Parliamentary questions

Unfinished Housing Developments

Michael Lowry

195. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide one-off funding to Tipperary County Council to repair street lighting in housing estates which the council has not currently taken in charge; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39889/15]

Disabled Drivers and Passengers Scheme

Michael Lowry

188. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Finance if a remission or repayment of vehicle registration tax and value added tax paid may be claimed in respect of the purchase and adaptation of vehicles for use by an organisation for the transport of severely and permanently disabled persons (details supplied) under the Disabled Drivers and Disabled Passengers (Tax Concessions) Regulations 1994; if he will examine this case, given that many of the persons transported by this organisation are immobile and confined to wheelchairs; the steps an organisation should take if future problems are encountered with the Revenue Commissioners; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39396/15]

Garda Station Refurbishment

Michael Lowry

559. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if she will provide funding to facilitate renovation works required to a residential house which is attached to the Garda Síochána station on Carrick Street in Mullinahone in County Tipperary; if this funding will be included as part of the new stations and refurbishments investment programme of more than €60 million between 2016 and 2021, which was jointly announced by her Department and the Office of Public Works; if she will give serious consideration to having these works completed in order that the residence can be allocated to serving members of An Garda Síochána; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37629/15]

Housing Estates

Michael Lowry

1068. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he is aware of the large number of housing estates in County Tipperary which are not taken in charge by Tipperary County Council; that the majority of these housing estates have street lighting which is not functioning; of the large number of break-ins and criminal gang activity in County Tipperary recently; his views that adequate lighting in rural and urban housing estates is an essential factor in deterring these criminal activities; his plans to allocate once-off funding to Tipperary County Council to repair the street lights in these housing estates, and all other broken lighting in urban and rural areas in County Tipperary; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37819/15]

Local Authority Funding

Michael Lowry

1071. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government how much of the €57 million in funding which was allocated in March 2015 to Tipperary County Council has been used to reduce the housing waiting list in 2015; if the council is still on target to reduce the housing list by over 40% by 2017; the number of vacant social housing units in County Tipperary that have been refurbished this year, as a result of the allocated funding, in tabular form; the status of the proposed building projects in Gortnahoe, Cloughjordan, Templemore and Thurles in County Tipperary; details of the proposed 832 housing units in County Tipperary that have been bought or leased for the provision of social housing since the funding was announced on 31 March 2015, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37885/15]

Water Services Provision

Michael Lowry

1107. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he is aware of a large number of houses in County Tipperary with possible lead piping and the potential cost of removing lead piping from these homes; the number of homes in County Tipperary which Irish Water suspects to have lead piping or has confirmed contain lead piping, in tabular form; when the grant for homeowners affected with lead piping will be launched; the proposed income thresholds for such a grant; the proposed monetary amounts which will be made available to applicants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38274/15]

Garda Data

Michael Lowry

48. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Justice and Equality to set out the number of members of An Garda Síochána who have retired or transferred from the Tipperary division, by grade, for each of the past six years, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35900/15]

Bord na Móna

Michael Lowry

453. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he is aware of the serious lack of discussion and complete breakdown in communication between the board of directors of Bord na Móna and the company's staff and union representatives; that staff were not consulted before the recent announcement that Bord na Móna will end peat harvesting by 2030; if he has made specific inquiries or representations to the board of directors of Bord na Móna, as to the reason a full and clear consultation process did not take place before this announcement; if he will confirm this decision will not result in job losses within the Bord na Móna group of companies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35757/15]

Social and Affordable Housing Eligibility

Michael Lowry

702. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he is aware of the case in which a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary does not qualify for rehousing based on regulations laid down to Tipperary County Council by his Department; if he will investigate this case and give consideration to this person, given that this person has three dependent children who hold European citizenship; if the person will be issued with stamp 5 status; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34746/15]

School Staff

Michael Lowry

227. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she is aware of the situation in a school (details supplied) in County Tipperary; if she will sanction approval for the school to retain current teacher numbers as a matter of urgency; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33788/15]

Services for People with Disabilities

Michael Lowry

129. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Health the position regarding a replacement scheme for the motorised transport grant and the mobility allowance which were abolished by the Government in February 2013, to the detriment of many thousands of recipients; if he will provide a concrete timeframe for the introduction of a replacement scheme; for policy proposals which the Government is developing for some time; the reason for the prolonged delay in creating a replacement scheme; his plans to include such a replacement scheme in the next budget; if he is aware of the distress being caused to those persons with a physical disability who, almost three years later, are still waiting for a replacement scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33491/15]

Hospital Appointments Status

Michael Lowry

136. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on the case of a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary; when this person can expect an appointment for a magnetic resonance imaging, MRI, scan at University Hospital Limerick; if he is aware this facility is working to full capacity, which has contributed to longer waiting times; if a strategic and workable plan has been put in place to resolve this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33561/15]

Data Protection

Michael Lowry

395. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will provide a guarantee that all sensitive personal waste data is destroyed as per European Standard EN 15713:2009 and Irish data protection legislation; if he will confirm that all vendors and contractors who are used to destroy sensitive personal data adhere to Shred Grade No.5 of the EN 15713:2009 Standard achieved on-site at the client's location which was a condition of a recent tender by the Department of Social Protection (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30646/15]

Data Protection

Michael Lowry

396. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if all waste management service providers who were appointed to the framework for confidential shredding through the request for tenders to establish a multi-supplier framework for the provision of Waste Management Service Tender Document 16/01/2014 met all requirements outlined in the tender document; if he will confirm that all vendors who operate under Lot 6 of the tender process comply with section 1.8 Quality of the Confidential Material Shredding Proposal (details supplied); if he will confirm that all vendors and contractors comply fully with the Data Protection Acts 1988 and 2003 which insure codes of conduct issued by the Data Protection Commissioner are legally adhered to, inclusive of only registered data processors being legally allowed to process personal data for registered data controllers; if he will confirm that the three appointed framework members for confidential shredding have on-site capability to destroy sensitive data to shred No. 6 of EN 15713 which has Irish precedent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30647/15]

Data Protection

Michael Lowry

397. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if all contractors and vendors who supply sensitive waste data disposal to Government Departments and offices are registered with Data Protection Commissioner Office; if these contractors and vendors can provide a certificate of registration of quality systems to I.S EN ISO 9001:2008 and provide evidence they can provide the provision of high quality security shredding on-site and off-site incorporating the shred size requirements of I.S EN 1573:2009 to suit the Department of Social Protection specific customer requirements of Shred No. 5 of I.S. EN 15713:2009 800 mm2 sized particles (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30648/15]

Social Welfare Application Forms

Michael Lowry

49. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the reasoning behind issuing revised application forms from her Department (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26464/15]

Social Welfare Application Forms

Michael Lowry

50. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will support the Irish Postmasters Union in having her Department's revised forms withdrawn and replaced with the previous issues of forms on which the post office is the first option listed and no recommendation is made in respect of a financial institution; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26465/15]

Medical Aids and Appliances Provision

Michael Lowry

637. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Health if he will address the immediate need for resources to be sanctioned by his Department for an automated external defibrillator in respect of a school (details supplied) in County Tipperary. [21876/15]

Mortgage Resolution Processes

Michael Lowry

51. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Finance if he will provide, in tabular form, by county, figures showing the exact numbers of persons who are currently experiencing the problem of mortgage arrears and family home repossession. [17915/15]

Mortgage Resolution Processes

Michael Lowry

52. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Finance if he will provide figures, in tabular form, by county, for those who have availed of Government-led interventions designed to address the mortgage crisis, including the Central Bank of Ireland targets for the banks through the mortgage arrears resolution targets, the mortgage-to-rent scheme and the recasting of personal insolvency legislation, for the period January to December 2014. [17916/15]