Parliamentary questions

Hospital Waiting Lists

Catherine Martin

646. Deputy Catherine Martin asked the Minister for Health the number of persons currently on the pre-planned hospital waiting list and the pre-admit hospital waiting list; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10365/17]

Hospital Waiting Lists

Catherine Martin

650. Deputy Catherine Martin asked the Minister for Health the number of persons, in tabular form, removed from waiting lists in each of the past 12 months due to their failure to respond to outpatient validation letters; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10447/17]

Local Authority Expenditure

Catherine Martin

785. Deputy Catherine Martin asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport further to Parliamentary Question No. 1557 of 17 January 2017 and the information subsequently supplied by the NTA, the reason Fingal County Council, with 16% of the greater Dublin area, GDA, population spent only 1% of the sustainable transport measures grant programme expenditure in the GDA; and if his or his Department's attention has been drawn to any staffing or other constraints in Fingal County Council which may be impeding it from spending available resources. [10366/17]

European Court of Justice Rulings

Catherine Martin

798. Deputy Catherine Martin asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if her attention has been drawn to the fact that in 2015 the European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled in case C-266/14 that in instances in which workers do not have a fixed place of work, the time they spend travelling between their home and their first and last customers each day counts as working time; if her attention has been further drawn to the fact that section 8 of the National Minimum Wage Act 2000 states that working time does not include time spent travelling to and from work and therefore this ECJ ruling will not apply to employees in the private sector; if her attention has been drawn to the fact that under the principle of direct effect it does apply to the public sector; and her plans to update current legislation to cater for the aforementioned ECJ ruling. [10068/17]

Garda Station Closures

Catherine Martin

80. Deputy Catherine Martin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if, with regard to a closed Garda station (details supplied), the Garda Commissioner has indicated to her a timeframe as to when the review of the re-opening of Garda stations agreed in the programme for Government will be completed; if she has requested same; if so, when the announcement will be made; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8878/17]

Syrian Conflict

Catherine Martin

143. Deputy Catherine Martin asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to a report (details supplied) concerning gross human rights violations in the Syrian Government's Saydnaya prison; his views on the call for an urgent and independent investigation into crimes committed at the prison; the action he has taken on this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8760/17]

Domestic Violence

Catherine Martin

144. Deputy Catherine Martin asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to the recent passage through the Duma, the Parliament of the Russian Federation, and adoption by the Russian President, Mr. Putin, of a law decriminalising the first instance of domestic violence against a spouse or partner; his plans to call on the Russian Government to repeal this law which is in breach of its own treaty commitments to protect the rights of women and children; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8603/17]

Gender Recognition

Catherine Martin

305. Deputy Catherine Martin asked the Minister for Social Protection the precise legal basis on which persons applying for a gender recognition certificate and wishing to use a name different from that on their original birth certificate are required to provide evidence of use and repute in respect of a name or to produce a deed poll that has been enrolled in the High Court; the reason such additional documentation is necessary in view of the fact that section 10(1)(b) of the Gender Recognition Act 2015 simply requires the applicant to furnish the preferred forename and surname; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8607/17]

Child Abuse

Catherine Martin

84. Deputy Catherine Martin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality further to Question No. 1682 of 17 January 2017, the role the Garda will have in the process of creating a national service model for sexual abuse services for children and their families; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7508/17]

Youth Justice Strategy

Catherine Martin

85. Deputy Catherine Martin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality when the annual reports of the committee appointed to monitor the effectiveness of the diversion programme for 2015 and 2016 will be published; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7509/17]

School Equipment

Catherine Martin

135. Deputy Catherine Martin asked the Minister for Education and Skills to outline the steps that will be taken to address the issue with regard to the recent survey conducted by the National Parents Council Primary regarding the back health of children from carrying heavy school bags; when his Department last issued information to all primary and post-primary schools highlighting the health hazards of heavy school bags; if his Department will consider mandatory weight guidelines for schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7510/17]

Nursing Homes Support Scheme Administration

Catherine Martin

210. Deputy Catherine Martin asked the Minister for Health his plans to lower the premium placed on land and property assets of persons availing of the nursing homes support scheme from 7.5% to its previous level of 5%; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7512/17]

Child Abuse

Catherine Martin

300. Deputy Catherine Martin asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs further to Parliamentary Question No. 1682 of 17 January 2017, the reason the Garda is not an agency involved in the process of creating a national service model for sexual abuse services for children and their families, particularly since she mentions Garda investigation as a key element in her reply; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7507/17]

School Staff

Catherine Martin

202. Deputy Catherine Martin asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of substitutable days whereby no substitute teachers were employed in primary schools for the school years 2015-16 and 2016-17 to date, by year and whether the school in question is a special school, in tabular form. [4884/17]

Local Authority Functions

Catherine Martin

217. Deputy Catherine Martin asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the number of enforcement notices issued nationwide since 1 January 2013, by year and by council, in tabular form. [4880/17]

Local Authority Functions

Catherine Martin

218. Deputy Catherine Martin asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the number of prosecutions under the Building Control Act 2007 in the past five years for south Dublin, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, Fingal, Meath, Kildare and Donegal county councils and Dublin City Council, by year and by council, in tabular form. [4881/17]

Local Authority Functions

Catherine Martin

219. Deputy Catherine Martin asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the number of completion certificates rejected under the Building Control (Amendment) Regulations, Statutory Instrument No. 9 of 2014 in each of south Dublin, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, Fingal, Meath, Kildare and Donegal county councils and Dublin City Council, by council, in tabular form. [4882/17]

Social and Affordable Housing Expenditure

Catherine Martin

220. Deputy Catherine Martin asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the amount spent on rectifying defective social housing in the past ten years by south Dublin, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, Fingal, Meath, Kildare and Donegal county councils and Dublin City Council, by year and by council, in tabular form. [4883/17]

Medical Card Eligibility

Catherine Martin

446. Deputy Catherine Martin asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the fact that in calculation of income for the family income supplement, superannuation and the pension levy are deducted for the purpose of calculating assessable income, whereas they are not for the medical card, whereby only tax, PRSI and the USC are deducted; if his attention has been further drawn to the fact that superannuation, pension levy and 1.5% spousal and child pension are mandatory deductions in his Department, thereby making it more difficult for those working in the sector to access such medical benefits; the rationale for this; his plans to change the calculation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3911/17]

State Examinations Exemptions

Catherine Martin

160. Deputy Catherine Martin asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the fact that while the Irish language exemption on the basis of a learning difficulty is recognised as part of the leaving certificate applied programme year 1, the foreign language exemption on the basis of a learning difficulty is not recognised as part of leaving certificate applied programme year 2; the reason this is the case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2576/17]