Questions and answers published after July 2012 can be viewed here. Viewing by Government Department is possible by term or specific dates from March 2016 onwards. Written answers are published as received from departments. To see parliamentary questions published before July 2012, search in Dáil debates.
Questions and answers for all sittings
Page 1 of 15
Thu, 14 Jan 2016
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Planning Issues
Anne Ferris
233. Deputy Anne Ferris asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government given section 5.2 of the planning guidelines for local authorities, which he issued in June 2013, obligating planning authorities to seek to promote active and healthier lifestyles by ensuring that the exposure of children to the promotion of foods that are high in fat, salt or sugar is reduced through careful consideration of the appropriateness and location of fast food outlets in the vicinity of schools and parks, if the most transparent and democratic method for local authorities to achieve this objective is through amending county development plans to incorporate so-called no-fry zones around schools and parks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1686/16]
Wed, 13 Jan 2016
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Legislative Process
Anne Ferris
529. Deputy Anne Ferris asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the safeguards that exist within his Department to ensure that no bias, either subjective or objective, is allowed to taint decisions around legislative drafting and prioritisation, including for example, procedures to ensure that no person who is profoundly adverse to the idea of providing identifying information to adopted persons is able to influence the ongoing and unacceptable delay in bringing the adoption information and tracing Bill to final stages, to the point that this legislation which is so important for so many persons is now at grave risk of not being enacted; the steps he is taking to ensure that the legislation will be brought to Dáil Éireann before the election is announced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46891/15]
Thu, 17 Dec 2015
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Middle East Issues
Anne Ferris
519. Deputy Anne Ferris asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will raise with the Israeli ambassador to Ireland the issue of safety for Irish volunteers working in the West Bank, given the increasing reports of settler intimidation and threats towards international volunteers and human rights observers, for example, volunteers working with the World Council of Churches Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme, some of whom are Irish and were praised in recent weeks at the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade; the steps he will take to ensure the safety of such humanitarian volunteers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45854/15]
Wed, 16 Dec 2015
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Customs and Excise Controls
Anne Ferris
65. Deputy Anne Ferris asked the Minister for Finance the status of customs officials conducting spot-checks on the contents of aeroplanes landing at Irish airports for refuelling purposes to ensure they are not carrying goods or munitions that make the landing contrary to Irish law; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45482/15]
Wed, 16 Dec 2015
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Military Aircraft Landings
Anne Ferris
105. Deputy Anne Ferris asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the status of An Garda Síochána conducting spot-checks on the contents of planes landing at Irish airports for refuelling purposes to ensure that they are not carrying goods or munitions that make the landing contrary to Irish law; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45480/15]
Wed, 16 Dec 2015
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Human Rights
Anne Ferris
136. Deputy Anne Ferris asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will recommend to the Government to invite the European External Action Service to oversee the detention of an Irish citizen (details supplied) and any Egyptian trial that may happen; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45541/15]
Wed, 16 Dec 2015
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Human Rights
Anne Ferris
137. Deputy Anne Ferris asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will request the Egyptian authorities to allow Irish family members of a person (details supplied) to accompany Irish Embassy officials on their visits to the Egyptian prison where this Irish citizen is detained as a similar arrangement was facilitated for the family members of an Australian journalist detained under similar long-term circumstances and subsequently returned to Australia; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45542/15]
Wed, 16 Dec 2015
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Human Rights
Anne Ferris
138. Deputy Anne Ferris asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will confirm that no trial process for an Irish citizen (details supplied) has actually commenced in Egypt and, in that respect, any action taken by the Irish Government now may not be viewed as an interference in a foreign judicial process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45543/15]
Wed, 16 Dec 2015
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Human Rights
Anne Ferris
139. Deputy Anne Ferris asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he has examined all options for seeking the extradition of a person (details supplied) to stand trial here, given the extraordinary long period of pre-trial detention already sanctioned by the Egyptian authorities; if he has already formally made a request under rule 140 of the Egyptian presidential code for the deportation of this Irish citizen to stand trial here; if he has issued frequent reminders to the Egyptian Government regarding the urgent need for a response; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45544/15]
Wed, 16 Dec 2015
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Military Aircraft Landings
Anne Ferris
175. Deputy Anne Ferris asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the status of airport security services conducting spot-checks on the contents of planes landing at Irish airports for refuelling purposes to ensure that they are not carrying goods or munitions that make the landing contrary to Irish law; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45481/15]
Tue, 15 Dec 2015
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Adoption Legislation
Anne Ferris
357. Deputy Anne Ferris asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs further to Parliamentary Question No. 341 of 8 December 2015, if he will ensure that the adoption information and tracing bill is brought before Dáil Éireann before the end of this Government, as he did not reply to that aspect of the parliamentary question; his views on the unacceptable nature of the delay that this legislation has encountered within his Department; if he will initiate an inquiry into the matter to rule out the possibility of any administrative bias against adopted persons within the process, given the extraordinarily slow rate of progress since this Bill was first proposed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45087/15]
Tue, 8 Dec 2015
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Legislative Programme
Anne Ferris
341. Deputy Anne Ferris asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the reason for the delay in progressing the adoption (information and tracing) Bill, if he is aware of the effect this delay is having on tens of thousands of persons awaiting personal information and connection with natural family members, if he will ensure that this Bill is enacted during the term of this Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43894/15]
Thu, 3 Dec 2015
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Marine Plan Implementation
Anne Ferris
264. Deputy Anne Ferris asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the status of the marine spatial plan; if it will include areas deemed favourable for the location of offshore wind farms; if designations will be preceded by visual impact studies from the shore; if in making such designations the Marine Institute will take on board the tourism value of views off areas such as Bray Head and Greystones in County Wicklow; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43339/15]
Tue, 1 Dec 2015
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Human Rights
Anne Ferris
484. Deputy Anne Ferris asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will intervene in the case of a person (details supplied) who is imprisoned in Egypt in a manner contrary to the Irish Constitution; if he considers the ongoing and prolonged detention without trial of an Irish person to be acceptable to him as Minister and to the Government and the people of Ireland; the action he will take in response to this slight by a foreign nation on our Constitution and national values; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42756/15]
Tue, 24 Nov 2015
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Coillte Teoranta Lands
Anne Ferris
205. Deputy Anne Ferris asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Coillte's plans for the ongoing use of the walled garden at Kilmacurragh in County Wicklow; if those plans include the return of this historic garden and its mature trees to their rightful use as an important contextual element of the adjoining Kilmacurragh Arboretum; if such a transfer will be expedited in the interest of tourism in County Wicklow and Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41318/15]
Tue, 24 Nov 2015
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Local Authority Functions
Anne Ferris
532. Deputy Anne Ferris asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his plans to issue guidance or direction to local authorities regarding the removal of hundreds of out of date public infrastructure development signs littering the countryside, much of it dating back two decades or longer, given that the signage materials and poles are manufactured from metal that has a recycling value; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41316/15]
Tue, 24 Nov 2015
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Road Network
Anne Ferris
577. Deputy Anne Ferris asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his views on the interim strategy for managing traffic volumes on the N11 from Bray north to the commencement of the new stretch of motorway at Rathnew in County Wicklow, being a section of national road that is operating significantly above capacity at peak hours, leading to long tailbacks, increased driver frustration, higher accident risk, and reduced productivity for businesses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41317/15]
Tue, 17 Nov 2015
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Medical Card Data
Anne Ferris
421. Deputy Anne Ferris asked the Minister for Health the average annual cost of providing an enhanced medical card for hepatitis C sufferers; how this compares with the annual cost of providing a standard medical card; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40439/15]
Tue, 10 Nov 2015
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Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland
Anne Ferris
436. Deputy Anne Ferris asked the Minister for Health if he is aware of the long delays being experienced with the registration process in the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland and the pressure these delays are putting on health care service providers; the reason for these delays; if he will ensure that the applications submitted by persons (details supplied) are expedited as quickly as possible, given that they applied for registration nine months ago; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39424/15]
Tue, 10 Nov 2015
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Vaccination Programme
Anne Ferris
453. Deputy Anne Ferris asked the Minister for Health in view of the explanation he provided to Seanad Éireann on 3 November 2015 regarding the extent to which parental consent for the human papillomavirus vaccine can be considered informed consent, how his Department reconciles the requirement to satisfy average or below-average levels of adult literacy with the obligation placed on parents to navigate an Internet website in order to receive specific scientific information regarding the side effects; and, in turn, his view on the effectiveness of the requirement for the Health Service Executive to obtain informed consent, which might have to be obtained in areas of poor or no broadband access, since the introduction of the vaccine; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39583/15]