Parliamentary questions

Northern Ireland Issues

Joe McHugh

1. Deputy Joe McHugh asked the Taoiseach if he will outline his discussions as Head of the Irish Government with the British Government about the work of Dr Richard Haass in Northern Ireland. [44108/13]

Northern Ireland Issues

Joe Higgins

2. Deputy Joe Higgins asked the Taoiseach if he has recently met Dr. Richard Haass; and if he will report on the matter. [45917/13]

Northern Ireland Issues

Gerry Adams

3. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his recent meeting with Dr. Richard Haass; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47667/13]

Northern Ireland Issues

Gerry Adams

4. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Taoiseach the discussions he has had with the British Government in respect of the Haass talks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47675/13]

Northern Ireland Issues

Gerry Adams

5. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Taoiseach if he has set a date for a meeting with the families of the Ballymurphy campaign; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47696/13]

Northern Ireland Issues

Micheál Martin

6. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Taoiseach if he has met Dr. Richard Haass recently; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47846/13]

Northern Ireland Issues

Micheál Martin

7. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Taoiseach if he has discussed the issue of the disappeared with the British Prime Minister, Mr. Cameron recently; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48808/13]

Northern Ireland Issues

Micheál Martin

8. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Taoiseach if he has discussed the issue of the disappeared with members of the Northern Executive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48809/13]

Northern Ireland Issues

Micheál Martin

9. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Taoiseach if he is determined to fully implement all aspects of the Good Friday Agreement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48810/13]

Northern Ireland Issues

Micheál Martin

10. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Taoiseach if there were discussions regarding the disappeared at the recent North-South meeting in Armagh; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48813/13]

Northern Ireland Issues

Micheál Martin

11. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Taoiseach if the issue of the disappeared was discussed at the British-Irish Council meeting; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50145/13]

Northern Ireland Issues

Gerry Adams

12. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Taoiseach if he discussed the Haass talks with the British Prime Minister, Mr. David Cameron, during the recent meeting of the British-Irish Council in Jersey; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50215/13]

Northern Ireland Issues

Gerry Adams

13. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Taoiseach if he had discussions with the British Prime Minister at the European Council meeting on 19 December 2013 regarding the Haass talks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55568/13]

Northern Ireland Issues

Gerry Adams

14. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Taoiseach if he had discussions with the British Prime Minister at the European Council meeting on 19 December 2013 on the refusal of his Government to establish a public inquiry into the murder of human rights lawyer, Mr. Pat Finucane. [55569/13]

Northern Ireland Issues

Micheál Martin

15. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Taoiseach if he accepts the recommendations of the Haass report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2197/14]

Northern Ireland Issues

Micheál Martin

16. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Taoiseach his views on the final recommendations made by Dr. Haass; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2200/14]

Northern Ireland Issues

Micheál Martin

17. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Taoiseach his views on whether there will be agreement on the recommendations made by Dr. Haass; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2201/14]

Northern Ireland Issues

Micheál Martin

18. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Taoiseach the position regarding his discussion with the British Prime Minister, Mr. Cameron, on the recommendations made by Dr. Haass; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2203/14]

Northern Ireland Issues

Micheál Martin

19. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Taoiseach if he has discussed the Dr. Haass recommendations with the Northern Ireland First Minister and Deputy First Minister; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2204/14]

Northern Ireland Issues

Micheál Martin

20. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Taoiseach if he has any concerns regarding the lack of consensus on the recommendations from Dr. Haass; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2205/14]

Northern Ireland Issues

Joe Higgins

21. Deputy Joe Higgins asked the Taoiseach if he has discussed with the Northern Ireland First Minister, Mr. Peter Robinson, and Deputy First Minister, Mr. Martin McGuinness, the outcomes of discussions with Dr. Richard Haass. [2211/14]

Northern Ireland Issues

Gerry Adams

22. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Taoiseach if he discussed with the British Prime Minister, David Cameron, the outcome of the Haass talks. [2220/14]

Northern Ireland Issues

Gerry Adams

23. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the discussions he had with Dr. Richard Haass prior to Christmas. [2221/14]

Northern Ireland Issues

Gerry Adams

24. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Taoiseach if he has had any discussions with Dr. Richard Haass or Dr. Meghan O'Sullivan since the new year. [2222/14]

Northern Ireland Issues

Gerry Adams

25. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Taoiseach if he has discussed the outcome of the Haass talks with the US Administration since the new year. [2223/14]

Northern Ireland Issues

Gerry Adams

26. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Taoiseach if he discussed with the US Vice President, Joe Biden, during his recent discussions in Japan, the efforts of US diplomats Dr. Richard Haass and Dr. Meghan O'Sullivan to resolve some of the outstanding issues arising out of the Good Friday Agreement. [52593/13]

Northern Ireland Issues

Gerry Adams

27. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his discussions with the Northern Ireland First Minister, Peter Robinson, and Deputy First Minister, Martin McGuinness, during his visit to Japan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52594/13]

Northern Ireland Issues

Gerry Adams

28. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Taoiseach if he discussed the efforts of Dr. Richard Haass and Dr. Meghan O'Sullivan to negotiate resolutions to outstanding Good Friday Agreements with the Northern Ireland First Minister, Peter Robinson, and Deputy First Minister, Martin McGuinness, during his visit to Japan. [52595/13]

Northern Ireland Issues

Gerry Adams

29. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Taoiseach if he discussed with the Northern Ireland First Minister, Peter Robinson, and Deputy First Minister, Martin McGuinness, during his visit to Japan, the need for greater co-operation and an all-island strategy to ensure that the Government and the Northern Executive minimise competition for inward investment between North and South. [52596/13]

Northern Ireland Issues

Richard Boyd Barrett

30. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his meeting with Northern Ireland First Minister, Peter Robinson, and Deputy First Minister, Martin McGuinness; if he will report the issues that were discussed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52670/13]

Northern Ireland Issues

Micheál Martin

31. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Taoiseach if he has discussed the issue of the disappeared with the Northern Ireland First Minister and Deputy First Minister recently; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3536/14]

Unemployment Data

Willie O'Dea

105. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection to outline the progress made through the Pathways to Work strategy; the current long-term unemployment statistics; the current rate of youth unemployment here; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3956/14]

Work Placement Programmes

Aengus Ó Snodaigh

106. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding the planned JobPath programme, including the expected start-up and annual costs; the approximate portion of these costs that will go to profits for private companies; and if the existing local employment services will see any reduction in their funding from her Department in parallel with the implementation of the JobPath programme. [3954/14]

Drug Treatment Programmes Places

Maureen O'Sullivan

107. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding drug community employment schemes; the numbers on the scheme; the vacancies; the reasons for the vacancies; the age profile of the participants; the numbers availing of extensions on the schemes; and if she will identify areas of concern for the scheme. [3958/14]

Housing Assistance Payments Implementation

Willie O'Dea

108. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection her plans to reform the rent supplement scheme; if her attention has been drawn to reports that many tenants are being asked to pay top-up payments to landlords for rent that is above the maximum allowance limit under the scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3957/14]

National Internship Scheme Administration

Aengus Ó Snodaigh

109. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Social Protection her views on the conclusion of the Union of Students of Ireland in its document, Vision for Post-Bailout Ireland, that the JobBridge scheme is beyond repair and should be phased out; and the steps she will take in response to same. [3955/14]

Respite Care Grant Payments

Colm Keaveney

110. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Social Protection if she has carried out any analysis of the impact of the respite grant cut in the 2013 budget on the lives of persons with disabilities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3678/14]

Job Initiatives

Joe Higgins

111. Deputy Joe Higgins asked the Minister for Social Protection if she is concerned that a company (details supplied) has advertised for 28 positions through the JobBridge scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3589/14]

Civil Registration Legislation

Seán Kyne

112. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide an update on the Civil Registration (Amendment) Bill and its progress in view of ongoing concerns regarding the registration of deaths abroad. [3761/14]

Youth Employment Initiative

Bernard Durkan

113. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection if she and her Department expect to make major inroads on youth unemployment in the current year, unilaterally or with the assistance of the appropriate EU support; if a particular effort will be made to target unemployment black spots; if emphasis will be placed on the provision of a minimum number of apprenticeships, with particular reference to sectors particularly affected with high levels of unemployment; if she is satisfied that the resources available to her Department in this regard are adequate to meet such requirements; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3671/14]

National Internship Scheme Eligibility

Charlie McConalogue

114. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason behind the requirement that people on the Youthreach programme must finish that programme and sign on so that they are in receipt of a jobseeker's payment before they can take part in the JobBridge internship programme, in view of the fact that a young person coming off a Youthreach programme, and aged under 24 years, can only receive a maximum of €100 on jobseeker's allowance, and a further entitlement of €50 on the JobBridge scheme, giving a maximum payment of €150 a week which is less than the payment they currently receive under Youthreach; her views on whether these barriers prevent Youthreach participants from seeking internships and improving their employment prospects; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3675/14]

Social Welfare Overpayments

Aengus Ó Snodaigh

115. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will take steps to limit the period within which her Department can demand the repayment of overpayments, in cases excluding fraud, to bring it into line with the period people can claim tax relief for expenditures operated by the Revenue Commissioners, which is generally four years; and if she will provide a breakdown of the number of persons who have been asked to commence paying back an overpayment that ceased more than four years prior to the demand that it be repaid. [3521/14]

Farm Assist Scheme Eligibility

Charlie McConalogue

116. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will consider reversing the changes she made to farm assist, with respect to income disregards, in view of the fact that it has had a serious negative affect on the income levels of struggling farming families; the reason she refuses to carry out an analysis to assess the impact the changes have made on those families; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3676/14]

Youth Unemployment Measures

Simon Harris

117. Deputy Simon Harris asked the Minister for Social Protection if the issue of youth unemployment falls within the remit of a Cabinet sub-committee; the Departments and Ministries under which that responsibility for addressing youth unemployment falls; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2195/14]

National Internship Scheme Administration

Aengus Ó Snodaigh

118. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will introduce a new advance filtering system to prevent potentially odious positions from gaining access to JobBridge; and if she will review and report on the effectiveness of existing provisions in this regard. [3525/14]

Rent Supplement Scheme Administration

Catherine Murphy

119. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection the total number of rent supplement supported tenancies that were reviewed downwards as per reductions in rent supplement maximum limits per county in 2011, 2012 and 2013; the value and percentage of rent per family reduced at each review stage; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3679/14]

Social Welfare Benefits Eligibility

Patrick O'Donovan

120. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Social Protection in view of the recent announcement by the British Prime Minister to introduce changes to UK welfare rules for inward migrants into the UK, if she has examined the proposals; her plans to introduce changes to rules governing the payments of benefits; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3517/14]

Rent Supplement Scheme Administration

Richard Boyd Barrett

121. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 11 of 28 November 2013, in relation to the national rent allowance caps, the results of her monitoring of rent levels; her views on whether the current rent allowance caps are sufficient to ensure that accommodation needs of those in need are met; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3682/14]

Social Welfare Code Reform

Aengus Ó Snodaigh

122. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will take the legislative or other necessary steps to ensure people who are parenting alone and continue to satisfy the means test requirement for one-parent family payment will not be transferred from that payment to the back to education allowance with the resultant loss of the maintenance portion of their student grant for the duration of their course. [3524/14]

Housing Assistance Payments Implementation

Aengus Ó Snodaigh

123. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Social Protection her views on the crisis in rent supplement, including an update on claim processing times; and the total number of rent supplement recipients who will be transferred to the new housing assistance programme by the end of 2014. [3523/14]