Parliamentary questions

Traffic Calming Measures

Colm Keaveney

270. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport with reference to recent traffic calming works carried out on the N17 at Carraghy, Knockdoe, County Galway, if he will confirm that the National Roads Authority is the body that supplied and-or approved the design of the works; the regulations and-or guidelines to which such works should conform; if he will confirm that an engineer completed a report to confirm that the design conformed to such regulations and-or guidelines; if he will provide Dáil Éireann with a copy of that engineer's report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26237/13]

Jobseeker's Allowance Applications

Colm Keaveney

389. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 326 of 14 February 2013, of those persons currently in receipt of jobseeker's allowance that have not, to date, made any PRSI contributions, the number broken down by administrative division and by age group, are claiming an increase for a qualified adult and an increase for a qualified child or children; the number of such persons, broken down by administrative division and by age group who have been established as having a housing need and are in receipt of rent allowance; the way such persons, broken down by administrative division and by age group are in receipt of fuel allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25564/13]

Job Initiatives

Colm Keaveney

394. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide details of the job activation procedures being implemented by her Department in terms of those on jobseeker’s allowance and if she will identify each step of that process; the number of persons that have been invited to engage with that procedure up to the year ending April 2013; the number that have actively engaged to her Department’s satisfaction; the number of persons that have had their payments reduced following failure to engage with those procedures; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25597/13]

Special Areas of Conservation Designation

Colm Keaveney

191. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the process used to determine which areas of raised bogs were to be designated as special areas of conservation under the habitats directive; the total area of raised bogs owned by the State or by semi-State companies that were surveyed; the total area of such bogs that were designated under the directive; the total area of raised bogs owned by the State or semi-State companies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23443/13]

Special Areas of Conservation Designation

Colm Keaveney

192. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the number of notifications of site designations under the habitats directive that were issued; the number of landowners that received individual notice of such designation; the policy and procedure for the sending of such notification; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23444/13]

Jobseeker's Allowance Applications

Colm Keaveney

326. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons, broken down by administrative division and by age group, currently in receipt of jobseeker's allowance that have not, to date, made any PRSI contribution; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22199/13]

Agri-Environment Options Scheme Appeals

Colm Keaveney

327. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a person (details supplied) in County Galway may expect to receive a response regarding an appeal submitted under the agri-environment options scheme. [21138/13]

Sports Capital Programme Applications

Colm Keaveney

428. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the position regarding a sports capital grant application (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21349/13]

IBRC Liquidation

Colm Keaveney

147. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Finance if he will confirm the veracity of reports in the media that the European Central Bank has issued an instruction or request to his Department directing that no details regarding the liquidation of Irish Bank Resolution Corporation be released under any freedom of information request; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19785/13]

Freedom of Information Requests

Colm Keaveney

148. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Finance the number of freedom of information requests received by his Department in connection with the liquidation of Irish Bank Resolution Corporation; the number that have been received and the number that have been refused, in whole or in part; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19786/13]

Health Services Expenditure

Colm Keaveney

602. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Health if he will provide a financial breakdown of the current budgetary performance of every hospital providing acute services within the Health Service Executive with details of the expected target of each acute hospital and the projected outturn; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18493/13]

Mental Health Services Provision

Colm Keaveney

609. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Health in view of the commitments in the Health Service Executive National Service Plan 2013 to a number of objectives including the further developments of forensics and community mental health teams for adults, children, older persons and mental health intellectual disability and to the recruitment of 477 additional staff to implement these measures, if he will detail the number of these posts that have been filled in each of the HSE areas; when he expects to have the recruitment process complete; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18569/13]

Health Services Staff Recruitment

Colm Keaveney

610. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Health in view of the impact that the delay in hiring key health specialist professionals can have on the welfare of vulnerable persons including many children and the need to provide communities with reassurance that the needs of such persons will be addressed, if he will provide specific details regarding the date on which the recruitment of 13 occupational therapists, two physiotherapists and seven speech and language therapists for the Health Service Executive West area will be completed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18570/13]

Commercial Rates Valuation Process

Colm Keaveney

130. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the current arrangement by which full-time community childcare facilities are in the main exempt from rates while private providers are not, which places private providers at an unfair disadvantage and endangers the employment that they provide; if he will consider, as a means by which child care costs may be reduced for working families, the provision of an exemption from rates for all child care providers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17925/13]

Preschool Services

Colm Keaveney

221. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of primary level schools in Connaught that operate the ECCE scheme on their grounds; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17902/13]

Tax Code

Colm Keaveney

236. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Finance in view of his decision to extend the fuel excise duty rebate to the passenger transport sector if he will now remove the disparity between the haulage and passenger transport sectors by permitting the latter to reclaim VAT on their input, noting, that coach operators in Northern Ireland are zero rated for VAT and can reclaim VAT on all inputs which is handing a competitive advantage to operators in Northern Ireland; if, as an alternative, given the current fiscal circumstances, to granting a zero rate to the passenger transport sector, he will move to extend the 9% rate, applicable to the tourism sector, to coach and bus operators; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16277/13]

Banking Sector Remuneration

Colm Keaveney

248. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Finance if he intends to take the Mercer Report into the banking sector at face value or if he will reconsider its disregarding of performance-related pay as non-core pay because treating this element of pay, essentially by which a portion of an employee's salary was at risk unless certain targets were met, as being a discretionary bonus is disingenuous; if he recognises that there is a danger of lower paid bank workers being regressively affected by pay cuts while senior executives continue to enjoy salaries and bonuses far beyond the reach of ordinary workers and where former senior executives have escaped with golden handshakes and grossly large pensions; if so, the way he intends to adequately address this disparity; if he intends pursuing a course of action to encourage or compel banks to enforce further cuts on modestly paid bank employees; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16352/13]

Garda Strength

Colm Keaveney

878. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the current personnel strength of An Garda Síochána and of the Garda Reserve and civilians whole time equivalents and the strength of community Gardaí broken down by division; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16171/13]

Garda Deployment

Colm Keaveney

879. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of Gardaí in the Drugs Unit; their location based on division; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16172/13]

Garda Rank

Colm Keaveney

880. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of Gardaí who hold the rank of detective; their location based on division; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16173/13]

European Central Bank

Colm Keaveney

216. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Finance his views on a broadening of the mandate of the European Central Bank beyond their current sole focus on controlling inflation in order to include, in a manner similar to the Federal Bank in the United States and the Bank of England in the United Kingdom, a mandate to aid and promote growth to be prudent; if so, if he will detail the initiatives he has taken to secure this broadening of the ECB's mandate; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15149/13]

Disability Support Service

Colm Keaveney

540. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Health his views on a matter regarding services providers (details supplied); if he will confirm that the agreed cut to the core disability budget will be applied consistently and without variation across all service providers here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14890/13]

Early Childhood Education

Colm Keaveney

247. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of schools in the primary sector that are operating early childhood care and education facilities in each county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13618/13]

Schools Building Projects Status

Colm Keaveney

248. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of schools in the primary sector that have had funding approved for extensions and the number awaiting approval, broken down by county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13619/13]

Commercial Rates Issues

Colm Keaveney

372. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government in view of the introduction of the local property tax, if he has any plans to introduce legislation reforming the system of commercial rates, taking into account the state of our domestic economy and the strain that many small businesses are under, the need to retain vibrant town centres, and the irregularities in the system of valuations for such rates; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14356/13]

Child Care Services

Colm Keaveney

441. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will provide an estimate by county of the number of unregulated child care providers; the measures being taken to address this issue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13621/13]

Government Bonds

Colm Keaveney

63. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Finance further to Parliamentary Questions No. 185 of 26 Feburary 2013 and No. 71 of 6 March 2013 if the Central Bank of Ireland can act unilaterally, or in concert with the European Central Bank, dispose of the bonds, referred to in his reply, in accordance with a schedule different to that detailed by him in his earlier replies, without the agreement of the Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13420/13]

Government Bonds

Colm Keaveney

64. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Finance further to Parliamentary Questions No. 185 of 26 February 2013 and No. 71 of 6 March 2013, if he has the lawful authority to direct or inhibit the disposal of the bonds, referred to in his reply, by the Central Bank of Ireland in accordance with a schedule different to that detailed by him in his earlier replies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13421/13]

Special Areas of Conservation Designation

Colm Keaveney

173. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when the appropriate assessment against pre-determined conservation objectives will take place within Galway Bay, Kinvara Bay, and Clarinbridge Bay, as such assessments are needed in order that additional oyster licences may be granted in view of the fact that these bays have been designated as special areas of conservation; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that there is enormous potential in this industry for export and value-added production; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13215/13]

Fishing Industry Development

Colm Keaveney

177. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the initiatives his Department is taking to develop and expand the oyster and shellfish industries here, with particular emphasis on the potential to generate significant exports of value-added products, and also with regard to the income that this industry can provide to costal communities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13291/13]

National Treasury Management Agency

Colm Keaveney

151. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Finance whether there will be a €20 billion reduction in the National Treasury Management Agency's market borrowing requirements in the next decade (details supplied); the way this figure was calculated and the assumptions, including of economic growth, future refinancing rates, net present value and inflation that were used to underpin that calculation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12328/13]

Rural Social Scheme Applications

Colm Keaveney

313. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Social Protection the current position of the rural social scheme; if she will provide details of the likely changes that may be made to the scheme in the coming year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12562/13]

Agri-Environment Options Scheme Payments

Colm Keaveney

528. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a person (details provided) in County Galway may expect to receive an agri-environment options scheme payment. [12809/13]

Aftercare Services

Colm Keaveney

563. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her plans to provide for after school care funded or part funded from the Exchequer; if she is considering sub-letting, or some arrangement, school facilities to private operators to accommodate this care; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12598/13]

Hospital Waiting Lists

Colm Keaveney

626. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Health when a child (details supplied) in County Galway may expect to be called for reimplantation surgery. [12746/13]

Government Bonds

Colm Keaveney

71. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Finance further to Parliamentary Question No. 185 of 26 February 2013, if the European Central Bank has the lawful authority to direct the Central Bank of Ireland to dispose of the bonds, referred to in his reply, in accordance with a schedule different to that detailed by him in his reply; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11797/13]

Employment Rights

Colm Keaveney

255. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if he will provide in tabular form a breakdown of the referrals to the Labour Relations Commission and the Labour Court under the Employees (Information and Consultation) Act 2006 and detail the information by year referred; the section of the act under which the referrals were made; the number of hearings scheduled; the number of hearings cancelled or withdrawn; the number of hearings adjourned or on hold; the number of determinations or recommendations issued; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11136/13]

IBRC Liquidation

Colm Keaveney

45. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Finance in view of the fact that Irish Bank Resolution Corporation Act 2013 grants him the power to direct the special liquidator in the carrying out of his or her duties, the way he proposes that the issue of the mortgages and loans owing by the former employees of IBRC be addressed, noting that these loans are not being transferred to National Asset Management Agency but are remaining with the liquidator; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10495/13]

Tax Reliefs Abolition

Colm Keaveney

54. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Finance the number of persons that have claimed relief under section 14 of the Finance Act 2012; the cost of providing the relief; the estimate he would place on the increased investment and the increased employment opportunities that have been generated by the special assignee relief programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10494/13]

Social Welfare Appeals Status

Colm Keaveney

172. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Social Protection the reasons for the disparity in the decision of the appeals officer to disallow an appeal in respect of a person (details supplied), while the appeal of another person, whose circumstances were similar to that of the first person, was upheld; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10446/13]

International Summits

Colm Keaveney

148. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Taoiseach if he will provide details of all bilateral meetings held between himself and any other individual or group at the recent annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, including the identity of all such groups or individuals and the purpose of each meeting; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9576/13]

EU-IMF Programme of Support

Colm Keaveney

171. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Finance under the agreement with the Troika EU Commission, ECB, IMF is it his understanding that any savings realised from measures such as the recent promissory note deal must be used to pay down debt or reduce borrowings, or can such savings be used to ameliorate the extent of the budgetary adjustments currently planned in 2014 and 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9539/13]

Promissory Note Negotiations

Colm Keaveney

183. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Finance if he agrees with the estimate of the value of the savings achieved by the deal announced on 8 February 2013 with the liquidation of the Irish Bank Resolution Corporation and the conversion of promissory notes to longer-term sovereign bonds as being €7.9 billion, as estimated by an economist (details supplied); if not, if he will provide his own estimate, taking into account the total interest payable and the net present value of both the original promissory notes and the now sovereign bonds; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9616/13]

International Summits

Colm Keaveney

184. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Finance the details of all bilateral meetings held between himself and any other individual or group at the recent annual meeting of the World Economic Forum, Davos, Switzerland, including the identity of all such groups or individuals; the purpose of each meeting; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9622/13]

Government Bonds

Colm Keaveney

185. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Finance if it is possible for the European Central Bank, acting unilaterally, to direct the Central Bank of Ireland to dispose of the long term Irish bonds created to replace the promissory notes following the dissolution of the Irish Bank Resolution Corporation onto the private market; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9627/13]

Agri-Environment Options Scheme Payments

Colm Keaveney

631. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a person (details supplied) in County Galway may expect to receive payment of their agri-environment option scheme grant for 2012 now that further information has been submitted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8781/13]

Health Services

Colm Keaveney

679. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Health if he will provide a commitment that a residential unit (details supplied) in County Galway will continue in its current use and provide a commitment that medical staff there, in line with the ethical guidelines of their professions, should not be intimidated out of speaking publicly to defend the welfare of their patients by Health Service Executive west management as is now being attempted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8197/13]

Symphysiotomy Reports

Colm Keaveney

649. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Health in view of the urgency of the issue, with many victims of symphysiotomy now elderly and frail, and in view of the importance of the issue in creating a redress scheme, if he will provide some measure of justice to the persons concerned; when he will publish the final version of the Walsh Report on symphysiotomy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3747/13]

Agri-Environment Options Scheme Payments

Colm Keaveney

219. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a person (details supplied) in County Galway may expect to receive payment of their agri environment option scheme grant for 2012. [3369/13]

Health Services Provision

Colm Keaveney

226. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will receive therapy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3201/13]