Parliamentary questions

Adult Literacy and Numeracy Strategy

Terence Flanagan

325. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will consider amending the Further Education and Training Bill 2013 to include an adult literacy and numeracy strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23883/13]

Back to Education Allowance Eligibility

Terence Flanagan

425. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Social Protection if consideration will be given to allocating funding in order that persons in receipt of jobseeker's allowance can train and qualify as special needs assistants; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24006/13]

Commemorative Events

Terence Flanagan

449. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if he will outline the details of the events that are planned to mark the centenary of the 1913 Lockout; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24007/13]

Energy Regulation

Terence Flanagan

459. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will respond to a query (details supplied) regarding gas and electricity prices; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23750/13]

Commercial Rates

Terence Flanagan

473. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his plans to instruct local authorities to reduce commercial rates for struggling businesses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24308/13]

Commercial Rates

Terence Flanagan

491. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if there are any plans to standardise commercial rates for the Dublin City Council and Fingal County Council areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23998/13]

Garda Operations

Terence Flanagan

526. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the frequency of Garda patrols taking place on Talbot Street, Amiens Street, Abbey Street and O'Connell Street, Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23884/13]

Hospice Services

Terence Flanagan

634. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Health if he will ensure that funding is allocated to the LauraLynn Foundation this year and next year to ensure that the hospice may continue their exceptional work on a day to day basis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23872/13]

Job Initiatives

Terence Flanagan

155. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if it is possible for his Department to support an incubation unit project to create jobs at the Clonshaugh Industrial Estate, Dublin, to replicate an enterprise centre for the northside of Dublin similar to the Guinness enterprise centre; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23268/13]

European Court of Human Rights Judgments

Terence Flanagan

157. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will confirm that at a meeting of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe on 7 March 2013 the representative from Poland proposed the insertion into the Council’s statement to the effect that neither the European Convention on Human Rights nor the Court’s ruling in A, B and C v. Ireland obliged Ireland to introduce legislation permitting abortion; if he will confirm that this proposal was supported by representatives from other countries and that the Irish representative refused to support it; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22332/13]

Banking Sector Issues

Terence Flanagan

179. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Finance his views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding an increase in EBS mortgages; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22250/13]

International Financial Services Centre

Terence Flanagan

182. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Finance the number of banks and businesses that have closed in the International Financial Services Centre over the past three years; the names of the banks; the reason they closed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22277/13]

Tax Yield

Terence Flanagan

183. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Finance the number of taxpayers earning more than €100,000 per annum; the amount of tax they pay; the percentage this is of the total tax take; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22278/13]

Health and Safety Inspections

Terence Flanagan

305. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if there are regular health and safety checks carried out at petrol stations here; the person responsible for carrying out these checks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22149/13]

Planning Issues

Terence Flanagan

424. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if there is a limit on the distance allowed between a petrol station and a school; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22148/13]

Abortion Services

Terence Flanagan

565. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of minors in State care who have been taken abroad for abortions since 1992; the grounds on which the abortions were obtained and justified by the State; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22333/13]

Mental Health Services Provision

Terence Flanagan

585. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Health if he will outline the progress being made in appointing new staff for community mental health services in 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22191/13]

Medical Card Applications

Terence Flanagan

586. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Health the reason medical card holders who are granted a card solely because of their medical needs currently have to reapply for the card each year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22192/13]

Mental Health Services Provision

Terence Flanagan

587. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Health if there were delays in spending the budget allocated for community health services in 2012; if every effort will be made to ensure that the same delays are not experienced in 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22193/13]

Medical Card Eligibility

Terence Flanagan

588. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Health if he will consider introducing a system whereby a person's local general practitioner could sign off on the renewal of a medical card for a patient with substantial medical needs, in view of the fact that the person's condition would be known to him or her; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22194/13]

Medical Card Applications

Terence Flanagan

597. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Health if he will consider making changes to the medical card system in order that medical cards that are issued to an applicant based on medical needs are valid for a five-year period rather than a one-year period; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22249/13]

Primary Care Centres Provision

Terence Flanagan

598. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Health the exact location that has been identified in Baldoyle, Dublin, for the provision of a new primary care centre; if the site has been purchased; if so, the cost or if a contract has been entered into or will be entered into with a local property owner; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22263/13]

Expert Group on the A, B and C v. Ireland Judgment

Terence Flanagan

614. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Health when and the reason that he restricted the terms of reference of the Expert Group on Abortion to advising the Government on how to give effect to existing constitutional provisions rather than enabling it to make broader recommendations as set out in paragraph 3 of the terms of reference approved by the Government on 29 November 2011; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22331/13]

Departmental Funding

Terence Flanagan

615. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Health his views on whether it is acceptable that the National Women’s Council of Ireland, which is in receipt of significant State funding, openly campaigns for abortion here and refuses to represent the views of women who hold the opposing viewpoint, including women who regret their abortions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22334/13]

Abortion Services

Terence Flanagan

622. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Health the number of necessary medical treatments and abortions that have taken place in Irish hospitals over the past five years; if he will provide a tabular breakdown by month and year; the name of the hospital involved; the reason it was a necessary medical treatment or an abortion; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22360/13]

Health Insurance Company Payments

Terence Flanagan

626. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Health his views regarding the introduction of an automatic levy on the use of beds in a public hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22397/13]

Speech and Language Therapy

Terence Flanagan

685. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Health under Health Service Executive guidelines, the number of hours of speech and language services per year which should be allocated to children with severe phonological disorders; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22828/13]

Road Projects Expenditure

Terence Flanagan

729. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide a breakdown of moneys spent on capital projects (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22279/13]

Rent Supplement Scheme Administration

Terence Flanagan

122. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to the fact that at present a person in receipt of rent supplement is able to not pay the rent to their landlord, that her Department can be aware that this is happening, but no action can be taken by her Department to stop a person receiving the rent supplement; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22013/13]

Rent Supplement Scheme Administration

Terence Flanagan

123. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will consider introducing a system whereby landlords would have to sign off each month to show that they have received rent from a tenant in receipt of rent supplement; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22014/13]

Property Taxation Collection

Terence Flanagan

114. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding the deduction of local property tax from the back to education allowance in respect of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21650/13]

State Examinations Issues

Terence Flanagan

178. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to teachers' concerns about the new junior certificate examination proposals (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21395/13]

Household Charge Purpose

Terence Flanagan

273. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will respond to the following query regarding the distribution of moneys collected from the household charge (details supplied) in Dublin 13; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21352/13]

Generic Drugs Substitution

Terence Flanagan

395. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Health the position regarding the generic substitution of epilepsy medication (details supplied) in Dublin 13; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21391/13]

Disabled Drivers and Passengers Scheme

Terence Flanagan

99. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Finance if he will consider raising the engine cc limit or removing the cc limit under the Disabled Drivers and Disabled Passengers (Tax Concessions) Regulations, 1994; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20810/13]

Mortgage Resolution Processes

Terence Flanagan

100. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Finance the actions he is taking to support persons who bought properties in the height of the boom and are now in serious negative equity and struggling to pay their mortgage; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20811/13]

Personal Insolvency Act

Terence Flanagan

178. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will ensure that the plans to name and shame persons under the new insolvency registers will be shelved in view of the fact that they only amount to public humiliation for the persons concerned; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20885/13]

Charity Clothes Bank Thefts

Terence Flanagan

184. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if the law is adequate to deal with gangs who are involved in stealing clothes from charity banks and cause criminal damage to the clothes banks; the law and penalties that apply; the number of prosecutions that have taken place over the past five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20706/13]

Mental Health Guidelines

Terence Flanagan

252. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Health the number of psychiatrists needed for the procedure regarding a person being sent to a mental institution; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20704/13]

Mental Health Services Provision

Terence Flanagan

253. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Health the length of queues to see a State psychiatrist; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20705/13]

Free Travel Scheme Administration

Terence Flanagan

326. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Social Protection her views regarding the free travel pass (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20314/13]

Household Benefits

Terence Flanagan

327. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Social Protection if the proposed communications licence will be covered under the household benefits package when it replaces the television licence; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20323/13]

Child Care Services Provision

Terence Flanagan

330. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Social Protection the measures that will be put in place to assist lone parents who do not get one of the 6,000 child care places made available; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20338/13]

Social Welfare Fraud

Terence Flanagan

331. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Social Protection if she is on course to target benefit fraud in 2013; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20342/13]

Broadcasting Legislation

Terence Flanagan

365. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will provide clarification regarding the broadcasting fee (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20337/13]

Homeless Persons Numbers

Terence Flanagan

495. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the current estimate of the number of children, under the age of 18 years, who are homeless in Dublin; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19757/13]

Adoption Services Provision

Terence Flanagan

499. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of couples and individuals who have successfully completed the application process for the adoption of children, either in Ireland or from abroad, but who have yet to adopt a child; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19890/13]

Taxi Licences Renewals

Terence Flanagan

615. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his views on the new taxi application that has been introduced by the National Transport Authority (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20340/13]

Taxi Regulations

Terence Flanagan

616. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to introduce a standardised car or standardised colour for taxis in the coming years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20341/13]

National Carers Strategy

Terence Flanagan

107. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Social Protection her views that family carer's provide an invaluable service and save the Government money by providing unpaid care to family members; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19587/13]