Parliamentary questions

Public Sector Staff Redeployment

Michael Fitzmaurice

94. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if, when a person transfers from one Department to another due to no fault of their own within the Civil Service, the person is entitled to bring his or her pay entitlement and emoluments with him or her; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24422/19]

GLAS Payments

Michael Fitzmaurice

207. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason a number of GLAS payments (details supplied) are being held up, with his Department officials citing problems with information technology systems as the reason behind the delays; if the system is adequate; when the payments will be issued; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24459/19]

School Staff Appeals Mechanism

Michael Fitzmaurice

247. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of times in the past five years national schools, that were in danger of losing a teacher due to a drop in pupil numbers, won an appeal to the primary staffing appeals board and maintained their number of teachers for the following academic year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23535/19]

Public Procurement Contracts

Michael Fitzmaurice

401. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 306 of 5 March 2019, the number of deliveries of one carton of disposable incontinence products the contractor was paid for by the HSE; the number of deliveries of one carton of disposable incontinence products the contractor invoiced the HSE for; the rationale for the rates of these deliveries (details supplied), especially when they exceed the value of goods being delivered and the fact that the average rate for such a delivery in the marketplace is between €5 and €6. [23204/19]

Recycling Policy

Michael Fitzmaurice

762. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his plans to repeat the tyre recycling scheme in 2019 or in early 2020; if so, the amount he envisages would be allocated to the scheme; if centres will be operated in each county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23558/19]

State Examinations Commission

Michael Fitzmaurice

82. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Education and Skills when teachers who corrected cookery examinations for home economics as part of the junior certificate cycle in March 2019 will be paid by the State Examinations Commission; if there is a delay; if so, the reason therefor; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22330/19]

Childcare Services Funding

Michael Fitzmaurice

402. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if a community childcare centre (details supplied) will be granted Pobal funding to erect an extension to accommodate the growing number of parents who are eager for their children to avail of the services on offer; when Pobal funding announcements will take place; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22491/19]

School Staff

Michael Fitzmaurice

259. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Education and Skills if discretion can be given to a national school in circumstances in which pupil numbers drop below the required amount for a three teacher school for a 12 month period in order to boost the numbers back to the required figure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21679/19]

Public Sector Staff Retirements

Michael Fitzmaurice

263. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason €153 per fortnight is being withheld from a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21823/19]

Public Sector Staff Retirements

Michael Fitzmaurice

264. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Education and Skills when a decision will issue to a person (details supplied) who has applied for retirement due to ill health; the reason this decision is being delayed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21824/19]

Veterinary Inspection Service Expenditure

Michael Fitzmaurice

383. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the amount spent on the veterinary public health inspection service on an annual basis; the way in which this changed in the past three years; if the service received a boost in funding for 2019; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20424/19]

Civil Defence

Michael Fitzmaurice

68. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if a solution will be found to allow the Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council, PHECC, to approve a licence for Civil Defence volunteers to continue providing the same level of medical care that they currently provide beyond 31 July 2019; if the Civil Defence is not approved by the PHECC, the measures he plans to take; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19635/19]

Teacher Data

Michael Fitzmaurice

310. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of teachers nationally in 2017, 2018 and to date in 2019 who were successful in obtaining deployment in their location of choice; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19019/19]

School Curriculum

Michael Fitzmaurice

359. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Education and Skills the way in which students will be assessed under the new syllabus for agricultural science in secondary schools beginning from September 2019; the way in which the practical elements of the current syllabus change under the new system will be assessed; if the practical elements will be maintained to the same level as the current system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19600/19]

Civil Defence

Michael Fitzmaurice

949. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the confusion over the licensing of Civil Defence volunteers by the Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council to practice as emergency medical technicians or above; if the level of medical care that Civil Defence volunteers are able to provide at the moment is downgraded, if the ambulance service will be able to deal with the increased workload; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19636/19]

Animal Identification Schemes

Michael Fitzmaurice

1164. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason it will be compulsory for farmers to tag all sheep and lambs with electronic tags from 1 June 2019 onwards but it will not be mandatory for factories and marts to have the technology required to read the tags; the reason farmers are being forced to pay additional costs while still having to complete the same amount of paperwork as before; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19067/19]

Animal Disease Controls

Michael Fitzmaurice

1165. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the furthest possible distance that a clinically suspect BSE cow can be transported on the island of Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19068/19]

Animal Disease Controls

Michael Fitzmaurice

1166. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the furthest possible distance that a cow that has tested positive for BSE can be transported on the island of Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19069/19]

National Cattle Herd Data

Michael Fitzmaurice

1183. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of herd numbers registered here; the number of herd numbers registered solely to female, male, female-only partnerships, male-only partnerships and mixed partnerships in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19383/19]

Water and Sewerage Schemes Grants

Michael Fitzmaurice

1594. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government when changes to grant schemes for private wells and septic tanks under the multi-annual rural water programme will come into effect; when local authorities will be provided with revised guidelines and application forms in view of the fact that it was planned that changes would come into effect at the end of April 2019; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20052/19]

Public Procurement Contracts

Michael Fitzmaurice

161. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Health if the HSE acted unlawfully in extending a contract (details supplied) by invoking Article 72(1)(c) of Directive 2014/EU/24; the action he will take if the HSE acted unlawfully; if the HSE acted unlawfully, if the person responsible will be held accountable; the person or body responsible for independently monitoring the HSE in respect of these types of breaches; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18101/19]

Health Services Funding

Michael Fitzmaurice

193. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Health the status of the funding crisis facing a society (details supplied); if funding can be secured to ensure it continues to operate as normal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18067/19]

Health Services

Michael Fitzmaurice

319. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Health the reason a replacement for a contract (details supplied) is reportedly being prepared by the HSE in view of the fact that the current contract only commenced in February 2018 for a three-year-plus contract period; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17420/19]

Health Services

Michael Fitzmaurice

320. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Health if he will permit the same HSE procurement staff and system to supervise the replacement tender for a contract (details supplied) without an independent review and audit taking place to ensure a repeat of the mistaken evaluation process does not occur; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17421/19]

Health Services

Michael Fitzmaurice

321. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Health if the current holder of a contract (details supplied) is to be compensated with public funding in order not to participate in the replacement contract due to legal contractual difficulties; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17422/19]

Health Services

Michael Fitzmaurice

322. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Health when the payment issues between the HSE and contractors (details supplied) will be resolved; when the 24 additional HSE staff deployed to assist private contractors to deliver a public contract will be released from the work; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17423/19]

Health Services Provision

Michael Fitzmaurice

343. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Health the status of a unit (details supplied); the status of recent clinical assessments carried out on patients; if his Department or the HSE has made contact with one or more of the unit's patients or family members in an effort to move them to a different location; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17524/19]

Wind Energy Guidelines

Michael Fitzmaurice

212. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if there will be an increase to the mandatory minimum 500 metre setback distance for the construction of turbines near homes in the near future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17057/19]

National Broadband Plan

Michael Fitzmaurice

287. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his plans to revalidate the business case for the national broadband plan to ensure that it will deliver good value for money in view of the fact that the evaluation of the State intervention area is out of date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15825/19]

Broadband Service Provision

Michael Fitzmaurice

288. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he has clarified with a company (details supplied) the number of properties now connected to fibre rather than passed in view of the removal of 300,000 properties from the national broadband plan as part of the fibre roll-out plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15826/19]

National Broadband Plan

Michael Fitzmaurice

289. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if his Department has engaged with providers (details supplied) and discussed these technologies and their advancements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15827/19]

Broadband Service Provision

Michael Fitzmaurice

290. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if his Department has engaged with hotels and large businesses in rural areas that have chosen to keep their business with their local provider rather than switching to fibre even though it may run past their front doors; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15828/19]

National Broadband Plan

Michael Fitzmaurice

291. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the rationale regarding the approval of the move from a company (details supplied) to an organisation; if the organisation can be invited to the Oireachtas Committee of Public Accounts; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15829/19]

Disability Allowance Applications

Michael Fitzmaurice

219. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if a decision will be made on a disability application for assistance in view of the medical condition of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15548/19]

Hospitals Funding

Michael Fitzmaurice

344. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 296 of 12 March 2019 and the response, the reason the question was referred to the hospital; the reason the response did not issue from him as requested (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15313/19]

Beef Exports

Michael Fitzmaurice

382. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of processors or exporters that have permission to export Irish beef to China; the number of applications to export beef to China under review; the main reasons for those applications being held up; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15057/19]

Public Transport Subsidies

Michael Fitzmaurice

460. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if a company (details supplied) is in receipt of and entitled to receive State subsidies or subsidies from the European Union; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15374/19]

SOLAS Training and Education Programmes

Michael Fitzmaurice

341. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 204 of 26 February 2019, the reason SOLAS continues to place additional conditions above and beyond the regulations when a person wishes to renew his or her safe pass card; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13345/19]

Vaccination Programme

Michael Fitzmaurice

736. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Health his plans to offer a free vaccine against the meningococcal B virus for children born prior to 1 October 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13315/19]

Health Services Provision

Michael Fitzmaurice

745. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Health the reason family members of residents in the Rosalie unit in County Roscommon were given such short notice that independent clinical assessments were to be carried out recently; the person or body that appointed a person (details supplied) to carry out these assessments; the protocols followed to ensure the person's independence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13347/19]

HSE Expenditure

Michael Fitzmaurice

883. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Health the quality assurance procedures the HSE has in place to transparently acknowledge to contractors the date on which it receives a particular invoice; if these procedures are independently audited on a regular basis (details supplied); and his views in relation to same [13841/19]

HSE Data

Michael Fitzmaurice

884. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Health if there is a contractual agreement between the distribution contractor and the product contractor under a contract (details supplied); if so, when such an agreement was signed; if the HSE oversaw this agreement; and if not, his views on whether this was a failure on behalf of the HSE. [13842/19]

HSE Expenditure

Michael Fitzmaurice

885. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Health if he will address matters in respect of HSE contracts (details supplied). [13843/19]

Departmental Contracts

Michael Fitzmaurice

886. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 302 and 303 of 5 March 2019, if the contractor awarded the contract is an established supplier and payee with the HSE (details supplied); and the date that such a status was first established. [13844/19]

Departmental Contracts

Michael Fitzmaurice

887. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 302 and 303 of 5 March 2019, the amount of public funding paid directly from the HSE to a contract holder (details supplied) in each of the years 2011 to 2018 and to date in 2019, for contracts and other additional contracts. [13845/19]

National Planning Framework

Michael Fitzmaurice

1350. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the way in which he plans to meet settlement strategy objectives in unserviced rural towns and villages that are identified as settlement centres in County Galway and other county development plans; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12860/19]

National Planning Framework

Michael Fitzmaurice

1351. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the policy on shared communal private wastewater treatment systems for residential developments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12861/19]

Water and Sewerage Schemes Funding

Michael Fitzmaurice

1400. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government his views on community sewerage schemes; the reason rural towns that want to establish a community sewerage scheme have been told by councils and his Department that funding will only be made available to extend existing Irish Water sewerage schemes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13346/19]

Civil Service Staff Data

Michael Fitzmaurice

138. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason early retirement on ill health grounds is being refused for a person (details supplied); the medical grounds on which retirement is being refused; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12548/19]

Civil Service Staff Data

Michael Fitzmaurice

139. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Education and Skills the process used for persons to be deemed suitably qualified to assess the ill health of a person while the person is out of work (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12549/19]