined to be a lack of agricultural activity in one year is subsequently, in the view of the applicant, eligible for payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11675/16]

Land Issues

Michael Fitzmaurice

548. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he accepts that the report prepared by his official (details supplied) on 2 November 2013 on the Keelderry commonage in County Galway was misleading (details supplied); if he accepts that the report of this official is therefore fundamentally flawed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11676/16]

Land Issues

Michael Fitzmaurice

549. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the precise qualification held by two persons (details supplied) to determine the nature of lands, including use, constitution, agricultural capacity and environmental significance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11677/16]

Land Issues

Michael Fitzmaurice

550. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to provide a list, including the names and grades of the persons and the times and dates of all entrances to the lands known as the Keelderry commonage in County Galway, from 1 January 2010 to date. [11678/16]

Bus Éireann

Michael Fitzmaurice

600. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport to request Bus Éireann to stop providing services that amount to below cost selling where private bus operators are providing a similar competing service, to review state aid procedures and the public service obligation payments and to investigate possible abuses of a possible dominant position by Bus Éireann and to make the findings public. [11520/16]

Bus Éireann

Michael Fitzmaurice

601. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the individual sums agreed to be paid and the actual sums paid for the provision by Bus Éireann of its public service obligations on the network of transport services in Athlone, Balbriggan, Cork, Drogheda, Dundalk, Galway, Limerick, Navan, Sligo and Waterford operated by Bus Éireann in each of the years 2009 to 2015, inclusive, in tabular form. [11522/16]

Bus Éireann

Michael Fitzmaurice

602. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the average amount paid to Bus Éireann, calculated on a per kilometre basis, for meeting its public service obligations on the network of transport services in Athlone, Balbriggan, Cork, Drogheda, Dundalk, Galway, Limerick, Navan, Sligo and Waterford, for each of the years 2009 to 2015, inclusive, in tabular form. [11523/16]

Bus Éireann

Michael Fitzmaurice

603. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the individual agreed scheduled transport services to be performed by Bus Éireann in Athlone, Balbriggan, Cork, Drogheda, Dundalk, Galway, Limerick, Navan, Sligo and Waterford and to confirm for each of the years that the National Transport Authority had at all times a verifiable system in place to be absolutely certain that each of these scheduled services were actually performed and that Bus Éireann returned to the National Transport Authority any subsidy received in respect of any service not performed for each of the years 2009 to 2015, inclusive, in scheduled format. [11525/16]

Farm Assist Scheme Data

Michael Fitzmaurice

5. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the number of persons in receipt of farm assist, by county, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8808/16]

Student Grant Scheme Eligibility

Michael Fitzmaurice

409. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Education and Skills why it is difficult for persons (details supplied) under 23 years of age to apply independently for a third level grant in their own right. [7346/16]

School Transport Data

Michael Fitzmaurice

653. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Education and Skills to provide further information on the statement of the chief executive of Bus Éireann last year that Bus Éireann made €4 million profit from school transport and that this money was given to Bus Éireann to buy new school transport buses but spent on school transport information and technology development; the amount of profit from school buses, the expenditure on new buses and the amount spent on information and technology projects in each year since 2010 in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5562/16]

School Transport Data

Michael Fitzmaurice

654. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Education and Skills the average cost of the maintenance of buses used for school transport by Bus Éireann in tabular form; the average cost of the maintenance of buses per bus, per year; the number of buses being charged for maintenance; the average number of buses actually being operated on routes each day; the average percentage of buses being charged for as opposed to the number of buses actually operating the routes; the average number of kilometres run by the buses; the average market value of the buses referred to; the average age of the buses in the columns; the written down net value after depreciation on a year-on-year basis; the average cost of maintenance of the said buses on a per kilometre basis; and the maintenance charges paid to Bus Éireann for school transport, exclusive of the management charges, for each of the financial years 2005 to 2015. [5568/16]