Parliamentary questions

Tourism Promotion

Bernard Durkan

164. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the extent to which he and his Department have engaged with bodies, groups or agencies involved in tourism with the objective of ensuring that Ireland's heritage remains to the fore in the course of any promotional or tourism events; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26504/13]

Job Creation

Bernard Durkan

165. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the extent to which the maximisation of job creation opportunities remain an objective of the promotion of arts and heritage events and or locations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26505/13]

Turf Cutting Compensation Scheme Payments

Bernard Durkan

166. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the extent to which settlement has been reached with the various turf cutters and-or bog owners throughout County Kildare who have been affected by EU generated special areas of conservation or nationally imposed restrictions; the extent to which relocation or other is imminent in respect of the remainder of cases; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26506/13]

Architectural Heritage

Bernard Durkan

167. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the measures put in place by his Department to protect at-risk buildings and-or sites of a heritage or historial importance; the location of any such sites or buildings currently under review; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26507/13]

National Monuments

Bernard Durkan

168. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the extent to which historical sites deemed to be of importance in connection with the 1916 Rising have been identified for preservation purposes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26508/13]

Tourism Promotion

Bernard Durkan

169. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the extent to which efforts have been made to promote and increase visitor levels at various locations of historical, architectural or heritage interest throughout the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26509/13]

Irish Language

Bernard Durkan

170. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the extent to which his Department maintains contact with Gaelscoileanna throughout the country in the context of the further promotion of the Irish language as a spoken language; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26510/13]

Arts Promotion

Bernard Durkan

171. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the extent to which he directly or bodies under his aegis have been successful in the promotion of the arts directly or through interaction with schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26511/13]

Special Areas of Conservation Designation

John O'Mahony

172. Deputy John O'Mahony asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht further to Parliamentary Question No. 158 of 18 April 2013, when funds will be released to the person's solicitor; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26534/13]

Departmental Budgets

Sean Fleming

173. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if he has received any indicative figure from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform regarding the fiscal adjustments his Department will be asked to make in 2014 and 2015; the size of those adjustments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26542/13]

Job Creation Targets

Ray Butler

174. Deputy Ray Butler asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the current figures in relation to direct job creation and sustainability associated with the industrialisation of the wind energy project, applicable specifically to the midlands counties' 1,150 turbines and broken down under headings (details supplied), as well as distinguishing between imported labour and indigenous labour, with any evidence associated with the figures also provided; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26596/13]

Broadband Service Provision

Michael Healy-Rae

175. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding the lack of broadband facilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26308/13]

Gas and Electricity Disconnections

Thomas P. Broughan

176. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he is concerned at recent figures indicating that 1,800 households are having their gas or electricity supplies cut off every month; the steps he is taking to address this problem; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26336/13]

Hydraulic Fracturing Policy

Thomas P. Broughan

177. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will report on his recent attendance at the information session on fracking at the Royal Irish Academy, Dublin; his policy on fracking; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26337/13]

Broadband Service Speeds

Tom Fleming

178. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will issue a detailed progress report on the rollout of high speed broadband to all parts of County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26386/13]

Departmental Budgets

Sean Fleming

179. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he has received any indicative figure from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform regarding the fiscal adjustments his Department will be asked to make in 2014 and 2015; the size of those adjustments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26544/13]

National Wind Energy Strategy

Ray Butler

180. Deputy Ray Butler asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his views in relation to the electricity market here, which is a single 5000 MW market covering the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland; the amount of electricity sourced from wind energy currently connected into the grid here; the proportion available from the Republic of Ireland and the proportion from Northern Ireland; the amount of wind energy currently in planning, development and-or grid connection queuing stage here and in Northern Ireland; the reason the offshore wind development off the Arklow coast, County Wicklow, does not contribute any electricity to the Irish grid or to any other electrical power user; when it is planned to use the electricity generated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26597/13]

Housing Adaptation Grant Funding

Thomas P. Broughan

181. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will report on the current level of funding provided to local authorities in respect of disability adaption grants; his views on the restrictions now placed on the provision of such grants in view of reductions in Exchequer funding for them; and if he has plans to reverse the current cuts in expenditure for this specific area of funding in budget 2014. [26296/13]

Property Tax Collection

Robert Dowds

182. Deputy Robert Dowds asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if there is a mechanism for local authorities to collect property tax from council tenants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26353/13]

Planning Issues

Maureen O'Sullivan

183. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he considers that, in circumastances in which he and his Department have no function with regard to individual planning decisions, he and his Department do have a function in relation to the overall credibility and integrity of the planning system and if he considers that the continued operation of facilities that are themselves egregrious examples of bad planning will tend to undermine public confidence in the planning system that he supervises and oversees; if he wil provide a look-back mechanism in the Planning and Development Bill 2013, whereby instances of questionable planning since the 1963 Act can be referred to the regulator for adjudication; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26395/13]

Housing Adaptation Grant Funding

Michelle Mulherin

184. Deputy Michelle Mulherin asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government when he will be in a position to provide funding to Mayo County Council to enable it to provide grant aid to persons to improve their housing conditions under the special housing aid for the elderly scheme and mobility aid grant scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26403/13]

Derelict Sites Notices

Alan Farrell

185. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he has received an official request for permission to demolish a semi-derelict building block (details supplied) in County Dublin; when permission will be granted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26430/13]

Water and Sewerage Schemes Status

Alan Farrell

186. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government when he envisages funding being made available to Fingal County Council in order to proceed with the construction of a scheme to divert sewage from Rush Harbour, County Dublin, to the Portrane sewage plant; if this will be addressed urgently due to Rush Harbour failing to meet Environmental Protection Agency standards in 2013 for quality of bathing water; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26431/13]

Election Management System

Andrew Doyle

187. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the contents of a letter he has recently received from the Chairman of the Standards in Public Office Commission (details supplied) regarding the reform needed of SIPO; if he intends to widen the current legislation to bring third party groups taking part in political campaigns within the commission's remit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26460/13]

Commercial Rates

John Deasy

188. Deputy John Deasy asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the amount of commercial rates outstanding for each rateable local authority; the timeframe that the rates owed in each of these rateable local authorities have been in arrears for periods of more than one year, two years, five years and longer; and the amount that has been written off over the past five years. [26481/13]

Departmental Budgets

Sean Fleming

189. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he has received any indicative figure from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform regarding the fiscal adjustments his Department will be asked to make in 2014 and 2015; the size of those adjustments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26547/13]

Juvenile Offenders

Thomas P. Broughan

190. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he has considered the findings of recent research by a team from the Central Mental Hospital on the mental health needs of inmates in St. Patrick's Institution; if he has plans to ensure that his Department will assist St. Patrick's Institution to make a drug-free unit available for inmates under 18 years of age in the institution without delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26364/13]

Garda Equipment

Thomas P. Broughan

191. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of marked and unmarked Garda vehicles that are fitted with automatic number plate recognition; and his plans, if any, to increase the number of vehicles fitted with ANPR in 2013. [26293/13]

Immigration Policy

Thomas P. Broughan

192. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality his views on the reasons given to the 2,240 persons who were refused entry into the State in 2012; and if he will provide, in tabular form, the nationalities of the various persons who were thus refused. [26294/13]

Road Traffic Offences

Thomas P. Broughan

193. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of fixed penalty notices that have been issued to motorists in each of the past four years for the offence of breaking a red light. [26295/13]

Anti-Social Behaviour

Finian McGrath

194. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Justice and Equality his views on anti-social behaviour in an area (details supplied) in Dublin 3. [26302/13]

Anti-Racism Measures

Finian McGrath

195. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Justice and Equality his views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding an incident of racism. [26314/13]

Prisoner Numbers

Ciaran Lynch

196. Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of persons in prison; the number in each institution; the total number of prisoners not held in single cells or rooms; the number of these in each institution; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26320/13]

Prison Accommodation Standards

Ciaran Lynch

197. Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of prisoners in total and in each institution that are at present in custody; the number required to slop out; the number required to use normal toilet facilities in the presence of others; the number that are sole occupants of a cell that has normal flush toilet installed or have access at all times to normal toilet facilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26321/13]

Prison Regulations

Ciaran Lynch

198. Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of prisoners in total and in each institution that are locked up for 23 hours or more in a normal day, for 22 to 23 hours in a normal day, for 20 to 22 hours in a normal day, for 18 to 20 hours in a normal day; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26322/13]

Prisoner Numbers

Ciaran Lynch

199. Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of male and female prisoners under 21 years of age; the number in each of the institutions in which they are held; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26323/13]

Prison Education Service

Ciaran Lynch

200. Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of workshop and work training posts that are vacant in each prison; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26324/13]

Prisoner Rehabilitation Programmes

Ciaran Lynch

201. Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of hours the library in each prison is scheduled to open each week; the percentage of scheduled opening times that these libraries were actually open during 2012; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26325/13]

Prison Education Service

Ciaran Lynch

202. Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the allocations within the education subhead of the prison Vote to each of the following areas of education in 2013: the education unit in each prison, each public library service involved in prisons, the Open University, the National College of Art and Design, Arts Council projects in prison, the Alternative to Violence Project and post-release educational support for prisoners; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26327/13]

Prison Education Service

Ciaran Lynch

203. Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of prisoners actively following a course with the Open University at the present time, in each institution; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26328/13]

Prisoner Numbers

Ciaran Lynch

204. Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for Justice and Equality his plans, in the interest of transparency, to publish on the Irish Prison Service website the numbers in custody in each institution on a daily basis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26330/13]

Prison Regulations

Ciaran Lynch

205. Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of prisoners in each institution who are diagnosed as on an enhanced regime, a standard regime or a basic regime, under the new incentivised regime arrangements; the weekly gratuity paid in each of these three categories; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26331/13]

Restorative Justice

Tom Fleming

206. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will provide an update on the restorative justice programme that was introduced on a statutory basis for the first time in the Children Act 2001; his views on the success of the rolling out of the two restorative justice initiatives that were provided in the Act; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26340/13]

Spent Convictions Legislation

Dara Calleary

207. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Justice and Equality when the Criminal Justice (Spent Convictions) Bill 2012 will be initiated; if a person who was convicted of cannabis possession in 2005 will have their conviction spent under the Bill; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26346/13]

Court Accommodation Refurbishment

Charlie McConalogue

208. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the plans there are to upgrade and-or improve a court house (details supplied) in County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26351/13]

Asylum Applications

Bernard Durkan

209. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the procedure to be followed by a person (details supplied) in County Westmeath who has two dependent children and who wishes to be reunited with their son's father, currently a British citizen, who has recently made an application for asylum which is on appeal in the High Court; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26352/13]

Prison Policies

Ciaran Lynch

210. Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the incentives, excluding new gratuity rates, that have been made available to underpin the incentivised regimes policy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26434/13]

Prison Staff

Ciaran Lynch

211. Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of officers that have been made available to integrated sentence management in each prison; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26435/13]

Prison Policies

Ciaran Lynch

212. Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if individual incentivised regime policies have been introduced in each prison; if he will detail these individual policies; the number of prisoners involved in these policies in each prison; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26436/13]

Drugs in Prisons

Ciaran Lynch

213. Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will provide details of the review carried out in 2012 by the Irish Prison Service of its drug treatment policy; the policies it produced; the extent to which those policies have been implemented; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26437/13]