Parliamentary questions

Hospital Waiting Lists

Aengus Ó Snodaigh

233. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Health the average waiting time for a child to see an ENT; the average waiting time for a child who is referred from their GP to see an ENT; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that a child (details supplied), who is having difficulty sleeping, cannot speak properly and suffers from sleep apnoea, has been told that there is a two year waiting list in the ENT department for a referral from their doctor to be accepted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20632/13]

Gas and Electricity Disconnections

Aengus Ó Snodaigh

104. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the number of disconnections from electricity and natural gas there have been in the past year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20193/13]

Family Income Supplement Eligibility

Aengus Ó Snodaigh

285. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will outline the procedures for appeals made on decisions regarding family income supplement; if she will clarify the procedure if there is a decrease in a family's earnings following an initial decision on application or review; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19752/13]

An Choimisiúin Logainmneacha

Aengus Ó Snodaigh

349. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh den Aire Ealaíon, Oidhreachta agus Gaeltachta cé mhéid folúntas atá sa Bhrainse Logainmneacha faoi láthair; cén grád iad; agus an bhfuil sé i gceist aige na folúntais a líonadh. [20396/13]

An Choimisiúin Logainmneacha

Aengus Ó Snodaigh

350. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh den Aire Ealaíon, Oidhreachta agus Gaeltachta cad é an loighic atá taobh thiar den chinneadh Coiste Logainmneacha seachas Coimisiún Logainmneacha a bheith ann amach anseo; cathain a ainmneofar an coiste; agus cad iad go díreach dualgais an choiste seo. [20397/13]

An Choimisiúin Logainmneacha

Aengus Ó Snodaigh

351. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh den Aire Ealaíon, Oidhreachta agus Gaeltachta cad é costas reatha an Bhrainse Logainmneacha agus an Choimisiúin Logainmneacha le haghaidh gach bliain le 5 bliana anuas; agus cad iad na costais thuartha don bhliain seo, 2013. [20398/13]

Rental Accommodation Scheme Administration

Aengus Ó Snodaigh

387. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the serious problems in the rental accommodation scheme in the Dublin City Council area, with 50 tenants facing eviction due to landlords selling or looking for vacant possession of the houses-apartments let to Dublin City Council under the rental accommodation scheme and the fact that the council cannot source replacement properties for those tenants and that the tenants in some cases are in houses-apartments beyond the vacate date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19747/13]

Rental Accommodation Scheme Administration

Aengus Ó Snodaigh

388. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the fact that Dublin City Council's rental accommodation scheme will have a shortfall of more than €1.5 million, thus potentially adding to the crisis being caused by landlords exiting the scheme. [19748/13]

Local Authority Housing Issues

Aengus Ó Snodaigh

389. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the number of landlords in each council area that had availed of tax breaks under the buy to let scheme who are currently leasing to each of the local authorities; the number of those that are facing repossession of properties from their lenders; the steps being put in place to address the potential problem for local authorities if they cannot source replacement properties to house applicants on their housing waiting lists who are in these properties under various local authorities housing schemes. [19749/13]

Crime Prevention

Aengus Ó Snodaigh

421. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if consideration has been given to compelling bicycle shops and other purveyors of bicycles to retain the serial numbers of bicycles sold along with the purchasers' details they retain, especially for those availing of the cycle to work tax scheme, as a measure to tackle the increase in theft of bicycles and to allow for more bikes to be reunited with their owners quickly when recovered by An Garda Síochána. [19816/13]

Crime Prevention

Aengus Ó Snodaigh

422. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if consideration is being given to a voluntary registration of bicycle serial numbers with An Garda Síochána and the steps being taken to prevent and tackle the increasing theft of bicycles. [19817/13]

Crime Prevention

Aengus Ó Snodaigh

423. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he is considering making it compulsory for mobile telephone retailers or operators to retain the IMEI serial number of the telephone being purchased, to help tackle the increasing theft of mobile telephones and the steps he will take to tackle this growing crime. [19818/13]

Proposed Legislation

Aengus Ó Snodaigh

440. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Justice and Equality his plans to ensure that women who have children by surrogacy are afforded maternity leave; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18831/13]

Mobility Allowance Decision

Aengus Ó Snodaigh

572. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Health when the special review group on devising an alternative scheme to the mobility allowance will deliver a report; the persons who are on this group; the criteria used to appoint them; their terms of reference; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18830/13]

Irish Language

Aengus Ó Snodaigh

13. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if he will provide an update as to the progress that has been made on the commitment in the 20-year strategy to provide targeted language learning opportunities to be put in place to assist families where only one parent speaks Irish; if he will outline the nature of such targeted language opportunities; and the way these opportunities will be further developed. [19286/13]

International Education Strategy

Aengus Ó Snodaigh

78. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Education and Skills his approach to attracting foreign students to Ireland; the estimated monetary benefit to third level institutions and the State's economy of that sector. [19644/13]

Naturalisation Applications

Aengus Ó Snodaigh

168. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if time spent here as a foreign student studying is taken into account when a foreign national applies for residency and-or subsequently for naturalisation. [19642/13]

Student Visas

Aengus Ó Snodaigh

169. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of persons who have student visas here at present; their country of origin; the number of years they are here for; and the number or percentage who applied to remain having completed their studies. [19643/13]

Social Welfare Code

Aengus Ó Snodaigh

2. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason retained firefighters who are entitled to social welfare payments when they are not working in other employment are still having payments withheld from them. [19161/13]

Job Initiatives

Aengus Ó Snodaigh

5. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason a jobs club service funded by FÁS has been withdrawn from Bawnogue, Clondalkin, Dublin; and the reason jobs club workers have not been paid for weeks worked or being offered enhanced redundancy as would be the norm in such circumstances. [19162/13]