Parliamentary questions

School Inspection Reports

Patrick O'Donovan

206. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide in tabular form by county, the number of inspections carried out by the Chief Inspector in 2012; the number of inspections that were carried out as a result of a request from the building and planning units; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53009/13]

Social Welfare Benefits

Patrick O'Donovan

248. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Social Protection if she has considered recent suggestions from the British Prime Minister in relation to the issue of welfare tourism, specifically that it is the intention of the UK Government not to pay benefits to persons immigrating to the UK for the first three months and that, on approval for benefits, they would be paid for a maximum of six months; her plans to introduce similar measures here; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52477/13]

Social Welfare Fraud Investigations

Patrick O'Donovan

249. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 112 of 21 November, in relation to social welfare fraud detection at airports, if she will extend the detection to the other airports in the State and the passenger ferry terminals; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52479/13]

Carer's Allowance Appeals

Patrick O'Donovan

259. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding an appeal for carer's allowance in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Donegal; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52683/13]

Departmental Staff Data

Patrick O'Donovan

348. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government further to Parliamentary Question No. 109 of 4 December 2013, if he will provide a breakdown of the grades and numbers for each employee and the salary scale for each; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53097/13]

Departmental Schemes

Patrick O'Donovan

440. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason specialist heifer feeders were excluded from the beef premium payments prior to the establishment of the three reference years 2000, 2001 and 2002; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52993/13]

Health and Safety Regulations

Patrick O'Donovan

490. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Health when he expects to sign the commencement notice for regulations allowing for the Health Information and Quality Authority to carry out unannounced inspections in public hospitals for all purposes other than for hospital acquired infections, which it is already allowed to do; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52691/13]

Hospital Services

Patrick O'Donovan

491. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Health if there is a national register of all hospitals public and private; if there are published criteria in place for facilities to be registered as a hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52692/13]

Property Taxation Collection

Patrick O'Donovan

57. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Finance the position regarding a deduction for local property tax in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Limerick; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52288/13]

School Services Staff

Patrick O'Donovan

89. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to a situation at a school (details supplied) in County Wexford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52281/13]

Proposed Legislation

Patrick O'Donovan

182. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality in view of the recent report of the Law Reform Commission in relation to the issue of online harassment and its opinion regarding the effectiveness of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act, if he will consider the introduction of new legislation similar to that which has recently been adopted in New Zealand; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52335/13]

Broadcasting Sector Regulation

Patrick O'Donovan

9. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he has considered introducing guidelines, regulations or other legal instruments to cover the issue of user generated content being broadcast on TV, radio or other broadcast platforms; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51568/13]

Departmental Agencies Staff Remuneration

Patrick O'Donovan

27. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade in view of the recent reports into the use of donations and proceeds from shops to top up the salaries of chief executive officers and other officials in sections 38 and 39 organisations funded by the Health Service Executive, if he will seek clarifications from the NGOs funded by his Department to determine if similar practices exist in those organisations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52163/13]

Roadworthiness Testing

Patrick O'Donovan

40. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if Bus Éireann engages the services of the UK-based association (details supplied) to conduct inspections on school buses; if this service is tendered for; and if so, if any Irish companies have put forward a tender for this operation. [52134/13]

Roadworthiness Testing

Patrick O'Donovan

41. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will clarify a matter (details supplied) regarding Bus Éireann inspections; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52152/13]

Roadworthiness Testing

Patrick O'Donovan

42. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding vehicle inspections in the Limerick area (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52153/13]

Student Grant Scheme Appeals

Patrick O'Donovan

49. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Education and Skills whether a person (details supplied) in County Mayo can submit an appeal to the student grants appeal board when there is a review of the Student Universal Support Ireland grant application ongoing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52040/13]

Departmental Agencies Staff Remuneration

Patrick O'Donovan

57. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Education and Skills in view of the recent reports into the use of donations and proceeds from shops to top up the salaries of chief executive officers and other officials in sections 38 and 39 organisations funded from the Health Service Executive, if he will seek clarifications from the institutions who are funded by his Department to determine if similar practices exist in those organisations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52165/13]

Irish Water Staff

Patrick O'Donovan

109. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide, in tabular form, the grades and numbers for each employee at all levels that will be employed by Irish Water plus the salary scales for each; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52038/13]

Departmental Agencies Staff Remuneration

Patrick O'Donovan

147. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs in view of the recent reports into the use of donations and proceeds from shops to top-up the salaries of chief executive officers and other officials, in sections 38 and 39 organisations funded by the Health Service Executive, if she will seek clarifications from the organisations funded by her Department to determine if similar practices exist in those organisations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52164/13]

Property Taxation Assessments

Patrick O'Donovan

75. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Finance if there is any circumstance in which a home owner may have the valuation of his or her property altered (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51730/13]

Departmental Staff Allowances

Patrick O'Donovan

107. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reasons an allowance is not paid to persons that fill a co-ordinator's post on a temporary basis in adult education. [51523/13]

Schools Building Projects Status

Patrick O'Donovan

118. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding an application for a new school extension in respect of a school (details supplied) in County Wexford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51854/13]

Personal Public Service Numbers

Patrick O'Donovan

154. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide details, in tabular form and by country of origin, the number of PPS numbers that were awarded to inward migrants into Ireland during 2012; if she will provide details of the number of those PPS numbers to which payments from her Department were awarded in 2012; the total amount paid in respect of such PPS numbers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51333/13]

Metropolitan Area Networks Programme

Patrick O'Donovan

228. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will provide details in tabular form of the different publicly provided metropolitan area networks in the country; the year of completion; the total cost of the MAN; the year that the MAN was lit; if that is the case, details of the volume of traffic on the MAN; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51729/13]

Voluntary Housing Sector

Patrick O'Donovan

251. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government when funds will be made available from his Department in respect of a unit (details supplied) in County Limerick; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51611/13]

Garda Vetting Application Numbers

Patrick O'Donovan

301. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality in view of the number of persons applying for Garda vetting on more than one occasion particularly those actively engaged in the local voluntary sector, if he will consider a consolidated or joined up Garda vetting system, where a person could be certified as vetted for a particular period of time rather than for a particular purpose; if he will consider making the Garda vetting process a more active process with more regular updates; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51754/13]

Departmental Funding

Patrick O'Donovan

472. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport when grant applications for funding for 2014 festivals will be accepted; the headings under which the applications were made; and the conditions attached to the awarding of funds from his Department and-or agencies under his remit in 2013. [51780/13]

Social Welfare Fraud Data

Patrick O'Donovan

84. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 112 of 21 November 2013, if she will confirm the total amount of fraud detected as a result of the detections at State airports; if the money in question has been returned to her Department; if there are plans to extend the inspections to the other airports and passenger port terminals and other entry points to the State; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51182/13]

Legislative Measures

Patrick O'Donovan

104. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will consider reviewing section 42 of the Planning and Development Act and Article 45 of the Planning and Development Regulations 2000-2013 with a view to making amendments to allow planning authorities to request further information to be sought on substantive planning issues and to allow conditions to be imposed on the extended permission to address planning inadequacies in the original permission, so as to facilitate a situation where grants of permission can be extended, particularly in circumstances where financial difficulties prevent a person from availing of the permission; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51263/13]

Medical Aids and Appliances Provision

Patrick O'Donovan

158. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Health if he will provide in tabular form the different locations at which specialised beds, that is, hospital beds for use in a person's home, are stored and the quantities in each. [51162/13]

Property Taxation Application

Patrick O'Donovan

48. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Finance the reason a person (details supplied) in County Wexford has had the liability for the household charge added to the local property tax liability for their properties; if they can make payments for 2014 via a payment service provider; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51051/13]

Student Grant Scheme Appeals

Patrick O'Donovan

80. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason a person (details supplied) in County Mayo has yet to receive a decision based on their application for a fee-only grant for the academic year 2012-13; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50984/13]

State Examinations

Patrick O'Donovan

98. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Education and Skills in view of the increased numbers taking up higher level maths for examination at leaving certificate as a result of the reintroduction of bonus points, if he will consider a similar initiative for those students taking up applied math, physics and chemistry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50117/13]

Tax Collection

Patrick O'Donovan

176. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Finance the outstanding issues that still have to be sorted between persons (details supplied) in County Wexford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50451/13]

Mortgage Interest Relief Eligibility

Patrick O'Donovan

193. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Finance if a person (details supplied) in County Wexford may avail of mortgage interest relief on part of their overall mortgage; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50698/13]

Jobseeker's Allowance Appeals

Patrick O'Donovan

327. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide an update on an appeal for jobseeker's allowance in respect of a person (details supplied); when it is likely a decision will be made; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50172/13]

Fuel Allowance Eligibility

Patrick O'Donovan

343. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide details of exceptions that may be made for the qualifying criteria for the fuel allowance scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50301/13]

Broadcasting Sector Regulation

Patrick O'Donovan

440. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the legislative plans he has to deal with the issue of sponsorship by commercial entities of current affairs programmes by the public service broadcaster; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50714/13]

Waste Disposal

Patrick O'Donovan

463. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the reasons behind allowing local authorities to charge for the disposal of fats, oils and greases; if he will acknowledge that the charge for disposal of brown water for commercial properties should cover the disposal of all waste waters from commercial properties; if he has limited the amount that local authorities can charge for disposal of fats, oils and greases; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50236/13]

Commercial Rates

Patrick O'Donovan

466. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he has issued any correspondence to local authorities to encourage them not to increase their water charges or commercial rates for 2014; if he will provide details of the amount charged by each local authority in tabular form by standard unit for water in 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50287/13]

Penalty Points System

Patrick O'Donovan

494. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will provide details in tabular form by county of the number of penalty points issued to persons as a result of detection by the speed camera vans since their introduction; the amount of revenue that has been raised as a result; if all the revenue has been returned to the Exchequer; the amount of fines levied which is overdue by more than three months; the proportion of those detections that were made in 50,60,100 and 120 km/h zones; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50233/13]

Single Payment Scheme Applications

Patrick O'Donovan

561. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a person (details supplied) in County Wexford will be paid their single farm payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50816/13]

Departmental Funding

Patrick O'Donovan

26. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the position regarding financial assistance (details supplied). [50045/13]

Social Welfare Fraud Data

Patrick O'Donovan

112. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Social Protection if her Department officials carried out interviews on persons travelling through Irish airports and ferry terminals as a means of detecting social welfare fraud; if she will provide details in tabular form of the number of interviews per airport and ferry terminals that were carried out in 2012; the number of payments that were discontinued as a result of these interviews; if she will provide details of any prosecutions that have been initiated as a result of same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49994/13]

Tobacco Control Measures

Patrick O'Donovan

223. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Health the legislative and regulatory controls that exist to cover the sale, advertising and promotion of electronic cigarettes. [49995/13]

Driver Licence Data

Patrick O'Donovan

231. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport in view of the data in response to a parliamentary question regarding applications for drivers' licences and learner permits in 2012, if he is satisfied that the provision of driver licence centres in Limerick is adequate in comparison to the data relating to applications and distances from centres in counties Leitrim, Longford, Westmeath and Roscommon, which was raised with him by way of Topical Issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49993/13]

Property Taxation Administration

Patrick O'Donovan

57. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Finance if a home owner with a mortgage under the repairs in lieu of rehousing scheme from the local authority should have been informed of their liability under the local property tax; if these owners have an exemption to the LPT; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49689/13]

Disadvantaged Areas Scheme Payments

Patrick O'Donovan

164. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason a person (details supplied) in County Limerick has not received a headage payment for 2012; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49683/13]

Orthodontic Service Provision

Patrick O'Donovan

186. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Health if he has been requested to establish a process to roll out the delivery of orthodontic therapy in accordance with best international practice, in order to reduce the waiting lists for children waiting for orthodontic treatment; if he will provide details of all meetings that officials of his Department have held with the Dental Council and dental colleges in this area; if the Dental Council has offered an opinion to him on the introduction of dental therapists; if the Dental Council has signalled its intent to support a modernised system; if he will provide details of correspondence to and from the Dental Council on this matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49631/13]