Parliamentary questions

National Monuments

Timmy Dooley

223. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he is aware of protracted waiting times to visit Kilmainham Gaol; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40109/15]

National Monuments

Timmy Dooley

224. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if there will be extended opening times for Kilmainham Gaol in 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40110/15]

National Monuments

Timmy Dooley

225. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he is aware of any school being informed it is not possible to undertake a Kilmainham tour in 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40111/15]

Flood Relief Schemes Expenditure

Michael McGrath

226. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the amount of budget funding in the 2015 for flood relief works; the amount spent to date; the budget for such works in 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40297/15]

Valuation Office

Barry Cowen

227. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will confirm that the Valuation Office has instructed all local authorities to reduce the rateable valuation on energy and telecommunications infrastructure commencing in 2016; and the rationale behind this judgment. [40118/15]

Departmental Budgets

Thomas P. Broughan

228. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he has agreed final 2015 Estimates with the Department of Health; if he expects that Department's budget 2016 Estimate to increase during the course of 2016, as has happened with previous Supplementary Estimates for health since 2011; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40137/15]

Office of Public Works Properties

Mary Lou McDonald

229. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he has responsibility for a parcel of land (details supplied) in Dublin 22; why the legal process initiated by South Dublin County Council a number of years ago to acquire the lands by way of a deed of waiver has not yet been completed; and if he will expedite this transfer, as a matter of urgency. [40260/15]

Departmental Staff Rehiring

Finian McGrath

230. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the number of applications for reinstatement, following retirement on grounds of ill health with prior notice, granted since 2004; the legislation and rules or procedure under which they were granted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40314/15]

Local Authority Expenditure

Pearse Doherty

231. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the reduction in rates payable by local authorities and the State as a result of the revision of the global valuation on utilities, in tabular form; if it is appropriate that this measure was taken, considering small and medium-sized businesses cannot avail of these global revisions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40440/15]

Public Sector Staff Remuneration

Brendan Griffin

232. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the measures he will take to address the emerging two-tier public service, where recent new entrants are being paid substantially less than colleagues fulfilling similar roles; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40449/15]

Flood Relief Schemes Funding

Éamon Ó Cuív

233. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his plans to provide funding in respect of a submission by Galway County Council to the Office of Public Works in respect of flood relief works required to a road (details supplied) in County Galway; if this funding be made available as a matter of urgency, given the road's susceptibility to flooding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40451/15]

Office of Public Works Properties

John McGuinness

234. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will provide an explanation as to what is happening relative to the visit of the Office of Public Works to Durrow Abbey and the threat to break locks to gain entry; if the issue relative to the lease and grant awarded but unpaid that has been ongoing for five years has not been resolved; the efforts made to resolve matters; the timeline of events and actions from the first engagement with Art For Peace project to date to include meetings and the agreement to grant aid the project; and the efforts that were made to reconcile matters during the past five years [40469/15]

Pension Provisions

Terence Flanagan

235. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the position regarding pensioners and the Lansdowne Road agreement (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40497/15]

Office of Public Works Projects

Ruairí Quinn

236. Deputy Ruairí Quinn asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the date the Office of Public Works attached the minimum requirements document to the recent advertisement of a bicycle hire concession in the Phoenix Park through its eTenders portal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40513/15]

Office of Public Works Projects

Ruairí Quinn

237. Deputy Ruairí Quinn asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the reason the Office of Public Works did not list, in order of importance, the minimum requirements, as is standard, in its recent advertisement of a bicycle hire concession in the Phoenix Park through its eTenders portal, the scoring system for the points on the minimum requirements document; the reason the points system was not made available at the beginning of the process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40514/15]

Office of Public Works Projects

Ruairí Quinn

238. Deputy Ruairí Quinn asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform why the Office of Public Works only raised the requirement for a business plan with one of the applicants following the recent advertisement of a bicycle hire concession in the Phoenix Park through its eTenders portal, after the close of applications, rather than having it listed in the advertisement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40515/15]

Office of Public Works Projects

Ruairí Quinn

239. Deputy Ruairí Quinn asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his views that it is appropriate for the Office of Public Works to make the points system on how the application was graded available to an applicant right before the interview meeting on 26 May 2015 following its recent advertisement of a bicycle hire concession in the Phoenix Park through its e-Tenders portal, and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40516/15]

Office of Public Works Projects

Ruairí Quinn

240. Deputy Ruairí Quinn asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his views on the actions of the Office of Public Works in how it awards concessions for commercial operations on its properties; the procedures that are in place to ensure that the tender application process for such concessions is open, transparent and accountable; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40517/15]

Office of Public Works Projects

Ruairí Quinn

241. Deputy Ruairí Quinn asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his views that the winning tender to operate a bicycle hire in the Phoenix Park increased the price for hiring bicycles by 50%; his further views that this is appropriate, given the impact it might have on price-sensitive tourism; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40518/15]

Garda Transport Provision

Sean Fleming

242. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the role of his Department and the National Procurement Office in respect of vehicles being purchased for An Garda Síochána; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40597/15]