Parliamentary questions

Public Service Obligation Services

Dessie Ellis

592. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he expects specific savings or changes in the public service obligation funding as a result of the introduction of open tendering and to set out in tabular form his rationale for the expected savings. [11458/16]

Public Transport Provision

Dessie Ellis

593. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the cost to the State of making all existing public transport completely wheelchair accessible. [11459/16]

Capital Expenditure Programme

Dessie Ellis

594. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the funds pledged and the funds that have been ring-fenced in the capital spending plan for the completion of the A5 dual carriageway, the Narrow Water bridge, the Ulster Canal and the north-west gateway initiative, in tabular form. [11460/16]

Capital Expenditure Programme

Dessie Ellis

595. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the funds which are required but not yet budgeted to complete the A5 dual carriageway, the Narrow Water bridge, the Ulster Canal and the north-west gateway initiative. [11461/16]

Housing Adaptation Grant

Dessie Ellis

467. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he is aware that Kildare County Council has a process of only replacing windows in elderly persons homes if there is money left in the budget at the end of the year and, despite an increased allocation in the 2016 housing maintenance budget, if they will be operating the same process for this year; if this practice is supported by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7445/16]

Cycling Facilities Provision

Dessie Ellis

563. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will install a bike station in the Glasnevin Cemetery and the Botanic Gardens area of Dublin, given this area's popularity with tourists and its large population. [4749/16]

Medical Card Reviews

Dessie Ellis

305. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Health why a person (details supplied) in Dublin 9 was denied a medical card. [2844/16]

Mental Health Services

Dessie Ellis

335. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Health if he is aware of the incremental closure of mental health services in the Drumcondra, Clontarf and Ballymun areas, Dublin, and the centralisation of services at the day centre on the North Circular Road, Dublin 7, including the winding down of the Tús Nua centre to just one day per week; the impact this will have on local service users, their families and the wider community; and how this strategy fits into the A Vision for Change strategy for mental health. [2894/16]

Public Transport

Dessie Ellis

500. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport to provide figures for the potential additional costs on the Exchequer if his Department were to transfer operation of the Luas to Coras Iompair Éireann at the end of the current contract with Transdev. [3030/16]

Public Transport

Dessie Ellis

501. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the State funding including capital investment packages received by Transdev or any of its subsidiaries for the operation of the Luas in each of the years since its launch in 2004. [3031/16]

Roads Maintenance

Dessie Ellis

502. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he is aware of the problems Bus Éireann drivers are experiencing with icy roads, particularly in County Westmeath; and his plans to ensure a consistent road gritting policy across local authority areas. [3046/16]

Flood Prevention Measures

Dessie Ellis

180. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform to outline the measures in place to alleviate the losses to local businesses in County Dublin, in particular, in the Dublin 2 and 4 areas, should these areas experience flooding in the future. [2231/16]

School Accommodation

Dessie Ellis

439. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Education and Skills the planned address of the new premises for the Shellybanks Educate Together national school in Dublin 4. [2235/16]

Rail Services Provision

Dessie Ellis

480. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the rationale for the continued closure of the waiting rooms at Newbridge train station, County Kildare, for a number of years, given that it is a very busy station and is regularly used by persons travelling to seek hospital services in the Dublin area. [2229/16]

State Examinations

Dessie Ellis

753. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Education and Skills why a person (details supplied) in Dublin 9 was denied a reader for the leaving certificate examination despite having dyslexia and literacy scores well below the required threshold. [46585/15]

Road Network

Dessie Ellis

2. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport to address the increasing capacity problems on the M50 and the need for a proposed additional ring road to deal with the high demand on the part of motorists. [45431/15]

Cross-Border Projects

Dessie Ellis

8. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will work with Stormont and transport companies in the North to deliver an island-wide integrated ticketing system and to improve access to cross-Border public transport services. [45004/15]

Rail Network

Dessie Ellis

10. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will install a tunnel or bridge at the Pelletstown and Ashtown rail crossing to deal with the major traffic problems it is creating. [45001/15]

Public Transport Fares

Dessie Ellis

20. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the effort he has made to make public transport services more affordable given regular increases in fares over the past five years, even for those using prepaid and Leap card options. [45005/15]

Electric Vehicle Grants

Dessie Ellis

71. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his plans to encourage the use of electric vehicles, given the very low take-up of such vehicles by public, commercial and transport interests. [45003/15]

Nursing Home Services

Dessie Ellis

395. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Health to justify the exorbitant costs paid to private nursing homes and the measures that are put in place to prevent private nursing homes from adding extra costs that are driving the families of those in care into poverty (details supplied). [44846/15]

Social and Affordable Housing Applications Data

Dessie Ellis

579. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the number of applicants on housing waiting lists and why he is not aware of the level of housing need. [45124/15]

Social and Affordable Housing Applications Data

Dessie Ellis

580. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the number of applicants on the housing waiting list for County Donegal. [45125/15]

Social and Affordable Housing Applications Data

Dessie Ellis

581. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the number of applicants on the housing waiting list for County Galway. [45126/15]

Social and Affordable Housing Applications Data

Dessie Ellis

582. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the number of applicants on the housing waiting list for County Mayo. [45127/15]

Social and Affordable Housing Applications Data

Dessie Ellis

583. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the number of applicants on the housing waiting for list County Sligo. [45128/15]

Social and Affordable Housing Applications Data

Dessie Ellis

584. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the number of applicants on the housing waiting list for County Leitrim. [45129/15]

Social and Affordable Housing Applications Data

Dessie Ellis

585. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the number of applicants on the housing waiting list for County Roscommon. [45130/15]

Fire Safety

Dessie Ellis

586. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government what the Dublin Docklands Development Authority is doing, as owner of the Longboat Quay common areas, to ensure that the cost for the Longboat Quay fire safety works is urgently addressed, so works can commence on fire safety. [45162/15]

Local Authority Housing Provision

Dessie Ellis

589. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the number of local authority housing unit builds completed by county in 2015 to date, in tabular form. [44193/15]

Local Authority Housing Provision

Dessie Ellis

590. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the number of local authority housing units builds commenced but not competed by county in 2015 to date, in tabular form. [44194/15]

Housing Assistance Payments Data

Dessie Ellis

591. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the number of housing assistance payment tenancies in operation and yearly cost of these tenancies to the State by county in tabular form. [44195/15]

Local Authority Housing Provision

Dessie Ellis

592. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the number of new social housing units and the scheme under which they have been delivered, in 2015 to date, in tabular form. [44196/15]

Local Authority Housing Provision

Dessie Ellis

593. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the number of local authority units that will be built and commenced by county in 2016, in tabular form. [44197/15]

Local Authority Housing Data

Dessie Ellis

594. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the amount spent on the construction of local authority housing in each of the years 2011 to date, in tabular form, and the estimate for 2016 [44198/15]

Rental Accommodation Scheme Data

Dessie Ellis

595. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the number of former rental accommodation scheme tenants who have been evicted or who have had their tenancies terminated in each of the years from 2011 to date. [44199/15]

Public Transport Subsidies

Dessie Ellis

642. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the amount of subvention provided to Córas Iompair Éireann, Luas and other companies providing public transport in each of the years from 2007 to date, in tabular form, and the estimated subvention for 2016. [44211/15]

Local Authority Housing Provision

Dessie Ellis

579. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if the impediment to local authorities borrowing for social housing construction still exists; if so, the rationale for this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40552/15]

Local Authority Housing Provision

Dessie Ellis

580. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the impediments to local authorities borrowing for social housing construction. [40553/15]

Public Transport Initiatives

Dessie Ellis

609. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the work completed to date in integrating various Government funded agencies such as the Health Service Executive, the Irish Wheelchair Association and others in relation to the provision of public transport, detailing resources provided and barriers to integration identified; and if the National Transport Authority has any target of integration or a timeframe for this. [40196/15]

Public Transport Initiatives

Dessie Ellis

610. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to further integrate charities and community groups struggling with transport needs into transport co-ordination units; and if they will be available to assist these organisations. [40197/15]

Public Transport Initiatives

Dessie Ellis

611. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the rationale for the National Transport Authority abandoning the community bottom-up ethos of the rural transport programme; the provision there is for the voluntary boards to make choices that fit local needs; if there is no such provision, if he will provide an explanation for this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40198/15]

Rural Transport Programme

Dessie Ellis

612. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if the value for money on the rural transport programme report which was completed in 2009 recommended that management of the programme be transferred to the National Transport Authority to achieve savings in the administration of the programme. [40199/15]

Public Transport Initiatives

Dessie Ellis

613. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to review the impact of the changes to the rural transport programme, such as the transfer of management to the National Transport Authority; and the details of any administrative savings that have been made, or any targeted savings. [40200/15]

Rural Transport Programme

Dessie Ellis

614. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport given that the value for money recommendations indicated that the rural transport programme might benefit from being under the aegis of the National Transport Authority's responsibility, his views that its ethos and fundamental structures require change, in that it was only recommended that economies and skills on the supply side be looked at; and his further view that the authority has gone too far. [40201/15]

Public Transport Initiatives

Dessie Ellis

615. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the status of work to improve and ensure that the objective of social inclusion remains a primary role of the transport co-ordination units, as it was under the rural transport programme. [40202/15]

Public Transport Initiatives

Dessie Ellis

616. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the work completed to ensure the high standard of training and health and safety standards remains in the rural transport programme. [40203/15]

Public Transport Initiatives

Dessie Ellis

617. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the rationale for the removal of the procurement function of the rural transport programme from the transport co-ordination units, and its centralisation; and how this will affect the ability of the units to address specific local needs. [40204/15]

Public Transport Initiatives

Dessie Ellis

618. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the position and plans of the National Transport Authority to subsume the rural transport programme and the transport co-ordination units into local authority structures; and the rationale for this plan. [40205/15]

National Car Test

Dessie Ellis

2. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to investigate the efficiency and effectiveness of the current national car test system and the operation of that system given the high failure rates, the long waiting lists for motorists to have their cars tested, and the regular need for retesting of cars over minor issues. [39558/15]