Parliamentary questions

Policing Authority Reports

Mick Wallace

130. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if his attention has been drawn to a report by the chief administrative officer of An Garda Síochána regarding the use by the former Garda Commissioner of a personal email account (details supplied); if he or persons in his Department have received such a report; if persons in his Department have been in correspondence with members of An Garda Síochána by email or other forms of correspondence regarding this report; if he has not received such a report, if he will request same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53362/17]

Commission on the Future of Policing Reports

Mick Wallace

136. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he has formally requested an interim report from the Commission on the Future of Policing; if so, when this request took place; if he has received such a report; if so, if he will publish same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53402/17]

Departmental Communications

Mick Wallace

137. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will make public on his Department's website all email correspondence between the former Garda Commissioner and officials in his Department during the summer of 2017, concerning her position as Commissioner and her possible retirement (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53403/17]

Defence Forces Retirements

Mick Wallace

54. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence his views on the fact that 335 members of the Defence Forces have left voluntarily to date in 2017; if he has satisfied himself that the pay and conditions of the Defence Forces are acceptable; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52966/17]

Permanent Structured Co-operation

Mick Wallace

78. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the considerations and planning his Department has taken with regard to Ireland's imminent joining of Permanent Structured Co-operation on Security and Defence, PESCO; if the defence budget for 2018, 2019 and 2020 will now increase year on year due to the commitments required of PESCO membership; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52965/17]

Fuel Allowance Eligibility

Mick Wallace

511. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if a person (details supplied) is entitled to fuel allowance. [52913/17]

Housing Provision

Mick Wallace

8. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government further to the announcement by the Minister for Finance of the creation of Home Building Finance Ireland, HBFI, if his Department has engaged with the Department of Finance regarding HBFI; the role he envisages his Department playing with regard to HBFI; if he has satisfied himself that HBFI will bring the required funding into the area of residential development; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52273/17]

Housing Assistance Payment Data

Mick Wallace

16. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the number of HAP tenancies created to date in 2017 throughout the country; the number of HAP tenancies created to date in 2017 in County Wexford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52269/17]

Local Authority Housing Provision

Mick Wallace

22. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the number of properties acquired by the 31 local authorities to date in 2017; the number that are vacant at present; the average vacancy time for local authority acquisitions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52272/17]

Local Authority Housing Provision

Mick Wallace

27. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government his views on whether the local authority in County Wexford will only directly build three social houses in 2017; if he is satisfied with the rate of building of social housing by all 31 local authorities, if his Department will consider releasing extra funding to the local authorities specifically for the direct building of social housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52271/17]

Housing Assistance Payment Administration

Mick Wallace

35. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if his Department has conducted a cost-benefit analysis of the HAP scheme in its current form; if so, the details of the analysis; if he is satisfied the HAP scheme is helping to solve the housing crisis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52270/17]

Technological Universities

Mick Wallace

41. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he has satisfied himself with the progress on the creation of a university for the south east, if he has satisfied himself with the progress of the proposed acquisition of land for a new Institute of Technology Carlow campus in County Wexford, if either will address the third-level educational deficit faced by persons in County Wexford and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52009/17]

School Transport Provision

Mick Wallace

78. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Education and Skills the steps he has taken to address the problems facing eligible children who were not allocated a seat on a school transport service due to services being oversubscribed; his plans for a grant towards the cost of private transport arrangements for these children; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52010/17]

Garda Commissioner Appointment

Mick Wallace

45. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the status of the recruitment process for the post of Garda Commissioner; the timeframe to fill the post; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51744/17]

Departmental Correspondence

Mick Wallace

53. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he has received correspondence from the legal team of a Garda whistleblower in the Athlone district; if his Department has engaged with the legal team; his plans to raise the issues with the acting Garda Commissioner; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51746/17]

Policing Authority

Mick Wallace

72. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he is satisfied with the work to date of the Policing Authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51745/17]

Commissions of Investigation

Mick Wallace

90. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Justice and Equality his views on the fact that transcripts delivered to the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission or GSOC on its investigation into certain matters arising from the O'Higgins commission were incomplete; if he has sought an update from GSOC regarding this investigation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51748/17]

Parking Charges

Mick Wallace

377. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Health his plans to address the high prices of the official car park for Wexford General Hospital; the number of car parking spaces available at Wexford General Hospital; the charge per hour; the charge per space; the revenue generated by the car park in each of the years 2010 to 2016 and to date in 2017, in tabular form; and if the car park is operated by the HSE or a private contractor. [51892/17]

NAMA Staff Data

Mick Wallace

16. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Finance the number of NAMA staff that have taken voluntary redundancy to date in 2017; the number of staff expected to take voluntary redundancy in 2018 and 2019; his views on the number of redundancies taken to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50870/17]

Corporation Tax Regime

Mick Wallace

18. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Finance his views on whether the legislation change which allowed the deferring of tax assets against future profits by banks is having a negative impact on the Exchequer; if his Department has carried out an analysis of the change since it was introduced in 2013; if he has considered reinstating legislation in the original rule that a bank could only write off 50% of these deferred tax assets against future profits; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50873/17]

State Aid Investigations

Mick Wallace

59. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Finance his dealings to date with the EU director general for competition with regard to a State aid complaint regarding the use of the National Asset Management Agency funding for residential and commercial development; if his Department or NAMA has been in contact with the five developers that submitted the complaint; when a decision will issue from the director general on this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50871/17]

Stability and Growth Pact

Mick Wallace

60. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Finance his plans to revise the State's policy of adhering to EU fiscal rules under the stability and growth pact due to the urgent need for infrastructure investment throughout the State; if his Department has examined cases throughout the EU in which member states have broken the fiscal rules; the reason for same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50872/17]

Data Protection

Mick Wallace

46. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she has satisfied herself that the public service identity data her Department as data controller provides to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, as data processor, is processed with appropriate security and data protection safeguards. [50588/17]

Live Register Data

Mick Wallace

65. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to the high levels of underemployment and low levels of job quality in County Wexford; the measures she is taking to reduce live register figures there; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50589/17]

Child and Family Agency Services

Mick Wallace

48. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the progress in relation to providing 24 hour access to social work services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50184/17]

Child Protection

Mick Wallace

70. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the progress made to address the issues raised in the special rapporteur on child protection's report on child protection processes and procedures of An Garda Síochána. [50183/17]

Arms Trade

Mick Wallace

16. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation her views on the most recently published report under the Control of Exports Act 2008, covering the period January 2017 to June 2017; her further views on the volume of arms exports permitted by her Department to countries that form the Saudi Arabian alliance, which is engaged in the bombardment of Yemen; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49606/17]

Ministerial Travel

Mick Wallace

37. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation if she will report on her recent trade and investment mission to the United Arab Emirates; the groups she met; the issues discussed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49605/17]

Public Transport Initiatives

Mick Wallace

35. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport when the BusConnects programme will provide its first low emission public bus; the fuel source of these vehicles; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49352/17]

Ports Policy

Mick Wallace

66. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the progress that has been made to implement the recommendations of a review (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49353/17]

Pesticide Use

Mick Wallace

180. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on the European Commission proposal to extend the ban on neonicotinoid pesticides to non flowering crops; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49571/17]

Inland Fisheries Stocks

Mick Wallace

190. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the options Inland Fisheries Ireland has considered to assist returning salmon negotiate both a privately owned tailrace and a weir on the River Slaney at Clohamon, Bunclody, County Wexford; when Inland Fisheries Ireland will take action to alleviate passage for salmon at these points; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49559/17]

Offshore Exploration

Mick Wallace

82. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment further to Parliamentary Question No. 195 of 8 November 2017, if the environmental impact assessment carried out prior to his approval in July 2017 for offshore drilling at the Druid Drombeg exploration field addressed the potential impact that the combustion of the fossil fuels stored at the site could have on the environment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49082/17]

Departmental Contracts

Mick Wallace

293. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the way in which her Department arrived at the decision to give a group (details supplied) the sole power to administer the hunter competence assessment programme; and if she has given consideration to tendering the administration of the contract at stages in view of the fact that the HCAP certification will be mandatory from January 2018. [48693/17]

Fishing Licences

Mick Wallace

465. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his plans to protect and promote small coastal fishing communities, in particular those fishermen who did not avail of the salmon hardship scheme in 2007 and instead waited for salmon stocks to recover so that they could return to fishing; if he has given consideration to subsidies for polyvalent licences for these fishermen; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49050/17]

Homeless Persons Data

Mick Wallace

617. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if he will provide a bibliography of all sources used to arrive at the conclusion that homeless figures here are low by international standards as per his recent public statement. [48827/17]

International Relations

Mick Wallace

32. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his views on the latest crisis in Lebanon regarding the former Lebanese Prime Minister; if he has expressed his views to the Saudi Arabian embassy here regarding same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48422/17]

Foreign Conflicts

Mick Wallace

33. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his plans to reconsider Ireland's current relationship with Saudi Arabia, due to its ongoing involvement in Yemen; his further plans to interact with the Saudi Arabian embassy regarding these issues; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48402/17]

Disability Support Services

Mick Wallace

43. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Health if he is satisfied with the overall level of support provided by the HSE to families in County Wexford with children suffering with intellectual disabilities and complex needs, including autism; his views on the over-reliance of the private sector in this area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48145/17]

Disability Support Services Provision

Mick Wallace

69. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Health if he is satisfied with the overall level of support provided by the HSE to persons in County Wexford with intellectual disabilities and complex needs, including autism; if he is satisfied that the transition from child to adult services is functioning to the highest standard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48146/17]

Arts Funding

Mick Wallace

48. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if she is satisfied that the budget 2018 decision to increase the Arts Council's funding by less than 5% is consistent with the goal to double investment in the arts sector over the next seven years; the way in which she plans to meet this funding goal between 2017 and 2024; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47762/17]

Creative Ireland Programme

Mick Wallace

73. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if her attention has been drawn to the concerns of some members of the creative industries regarding Creative Ireland's potential for allowing political control over arts funding decisions; if she has examined the recent experience in Australia regarding the establishment of the national programme for excellence which diverted funding away from its independent arts council in favour of a ministry-led organisation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47763/17]

Freedom of Information Legislation

Mick Wallace

29. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he has satisfied himself with the current functioning of the freedom of information system under the 2014 Act; his plans to amend section 44 of the Freedom of Information Act 2014 to give power to him to instruct the Information Commissioner to carry out a review of the operations of the Act; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47196/17]

Freedom of Information Legislation

Mick Wallace

31. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he has satisfied himself that section 27 of the Freedom of Information Act 2014 is functioning properly; if all agencies that come under freedom of information following the 2014 Act are applying fees and charges in respect of freedom of information requests in an open and transparent manner; if guidelines are issued to the agencies with regard to calculating fees and charges; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47197/17]

Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Mick Wallace

44. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the percentage of manure systems that are dry systems and liquid systems, respectively; the percentage of agricultural manure handled in anaerobic digesters, anaerobic lagoons and liquid or slurry systems, respectively; the nitrous oxide emissions from manure management in the past ten years for which there are figures available; the nitrous oxide emissions in the past ten years for which there are figures available; the methane emissions from enteric fermentation in the past ten years for which there are figures available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47095/17]

Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Mick Wallace

56. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department has made or will make revisions to its policies in regard to the management of methane emissions from enteric fermentation and manure management in view of a recent study (details supplied) in which revised calculations of methane produced per head of cattle show that global livestock emissions in 2011 were 11% higher than estimates based on data from the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47094/17]

Offshore Exploration

Mick Wallace

195. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the detail of the environmental impact assessment carried out prior to his approval in July 2017 for offshore drilling at the Druid-Drombeg exploration field; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47278/17]

Public Services Card Provision

Mick Wallace

70. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if her Department has carried out a formal assessment regarding the risks of introducing a public services card; if her Department has carried out a data privacy impact assessment with regard to the public services card; the impact of the public services card to date with regard to reducing rates of social welfare fraud, forgery and error; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46867/17]

Public Services Card

Mick Wallace

77. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the legal basis for withholding social welfare payments in circumstances in which a person entitled to such payments fails to register for a public services card; her views on whether the overall Government policy on the public services card and SAFE level two registration limits the statutory discretion of power of her Department in terms of withholding welfare payments; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46866/17]

Hospitals Policy

Mick Wallace

869. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 274 of 17 October 2017, the sale prices, dates of sale and property descriptions for each of the completed transactions relating to the sale of a hospital (details supplied) and associated lands in County Wexford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47090/17]