Parliamentary questions

Local Authorities Management

Joan Collins

153. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if it is part of the job description of a county manager and or acting county manger to ensure that council meetings take place in compliance with the Local Government Act 2001; if his Department maintains a record of senior council officials who subvert local government and local democracy and who refuse to comply with the Local Government Act; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50043/13]

International Agreements

Joan Collins

153. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will provide the family of a child with a copy of the letter he has sent to his counterpart in Egypt seeking a bilateral agreement to bring the child home; if other family names are on the letter, if he will delete same (details supplied); and if a member of his staff will be allocated to immediately inform the family of any updates with Egyptian authorities when he receives same. [49720/13]

International Agreements

Joan Collins

157. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if the Egyptian Government does not arrive at a bilateral agreement with the Irish State in the case of child abductions, if he will outline the way he will initiate a plan or proposal to pressurise countries which do not recognise the Hague Convention or bilateral arrangements to do so. [49739/13]

IBRC Liquidation

Joan Collins

168. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for Finance the number of individual offers that have been received by the liquidator of the Irish Bank Resolution Corporation from debtors through the process; and the number that have been rejected and or accepted. [49014/13]

Local Authority Finances

Joan Collins

418. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the fact that Sligo County Council is the only local authority in the State that has consistently, year after year, produced a deficit in its revenue account; if it is his intention to provide the council with a bailout when the new county manager takes office in 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48837/13]

Local Authority Finances

Joan Collins

419. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the fact that for the past number of years the majority of members of Sligo County Council have adopted annual budgets recommended by the Sligo county manager that have led to massive deficits in the council's revenue budget each year; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the accumulated debt of Sligo County Council is currently in excess of €80 million; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that because of its grave financial position, the council's bank has refused to increase its overdraft limit notwithstanding that such increase was approved by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48838/13]

Local Authorities Management

Joan Collins

420. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the outgoing Sligo county manager (details supplied) is a member of the finance and audit committee of the Local Government Management Agency; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that a function of that committee is to act as a source of independent advice on matters relating to financial management and control; if the Sligo county manager will continue to be a member of the finance and audit committee following his retirement from Sligo County Council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48839/13]

Local Authority Finances

Joan Collins

421. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the fact that Sligo County Council is the worst performing council in the country in terms of the management of its finances; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the council produces a deficit in its revenue account each year; that earlier this year, as in previous years when the council's bank overdraft limit had been reached, the elected council, on the recommendation of the county manager and his management team, converted the overdraft to a term loan; his views on whether the ongoing conversion of Sligo County Council overdrafts to term loans is sustainable; the action he will take to stop this practice; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48840/13]

Local Authorities Management

Joan Collins

422. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the majority of Sligo borough councillors boycotted the retirement function for the outgoing county manager on Friday, 1 November; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that an official from his Department who spoke at the function conveyed his thanks and those of the Department to the outgoing county manager in respect of what was described as the latter's effective role in delivering local government; if his Department official acted with his approval; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48841/13]

Local Authorities Management

Joan Collins

423. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the fact that a spokesperson for the trade union IMPACT, representing the majority of staff in the Sligo local authorities, said that recent statements by the outgoing Sligo county manger demonstrated just how out of touch he was with both local citizens and staff; if his Department will consider providing training courses for county and city managers and members of local authority management teams to ensure they recognise the importance of keeping in touch with council staff and local citizens; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48842/13]

Prescription Charges

Joan Collins

10. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for Health if he will reverse his proposals to increase prescription charges to €2.50 with a cap of €25. [48008/13]

Organ Donation

Joan Collins

19. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for Health if he will ensure that the minimum €3 million needed to develop the donor coordinators in our hospitals is allocated in the health estimates for 2014. [48007/13]

Excise Duties Collection

Joan Collins

65. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for Finance the position regarding fuel tax and excise duty allowances for persons with a disability in respect of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 12; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47666/13]

Local Authorities Management

Joan Collins

151. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the fact that legal advice presented to the current mayor of Sligo confirms that a meetings administrator designated by a county manager who fails in the obligation to issue notification to councillors for statutory meetings of the borough council is in clear breach of statutory duty; if it has been drawn to his attention that legal advice presented to the previous mayor of Sligo clearly stated that the county manager or his designated officials have a bounden duty to adhere to the mayor's directions in relation to the convening of meetings of the borough council and that the county manager is not entitled to subvert both the standing order of the council and the legislation in relation to the convening of borough council meetings; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the Sligo county manager failed to ensure that his designated meetings administrator issued notification to elected councillors for statutory meetings of Sligo Borough Council which were to take place in April, May, September, October and November 2013; if it has been drawn to his attention that the Sligo county manager did ensure that his designated meetings administrator issued notification to elected councillors for statutory meetings of the borough council in June and July 2013; if it has been drawn to his attention that the manager failed to ensure that his designated meetings administrator issued notification to councillors for borough council meetings requisitioned by the mayor of Sligo for 21 October and the 4 November 2013; if he will consider introducing legislation which will prevent a county manager and his or her designated meetings administrator from subverting local democracy and from subverting local government legislation enacted by the Oireachtas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47512/13]

Child Abduction

Joan Collins

31. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the action he has taken to return a person (details supplied) from Egypt to Ireland. [47292/13]

Garda Complaints Procedures

Joan Collins

86. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for Justice and Equality his plans in relation to the cases submitted to his office on 17 October 2013 by residents from across the State in relation to allegations of Garda malpractice. [45975/13]

Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission Issues

Joan Collins

88. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the steps he intends to take to improve the operation of GSOC as it requested. [45974/13]

Local Authorities Management

Joan Collins

681. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if it has been brought to his attention that where a cathaoirleach-mayor requisitions a special meeting of a local authority under Schedule 10 of the Local Government Act and the meetings administrator and city-county manager refuse to issue a notification for the meeting, then a valid meeting of the local authority cannot take place; if it has been brought to his attention that there is no mechanism in the Local Government Act 2001 whereby the cathaoirleach-mayor can compel the meetings administrator and city-county manager to issue a notification for a meeting so requisitioned; in the interests of local democracy and local self-government, if he will consider introducing legislation which will allow the cathaoirleach-mayor to directly issue notification for such a meeting to councillors in cases where the meetings administrator and city-county manager refuse to issue a notification; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46397/13]

Local and Community Development Programme Staffing

Joan Collins

3. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his views on whether, given that local development companies are almost exclusively funded by State money, his Department is acting as shadow employer in view of the changes alignment will bring about for workers; his views on whether there must be meaningful engagement between workers' representatives and his Department or via the employers body, the Irish Local Development Network, ILDN; and the way he proposes this engagement could be carried out. [45167/13]

Medical Card Applications

Joan Collins

492. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for Health the position regarding a medical card in respect of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 12. [44159/13]