Parliamentary questions

Education Centre Network

Thomas Pringle

246. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of companies that applied for the competition following the recent tendering process to appoint auditors to the education centre network; the name of the successful tenderer; the agreed price for the awarding contract; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13596/18]

Education Centre Network

Thomas Pringle

247. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason external auditors have been appointed to audit all 21 education centres despite the fact that each centre will be carrying out internal audits by independent auditors; the reason each centre is being audited twice; the audit which will be considered the official audit for the annual report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13597/18]

Education Centre Network

Thomas Pringle

248. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to ensure that all 21 education centres publish their annual reports from 2016 onwards on their websites; the reason this has not been the practice to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13598/18]

Education Centre Network

Thomas Pringle

249. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Education and Skills when the report commissioned by his Department regarding governance and accountability of education centres will be published; the key recommendations contained in the report; the fee paid to a company (details supplied) to carry out the report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13599/18]

Foreshore Licence Applications

Thomas Pringle

462. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if foreshore licences or other licences have been issued for Lough Foyle in the history of the State; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13759/18]

Permanent Structured Co-operation

Thomas Pringle

63. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the scale of Ireland's involvement in the European Union Training Mission Competence Centre and Upgrade of Maritime Surveillance to be developed under PESCO and which were formally adopted by the EU Council on 1 March 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12883/18]

School Staff Appeals Mechanism

Thomas Pringle

204. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Education and Skills if an appeal by a school (details supplied) in County Donegal will be considered in view of its need for extra staffing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13096/18]

Tús Programme

Thomas Pringle

311. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when the national review of the operation and delivery of the Tús initiative will conclude; if Tús services in County Donegal will be preserved (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13015/18]

UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

Thomas Pringle

344. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Justice and Equality when Ireland will opt into the optional protocol in relation to the UNCRPD; the reason it was not declared at the time of Ireland's official ratification of the convention in view of the fact that in the roadmap to ratification it states Ireland's intention to sign and ratify the optional protocol to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities at the same time as the convention itself is being ratified; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12390/18]

Bus Éireann Services

Thomas Pringle

882. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if Bus Éireann recently made changes to its timetable (details supplied) for the express services from Donegal town to Dublin from 9 a.m. to 8.30 a.m.; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12948/18]

Housing Assistance Payment

Thomas Pringle

937. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the location from which a HAP applicant can redeem the full cost of rent which they have had to borrow in order to pay the rent while the HAP application is being processed (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11927/18]

Expert Panel on Concrete Blocks

Thomas Pringle

1067. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government his plans to ensure that a State-funded mica redress scheme will be provided as part of the approach to the issue to be announced in April 2018; the extent to which his response will include local authority homes affected by mica in County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12972/18]

Disability Act Employment Targets

Thomas Pringle

90. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if Part 5 of the Disability Act 2005 will be amended to allow for a greater number of persons with disabilities to work in the public service; if the public service employment target of 6% of persons with disabilities takes into account the existing rates of disabilities associated with an ageing workforce; if graduates with disabilities that have yet to enter the workforce will also be targeted in this measure in view of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10453/18]

Maternity Services Provision

Thomas Pringle

168. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Health if the national development plan, Project Ireland 2040 funding will be allocated to bring County Donegal's maternity services into alignment with the national maternity strategy and national maternity standards; if not, the reason therefore; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10704/18]

Hospital Facilities

Thomas Pringle

156. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Health if a second dialysis unit is being developed in Letterkenny University Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10267/18]

Fishery Harbour Centres

Thomas Pringle

184. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 169 of 21 February 2018, the contractual commitments contained as part of the recently announced funding commitments for Killybegs harbour centre (details supplied); the reason the figures do not correlate between those provided by his Department and the figures provided in his reply; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10263/18]

Energy Schemes

Thomas Pringle

172. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if council tenants can avail of a rooftop solar grant in summer 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9027/18]

Rural Development Policy

Thomas Pringle

31. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the measures being undertaken by his Department to address persistent depopulation in rural towns across County Donegal and the rest of the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8823/18]

Fishery Harbour Centres

Thomas Pringle

169. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the contractual commitments contained within the €7.98 million funding recently announced for Killybegs harbour centre; if only €2.9 million of the funding is newly acquired in view of the fact that the €5.08 million allocated for contractual commitments represents previous funding commitments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8902/18]

Hospital Equipment

Thomas Pringle

325. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Health if hospitals within the Saolta hospital group have been affected in view of the recent safety call-back of foetal monitoring devices; if all compromised foetal monitoring devices have been fully retired from all use; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8233/18]