Parliamentary questions

Consultancy Contracts Expenditure

Clare Daly

244. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills the amount his Department spends on an annual basis in payments to consultancy firms (details supplied). [2475/14]

Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Board

Clare Daly

257. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills to outline the costs of the Caranua scheme; the number of employees in the organisation; and if he is open to amendments. [2728/14]

Commercial Rates Exemptions

Clare Daly

287. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will provide an exemption from commercial rates to not-for-profit recording and rehearsing facilities for musicians in order to assist the development of this part of our culture. [2704/14]

Consultancy Contracts Expenditure

Clare Daly

297. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the amount his Department spends on an annual basis in payments to consultancy firms (details supplied). [2482/14]

Consultancy Contracts Expenditure

Clare Daly

321. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the amount his Department spends on an annual basis in payments to consultancy firms (details supplied). [2480/14]

Departmental Expenditure

Clare Daly

343. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Social Protection the amount her Department spends on an annual basis in payments to consultancy firms (details supplied). [2483/14]

Pensions Levy

Clare Daly

347. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Social Protection if the levy on pensions is to cease in 2015; if she will confirm whether there is any lawful basis to this money being deducted from any pension schemes after this date. [2523/14]

Social Welfare Payments Administration

Clare Daly

349. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will implement changes to social welfare payments to ensure that those who take up employment on a part time basis are not penalised by her Department refusing to pay a bank holiday payment to part time workers, when their employers do not cover these days as the hours worked are insufficient to qualify. [2538/14]

Consultancy Contracts Expenditure

Clare Daly

394. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the amount his Department spends on an annual basis in payments to consultancy firms (details supplied). [2471/14]

Architectural Heritage

Clare Daly

400. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the steps he will take to protect the old British Legion building in Killester, Dublin 5, which is part of the involvement of Irish people in the First World War. [2736/14]

Consultancy Contracts Expenditure

Clare Daly

406. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the amount his Department spends on an annual basis in payments to consultancy firms (details supplied). [2473/14]

Consultancy Contracts Expenditure

Clare Daly

436. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the amount his Department spends on an annual basis in payments to consultancy firms (details supplied). [2476/14]

Water Meters Installation

Clare Daly

469. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the way residents can independently verify the readings on their water meters in view of the fact that they are covered with plastic covers and all the numbers are not visible; and the scope there is for householders to ascertain whether there are leaks in the system. [2765/14]

Consultancy Contracts Expenditure

Clare Daly

505. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the amount his Department spends on an annual basis in payments to consultancy firms (details supplied). [2481/14]

Legal Aid Service Expenditure

Clare Daly

506. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the various fees paid to senior counsel, junior counsel and solicitors under the criminal legal aid scheme on an annual basis over the past ten years; the basis upon which these fees have been calculated with particular reference to the way increases were applied. [2487/14]

Garda Operations

Clare Daly

507. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if protection to cash in transit vans will cease with effect from this month. [2525/14]

Appointments to State Boards

Clare Daly

518. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Justice and Equality when he expects to appoint the board of the national disability association; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2781/14]

Consultancy Contracts Expenditure

Clare Daly

536. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Defence the amount his Department spends on an annual basis in payments to consultancy firms (details supplied). [2474/14]

Defence Forces Operations

Clare Daly

537. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Defence if protection for cash in transit vans will cease with effect from this month. [2524/14]

Defence Forces Personnel

Clare Daly

538. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Defence the action he has taken to address the upper service limits that apply post 1 January 1994 to enlisted personnel of the Permanent Defence Force; and when he proposes to bring clarity to these persons in relation to their service contracts. [2733/14]

Consultancy Contracts Expenditure

Clare Daly

551. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the amount his Department spends on an annual basis in payments to consultancy firms (details supplied). [2470/14]

Departmental Funding

Clare Daly

556. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will intervene to prevent the collapse of Irish Seed Savers; and reverse the funding cut which has put this important project in jeopardy. [2533/14]

Departmental Expenditure

Clare Daly

579. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the amount her Department spends on an annual basis in payments to consultancy firms (details supplied). [2472/14]

Consultancy Contracts Expenditure

Clare Daly

610. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health the amount his Department spends on an annual basis in payments to consultancy firms (details supplied). [2479/14]

Consultancy Contracts Expenditure

Clare Daly

678. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the amount his Department spends on an annual basis in payments to consultancy firms (details supplied). [2485/14]

Tax Code

Clare Daly

32. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Finance the reason he has not introduced a third band of taxation for high earners. [1507/14]

Corporation Tax Regime

Clare Daly

33. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Finance if he has undertaken a cost benefit analysis of the effect of increasing Ireland's corporation tax rate; and if not, the reason this sector has been excluded from tax increases. [1508/14]

Property Tax Data

Clare Daly

61. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Finance the number of those in receipt of the State pension who are having the property tax deducted; and the amount per week of the €1 million the Revenue Commissioners states it is receiving that is coming from the State pension payments. [1969/14]

Pensions Reform

Clare Daly

157. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Social Protection the measures she has put in place to deal with the involvement of pensioners deferred and those in payment in negotiations on defined benefit, DB, pension changes including whether she has had any progress with the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation regarding changes to access for retired workers to the State's industrial relations machinery in these instances. [1968/14]

Human Rights Issues

Clare Daly

21. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the steps that were taken in relation to raising the Saudi Arabian regime's human rights abuses, discrimination against women, and financing of jihadist and sectarian forces across the Middle East when the recent Irish trade mission to that country took place. [1266/14]

Middle East Issues

Clare Daly

29. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will condemn the recent aerial bombardment of Gaza by the Israeli authorities; if he will campaign within the EU for an ending of the favourable treatment of Israel by calling for the cessation of the EU-Israel Association Agreement and an ending of their involvement in Horizon 2020. [1265/14]

Military Aircraft Landings

Clare Daly

35. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade further to Parliamentary Question No. 369 of 10 December 2013 the reason sovereign immunity is being applied to US military aircraft and personnel passing through Shannon when international law clearly states that sovereign immunity does not apply to military aircraft involved in a war of aggression, where Ireland has an obligation under the Hague Convention V on neutrality and customary international law on neutrality not to allow US troops or materials transiting through Irish territory and in view of recent International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court cases establishing that sovereign immunity can only be used as a defence to prosecution for local or domestic crimes or civil liability and not a defence to an international crime. [55517/13]

Banking Sector

Clare Daly

109. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Finance if Danske Bank, when it announced it was withdrawing from Ireland in October, submitted plans to the Central Bank of Ireland for an orderly withdrawal from the market; and the reason these are not being communicated to clients either by Danske Bank or the Central Bank. [55298/13]

Banking Sector

Clare Daly

110. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Finance the actions the Central Bank of Ireland has taken to facilitate an orderly withdrawal of Danske Bank from the Irish market; and if it has considered organising a mass switch on existing terms and conditions to one of the pillar banks, into which taxpayers have already injected so much money. [55299/13]

Tax Compliance

Clare Daly

143. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Finance further to Parliamentary Question No. 111 of 13 May 2013 on the value shift tax scheme, if his stated estimate of non-compliant firms has risen; the number of appeals that are pending; the length of time these appeals typically last; the number of Revenue officials currently required to pursue these tax compliance matters; and the number of the 76 or more non-compliant firms that are Irish. [1316/14]

Special Educational Needs Service Provision

Clare Daly

182. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 92 of 12 December 2013, if he will issue a written response to the points raised with him in correspondence (details supplied) of 30 August 2013. [55244/13]

Special Educational Needs Staff Contracts

Clare Daly

190. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the job share programme for special needs assistants has not been addressed by his Department since 23 October, when they promised a final draft for SIPTU; if the National Council for Speech Education and his Department guidelines have been modified towards the issues regarding the 32 hour week of an SNA being a full time post, with some SNAs who will be paid for their half post of 16 hours, based on their old contracts after 2005, and have not been modified since, but the new entrants who will jobshare will only be in receipt of 14 hours, ten minutes' pay since the new contract will state only the school day, but not the same time as stated in the postholder's SNA contract; and when this matter will be resolved. [55366/13]

Public Park Access

Clare Daly

260. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if his attention has been drawn to the proposal by the Office of Public Works to erect a fence around all or part of Castletown demesne, Celbridge, County Kildare (details supplied); if he will provide details of any plan or proposal for the future development of Castletown demesne to control or restrict 24 hour access to the immediate environs of Castletown, including an intention to develop Castletown House, or Castletown demesne, or parts of that demesne along the lines of the development of Farmleigh; if he will provide details of the OPW proposal to put a fence around all or part of Castletown demesne, including the locations and lines of such a fence, including maps; the height and construction of such a fence; the estimated cost of installation of such a fence; the estimated annual cost of maintenance of such a fence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55316/13]

Wildlife Regulations

Clare Daly

414. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the action he will take in relation to the Ward Hunt proposing to hunt a deer on St. Stephen's Day by exploiting the wording of section 23A(1) with the advertisement that no animals are intentionally injured or killed during the hunt, and that the hound does not attack or bring down the deer; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55524/13]

National Postcode System Establishment

Clare Daly

449. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the latest developments with regard to the new postcode system; the amount expended on this project to date; and the stage the tender process is at. [1091/14]

Commencement of Legislation

Clare Daly

660. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to the reply to Parliamentary Question No. 296 of 19 December 2013 in which he stated that he is not required to notify objectors to the Galway Bay fish farm of his decision not to make a determination within any timeframe because the legislation requiring him to do so, section 13 of the Fisheries (Amendment) Act 1997, has not been commenced, given that the elected Members of the Oireachtas passed into law an Act that placed this obligation on the Minister more than 16 years ago, if he has frustrated the constitutional, sole and exclusive power of making laws vested in the Oireachtas by Article 15 of the Constitution and so undermined the constitutional rights of the Oireachtas. [1177/14]

Commencement of Legislation

Clare Daly

661. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to his reply to Parliamentary Question No. 296 of 19 December 2013 in which he stated that he is not required to notify objectors to the Galway Bay fish farm of his decision not to make a determination within any timeframe because the legislation passed by the Oireachtas in 1997 requiring him to do so, section 13 of the Fisheries (Amendment) Act 1997, has not been commenced by the Executive branch of the Government, the way this accords with the Government's claim in 2013 that Ireland, upon signing, had ensured the transposition of the obligations under the UNECE Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters, the Aarhus Convention, and if he will, without delay, commence this legislation to accord with Ireland's obligations under this UN treaty. [1178/14]

Animal Welfare Bodies

Clare Daly

687. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason he allocated an animal welfare organisation grant to the Irish Red Grouse Association. [1594/14]

HSE Staff Remuneration

Clare Daly

834. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health the persons in the Rotunda Hospital in receipt of a top-up payment and the amount of same according to the recent Health Service Executive audit. [1131/14]

Hospital Staff Data

Clare Daly

835. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health in the context of the Health Service Executive commissioned KPMG study of the three Dublin maternity hospitals in 2009, which stated they were a total of 293 staff short of what is required by best international standards for safety; the midwifery staff numbers in 2009 for each of the three hospitals; and the current numbers of midwifery staff. [1132/14]

HSE Staff Remuneration

Clare Daly

836. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health the current starting salary for a newly qualified midwife. [1133/14]

Air Safety

Clare Daly

934. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if his attention has been drawn to a fuel emergency mayday on 14 December 2013 out of Dublin on a Ryanair aeroplane which diverted to Liverpool and landed with less than final reserve fuel on board; and the steps he will take in this matter in view of the previous call by the Irish Aviation Authority on Ryanair to review its fuel policy and the very serious potential consequences for passenger safety. [1076/14]

Tourism Promotion

Clare Daly

18. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport in view of the tourist potential linked to the work of the Irish Seal Sanctuary, if he will facilitate this volunteer organisation with a suitable permanent premises in Balbriggan as part of the previously planned marine conservation project in conjunction with Fingal County Council. [54134/13]

Sports Facilities Provision

Clare Daly

38. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the steps he will take to assist the Irish Amateur Boxing Association in working with Swords Boxing Club, County Dublin, to develop international level boxing facilities in the town. [54133/13]

Aquaculture Licences

Clare Daly

294. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide a list of aquaculture licences issued under the Fisheries (Amendment) Act 1997 where aquaculture in respect of which a licence has been granted has not commenced within two years after the date on which the licence was granted and the licence has therefore ceased to have effect under the the Fisheries (Amendment) Act 1997; the name of the original and last holder of each licence; the nature, extent and location of such licences; if he has notified the appropriate bodes of the cessation of each of these licences; and if he has notified the holders of these licences; if has published a notice of the cessation of these licences in a newspaper circulating in the vicinity of these licences. [54878/13]

Aquaculture Licences

Clare Daly

295. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide a list of aquaculture licences issued under the Fisheries (Amendment Act) 1997 where aquaculture in respect of which a licence has been granted has ceased for a continuous period of two years and he is required to revoke these licences; the name of the original and last holder of each such licence; the nature, extent and location of each such licence; if he has notified the appropriate bodes of the revocation of each of these licences; if he has notified the holders of these licences; and if he has published a notice of the revocation of these licences in a newspaper circulating in the vicinity of these licences. [54879/13]

Aquaculture Licences

Clare Daly

296. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he has notified the applicant for a company (details supplied) in County Galway and all those who have made submissions or observations in relation to the application of the reasons it has not been possible or appropriate to determine the application within four months; and if he has specified the date before which he intends the application to be determined, in accordance with the Fisheries (Amendment) Act 1997. [54880/13]

Pilot Training Colleges

Clare Daly

399. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the action he has taken to investigate the collapse of the pilot training college in July 2012, with particular reference to the knowledge of the IAA with regard to financial problems in the college and the steps taken to assist the students complete their training. [54927/13]

Medical Negligence Claims

Clare Daly

10. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health if he will alter his proposals for a redress scheme for the victims of symphysiotomy to take account of the concerns of their representative organisation SoS and instead that a mechanism for dealing with medical negligence and the lifting of the statute of limitations would be facilitated in order to secure proper compensation. [53985/13]

Maternal Mortality

Clare Daly

35. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health his views on the disproportionate numbers of maternal deaths to women of black minority ethnic status and the action he will take regarding same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53984/13]

Betting Legislation

Clare Daly

168. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Justice and Equality when updated legislation to control and licence gambling is likely to be introduced; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that a company (details supplied ) has been guilty of criminal activity in relation to interactive gambling; and the plans he has to prevent such operators from being able to trade. [54632/13]

Garda Investigations

Clare Daly

186. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the progress that has been made on the Garda investigation into cockfighting in County Monaghan; and his plans to increase penalties and enforcement of those guilty of this unlawful activity. [54631/13]

Forestry Management

Clare Daly

199. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason Collite is not contributing to increasing our extremely low forest cover in line with our national forestry targets; the reason public forests are being cleared to be replaced with concrete and steel for private wind energy companies; the reason Coillte is unable to supply the ESB with quality wooden poles to satisfy an extremely lucrative domestic market; and his plans for same. [54626/13]

Coillte Teoranta Lands

Clare Daly

200. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the millions of euro worth of public forests sold by Coillte to a pension fund company (details supplied) in which Coillte is a partner were put out to tender on international markets or if it was the case that there was one seller and one buyer. [54627/13]

Drugs Crime

Clare Daly

221. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health if he will reverse the funding cuts to the national drugs task force which has resulted in funding to policing forums being dramatically eroded; and the plans he has to ensure that the policing forums are adequately financed. [54513/13]

Adoption Services Provision

Clare Daly

85. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the percentage of cases where the Adoption Authority of Ireland has overturned negative assessments of couples as being unsuitable parents; the circumstances in which these decisions are made; and if she has any plans to reform this system. [53811/13]

Proposed Legislation

Clare Daly

103. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the reasons for the delay in bringing forward the adoption and tracing legislation; and if she will specify the obstacles that she has previously referred to in relation to implementing full tracing rights and retrospection. [53812/13]

Pyrite Remediation Programme Implementation

Clare Daly

382. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government when the pyrite resolution board will process applications for remediation and expedite the claims in view of the urgency and very serious deteriorating condition of a number of dwellings. [53685/13]

Planning Issues

Clare Daly

389. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will undertake a study on the way the excessive numbers of take-away and fast food outlets operating in many urban and suburban areas can be curtailed. [53838/13]

Local Authorities Management

Clare Daly

407. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the fact that members of Sligo Borough Council served a notice on the temporary county manager (detail supplied) under section 140 of the Local Government Act 2001, directing her to have a special meeting of the borough council convened on 16 December 2013; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the temporary county manager ignored the section 140 notice; the reason the assistant secretary of his Department appointed this person as temporary county manager, taking into consideration her view that she can ignore and refuse to comply with section 140 of the Local Government Act 2001; if his Department will, as a matter of urgency, now appoint a temporary county manager who will carry out his or her duties in compliance with the Local Government Act 2001; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54163/13]

Local Authority Expenditure

Clare Daly

408. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the most recent local government auditor's report indicates that the overall debt of Sligo County Council has increased from €85 million to €94 million; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the auditor has again expressed concern in respect of the financial performance and standing of the council and its increasing level of debt; if it has been brought to his attention that the elected members of Sligo County Council, at a meeting on 2 December 2013, unanimously adopted the following motion: "Having considered the contents of the Local Government Auditors Report for the year ending 31 December, 2012 and recognising the financial crisis the council finds itself in, the elected members of Sligo County Council hereby resolve (a) to request the Minister for the Environment to meet as a matter of urgency with an all party delegation of councillors to discuss the critical financial position of the Council; (b) to request the Minister and his Department to provide necessary advice and assistance to the Council"; if he intends to meet with the all party delegation in the near future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54164/13]

Garda Investigations

Clare Daly

443. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he is satisfied that the terms of reference of the consideration of the Fr. Niall Molloy case have been published even though no consultation had taken place with those who handed over the evidence of a cover-up. [54150/13]

Obesity Strategy

Clare Daly

516. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will undertake a study with regard to the way fast food outlets and supermarkets who undertake special cheap deals targeted at lunch times and schoolchildren can be curtailed in the interest of combating the growing levels of youth obesity. [53837/13]

Children in Care

Clare Daly

521. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs further to Parliamentary Question No. 145 of 4 December 2013, if she will clarify the nationalities of children in care on a national basis for the past ten years. [54179/13]

Community Development Projects

Clare Daly

544. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health if he will ensure that the arbitration award due to the Northern Meath Community Development Association is paid without delay. [53686/13]

Irish Blood Transfusion Service

Clare Daly

607. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health the policy of the Irish Blood Transfusion Service Board relating to donor acceptance criteria where third party information is received; and the way this policy is communicated to the donor. [54181/13]

Plant Science

Clare Daly

17. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the steps he has taken for developing plant science here. [52921/13]

Animal Welfare

Clare Daly

32. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the steps he has taken to deal with some recent shocking cases of animal cruelty, neglect and abandonment; and if he is satisfied that the relevant authorities have sufficient resources to ensure compliance with the new Animal Health and Welfare Bill. [52922/13]

Defence Forces Personnel Data

Clare Daly

11. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Defence the amount of money spent on an annual basis on maintaining family quarters in the Curragh Camp; the amount of rent collected from these properties; and the number of any such units in any other location. [52902/13]

Bus Éireann Investigations

Clare Daly

53. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason the names of members of the public who make complaints to his Department regarding corruption within Bus Éireann in the administration of the school transport contract are being circulated among Bus Éireann's staff and to the general public; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53193/13]

Bus Éireann Investigations

Clare Daly

54. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills the name and contact details of the garda who is dealing with the current investigation regarding corruption within Bus Éireann in the administration of the school transport contract, as it is the stated policy of Bus Éireann, as recently confirmed by the Minister, to inform the Garda Síochána of incidents of corruption within the school transport contract. [53194/13]

Public Sector Staff Issues

Clare Daly

55. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will issue a circular to all the boards of management of schools to ensure that all special needs assistant contracts are correct and properly worded and abide by the National Council for Special Education and his Department guidelines detailing the 32-hour week; and if any are in error, if he will instruct the boards of management to rectify such contracts immediately. [53219/13]

Residential Institutions Issues

Clare Daly

210. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health further to a parliamentary question of 4 December 2013 regarding mother and baby homes, the institutions other than the National Archives where copies of inspections into mother and baby homes are held. [53341/13]

Legal Services Regulation

Clare Daly

94. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the steps that can be taken by either his office or the Law Society to deal with a practising solicitor who suppresses information in his or her possession in relation to child sexual abuse, leading to a continuation of that abuse. [52651/13]

Human Rights Issues

Clare Daly

113. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he has expressed any concerns to the Northern Ireland authorities and British Government with regard to a person (details supplied) in County Donegal who has been on remand in Maghaberry Prison for four years, against all international best practice in relation to justice and human rights in terms of the right to a speedy trial. [52688/13]

Foreign Conflicts

Clare Daly

118. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade further to Parliamentary Question No. 41 of 3 December 2013, if he will correct his response where he says that the siege of Gaza has eased, given that the recent Amnesty report on Gaza from November clearly demonstrates that the siege has intensified to the point of utter catastrophe; and if he will support Amnesty's call for a lifting of the blockade, including by allowing the delivery of fuel and other essential supplies into the territory without restriction. [53122/13]

SOLAS Training and Education Programmes Provision

Clare Daly

167. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills if funding will be available to a hairdresser and beauty therapist who hopes to train students with mild and moderate special needs to undertake work experience and courses in this regard. [52726/13]

IDA Jobs Data

Clare Daly

230. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of jobs created by the Industrial Development Agency from 2001 to date in 2013; the number of IDA-backed companies which received Irish work permits and visas; and if he will provide a breakdown of salaries of the IDA-backed companies which applied for Irish work permits in that period. [52722/13]

Social Welfare Benefits

Clare Daly

277. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Social Protection the reasons a person (details supplied) in Dublin 20 has been denied access to any social welfare payment even though the person is unable to apply for jobseeker's allowance at age 65 while awaiting transition to the contributory old age pension. [52981/13]

Inland Fisheries Issues

Clare Daly

300. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources when the new inland fisheries Bill is due before Dáil Éireann and the level of consultation with angling organisations. [52818/13]

Broadcasting Service Provision

Clare Daly

317. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the code of practice within which community radio stations are funded by his Department and supposed to deal with volunteer radio producers or presenters; and the steps a volunteer can take if they are dissatisfied with the decision of the station. [53011/13]

Military Aircraft Landings

Clare Daly

369. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Justice and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 727 of 5 November 2013 in which he stated that An Garda Síochána has no role in relation to the inspection of foreign State or military aircraft, which in accordance with international law enjoy sovereign immunity, and further to Parliamentary Question No. 514 of 19 November 2013 in which he stated the Garda does, of course, have powers in relation to aircraft which are not subject to immunity, both of which questions pertained to military aircraft, if he will explain which military aircraft are covered by sovereign immunity and which are not. [52899/13]

Aquaculture Licences Numbers

Clare Daly

411. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide in tabular form, all the current offshore marine finfish aquaculture licences issued to operators here; if he will supply for each licence the file reference licence identifier, the site name and grid references, the licensee name company, the current operator's name or company; if the site is being used in 2013; the tonnage, area, maximum smoult input; the licence expiry date; if a renewal has been applied for; the annual aquaculture licence fee; the annual foreshore licence fee; and the sum of arrears owing on each licence. [52626/13]

Coillte Teoranta Review

Clare Daly

438. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will publish the review of Coillte which has been completed; and if he will facilitate public discussion on its contents in the Chamber. [52929/13]

Services for People with Disabilities

Clare Daly

503. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health if funding is available for students with mild or moderate special needs to be taken on to do some basic training in hair and beauty therapy with a registered hairdresser; and the way such an initiative could be pursued. [52727/13]

Sexual Offences

Clare Daly

536. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health the steps he has taken to deal with the allegations of sexual abuse from hundreds of victims who have been pursuing their claims for almost 20 years against a surgeon (details supplied) in County Louth. [53007/13]

Home Tuition Scheme Administration

Clare Daly

87. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills with reference to departmental circular 0006/2013 regarding the home tuition scheme, the reason he has changed the criteria for early intervention for two to four year olds requiring a qualified primary teacher who is registered with the Teaching Council, in view of the fact that others with specialist skills in dealing with autism and other areas of special needs are in many ways more suited to dealing with early intervention learning for special needs children. [52244/13]

Departmental Correspondence

Clare Daly

92. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will respond to correspondence (details supplied). [52313/13]

National Parks and Wildlife Service Investigations

Clare Daly

138. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the number of reports carried out by National Parks and Wildlife Service into the impact on wildlife of the Corrib gas project over the past five years. [51463/13]

Horticulture Sector

Clare Daly

201. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his attention has been drawn to the discussion document prepared by Doctor Charlie Spillane, formerly of UCC, entitled Plants for the Future – a National e-Consultation on Priorities and Opportunities for Plant Research in Ireland Europe; the reason the report was not taken on board by his Department - instead activities such as closing down the Teagasc facility in Kinsealy, abolishing Bord Glas, closing down Warrenstown and de-staffing plant and horticultural research and education facilities at Kildalton to below 1970s levels have been undertaken - in view of the importance of horticulture, and other statements on this issue. [52303/13]

Adoption Records Provision

Clare Daly

208. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 564 and 569 of 26 November 2013, in which she outlined that she would not have an audit of all adoption files carried out to ascertain information on illegal adoptions, her plans to deal with this urgent issue. [52249/13]

Industrial Relations

Clare Daly

246. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will explain the status of the personal letter of guarantee received from the Government in 1990 by TEAM Aer Lingus workers, which was subsequently upheld by both the High Court and Supreme Court; and the action he proposes to take in view of the repudiation of these letters. [52229/13]

Gas Exploration Licences

Clare Daly

23. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if a health impact assessment will be included in the EPA-DCENR-NIEA research programme regarding the environmental impacts of unconventional gas exploration and extraction; if funds have been made available for this assessment; and if it will be concluded in advance of a decision to grant exploration licences. [51570/13]

Special Educational Needs Staffing

Clare Daly

58. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the discrepancies in the allocations between special needs assistants in the school system, with some schools having a full 32 hours post allocated to each SNA in that school by the special education needs organiser covering that area, with the SNA’s working in the school in question completing a school week of 28 hours 20 minutes but in receipt of the full 32 hour weekly wage; the opposite can be found under another SENO in an area only five miles away allocating 88% of a full 32 hour post to an SNA in that school, with that SNA in receipt of 28 hours 20 minutes pay; and the way he propose to deal with same. [52179/13]

Animal Welfare

Clare Daly

84. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if his attention has been drawn to reports of illegal deer hunting around the country; and the safeguards that exist to prevent illegally shot deer entering the food chain and being passed on to restaurants for sale. [52057/13]