Parliamentary questions

School Accommodation

Bobby Aylward

106. Deputy Bobby Aylward asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will reconsider the decision to refuse grant aid for additional accommodation for a school (details supplied) due to extenuating circumstances; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6530/17]

Road Projects

Bobby Aylward

51. Deputy Bobby Aylward asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport when the results of the review of the Tower Road-Piltown Junction on the N24 conducted by Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, will be published; when funding will be provided to TII to commence works on the safety measures recommended in the review results; if his Department is in direct contact with Kilkenny County Council to ensure the process of appointing consultants to undertake a review of the Tower Road-Piltown Junction on the N24 is concluded as efficiently as possible and that all necessary funding is made available to it to complete the process as efficiently as possible; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6003/17]

Urban Renewal Schemes

Bobby Aylward

164. Deputy Bobby Aylward asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if there are any grant aid programmes currently within his Department or due to come online shortly which provide funding for assisting persons in the refurbishment of buildings in town centres for residential or commercial purposes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6230/17]

Departmental Funding

Bobby Aylward

191. Deputy Bobby Aylward asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if there are any grant aid programmes currently in operation within her Department or due to come online shortly which provide funding for assisting persons in the refurbishment of buildings in town centres for residential or commercial purposes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6229/17]

Home Help Service Provision

Bobby Aylward

231. Deputy Bobby Aylward asked the Minister for Health if he will allocate additional funding for the provision of home help hours through the community service organisations in counties Carlow and Kilkenny to alleviate the exorbitant waiting lists and to improve access to the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6369/17]

Better Energy Homes Scheme

Bobby Aylward

251. Deputy Bobby Aylward asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if there are any grant aid programmes currently within his Department or due to come online shortly which provide funding for assisting persons in the sourcing, purchasing, construction or installation of solar panels and associated technology; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6231/17]

Local Improvement Scheme Funding

Bobby Aylward

259. Deputy Bobby Aylward asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will reinvest in the local improvement scheme, LIS, for improvement of isolated, neglected roads and lanes not taken in charge by the local authority which are often essential in providing access routes for communities in marginal areas by allocating separate funding to local authorities specifically for works under LIS; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6232/17]

Mortgage to Rent Scheme Eligibility

Bobby Aylward

284. Deputy Bobby Aylward asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if he will extend the terms and conditions of the mortgage-to-rent scheme to include local authorities as part of the review process of the scheme, as an action in the Rebuilding Ireland: Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness, in view of the very low level of engagement from housing agencies with the scheme in its current form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5964/17]

Road Improvement Schemes

Bobby Aylward

355. Deputy Bobby Aylward asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if the OPW will allocate further funding to cover the 15% local contribution shortfall of €3,600 in respect of a project (details supplied) under the community involvement in road works scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5963/17]

Hospital Facilities

Bobby Aylward

374. Deputy Bobby Aylward asked the Minister for Health when hospital management staff at Waterford University Hospital will be briefed in respect of the recently announced mobile catheterisation laboratory as to whether the unit will be made exclusively available for the use of the hospitals in the south east region; if it will be primarily utilised for reducing waiting lists or conducting emergency procedures; if it will be available to the communities of the south east on a 24-7 basis; the number of persons it is estimated that a mobile catheterisation laboratory can cater for on an annual basis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5357/17]

Hospital Facilities

Bobby Aylward

375. Deputy Bobby Aylward asked the Minister for Health the current daily running costs of the catheterisation laboratory at Waterford University Hospital (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5358/17]

Eating Disorders

Bobby Aylward

445. Deputy Bobby Aylward asked the Minister for Health the State services currently available to those persons suffering from eating disorders and related illness in counties Carlow and Kilkenny who do not have private health insurance; if any provisions have been made within his Department for additional services to be introduced to communities in these counties; his plans to enable children, adolescents and adults in such a situation to access out-of-hours support services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5844/17]

GLAS Payments

Bobby Aylward

17. Deputy Bobby Aylward asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of delayed GLAS payments for 2016 to farmers in counties Carlow and Kilkenny; and the reason for same. [4850/17]

Hospital Services

Bobby Aylward

269. Deputy Bobby Aylward asked the Minister for Health if the mobile catheterisation laboratory announced for Waterford University Hospital is currently under ownership of the Health Service Executive or if it is yet to be procured; the country of origin; the price paid by the Health Service Executive and the daily cost of operating the unit; if additional specialised consultants, theatre nurses and support staff will be hired to operate the unit; if not, if it will be operated by appropriate medical practitioners currently under employment of the HSE; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5191/17]

Hospital Waiting Lists

Bobby Aylward

57. Deputy Bobby Aylward asked the Minister for Health if he will instigate an independent clinical review of children's scoliosis surgery services in order to develop current services to an adequate level to reduce surgery waiting lists; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4256/17]

Mental Health Services Provision

Bobby Aylward

89. Deputy Bobby Aylward asked the Minister for Health his plans to enable children and young persons in counties Carlow and Kilkenny to access an out-of-hours child and adolescent mental health service team; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4688/17]

Pension Provisions

Bobby Aylward

243. Deputy Bobby Aylward asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform when he will commence negotiations on a successor to the Lansdowne Road agreement; if representatives of retired public servants will be included in such negotiations, having been excluded as part of the Haddington Road process; if he envisages any reduction or reversal to the current de facto pension cut of 5.5% for public sector workers who retired from March 2012 onward compared with those who retired previously; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4873/17]

Electoral Commission Administration

Bobby Aylward

292. Deputy Bobby Aylward asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government further to Parliamentary Question No. 286 of 18 October 2016, when the boundary review commission established to examine the boundary between counties Kilkenny and Waterford is expected to publish its concluding report in view of the fact that it is now ten months past the initial deadline for publication of 31 March 2016; the amount of money spent to date or the amount of funding approved by his Department on the process in respect of the Carlow-Kilkenny examination only from establishment in 2015 to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3963/17]

Medical Card Drugs Availability

Bobby Aylward

516. Deputy Bobby Aylward asked the Minister for Health if the cost of the drug MacuShield was previously covered by the medical card scheme; if there has been any recent change to the status of MacuShield in respect of the medical card scheme; if so, the reason; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3962/17]

Hospitals Capital Programme

Bobby Aylward

570. Deputy Bobby Aylward asked the Minister for Health if the Health Service Executive Capital Plan for 2017 will provide funding for completion of phase two of the current developments at St. Luke's Hospital, Kilkenny, including the Susie Long Hospice, which is an integral part of this project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4241/17]

Mental Health Services Staff

Bobby Aylward

612. Deputy Bobby Aylward asked the Minister for Health the targets in place for the staff levels in child and adolescent mental health service teams in CHO 5 in 2017 to bring them closer to the target set in A Vision for Change; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4689/17]

Road Improvement Schemes

Bobby Aylward

715. Deputy Bobby Aylward asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will allocate funding to Kilkenny County Council under the specific improvement grant scheme or the non-national strategic improvement grant scheme for the R704 Listerlin road widening scheme (details supplied); his views on the fact that the project cannot be funded via the low cost safety improvement grant scheme due to the estimated cost of works of €80,000 which would represent 35% of the annual low cost safety scheme allocation and is therefore considered too high to come under same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4072/17]

Hospital Services

Bobby Aylward

161. Deputy Bobby Aylward asked the Minister for Health if the mobile catheterisation laboratory announced for Waterford University Hospital will be made available exclusively for the use of this hospital; if it will be primarily utilised for reducing waiting lists or conducting emergency procedures; if it will be available to the communities of the south east on a 24-7 basis; the number of persons for whom it is estimated a mobile catheterisation laboratory can cater on an annual basis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3665/17]

Areas of Natural Constraint Scheme

Bobby Aylward

197. Deputy Bobby Aylward asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the provisions that are being made for the protection of areas designated as areas of natural constraint in County Kilkenny in the forthcoming review of the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3660/17]

Areas of Natural Constraint Scheme Payments

Bobby Aylward

198. Deputy Bobby Aylward asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when outgoing payments made under the areas of natural constraint scheme will be increased by €25 million in line with the previous commitment given by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3661/17]

Transport Infrastructure Ireland Reports

Bobby Aylward

211. Deputy Bobby Aylward asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport when the results of the review of the Tower Road-Piltown Junction on the N24 conducted by Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) will be published; when funding will be provided to TII in order to commence works on the safety measures recommended in the review results; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3667/17]

Alternative Energy Projects

Bobby Aylward

257. Deputy Bobby Aylward asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his views on the use of biomass at Ireland's peat burning power stations, Edenderry, Loughree, and west Offaly; the percentage of biomass used in co-firing at the three peat power stations; the tonnage and percentage of biomass supplied from Bord na Móna willow plantations, Coillte Teoranta and a company (details supplied); the outlook for expanding willow production and Coillte Teoranta sourced biomass; if straw from agricultural tillage is being considered; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3308/17]

Teacher Recruitment

Bobby Aylward

49. Deputy Bobby Aylward asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will approve the resources that may be necessary for the allocation of a temporary teaching post until June 2017 for a school (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1300/17]

Information and Communications Technology

Bobby Aylward

411. Deputy Bobby Aylward asked the Minister for Education and Skills to outline his plans to formulate and implement a universal policy to ensure that students who are enduring extended absences from the classroom have access to daily lessons and homework assignments through an online platform or integrated system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1157/17]

School Accommodation Provision

Bobby Aylward

413. Deputy Bobby Aylward asked the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 285 of 27 September 2016 to outline the position regarding an application for temporary accommodation in respect of a school (details supplied), in view of the fact that no response has been forthcoming since the application was initially lodged in August 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1190/17]

Foreign Conflicts

Bobby Aylward

706. Deputy Bobby Aylward asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his plans to discuss reports emerging from the Republic of the Union of Myanmar with the European Union and United Nations that detail the infliction of serious human rights violations including torture, rape, sexual assault, summary executions and the destruction of mosques and homes upon the Rohingya people, 160,000 of whom are reported to be at risk of starvation and diseases; if there has been any change to the diplomatic relations between Ireland and the Republic of the Union of Myanmar since the reports emerged; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1584/17]

Family Resource Centres

Bobby Aylward

1693. Deputy Bobby Aylward asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if the budget for the family resource centre programme will be increased in line with the 5.5% increase in funding to Tusla's budget allocated by the Department of Finance in budget 2017; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1108/17]

Family Resource Centres

Bobby Aylward

1694. Deputy Bobby Aylward asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will investigate the possibility of ring-fencing €21.126 million within the Tusla budget for the family resource national programme to support voluntary boards of management in meeting the basic operational costs for the 109 family resource centres; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1109/17]

TAMS Applications

Bobby Aylward

428. Deputy Bobby Aylward asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason for the delay in reaching a decision for a TAMS II application lodged by a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40547/16]

Student Grant Scheme Eligibility

Bobby Aylward

100. Deputy Bobby Aylward asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason SUSI has failed to address a query lodged by this Deputy's office six weeks ago in respect of person (details supplied) except for a repeat response; the reason SUSI has failed to clarify which document can be provided in place of a notice of assessment from the Revenue Commissioners; the reason SUSI has failed to clarify the reason a previously submitted profit and loss account for 2015 in respect of a second property has not been accepted despite persistent contact from this Deputy's office; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40340/16]

Sports Capital Programme Administration

Bobby Aylward

241. Deputy Bobby Aylward asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport when the application process for the sports capital grant will commence; the closing date for submission of applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40339/16]

Road Safety

Bobby Aylward

242. Deputy Bobby Aylward asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will commission Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, to conduct a review on the N24 between Carrick on Suir and Mooncoin, inclusive of all junctions and assess the need for upgrades of the safety measures currently in place to ensure the necessity for same will be brought to the attention of him and TII and commenced immediately; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40341/16]

Mortgage to Rent Scheme Administration

Bobby Aylward

126. Deputy Bobby Aylward asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if he will investigate the current level of engagement among housing agencies with the mortgage to rent scheme; if he is satisfied with same; if he will consider implementing legislation or amending the principal legislation to ensure that there is a higher level of engagement between housing agencies and applicants of the mortgage to rent scheme to ensure that they are not forced out of their home and onto the housing list which represents a failure in the current system and very poor utilisation of State funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39073/16]

Pension Provisions

Bobby Aylward

159. Deputy Bobby Aylward asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason for the delay in the issuance of a second lump sum payment of a pension scheme into the estate of a deceased person (details supplied); if he will ensure that procedural difficulties in respect of this specific payment are promptly resolved in order that it can be issued without further delay; the timeframe in respect of the time it will take to resolve such procedural difficulties and issue the payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39062/16]

National Broadband Plan

Bobby Aylward

46. Deputy Bobby Aylward asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the measures being taken within his Department to ensure equality in the roll-out of broadband services for rural areas, rural communities and regional towns under the national broadband plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38310/16]

Electoral Commission Administration

Bobby Aylward

197. Deputy Bobby Aylward asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government further to Parliamentary Question No. 286 of 18 October 2016, if he will provide a further update as to when the Boundary Review Commission, established to examine the boundary between counties Kilkenny and Waterford, is expected to publish its concluding report in view of the fact that the results of the Roscommon-Westmeath border have been published in recent days and that it is now eight months past the initial deadline for publication of 31 March 2016; the amount of money spent to date or the amount of funding approved by his Department on the process in respect of the Carlow-Kilkenny examination only from establishment in 2015 to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38557/16]

Hospital Services

Bobby Aylward

339. Deputy Bobby Aylward asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 432 of 18 October 2016, if he will provide a further update as to when the national steering group established by him to develop policy on a major trauma system for Ireland will publish its first report; the status of the group's recommendations in respect of St. Luke's Hospital, County Kilkenny; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38556/16]

Inland Fisheries Data

Bobby Aylward

428. Deputy Bobby Aylward asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment when the results of the survey of the River Barrow conducted by Inland Fisheries Ireland will be published in view of the fact that publication of same was expected in July 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38492/16]

Home Help Service Provision

Bobby Aylward

61. Deputy Bobby Aylward asked the Minister for Health the increase in home help hours the Carlow-Kilkenny local health area can expect in 2017. [38035/16]

Occupational Therapy

Bobby Aylward

89. Deputy Bobby Aylward asked the Minister for Health the action being taken to address the fact that the latest figures indicate some 698 persons under 18 years of age are waiting more than a year for a first-time assessment for occupational therapy in counties Cork and Kerry. [38034/16]

School Transport

Bobby Aylward

158. Deputy Bobby Aylward asked the Minister for Education and Skills if an alternative avenue of complaint exists, away from school transport inspectors, which is available to parents and pupils that wish to raise concerns regarding pick-up and drop-off points; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38150/16]

Motor Tax Exemptions

Bobby Aylward

163. Deputy Bobby Aylward asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if he will consider introducing tax relief on motor tax for persons providing valuable assistance in view of the significant responsibility which is undertaken by spouses or next of kin of persons suffering from severe visual impairment or sight loss in assisting in transport to medical appointments, everyday errands or otherwise; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38113/16]

Renewable Energy Feed in Tariff Scheme Applications

Bobby Aylward

271. Deputy Bobby Aylward asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment further to Parliamentary Question No. 566 of 11 October 2016 (details supplied), if a suitable source of funding is available within his Department that may be applicable to supplement a green energy project as previously detailed to his office, considering that the person has already been granted REFIT approval; if any such funding will be available through his Department at a future date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38101/16]

Intercountry Adoptions Agreements

Bobby Aylward

295. Deputy Bobby Aylward asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the progress of the accreditation process between Ireland and Kazakhstan for the purposes of adoption between the two countries; the progress of the formalisation of an administration agreement between the relevant adoption authorities of both countries; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38141/16]

School Staff

Bobby Aylward

218. Deputy Bobby Aylward asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will approve the resources that may be necessary for the allocation of a temporary teaching post until June 2017 for a school (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37446/16]