Parliamentary questions

Jobseeker's Allowance Appeals

Martin Kenny

280. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Social Protection if an appeal for a jobseeker's allowance will be prioritised for a person (detail supplied); and if a decision will issue before Christmas 2016. [39445/16]

Basic Payment Scheme Administration

Martin Kenny

2. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans for the restoration of the national reserve for entitlements under the basic payments scheme for farmers, with particular reference to new entrants to farming, returning emigrants, farmers under 40 years of age who were not farming in reference years and old young farmers. [37869/16]

Agriculture Scheme Eligibility

Martin Kenny

13. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans for the inclusion of young farmers that are new entrants to farming in the animal welfare sheep scheme as the payments are based on average ewe numbers possessed in 2014 and 2015; and when, in the case of an entrant to farming in 2016, they will be included in such a scheme. [37722/16]

Agriculture Scheme Payments

Martin Kenny

15. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on whether, with the advent of digital mapping, that to penalise farmers for overclaims, which were not deemed to be overclaims in the past, by freezing their whole payment and not just the portion in question, is harsh at a time when many farmers are facing a cash crisis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37694/16]

Commonage Framework Plans

Martin Kenny

17. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason, under the GLAS scheme, common framework plan, farmers within GLAS are now expected to inform on their non-GLAS commonage neighbours with regard to stocking density or be penalised. [37695/16]

Dairy Sector

Martin Kenny

20. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to deal with the forthcoming increase in stock in the dairy sector and its inevitable impact on the beef market. [37696/16]

Live Exports

Martin Kenny

36. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to remove trade barriers to the live trade to Northern Ireland and Britain in the context of Brexit. [37697/16]

Basic Payment Scheme Administration

Martin Kenny

499. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number and value of basic payment scheme entitlements transferred in 2016 in a number of categories (details supplied), by county, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35902/16]

Bus Services

Martin Kenny

547. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to upgrade the bus service between Rosses Point and Strandhill, County Sligo and the Sligo town service which is in need of an extension of its timetable and greater frequency of service for growing population of Sligo; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36243/16]

Commonage Land Use

Martin Kenny

633. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when the Commonage Implementation Committee last met. [34494/16]

Appointments to State Boards

Martin Kenny

634. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a new chairperson will be appointed to the Commonage Implementation Committee. [34495/16]

Health Services Staff

Martin Kenny

303. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Health if the vacancies in the south Leitrim early intervention team have been filled; and if not, when he expects to have the south Leitrim early intervention team fully staffed. [33320/16]

Health Services Staff

Martin Kenny

304. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Health if cover was provided earlier in 2016 while a person (details supplied) was on maternity leave. [33321/16]

Speech and Language Therapy

Martin Kenny

305. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Health if he will consider approving the recruitment of an additional speech therapist to the Ballyshannon health centre (details supplied). [33322/16]

Garda Operations

Martin Kenny

57. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of fishing vessels that were raided by various Departments and agencies and the port in which they were berthed on 5 October 2016 and for an unknown number of days thereafter. [32570/16]

Garda Operations

Martin Kenny

58. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of undocumented fishermen that were identified on fishing vessels which were raided by various Departments and agencies on 5 October 2016 and for an unknown number of days thereafter. [32571/16]

Garda Operations

Martin Kenny

59. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the planned follow-up actions she will take with regard to the employers concerned and the undocumented fishermen identified during raids on 5 October 2016 and for an unknown number of days thereafter. [32572/16]

Garda Operations

Martin Kenny

60. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the reason that when fishing vessels were raided on 5 October 2016 by various Departments and agencies it was necessary to involve armed gardaí and dogs in the searches. [32573/16]

Garda Operations

Martin Kenny

61. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the reason it was necessary to seal off the harbours at Castletownbere and Howth during raids on fishing vessels on 5 October 2016, and for an unknown number of days thereafter, by various Departments and agencies. [32574/16]

Agriculture Schemes

Martin Kenny

379. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will consider making a grant available to persons on marginal land for a drainage scheme to improve grass production and management which would help prevent a fodder crisis in the future. [32582/16]

Horse Racing Ireland

Martin Kenny

2. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if, considering the statements of the chairman of Horse Racing Ireland to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine, admitting that proper procedure was not followed in the appointment of its CEO and calling into question the legality of that appointment and considering his approval of that appointment in those circumstances and the statement by the HRI chairman that he would make the same appointment in the same manner if given the opportunity, he plans to reconsider Government funding of €64 million to this semi-state body. [32348/16]

Harness Racing Industry

Martin Kenny

11. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to provide funding to the Irish Harness Racing Association following its provision of a training course to encourage participants in the sport to come off-road and use safer regulated facilities. [32186/16]

Agriculture Scheme Payments

Martin Kenny

12. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the measures he will take to include the group of farmers known as "old young farmers" who are excluded from entitlements due to their having been farming before 2009 but who are still under 40 years of age. [32185/16]

Afforestation Programme

Martin Kenny

26. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the rationale behind allowing the same level of grant aid and tax relief on forestry-related activity to non-farmers and farmers; if his attention has been drawn to the effect this is having on land prices; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32183/16]

Fodder Crisis

Martin Kenny

37. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the provisions that will be made, especially for farmers in the north west, in view of the pending fodder crisis in the area. [32187/16]

Renewable Energy Incentives

Martin Kenny

49. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he has considered grant-aiding agrifood enterprises, such as chicken farms and mushroom growers, to support them in switching to biomass sources of energy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32184/16]

Social Welfare Benefits Applications

Martin Kenny

295. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Social Protection the rationale behind the demand for the long version of birth certificates from persons who are already in the system but who are making a new claim, despite possession of other documents such as passports, driving licences and short version of birth certificates, in the context that applicants do not necessarily want to reveal all the details included in the long version of the birth certificate, for example, the fact that they were adopted. [31469/16]

Údarás na Gaeltachta

Martin Kenny

29. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if she is aware that the two former executives of Údarás na Gaeltachta who handled the sale of Arramara Teoranta to a company (details supplied) were then employed by the company; if the sale was completed by ministerial order; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21284/16]

Vaccination Programme

Martin Kenny

467. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Health if he is satisfied that the Gardasil vaccine is totally safe; and the reason the information from Gardasil is not included as part of the information to parents before vaccination (details supplied). [29772/16]

Vaccination Programme

Martin Kenny

469. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Health his views on the fact that up until 2012, reporting of suspected vaccine reactions including Gardasil vaccine here depended on the voluntary submission of a report from a doctor, consultant or medical professional (details supplied); and his views on whether the incidence of adverse reactions is under-reported in view of the fact that most doctors will not acknowledge any connection between a vaccine including the Gardasil vaccine and a subsequent serious medical condition that manifests in the weeks or months afterwards. [29774/16]

Tax Reliefs Data

Martin Kenny

137. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Finance the number of persons and companies and associated amount of income and gains, in increments of €5,000, in receipt of tax relief related to woodlands here, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28273/16]

Forestry Grants

Martin Kenny

507. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of persons or companies, and the associated amount of income or gains in increments of €5,000, in receipt of grant aid related to the ownership of woodlands and all woodland activity from 2009 and 2015 in tabular form and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28274/16]

Water Quality

Martin Kenny

355. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the reason he continues to allow the sewage treatment plant to dump excess waste into the Grange river which flows into Streedagh beach; and his plans to cease this practice (details supplied). [27202/16]

Vaccination Programme

Martin Kenny

658. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Health if a vaccine (details supplied) has been withdrawn from use; and, if so, the date on which it was withdrawn from use. [26923/16]

Basic Payment Scheme Appeals

Martin Kenny

830. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of an appeal by persons (details supplied). [27191/16]

Mobile Telephony Services

Martin Kenny

861. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the reason areas of Cloone, Aughavas, Carrigallen and Drumrielly in south Leitrim remain without mobile phone coverage from companies (details supplied); and his plans to improve the coverage in these areas. [27204/16]

Semi-State Bodies

Martin Kenny

902. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform when the guidelines on contracts for CEOs in commercial semi-State bodies were last updated; and the number of times they have been breached since its introduction. [25170/16]

Semi-State Bodies

Martin Kenny

903. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the maximum length of service for CEOs in commercial semi-State bodies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25172/16]

Semi-State Bodies

Martin Kenny

904. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the maximum salary for a CEO of a commercial semi-State body. [25175/16]

Home Help Service Provision

Martin Kenny

1044. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Health when budgetary provision will be made available to meet the demand for home help hours (details supplied). [24495/16]

Medical Card Reviews

Martin Kenny

1126. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Health the reason elderly persons on pensions who have been in receipt of a medical card for over ten years are having their medical cards renewed for only six months. [24867/16]

Vaccination Programme

Martin Kenny

1241. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to a situation where some persons claim that a vaccine (details supplied) has had an adverse affect on their health; if he received correspondence on this issue; if he or officials from his Department met with any of the persons affected; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25389/16]

Health Services Staff Recruitment

Martin Kenny

1335. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Health the reason there are different terms set out for accepting or declining an expression of interest in positions in the HSE advertised by the National Recruitment Service; and the reason a decision to accept or decline a position will have different consequences as to whether a person remains on a panel or not, depending on which panel the positions are for as can be seen from a notification (details supplied). [25760/16]

Horse Racing Ireland Staff

Martin Kenny

1484. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the CEO of Horse Racing Ireland is employed on a contract of Indefinite duration; and if so, the financial implications of this for the Exchequer. [25167/16]

Horse Racing Ireland Staff

Martin Kenny

1485. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will confirm that the business case presented to his Department by the chairman of Horse Racing Ireland in support of the reappointment of the CEO was approved by the board of HRI prior to his sanctioning a five-year extension of the CEO’s contract; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25169/16]

Horse Racing Ireland Funding

Martin Kenny

1486. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the State funding that has been provided to Horse Racing Ireland each year for the past five years. [25173/16]

Horse Racing Ireland Staff

Martin Kenny

1487. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the current remuneration of the CEO of Horse Racing Ireland; the remuneration package that has been attributed to this position each year for the past 15 years; and if the CEO of Horse Racing Ireland has received any bonus, financial or material in each of the years 2010 to 2016 to date. [25174/16]

Horse Racing Ireland

Martin Kenny

1536. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the current length of service of the CEO of Horse Racing Ireland; if there is regulation concerning the maximum length of service of a CEO in a commercial semi-State body; the number of occasions during the past 15 years the position of CEO of Horse Racing Ireland has been advertised; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25164/16]

Horse Racing Ireland

Martin Kenny

1537. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the roles and responsibilities of the Board of Horse Racing Ireland regarding succession planning for the position of CEO. [25165/16]

Horse Racing Ireland

Martin Kenny

1538. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the board of Horse Racing Ireland has carried out its statutory function having regard to best practice of corporate governance in regard to the reappointment of the CEO of HRI. [25166/16]

Horse Racing Ireland

Martin Kenny

1539. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he has received any correspondence opposing the reappointment of the CEO of Horse Racing Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25168/16]

Horse Racing Ireland

Martin Kenny

1540. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the procedure in place for confidential disclosures within Horse Racing Ireland. [25171/16]

Forestry Sector

Martin Kenny

1564. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide a breakdown of the number of persons employed in the forestry sector here; and the number of those persons employed by his Department. [25572/16]

European Fisheries Fund

Martin Kenny

753. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the value of the EU contribution to his Department under the European Fisheries Fund. [22636/16]

European Fisheries Fund

Martin Kenny

754. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the value of unused European Fisheries Fund moneys by his Department. [22637/16]

Fish Farming

Martin Kenny

755. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine for details of any land-based RAS fish farms which were funded by the European Fisheries Fund in any member state. [22638/16]

Departmental Legal Cases

Martin Kenny

24. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the action he will take, in view of the High Court judgment of 2 June 2016, which found that his Department’s procedures in conducting farm inspections were lacking by not providing a control report, not applying the maxim of audi alteram partem, or fulfilling the onus on the decision-maker to comply with regulation, to give the applicant the opportunity to make the case before applying penalties. [21375/16]

Animal Identification Schemes

Martin Kenny

41. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if electronic tagging will be introduced for all lambs as part of the proposed new sheep scheme. [21287/16]

Public Procurement Contracts

Martin Kenny

49. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason the tendering process in his Department for the supply of electronic identification tags for bovine animals involves a technical specification for only one kind of anti-tamper device which is patented to one company; if the process is going ahead again in 2016 in these circumstances; the reason for postponement of the process on two occasions; the reason the State uses only one supplier, as opposed to multiple suppliers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21283/16]

Agriculture Schemes

Martin Kenny

58. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will include a rolling reference year for young farmers and commonage farmers in the proposed sheep scheme to assist young farmers who are trying to build up their flock and also commonage farmers who may have to adjust their flock numbers due to new commonage framework plans. [21285/16]

GLAS Eligibility

Martin Kenny

68. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if will he amend the green low-carbon agri-environment scheme, GLAS, application criteria for hill farmers who own their own parcel of land due to the fact under the current measures for accessing GLAS these farmers are prohibited because the land is owned and it is not eligible for any other schemes. [21286/16]

Health Care Policy

Martin Kenny

105. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Health the research that is being conducted specifically on universal health care; if he is aware of research being undertaken by other groups outside his Department on universal health care; if he will bring these strands together to ensure co-operation, information exchange and economies of scale. [20936/16]

Health Care Policy

Martin Kenny

106. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 106 of 2 June 2016, if the research being undertaken by his Department and the Economic and Social Research Institute three-year programme on health reform will be available to the new joint Oireachtas committee that has been established to develop cross-party consensus on the future of the health service over ten years, as per the programme for Government and Government approval; if he will make available the research undertaken to date to the committee; if he will designate a liaison officer within his Department in order that members of this committee may direct queries specific to the committee work to that person; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20937/16]

Fire Service Staff

Martin Kenny

303. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the reason firemen are not being recruited in Bundoran and Ballyshannon, County Donegal. [20556/16]

Transfer of Entitlements

Martin Kenny

707. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of transfer of entitlement cases that are not completed due to suspension; the reason for the suspension; the length of time of same and when it will be lifted. [21306/16]

Beef Exports

Martin Kenny

708. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the 42% of our beef exports that go to the British market are under threat as a result of a British exit from the European Union; and his plans to combat losses in beef exports. [21307/16]

Food Labelling

Martin Kenny

709. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to actively pursue a voluntary all-Ireland agrifood label which would be of benefit to farmers North and South of the Border. [21308/16]

Live Exports

Martin Kenny

710. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to increase live exports of cattle, which are down 25% on 2015. [21309/16]

Health Services Staff

Martin Kenny

243. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Health to outline his views on the reason the national recruitment service national social worker professionally qualified panel removed a person (details supplied) from the panel because the person turned down a position because of an inability to take it up at that particular time for personal reasons; and if the person can now be reinstated to the panel. [20221/16]

Respite Care Services

Martin Kenny

261. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Health the reason a person (details supplied) was charged for respite care. [20283/16]

Basic Payment Scheme

Martin Kenny

281. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of transfer of entitlement cases held up, not completed due to suspension; the reason there is a suspension; if it is the case that this suspension is in place since May 2016; and when the suspension will be lifted (details supplied). [20222/16]

Insurance Costs

Martin Kenny

9. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Finance the steps he will take to ensure that returned emigrants and immigrants are not discriminated against in the provision of car insurance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17511/16]

Statute of Limitations

Martin Kenny

35. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Finance if he will act to remove the blanket six-year Statute of Limitations on financial complaints, which reportedly may hinder persons whose tracker mortgages were wrongly removed from them; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17510/16]

Special Educational Needs Service Provision

Martin Kenny

129. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Education and Skills to approve the July provision for a person (details supplied). [17567/16]

Agri-Environment Options Scheme Conditions

Martin Kenny

484. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he is aware that contracts are being terminated where soil sample analyses are late even by a few days, even though soil sample analysis can take ten days to complete and weather conditions can cause delay under the agri-environment options scheme. [17024/16]

Agri-Environment Options Scheme Conditions

Martin Kenny

485. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will apply a period of grace on the deadline for submission of soil analyses under the agri-environment options scheme or under the basic payment scheme. [17025/16]

Library Services Provision

Martin Kenny

114. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the rationale for the amalgamation of library services in counties Leitrim, Sligo and Roscommon, which implies a drastic reduction in library services for those counties; the cost savings of this amalgamation; and the cost of necessary new builds to compensate for the closure of small local libraries. [16332/16]

Agriculture Scheme Payments

Martin Kenny

502. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to outline the reason a person (details supplied) did not receive pig sector crisis funding. [15497/16]

Basic Payment Scheme Applications

Martin Kenny

503. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason he has fined a person (details supplied) and reduced the person's payment under the basic payment scheme. [15498/16]

Garda Youth Diversion Projects

Martin Kenny

17. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she has considered advocating for the services of the Garda youth diversion projects to be extended in north inner city Dublin, as part of a long-term plan to stem the flow of young persons becoming involved in crime; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14850/16]

Youth Services Funding

Martin Kenny

19. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her plans to increase the funding to youth services nationally; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14851/16]

Mortgage Book Sales

Martin Kenny

47. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the consequences for Irish farming of the sale by a bank (details supplied) of €100 million of agricultural loans to vulture funds, thereby removing this land from the control of Irish farmers; if he has met the bank to discuss this situation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14833/16]

Fisheries Offences

Martin Kenny

54. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to annul SI No. 125 of 2016, which imposes penalty points on sea fishery licences. [14502/16]

Milk Quota

Martin Kenny

63. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he plans to intercede and have the EU postpone superlevy fines and increase the intervention price to at least the cost of production, given that Irish farmers are experiencing a severe cashflow crisis due to the ongoing crisis in the dairy sector. [14501/16]

Home Help Service Provision

Martin Kenny

468. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Health the number of persons on priority waiting lists for home help hours in the north Leitrim area; the number of hours which would be necessary to provide home help to these persons; the number of home helps employed by the HSE in the area; and the number of hours of home help they are providing now. [14756/16]

Home Help Service Provision

Martin Kenny

469. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Health if the allocation of home help hours in the north Leitrim area is based on need and not on budgetary constraints. [14757/16]

Forestry Sector

Martin Kenny

806. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the percentage of County Leitrim under forestry. [13212/16]

Forestry Sector

Martin Kenny

807. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the target for forestry planting in County Leitrim; and if his Department has a county by county or regional target for afforestation. [13213/16]

Rural Social Scheme

Martin Kenny

180. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Social Protection the cost of an additional 500 places on the rural social scheme. [12233/16]

Farm Assist Scheme

Martin Kenny

213. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Social Protection the cost of restoring farm assist to pre-2013 conditions of payment based on current numbers and allowances. [12229/16]

Grassland Sheep Scheme Expenditure

Martin Kenny

333. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the cost of paying a ewe premium of €10 per head where stocking density is over six ewes per hectare and €20 where there is a stocking density of five ewes or fewer per hectare. [12225/16]

Grassland Sheep Scheme Expenditure

Martin Kenny

334. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the cost to the Exchequer of the sheep grassland scheme in 2012, 2013 and 2014. [12226/16]

Grassland Sheep Scheme Expenditure

Martin Kenny

335. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the estimated cost of the re-introduction in 2017 of the sheep grassland scheme based on current stocking rates and numbers in the national flock. [12227/16]

Sheep Census

Martin Kenny

336. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of the national flock and the ratio of upland and lowland numbers. [12228/16]

Sugar Industry

Martin Kenny

337. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the role of the State enterprise bodies in the reinstatement of the sugar beet processing industry. [12230/16]

Sugar Industry

Martin Kenny

338. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the logistical and financial supports that will be available for the reinstatement of the sugar beet processing industry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12231/16]

Suckler Welfare Scheme

Martin Kenny

339. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the cost of the re-instatement of the animal welfare recording and breeding scheme for suckler herds at a rate of €200 per head, and at a rate of €80 per head. [12232/16]

School Funding

Martin Kenny

199. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Education and Skills to issue the final letter of terms and conditions to a school (details supplied) in County Leitrim to facilitate getting the works under way. [11792/16]

Early Childhood Care and Education

Martin Kenny

270. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Education and Skills why the level 7 course in child care run by Carlow Institute of Technology which has been sanctioned by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs for the higher level of capitation under the early childhood care and education scheme in early March 2016 was removed from the higher capitation grant at the end of March 2016 (details supplied). [9673/16]

Ambulance Service

Martin Kenny

697. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Health when he will publish the Lightfoot report into the national ambulance service of Ireland emergency service baseline and capacity review which the Health Service Executive commissioned; if time will be set aside in Dáil Éireann to debate the report’s findings and recommendations into the delivery of ambulance response cover performance; and if the Health Service Executive has considered or implemented any of the findings or proposals contained in the client draft that was published on 14 November 2014. [9736/16]