Parliamentary questions

Tourism Industry

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin

726. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the funding options available through his Department which may be available to support a project (details supplied) in County Meath. [25881/13]

Rail Network

Patrick O'Donovan

727. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide details of the costs to Irish Rail of the rebranding with their new logo; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25882/13]

Road Network

Joe McHugh

728. Deputy Joe McHugh asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the position regarding an application by Donegal County Council for funding to develop a new bridge at Cockhill, Buncrana, County Donegal; if he recognises the critical importance of this structure to the Inishowen peninsula; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25885/13]

Public Procurement Contracts Social Clauses

Peadar Tóibín

11. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the consideration he has given to the inclusion of a social clause in capital public procurement projects to the value of €1 million euro or more. [24631/13]

Flood Relief Schemes Funding

John McGuinness

12. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the number of flood alleviation projects that will be carried out by the Office of Public Works in 2013; the funding to be allocated to these projects; the way this compares to previous years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24666/13]

Public Sector Pensions

Micheál Martin

13. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his plans to consolidate the 156 defined benefit schemes listed for public sector employees; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24661/13]

Banking Inquiry

Alan Farrell

14. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will outline the aim of the proposed bill to allow for a banking enquiry; the resources that will be made available to the committee selected to carry out the proceedings; the timeframe that has been given for the completion of the enquiry; the projected cost of this enquiry to the Exchequer; the way the Oireachtas will be protected from making adverse findings against individuals; if the enquiry will affect in any way, judicial proceedings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24517/13]

National Lottery Licence Sale

Barry Cowen

15. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will include in the tender documents for the National Lottery licence a clause that requires the successful bidder to abide by a social responsibility charter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24650/13]

Departmental Legal Costs

Michael Moynihan

16. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his views on whether sufficient progress is being made in reducing the State’s legal bill across his Department and State agencies under his aegis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24669/13]

Sale of State Assets

Bernard Durkan

17. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will outline the full extent of the anticipated disposal of any State assets in the context of public expenditure reform and the targets set in the context of the Troika agreement by his predecessors; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24673/13]

Public Procurement Contracts

Billy Kelleher

18. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his view on fears expressed by the Small Firms Association that plans to centralise the way in which it buys goods and services threaten to cut small businesses out of State contracts and lead to job losses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24655/13]

Sale of State Assets

Richard Boyd Barrett

19. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will provide a progress report on the consideration of State asset disposals such as Coillte and other State assets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24624/13]

Public Sector Staff Remuneration

Niall Collins

20. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his plans to implement a more streamlined process of negotiating pay and conditions for public sector employees; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24647/13]

Public Service Reform Plan Measures

Catherine Murphy

21. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he has considered expanding the State's eGovernance capacity by following the Norwegian Altinn model of online service provision (details supplied); if the platform used by the Revenue service at present could be adapted to cover a much wider range of citizen interactions with the State, thereby potentially reducing costs significantly; if any cost benefit analysis has been conducted on this topic; if not, if he will commit to investigating the potential for the State offered by such a system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24518/13]

Public Expenditure Statistics

Thomas P. Broughan

22. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will indicate his targets on public expenditure for budget 2014; the extent to which these targets are influenced by the EU Two-Pack regulations; his current views on the mix of strategies he intends to pursue to meet those targets. [24520/13]

Coillte Teoranta Harvesting Rights Sale

Richard Boyd Barrett

23. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will report on his deliberations on the proposed sale of the harvesting rights of Coillte; the recommendation he will be making in relation to this proposal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24626/13]

Budget Measures

Gerry Adams

24. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the consideration he has given to the Scottish model of equality budgeting. [24634/13]

Coillte Teoranta Harvesting Rights Sale

Mick Wallace

25. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will provide an update regarding the sale of Coillte's harvesting rights; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24622/13]

EU Presidency Expenditure

Willie O'Dea

26. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the cost to date to the Office of Public Works of Ireland’s EU Presidency; the expected total cost; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24642/13]

Legislative Programme

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

27. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform when he intends to introduce whistleblower legislation. [24628/13]

Public Procurement Contracts

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

28. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the feedback he has received from the small and medium enterprise and micro-business sectors with regards to collaborative procurement. [24629/13]

Budget Measures

Pearse Doherty

29. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform in the context of the current changes to the annual budgetary process if he will consider the inclusion of equality budgeting within the new framework. [24633/13]

Éamon Ó Cuív

30. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he has requested ministerial colleagues to prepare a list of capital projects which are ready for commencement; the way he envisaged these would be funded; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24638/13]

Flood Prevention Measures

Denis Naughten

31. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the steps being taken to address flood risks within the Shannon basin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24513/13]

Public Procurement Contracts

Mick Wallace

32. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his views on reports that his plans to centralise procurement will exclude many small businesses from the tendering process, resulting in business closures and job losses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24623/13]

Open Government Partnership

Gerry Adams

33. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he has concluded his review of the case for Ireland’s membership of the multilateral global Open Government Partnership. [24635/13]

Public Procurement Regulations

Denis Naughten

34. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will amend procurement rules requiring locally based agencies to purchase products from local suppliers when they are able to offer similar or better value to the nationally appointed provider, for example, when a local school has discretion to purchase stationery from a local supplier who is able to offer similar or better value than the nationally appointed supplier; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24512/13]

Public Procurement Contracts

Peadar Tóibín

35. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will provide a progress update on the work of the new National Procurement Office. [24630/13]

Public Procurement Contracts

Pearse Doherty

36. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the collaborative procurement training he intends to provide for business tendering for public procurement contracts. [24632/13]

Croke Park Agreement Issues

Thomas P. Broughan

37. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will report on the impact of the proposed agreement on Croke Park 2 on medium term expenditure targets on public spending up until Budget 2017. [24521/13]

Croke Park Agreement Issues

Bernard Durkan

38. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the extent to which he expects public expenditure and reform targets to be met in the current and subsequent years throughout the public sector with particular reference to the review of the Croke Park 2 agreement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24672/13]

Diplomatic Representation

Andrew Doyle

39. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the countries with whom Ireland has diplomatic relations who have never received an Irish Ministerial visit; if he is considering making progress regarding same in view of the economic opportunities it might create for Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24945/13]

VAT Rate Application

Tom Fleming

40. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Finance following on from the decision to reduce the VAT rate from 13% to 9% and the significance of this reduction to the tourism sector here and the positive implications it has had on the industry in creating and maintaining jobs, giving value for money and so on, if he will keep the VAT rate at 9% to ensure a strong and competitive tourism industry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24843/13]

Pension Provisions

Clare Daly

41. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Finance the tax relief available on pension contributions to a person who has a workplace pension, but who also makes contributions to another pension scheme for which they have no associated income payments. [24926/13]

Tax Code

Andrew Doyle

42. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Minister for Finance the taxation benefits that are available to couples after entering into same-sex civil partnerships; if these tax benefits can be availed of by opposite-sex civil partnerships; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24936/13]

Fodder Crisis

Patrick O'Donovan

43. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Finance in view of the decision taken by the Shannon Airport Authority to allow farming organisations to cut grass on property owned by it to help alleviate fodder shortages in the local area, if he will ask those agencies, companies, authorities, boards and so on who come within his remit to consider similar initiatives on suitable public lands owned by them in conjunction with representatives of local farming organisations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24937/13]

IBRC Liquidation

Michael McGrath

44. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Finance the reason the completion of the Irish Bank Resolution Corporation liquidation will be delayed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24958/13]

Central Bank of Ireland Investigations

Michael McGrath

45. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Finance when compensation payments to persons who were mis-sold payment protection insurance will commence; the length of time he expects the process to take; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24959/13]

Corporation Tax

Michael McGrath

46. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Finance if he will set out in tabular form the gross amount of corporation tax paid in each year from 2008 to 2012 by the top 10 multinational firms as measured by corporation tax paid; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24960/13]

Corporation Tax

Michael McGrath

47. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Finance if he has received representations from the UK authorities in respect of their views on the operation of Ireland's corporation tax regime; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24961/13]

Tax Compliance

Michael McGrath

48. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Finance if he will arrange for a letter to be issued to a person (details supplied) in County Cork explaining the netting off of separate issues regarding their income tax affairs. [24965/13]

Central Bank of Ireland Investigations

Michael McGrath

49. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Finance the number of payment protection insurance policies sold by entities regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland since mid-2007 and currently subject to the ongoing investigation by the CBI into the sale of PPI policies; if he will provide details of the current stage of the investigation; when he expects it to be concluded; the restitution options for customers who are found to have been mis-sold a PPI policy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24969/13]

Corporation Tax

Michael McGrath

50. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Finance his views on the references to Ireland at the recent House of Commons public accounts committee hearing regarding Google's tax affairs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24970/13]

IBRC Liquidation

Michael McGrath

51. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Finance if he will provide a detailed update on the work of the special liquidator of Irish Bank Resolution Corporation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24971/13]

Departmental Legal Costs

Sean Fleming

52. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Finance his views on whether sufficient progress is being made in reducing the State's legal bill in his Department and any State agencies under his aegis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25167/13]

Residential Institutions Redress Scheme

Marcella Corcoran Kennedy

53. Deputy Marcella Corcoran Kennedy asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason the Good Shepard Mother and Baby Home, Dunboyne, County Meath, has not been included under the scheme of State involvement in religious run residential institutions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24920/13]

Student Grant Scheme Payments

Charles Flanagan

54. Deputy Charles Flanagan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will clarify the level of contribution a postgraduate student (details supplied) in County Laois received following their appeal to Student Universal Support Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24834/13]

National Educational Psychological Service Administration

Robert Troy

55. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will make funding available for a student to undergo a psychological report (details supplied) in County Longford [24910/13]

Schools Building Projects Status

Éamon Ó Cuív

56. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason it is intended to build a new school in Knocknacarra, Galway, when there are already schools within a short distance of Knocknacarra that have empty classrooms; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24916/13]

Further Education and Training Programmes Funding

Joanna Tuffy

57. Deputy Joanna Tuffy asked the Minister for Education and Skills the educational institutions that are entitled to apply to offer Springboard or Momentum skills places; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24928/13]