Parliamentary questions

Cancer Screening Programmes

Seán Crowe

562. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Health in view of the growth of cancers in the general population, if he has proposals to extend BreastCheck or a similar programme to men who are susceptible to cancer. [42067/13]

Nursing Home Services

Seán Crowe

563. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Health the steps families may take and the supports available in relation to difficulties they are experiencing with the costs of keeping a loved one in a private nursing homes, who in some cases are being charged extraordinary weekly top ups and prices for basic supports like a pressure relieving mattress; if there is monitoring by the Health Service Executive or his Department of these type of extra charges; and if there are guidelines for families available in relation to excessive charges that sometime arise in the private nursing home sector. [42069/13]

Economic Growth Rate

Seán Crowe

40. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Finance the reason the growth prediction from his Department for 2013 has decreased each year in the stability programme update from 2011 to 2013. [41515/13]

World Bank Doing Business Report

Seán Crowe

69. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Finance if his attention has been drawn to the World Bank’s Doing Business Report; his views on the recently published findings of the independent panel of experts who reviewed the Doing Business Report; and the steps he and Irish Aid will take in view of the panel’s findings. [41297/13]

Homophobic Crime

Seán Crowe

2. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to recent anti-LGBT legislation passed in Russia; the accompanied increase in violent attacks on Russian LGBT citizens; if Ireland’s representative to the Council of Europe raised it at their meeting in Strasbourg on 22 to 24 September; and if he has raised this human rights issue with the Russian Government. [41296/13]

Northern Ireland Issues

Seán Crowe

5. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will provide details of the meeting he had with Dr. Richard Haass while he was in New York; the issues he raised with him; and the conclusions of the meeting. [41166/13]

Undocumented Irish in the USA

Seán Crowe

26. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will provide the details of any meetings he had with US politicians and Irish diaspora groups regarding US immigration reform during his recent visit to New York. [41168/13]

Overseas Development Aid Issues

Seán Crowe

55. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the Danish Government is publishing a strategic framework for Danish involvement in EU development policy in October; and if his Department has plans to produce a policy paper which explicitly states the reason and the way Ireland spends aid via the EU. [41148/13]

Light Rail Projects Status

Seán Crowe

98. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the progress to date of work on the new Luas line, including current money spent on project; the numbers employed at present; and projected time of completion. [40908/13]

Sports Facilities Provision

Seán Crowe

121. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the position regarding the ongoing work at the National Sports Campus in Abbotstown; the work that remains to be completed; and if he envisions the campus as a whole, in particular the indoor training centre, will be completed within the lifetime of this Government. [40899/13]

Services for People with Disabilities

Seán Crowe

45. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Health if funding for day services for young persons with severe disabilities who have completed school in 2013 will be fully restored; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40039/13]

Services for People with Disabilities

Seán Crowe

61. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Health if he will reverse the cuts that are affecting the services of over 2,000 persons with intellectual disabilities using the day and residential services of St. Michael’s House; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40040/13]

Legal Aid Applications

Seán Crowe

16. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if his attention has been drawn to the issues raised in relation to legal aid and the length of time that a woman in a domestic violence case has to wait to receive same; his plans to address this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39749/13]

Ministerial Meetings

Seán Crowe

25. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of meetings that he has had with the Justice Minister in the Northern Ireland Executive. [39762/13]

Child Care Reports

Seán Crowe

17. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if all inspection reports on child care facilities are now and will henceforth be published; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38766/13]

Seirbhísí Leathanbhanda

Seán Crowe

14. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Seán Crowe den Aire Ealaíon, Oidhreachta agus Gaeltachta an raibh aon phlé aige leis an Roinn Cumarsáide faoi aon phleananna atá aige chun forbairt a dheánamh ar an ngréasán idirlín leathanbhanda sa Ghaeltacht, agus go háirithe faoi forbairt leathanbhanda i nGaeltacht na Rinne i bPort Láirge i bhfianaise thábhacht an tionscail faisnéise agus tionscal na meán sa Ghaeltacht sin; an leagfaidh sé amach an dul chun cinn atá déanta ar fhorbairt an ghréasáin sin go dtí seo; an dóigh leis go bhfuil tionchar ag an easpa idirlín leathanbhanda ar chruthú post; agus an ndéanfaidh sé ráiteas ina thaobh. [38497/13]

Ulster Canal Restoration Project

Seán Crowe

40. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the position regarding the Ulster Canal restoration project; the remaining steps that must be taken to complete the project; if he will provide an indicative timeline for the completion of the project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38498/13]

Foreign Conflicts

Seán Crowe

66. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to a recent case in which it is reported that Israeli soldiers illegally detained a five year old child in Hebron; that the age of criminal responsibility for Israelis and Palestinians is 12 years old and it is forbidden by law to detain or arrest a child under the age of 12; and if he will raise the case with the Israeli authorities and ask for an explanation for what appears to be the routine procedure of detaining Palestinian children illegally. [36930/13]

Departmental Funding

Seán Crowe

69. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will provide in tabular form the organisations awarded funding from his Department under the annual civil society funding round for 2013; the amount requested by each organisation; the amount awarded to each organisation; his views on the quality of applications; his Department's appraisal process and the criteria used to award grants. [37006/13]

Nursing Home Services

Seán Crowe

1302. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to of the case of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 24 who has transferred from Tallaght hospital to a private nursing home without the knowledge or permission of their family and if he will investigate this case [37037/13]

Defence Forces Training

Seán Crowe

20. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Defence the steps he has taken to ensure members of the Defence Forces are reskilled. [35934/13]

Defence Forces Veterans

Seán Crowe

23. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Defence the supports the State has provided for the needs for ex-Defence Forces members in difficulties and to organisations such as the Organisation of National Ex–Servicemen and Women. [35935/13]

Overseas Development Aid Oversight

Seán Crowe

48. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will explain the way the Government's commitment to the International Aid Transparency Initiative processes on the work of his Department; if his Department has entered into any commitments under this process; what this process entails for his Department; and what, if any, timeframes are involved. [35642/13]

Open Government Partnership

Seán Crowe

107. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will explain the way the Government's commitment to the Open Government process on the work of his Department; if his Department has entered into any commitments under this process; what this process entails for his Department; and what, if any, timeframes are involved. [35642/13]

Water Charges Administration

Seán Crowe

58. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will confirm that he will raise the option of the installation of block meters with a more cost effective option for domestic water meters; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33801/13]

Capital Assistance Scheme Funding

Seán Crowe

92. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide a breakdown of the way the new funds announced for disability housing will be used; and the criteria that will have to be met in order to access this funding. [33773/13]

Departmental Websites

Seán Crowe

167. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will list all the Twitter accounts for which officials in his Department have had and currently have responsibility for monitoring and updating. [35408/13]

Human Rights Issues

Seán Crowe

174. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to the huge peaceful protests organised by agrarian unions in north-eastern Colombia; that they are protesting against the appalling security situation and the socio-economic conditions that prevail there; that the Colombian Government's response has been brutal, scores of peasant farmers have been seriously wounded by the authorities, and four persons are reported dead; and if he will raise the issue with the Colombian authorities. [35500/13]

Employment Rights Issues

Seán Crowe

11. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation in view of the recent concerns regarding crèches and child care, if he will consider developing regulations on the recruitment, placement and employment of au pairs. [33495/13]

Registered Employment Agreements

Seán Crowe

13. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the timescale by which he will legislate for registered employment agreements. [33494/13]

Paternity Leave

Seán Crowe

62. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Social Protection if she examined the possibility of introducing paid paternity leave; if she has discussed with the Department of Justice and Equality the possibility of introducing paid paternity leave. [33248/13]

Rent Supplement Scheme Expenditure

Seán Crowe

112. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will guarantee that there will be no cuts to rent supplement or increases to rental contribution required of tenants in the next budget; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33249/13]

EU Trade with Israel

Seán Crowe

129. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he is in favour of introducing formal governmental advice to discourage Irish businesses from purchasing goods from Israeli settlements and from having any other commercial or investment links with those settlements. [33019/13]

Human Rights Issues

Seán Crowe

136. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to a news report from the Bahrain News Agency published on 1 July 2013, which stated that a delegation from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade met members of the Bahraini Government on the sidelines of the 23rd Gulf Cooperation Council-EU joint meeting and that the Irish delegation commended the Bahraini Government’s efforts to promote human rights; and if this report is accurate. [33375/13]

Missing Persons Hotline

Seán Crowe

29. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will provide a detailed update on the roll-out of the 116000 missing children hotline; the publicity strategy in place to publicise this facility; if she will give a commitment to future funding; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32591/13]

Student Support Schemes Issues

Seán Crowe

34. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will intervene to stop third level institutions employing debt collectors to pursue student debt, in view of the serious difficulties that arose from the processing of grants through Student Universal Support Ireland in the 2012-13 academic year. [32215/13]

Special Education Review

Seán Crowe

59. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide the details of the terms of reference that will apply to the working group that is being established to review the allocation of special educational resources. [32222/13]

Mortgage Interest Rates Issues

Seán Crowe

86. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Finance if he will consider legislating to force lenders in covered institutions which have been rescued by the taxpayer to seek permission from the Financial Regulator when varying their mortgage interest rates. [31875/13]

Tourism Promotion

Seán Crowe

8. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the amount allocated by his Department for the proposed roll-out of a major consumer marketing campaign to promote Ireland and The Gathering 2013 in key markets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30954/13]

Tourism Promotion

Seán Crowe

44. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to support Loop Head tourism in view of the fact that the Loop Head Peninsula, County Clare, was recently voted the overall winner in The Irish Times best place to holiday in Ireland competition; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30945/13]

Prisoner Welfare

Seán Crowe

2. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the conditions under which a person (details supplied) is currently being held in Belmarsh Prison; and if he will raise directly with the British Government the concern that this arrest and imprisonment is a breach of the commitments made at Weston Park, and assurances given by the PSNI and British Police Services. [31019/13]

Northern Ireland Marching Season

Seán Crowe

5. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he has informed himself of the topics discussed during cross community talks which where hosted by the PSNI in Cardiff, to discuss contentious parade disputes before the marching season, and relations between communities and the PSNI; and if he supports this initiative. [30776/13]

Undocumented Irish in the USA

Seán Crowe

61. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he is tracking the progress of the immigration reform Bill in the USA; and if he is content with its progress to date. [30779/13]

Health Services Staff Numbers

Seán Crowe

77. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Health the number of the 414 community mental health services posts committed to in the HSE's national service plan for 2012 that have been filled; the number of these positions that have been filled by existing HSE staff members; the action being taken regarding the back-filling of the positions these staff members have vacated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30408/13]

Dental Services Provision

Seán Crowe

140. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the affect the recruitment embargo is having on the provision of public dental services for children in the Kildare West Wicklow area; the measures he is taking to address this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30407/13]

Overseas Development Aid Issues

Seán Crowe

158. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will provide the figures for Irish Aid’s 2012 spending on programmes focused on agriculture, nutrition, school feeding, food assistance, emergency food distribution, social protection, health care, health education and water-sanitation, individually and in euro terms, and expressed as percentage of total ODA. [30219/13]

School Completion Programme

Seán Crowe

198. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the position regarding the national review of the school completion programme; the reason this has been delayed for two years; if she will clarify the focus and approach the review will take; and if she will outline the timeline for the review to commence and be completed. [29595/13]

School Completion Programme

Seán Crowe

199. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if the school completion programme review report will be made public; the processes that will be established in order to drive the recommendations; and the way progress will be monitored. [29596/13]

Overseas Missions

Seán Crowe

21. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Defence if a decision has been made regarding the request from the UN to deploy observers to the UN Truce Supervision Organisation in the Middle East to the headquarters of the UNDOF in Syria. [29109/13]

Defence Forces Medicinal Products

Seán Crowe

30. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Defence his plans to cease the prescribing of lariam to Irish troops deployed in malarial zones. [29110/13]