Parliamentary questions

Food Harvest 2020 Strategy

Andrew Doyle

297. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if an interdepartmental group has been established between different Government Departments regarding meeting the targets set down in Food Harvest 2020; the Departments that are involved in this group; the frequency with which the group meets; the progress that has been made on this to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43467/13]

Departmental Agencies Staff Data

Andrew Doyle

380. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will provide an outline of the staffing resources at the Adoption Authority of Ireland; if this has increased or decreased in the past number of years; if she will provide the specific figures of staff employed in the Adoption Authority in the area of inter-country adoption; if she will confirm that current staffing levels in the area of inter-country adoption are sufficient enough to allow for inter-country adoption to resume here; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43576/13]

Inter-Country Adoptions

Andrew Doyle

381. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs when inter-country adoptions will commence between Ireland and the United States of America in view of the recent conclusion of inter-country adoption operating arrangements between both countries; if she will provide details of the road map governing the inter-country adoption process that will operate between the two countries; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43577/13]

Inter-Country Adoptions

Andrew Doyle

382. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her views on whether it will be necessary to put in place transitional measures for Irish applicants for inter-country adoption who are already registered with a US Hague-accredited agency, before an Irish agency is approved to work with US agencies; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43578/13]

Inter-Country Adoptions

Andrew Doyle

383. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her views on whether Irish applicants for inter-country adoption already registered with a US Hague-accredited agency will incur any additional costs when switching to an Irish agency once an Irish agency is established; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43581/13]

Inter-Country Adoptions

Andrew Doyle

384. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the position regarding inter-country adoption between Ireland and Vietnam since the signing of the administrative agreement on inter-country adoption between Ireland and Vietnam in 2012; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43582/13]

Tourism Promotion

Andrew Doyle

451. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if Fáilte Ireland will outline the funding that has been made available to festivals throughout the country under their regional festivals scheme fund from 2011 to date in 2013; if he will detail the amount that has been allocated for 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43167/13]

Road Projects Status

Andrew Doyle

452. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if the National Roads Authority will provide an update on the progress that has been made to date on the N11 upgrade project between Arklow and Rathnew in County Wicklow; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43173/13]

Job Creation

Andrew Doyle

38. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation his views on whether the programmes and initiatives run by both the Industrial Development Agency and Enterprise Ireland are now overlapping in a significant manner, thus diminishing their capabilities to conduct their work both here and abroad; if discussions have taken place regarding the pooling of resources to enhance job creation here and a potential merger of the two organisations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42570/13]

Passport Service Issues

Andrew Doyle

48. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his views on the main features on the new passports that were introduced on 3 October 2013; if they contain any new security features; if he has notified other EU member states and the rest of international immigration authorities of the changes to the new Irish passports; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42861/13]

International Bodies Membership

Andrew Doyle

92. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if he has given consideration to joining the international research body, the European Particle Physics Centre at the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN) in Geneva, Switzerland, in view of the fact that membership would bring financial benefits for Ireland, aiding science education and promotion; the amount membership would cost and the amount associate membership would cost per annum; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that multinational technology companies based here cannot compete for contracts from CERN because Ireland is not currently a member; his views on whether it will be economically beneficial for Ireland to become a member; when the last review was held by Ireland for becoming a member of the body; if he is considering conducting a new review in view of the economic advantageous position in which membership would place Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42571/13]

Departmental Funding

Andrew Doyle

128. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the annual subvention his Department provides to An Post; the amount on a yearly basis from 2007 to date in 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42784/13]

Diplomatic Representation Issues

Andrew Doyle

129. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Taoiseach if he will outline his recent engagements with the Governor of the US State of California, Jerry Brown, on his recent visit to Ireland in July 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39056/13]

Electricity Transmission Network

Andrew Doyle

359. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will provide an update on the EirGrid grid link project as part of the national electricity grid linking Leinster and Munster; if he will detail its proposed passage through an area in County Wicklow; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42180/13]

Water and Sewerage Schemes Status

Andrew Doyle

378. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide an update on a sewerage scheme (details supplied) as part of the Water Service Investment Programme 2010-2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41838/13]

Irish Water Establishment

Andrew Doyle

387. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if projects that have been approved in County Wicklow under the Water Services Investment Programme 2010-2013 but have yet to commence will be included in the Irish Water capital investment plan for 2014-2015, currently being drafted; if an agreement has been put in place between his Department and Irish Water to ensure the projects in County Wicklow under the existing programme are complete; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41913/13]

Motor Tax Collection

Andrew Doyle

614. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport further to Parliamentary Question No. 487 of 1 October 2013, if a logbook may be released to An Garda Síochána for a vehicle (details supplied) in County Wicklow for their inspection in order to pay road tax at the large public service vehicle rate, in view of the fact that the vehicle registration tax has been paid; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42124/13]

Driving Licence Issues

Andrew Doyle

617. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide an update on mutual recognition of Irish driving licences with the province of Ontario, Canada, where numerous Irish persons currently reside; if he will provide an update on activities by the Road Safety Authority and the Irish embassy in Ottawa on having their Irish driving licences recognised and setting up a reciprocal recognition scheme between the jurisdictions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42278/13]

Rail Services

Andrew Doyle

621. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will outline Irish Rail's new policy of less carriages per journey during off-peak hours as an energy saving measures; if he will provide in tabular form the number of carriages on each train commencing from, passing through, or arriving at stations (details supplied) in County Wicklow on the DART timetable; if a review by Irish Rail of the new policy has taken place, in view of the overcrowding that has occurred on some of the journeys with less carriages. [42342/13]

Schools Emergency Funding

Andrew Doyle

109. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will support an application for emergency funding grant in respect of a school (details supplied) in County Wicklow; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41635/13]