Parliamentary questions

Prison Committals

Maureen O'Sullivan

161. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the length of time those in prison for subversive-related crime have spent on remand in the past five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50941/13]

Overseas Development Aid Oversight

Maureen O'Sullivan

143. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will provide a breakdown of the €9.023 million given by Irish Aid in 2012 to Mozambique under the heading general budget support; if he will provide a breakdown of exactly where the money was spent; the level of parliamentary oversight the Mozambique Government has in relation to this funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50644/13]

Overseas Development Aid Oversight

Maureen O'Sullivan

144. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will provide a breakdown of the €15.223 million given for health, HIV and AIDS purposes in Mozambique; if he will provide a breakdown of the €5.593 million given towards education in Mozambique and the €1.782 million to agriculture; the amount that was given directly to the Mozambique Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50645/13]

Animal Welfare

Maureen O'Sullivan

522. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason he has included the docking of dog tails and clipping of dew claws in pups of up to four days old in regulations being drafted under the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013; if the regulations will require only qualified personnel to carry out such operations; the way in which these regulations are in line with section 12, prohibition of animal cruelty in the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50174/13]

Health Services Staff Remuneration

Maureen O'Sullivan

600. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health when the Health Service Executive will publish the first progress report on the audit of 46 agencies, including hospitals and organisations, granting unauthorised payment of allowances; if disciplinary proceedings will exist for those organisations granting these unauthorised payments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50330/13]

HSE Transport Service

Maureen O'Sullivan

629. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the reason behind cutting the Health Service Executive transport service for patients attending appointments in other hospitals; the amount in savings his Department is making in this cut; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that this greatly affects the elderly community who with only their pensions as income cannot afford the fares being offered by private wheelchair accessible taxi services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50546/13]

Biofuel Obligation Scheme Targets

Maureen O'Sullivan

83. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade following the Minister of State with responsibility for development's statement supporting a 5% EU cap on food based biofuels because of its implications for land and food security in Africa, the reason the Department of Communications Energy and Natural Resources has reneged on this by supporting a new 7% cap which has potentially devastating effects in the developing world; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49072/13]

Human Rights Issues

Maureen O'Sullivan

95. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he has had any discussions at multilateral or bilateral levels in relation to the imprisonment of Huber Balesteros and the recent murder of Caesar Garcia in Colombia; the actions he has taken to address the staggering levels of political violence in Colombia, directed in particular against trade unionists; the way in which he can recommend that these Houses ratify an EU trade agreement which has been shown to lack the mechanisms required to enforce its human rights clauses (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48868/13]

Northern Ireland Issues

Maureen O'Sullivan

100. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will provide an update on his discussions with Secretary of State Villiers and Minister Ford on prisoner rights in Northern Ireland jails; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48870/13]

Human Rights Issues

Maureen O'Sullivan

109. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he has had any discussion with the Spanish authorities in relation to human rights issues affecting Basque prisoners, especially in relation to alleged torture and in relation to those prisoners who are extremely ill; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48872/13]

Overseas Development Aid

Maureen O'Sullivan

110. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will make decent work a priority of his Department in the post-2015 development agenda; his views on the remarks made by Mr. Colin Wrafter at the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade recently that decent work is a human right (UD, Article 23); if he supports the new Asia floor wage; and if he will promote this right in Africa, as the focus of so much of Ireland's aid and trade policies, where there is both accelerating industrialisation and intensive agriculture; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48871/13]

Tax Code

Maureen O'Sullivan

156. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Finance the reason his Department is supporting the one-parent tax credit cut that undermines the equal rights of children, discriminates against children living in separated units, enforces less favourable financial, social and emotional supports on these children than on all other children in our society; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48895/13]

Magdalen Laundries

Maureen O'Sullivan

504. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the way recommendations and entitlements regarding health care needs of the survivors of the Magdalen laundries will be met, particularly for those who live outside the jurisdiction. [48860/13]

Magdalen Laundries

Maureen O'Sullivan

505. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will provide a breakdown of applications to the Magdalen laundries scheme following Justice Quirke's report and recommendations by country of residence. [48861/13]

Public Procurement Regulations

Maureen O'Sullivan

78. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the protocols that apply where a civil or public servant involved in procurement is a sibling or close family member of a director of a firm that is awarded a contract for the supply of goods or services on foot of that particular procurement decision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48693/13]

Irish Prison Service

Maureen O'Sullivan

136. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of occasions when a director of a State agency, the Irish Prison Service, established in 1999, has reported a conflict of interest or potential conflict of interest in relation to procurement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48694/13]

Irish Prison Service

Maureen O'Sullivan

137. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of contracts for the supply of goods or services concluded between a firm and a State agency (details supplied) since 1999; the aggregate value of those contracts for each calendar year; the number of instances where contracts were awarded to the firm concerned without going to tender or without the application of formal procurement procedures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48695/13]

Social Welfare Eligibility

Maureen O'Sullivan

84. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to the limbo situation many unemployed persons find themselves in after being self-employed and unable to receive either jobseeker's benefit or jobseeker's allowance; if her attention has been further drawn to the fact that they are then unable to access schemes aimed at unemployed persons including the momentum project FÁS, JobBridge national internship scheme, employer job PRSI incentive scheme, back to education allowance, back to work enterprise allowance scheme, short term enterprise allowance scheme or INTREO; the options available to those who do not have access to the listed schemes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48434/13]

Local Development Network

Maureen O'Sullivan

109. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the stages in the consultation process he engaged in with the Irish Local Development Network which will deliver the LCDP-RDP in the future; and if the administration of shared services will be done by local authority staff. [48472/13]

Local Development Companies Administration

Maureen O'Sullivan

110. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will clarify arrangements for the north inner city of Dublin as the proposed system for local development is based on a structure the inner city does not have due to the absence of an inner city partnership; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48473/13]

Animal Diseases Issues

Maureen O'Sullivan

142. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his attention has been drawn to the death of a dog from the Longford pound due to go to a new home in the UK which was vaccinated for rabies and which, according to the vet, died as a result of a complication from the rabies vaccine; if he will clarify the need for the introduction of a rabies vaccination process for animals being exported to the UK when the UK has been rabies free since 1902; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48457/13]

Child Detention Centres

Maureen O'Sullivan

387. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the state of development at Oberstown; the drug treatment facilities that will be available; the resources that will be available for staff; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45959/13]

National Transport Authority

Maureen O'Sullivan

3. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the position regarding the Dublin city centre study being undertaken by the National Transport Authority in relation to the development of the Royal Canal-CIE lifting bridge on the North Strand, Dublin 1, and the Scherzer Bridge, Sheriff Street, Dublin 1; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47410/13]

Prisoner Data

Maureen O'Sullivan

169. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of persons currently on remand in prison; the length of time they are on remand; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47525/13]

Defence Forces Reserve Review

Maureen O'Sullivan

9. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Defence the current arrangements for staff and resources of the FCA; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46642/13]

Crime Investigation

Maureen O'Sullivan

124. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality in relation to a private, registered members-only Internet chat and information forum (details supplied), the extent to which this forum would be liable under the Prohibition of Incitement to Hatred Act 1989 if a racist discussion took place against the Roma community, where the web chat site administrator was also involved in the conversation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47333/13]

Magdalen Laundries Issues

Maureen O'Sullivan

76. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the way in which he envisages that payments will begin to be paid to the women of the Magdalen laundries as part of the redress process in view of the recent passing of another Magdalen survivor; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45958/13]

Foreign Conflicts

Maureen O'Sullivan

121. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his response to the ongoing charging of persons for their membership of political parties banned in the Basque; if he has engaged with Spanish officials on their lack of engagement in a peaceful process of resolution to the conflict instead of increasing its repression on political membership and protest activity by individuals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46168/13]

Tax Code

Maureen O'Sullivan

490. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Social Protection her plans to counteract the serious effects resulting from the eradication of the one-parent family tax credit, such as increased poverty, resorting to social welfare, and increasing difficulties for parents to meet the costs of raising a family; if investment in affordable child care will form part of the initiatives to offset the consequences of the tax credit change; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45988/13]

Inland Waterways Maintenance

Maureen O'Sullivan

590. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht further to Parliamentary Question No. 59 of 16 October 2013, the extent of railway track that needs to be closed by Irish Rail in order for a vessel on the Royal Canal, Dublin, to be given access between the First and Sea Levels of the Royal Canal; if there has been an assessment of whether the extent of track closure could be reduced to facilitate greater ease of navigation on the Royal canal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45986/13]

Inland Waterways Maintenance

Maureen O'Sullivan

591. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht further to Parliamentary Question No. 59 of 16 October 2013, if the option of introducing a drop lock to replace the need of the lifting bridge has been considered since the establishment of Waterways Ireland or if that assessment was made by Waterways Ireland’s predecessors; the level of use of the sea level assumed in the assessment; if the impact of the Spencer Dock greenway was taken into account and vice versa, was account taken of the impact on the greenway were the sea level to be made accessible to navigation by replacing the lifting bridge; if the assessment includes analysis of whether the effective reopening of the sea level of the Royal Canal to meaningful levels of year round traffic would be consistent with the EU's commitment to the protection and preservation of cultural heritage, in view of the fact that Dublin's waterway's heritage is part of the cultural infrastructure of Europe, contributing to economic attractiveness, job opportunities and quality of life; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45987/13]

Animal Welfare Issues

Maureen O'Sullivan

677. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the large geographical disparity in outcomes between the dog pounds where over 1% are killed in Leitrim pound in comparison to over 80% in north Tipperary; the action he will take to see standardisation in the re-homing ethos in all pounds; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that new passport and rabies stipulation will result in an increased killing rate of dogs in pounds as rescue groups are full up with healthy dogs waiting for 21 days after rabies vaccination; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46305/13]

Adoption Records Provision

Maureen O'Sullivan

996. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs in the event of an adopted person successfully tracing his or her birth mother and the identity being known to him or her, the reason he or she cannot be given a copy of his or her adoption file; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46166/13]

Hospital Staff Issues

Maureen O'Sullivan

1025. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the reason the salary offered in the urologist position for Temple Street Hospital is below the normal salary for these positions at €109,000; when the position is filled the reason the urologist will be working half the time in Temple Street and half the time in Crumlin; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that this may be making it difficult for the position to be filled and that it would impact on the quality of services for children with spina bifida and other health conditions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45633/13]

HSE Staff Remuneration

Maureen O'Sullivan

1151. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health if he will list all the non-core payments of middle and senior management staff (non-medical) in the Health Service Executive in 2012, non-core meaning overtime, bonuses, including sponsored trips, hospitality events, benefits-in-kind or any other payments not defined as basic; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46426/13]

Biofuel Obligation Scheme Targets

Maureen O'Sullivan

7. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will campaign for the strengthening and tightening of the cap on bio-fuels competing for land and crops with food production; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45030/13]

Biofuel Obligation Scheme Targets

Maureen O'Sullivan

41. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will include binding indirect land use change factors to ensure all climate impacts of bio-fuels are taken into account; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45029/13]

Water Quality Issues

Maureen O'Sullivan

229. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the reason unlicensed industrial grade products like H2SiF6, hydrofluorosilicic acid, which is extremely toxic, are allowed, when such a product would not be sanctioned in drug form on the Irish market, where only pharmaceutical grade and licensed medicines are permitted for sale here and their intake strictly monitored as well as the dosage, which is not the case with artificial water fluoridation where intake is unknown and the dose in water is only used as a marker for levels; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45464/13]

Alternative Energy Projects

Maureen O'Sullivan

75. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the reason there was a change in commitment regarding a bio-fuels cap as given in a previous parliamentary question, where he committed to supporting a 5% cap but is now supporting a 7% cap; when and how did he change his commitment to this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45302/13]

NAMA Portfolio Issues

Maureen O'Sullivan

156. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Finance further to Parliamentary Question No. 137 of 8 October 2013, if he will provide a link to the URL page on the National Asset Management Agency website, www.nama.ie, where a list of all receiver-controlled properties is available and searchable by county and area, including by Dublin postcode; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44705/13]

Special Educational Needs Data

Maureen O'Sullivan

200. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of deaf children at a primary and post-primary level, who are participating in mainstream integrated education; the number of deaf children who are attending specialist schools for the deaf at a primary and secondary level; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44697/13]

Special Educational Needs Data

Maureen O'Sullivan

201. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of children with special needs who have been able to avail of their legal right to an individual education plan; the level of collaboration between the Health Service Executive and his Department in ensuring that children with additional needs do not miss vital eduction milestones as a result of delays in the diagnosis process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44698/13]

Special Educational Needs Data

Maureen O'Sullivan

202. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide clarity on the rationale for the different entitlement models used between the Department of Health and his Department; the way the needs based approach used by the Department of Health, which is dependent on an assessment system characterised by delays, is creating delays for access to teaching supports and resources in mainstream education, which in turn is creating potentially unavoidable developmental delays in children who are already marginalised; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44699/13]

Civil Registration Legislation

Maureen O'Sullivan

227. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Social Protection if there are legislative provisions under which the death of unborn children, other than stillborn, may be registered by the State; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44580/13]

Homeless Accommodation Provision

Maureen O'Sullivan

365. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the amount of cuts made to front-line homeless services as a result of budget 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44591/13]

Homeless Accommodation Funding

Maureen O'Sullivan

366. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the way the Dublin local authorities are to absorb the funding cuts by year end, so there is no pass on directly or indirectly to homeless services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44592/13]

Adoption Records Provision

Maureen O'Sullivan

473. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs when the adoption and tracing legislation will be published; the extent to which the legislation will ensure access to birth certificates for those adopted; if the rights granted to adopted persons will be aligned with those rights afforded to those in Northern Ireland, North Wales, Scotland, England and various countries, within this legislation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44704/13]

Health Services Staff Data

Maureen O'Sullivan

573. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the number of administrative staff who were employed by the Department of Health in 2005, that is, clerical officers, staff officers, and executive officers; the number of middle and senior managers who were employed, that is, higher executive officers, assistant principals, principals, assistant secretaries, deputy secretaries general and Secretaries General; how these employment numbers compare on a grade-by-grade basis with the numbers employed in 2012; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44694/13]

Health Services Staff Data

Maureen O'Sullivan

574. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the number of administrative, middle and senior management staff, non-medical, that were employed by the Health Service Executive in 2005; if he will provide a breakdown of job titles; on a category-by-category basis, how these numbers compare with staff numbers employed in 2012; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44695/13]

Health Services Staff Remuneration

Maureen O'Sullivan

575. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the non-core basic wage payments middle and senior management staff, non-medical, in the Health Service Executive received in 2012; if he will list the details of these payments including descriptions and rationale; the benefit in kind middle and senior management staff, non-medical, received in 2012; if he will list the benefits including sponsored trips and hospitality events that were offered in that year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44696/13]