Parliamentary questions

Foreign Policy

Richard Boyd Barrett

740. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will bring to the attention of the European Commission, which, through European Union Council Regulation EC No. 2368/2002, represents Ireland and all other European Union member states in the Kimberley process certification scheme, of the urgent need for reform of the definition of a conflict diamond, in order that diamonds which generate revenue for government forces guilty of war crimes or crimes against humanity, blood diamonds, are no longer allowed to contaminate the diamond market masquerading as conflict-free diamonds; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34227/15]

Arts Funding

Richard Boyd Barrett

791. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the average annual expenditure on the arts as a percentage of gross domestic product; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34484/15]

Private Rented Accommodation Price Controls

Richard Boyd Barrett

46. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection her views on the ever-increasing number of landlords who are refusing to accept rent allowance, and the extremely low level of the rent caps in view of rising rents; the reasons these issues are contributing significantly to the rising levels of homelessness; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33041/15]

Rent Supplement Scheme Eligibility

Richard Boyd Barrett

48. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will consider extending rent allowance support to those persons who are working full-time and who are on very low incomes in view of rapidly rising rents and the growing phenomenon of the working homeless and bearing in mind that the Government's policy is to move to the housing assistance payment scheme, which allows for recipients to work full-time; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33042/15]

Irish Water Funding

Richard Boyd Barrett

155. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will set out, in tabular form, the expected revenues from Irish Water in respect of domestic water charges for 2015, and for 2016; if he will provide details of the subventions to Irish Water from the Government for these years, indicating the sources of those subventions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33459/15]

Local Authority Funding

Richard Boyd Barrett

157. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the cost of restoring all cuts in central Exchequer funding to local authorities since 2009; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33460/15]

UK Referendum on EU Membership

Richard Boyd Barrett

17. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Taoiseach if he has discussed the issue of a referendum and the possible withdrawal of Britain from the European Union in his recent discussions with the British Prime Minister, Mr. David Cameron; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32854/15]

UK Referendum on EU Membership

Richard Boyd Barrett

18. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Taoiseach the Government's position on British demands for changes to the treaty of the European Union; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32855/15]

Budget Submissions

Richard Boyd Barrett

137. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Finance the meetings his Department has had with the Clearing House Group; if the group has submitted a budget submission to his Department; if so, if it will be made publicly available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31770/15]

Labour Activation Measures

Richard Boyd Barrett

219. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the number of persons on the labour activation schemes who are available; if she will provide, in tabular form, the numbers on each type of scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33388/15]

Social Welfare Benefits Data

Richard Boyd Barrett

220. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will provide, in tabular form, the cost of restoring the full rate of jobseeker's allowance for those under 26 years of age; of abolishing the discriminatory jobseeker's allowance rates for those under 26 years of age; of restoring the telephone allowance; of reversing the €50 cut to the back to school clothing and footwear allowance; of increasing the basic social welfare rates by €10 per week; of reversing the cuts to the one-parent family payment, of including a reduction of income disregard; of restoring the back to education allowance; and of reversing the cuts to child benefit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33389/15]

Water Conservation Grant

Richard Boyd Barrett

221. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost of paying out and administering the water conservation grant for 2016; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33390/15]

Universal Social Charge Yield

Richard Boyd Barrett

237. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Finance the cost to the Exchequer of abolishing the universal social charge for all income earners earning less than €70,000 per year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32959/15]

Universal Social Charge Yield

Richard Boyd Barrett

238. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Finance the cost to the Exchequer of abolishing the universal social charge for income earners earning less than €35,000 per year; of reducing the charge by 50% for income earners earning between €35,000 and €70,000 per year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32961/15]

Tax Exemptions

Richard Boyd Barrett

239. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Finance the annual cost of research and development tax allowances or credits, in terms of corporate tax foregone, for each year from 2010 to the latest available figures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32962/15]

Property Tax

Richard Boyd Barrett

296. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Finance the annual cost in terms of revenue foregone of abolishing the local property tax; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33391/15]

Tax Collection

Richard Boyd Barrett

297. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Finance if he or the Revenue Commissioners have any estimate of the tax gap between the revenue actually collected each year and what it may have collected if it had greater resources available to it to pursue tax owed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33393/15]

Medical Card Applications

Richard Boyd Barrett

399. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health to set out the circumstances in which a medical card can be backdated and cover medication costs for an applicant whose medical card has expired and has not been renewed. [32726/15]

Non-Principal Private Residence Charge Yield

Richard Boyd Barrett

565. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the annual revenue derived from the non-principal private residence tax in the last year of its operation before it was replaced by the local property tax; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33392/15]

Local Authority Housing Applications Data

Richard Boyd Barrett

571. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide, in tabular form for each of the past 24 months, the number of households on local authority housing lists; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32960/15]