Parliamentary questions

Driver Licences

Andrew Doyle

281. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide an update on mutual recognition of Irish driving licences with all the Canadian provinces and territories; the current status of Irish driving licence recognition for Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Manitoba, British Columbia, Prince Edward Island, Saskatchewan, Alberta, Newfoundland and Labrador, Northwest Territories, Yukon and Nunavut; if he will provide an update on activities by the Road Safety Authority and the embassy of Ireland in Ottawa on having Irish driving licences recognised and setting up a reciprocal recognition scheme between each jurisdictions where recognition is not yet established; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9912/14]

Potato Sector

Andrew Doyle

580. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the action he is taking to promote potato producer groups in order to support growers in marketing their produce. [9190/14]

Forestry Sector

Andrew Doyle

611. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason that forestry management regulations are being proposed as legislation prior to the publication of a draft of the proposed forestry policy; the proposed publication of the draft forestry policy; and the consultation time envisaged for the draft forestry policy. [9647/14]

Public Transport

Andrew Doyle

248. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide a list from the National Transport Authority of all real time passenger information displays at bus stops in County Wicklow on which it will make progress in 2014, with data broken down on planning, proposed installation and activation in each case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8672/14]

Foreign Policy Review

Andrew Doyle

54. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the number of submissions his Department received based on the public consultation document his Department published on a proposed review of foreign policy and external relations between October 2013 and the deadline for submissions in February 2014; if it received any late submission; if he will provide a full list of the persons and organisations from whom these submissions came; when he expects to be in a position to publish the review; if it will be in the form of another White Paper; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8511/14]

Special Education Review

Andrew Doyle

254. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding the review of the visiting teacher services; if any of the parents of the affected children are being consulted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7707/14]

Public Procurement Contracts

Andrew Doyle

323. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform to outline the number and value of public procurement contracts, above and below the EU threshold requirements, which were issued to foreign companies from 2008 to 2012, inclusive. [8046/14]

Metal Detectors

Andrew Doyle

437. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if he will update the regulations on the detection of metal using metal detectors to bring them in line with those in the United Kingdom. [7934/14]

Food Safety Standards Regulation

Andrew Doyle

676. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Minister for Health the action he has taken to collect and analyse data on the growing incidence of persons with food allergies here; and if research into human food intolerances and gut health is being carried out by Teagasc. [8104/14]

Hospital Staff Recruitment

Andrew Doyle

726. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Minister for Health if consideration will be given to the appointment of a urologist to Temple Street hospital; and if he will provide a timeframe for the appointment. [7918/14]

Departmental Programmes

Andrew Doyle

775. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the proposed budget for the centralised computerisation of the shipping and seafarers' registries. [8087/14]

Financial Instruments

Andrew Doyle

88. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Minister for Finance if he will indicate the tools to avoid excessive speculation in commodity derivatives under the new markets in financial instruments directive and regulation which he has described; if he will further indicate who the regulators here will be; and the commodity derivatives which will be affected here. [7397/14]

Garda Station Refurbishment

Andrew Doyle

249. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform further to Parliamentary Question No. 529 of 4 February 2014, the measures and particular refurbishment works that will be undertaken by the Office of Public Works at a Garda Station (details supplied) in County Wicklow; the timeline for each of the refurbishment works and measure; the total cost of the works for the station for 2014, improving the quality of the service provided by An Garda Síochána in the community; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6665/14]

IBRC Liquidation

Andrew Doyle

176. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Minister for Finance the terms of the emergency legislation to liquidate IRBC; the protection measure provisions currently in place regarding the protection of over 13,250 mortgage holders previously with Irish Nationwide Building Society; if protection is included under the current legislation from any fund taking over the home loans valued at €1.8 billion currently owned by the State; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5367/14]

Financial Instruments

Andrew Doyle

195. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Minister for Finance the way the new agreement on the markets in financial derivatives impact here; and the action he will take on this issue. [5707/14]

Public Procurement Contracts

Andrew Doyle

252. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform in regards to the practice in relation to awarding 12% of Government tenders to foreign companies, if he will state the monetary value of these tenders and the impact on the Exchequer and job creation for our small and medium enterprises; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5377/14]

Public Procurement Contracts

Andrew Doyle

285. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the policy in relation to support and training of small and medium enterprises in relation to Government tenders mentoring; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5368/14]

Petroleum and Gas Exploration

Andrew Doyle

378. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the action he has taken to ensure that the negative environmental implications of fracking gas extraction techniques on local water supplies and Irish farming international quality standards are included in any decision on the cost-benefits of extraction of gas by fracking, before exploratory gas fracking licenses are issued. [5441/14]

National Energy Efficiency Action Plan

Andrew Doyle

403. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if there is a monitoring system for the carbon control strategy which applies to all buildings in the State portfolio. [5443/14]

State Properties

Andrew Doyle

424. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if there is a national carbon control strategy for all the buildings in the State portfolio. [5442/14]