Parliamentary questions

Rail Services

Anne Ferris

651. Deputy Anne Ferris asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the procedure taken by Irish Rail to ensure that, at all times, spaces reserved for the use of disabled passengers on trains are kept free from luggage and other obstacles; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24906/15]

Rent Supplement Scheme Payments

Anne Ferris

53. Deputy Anne Ferris asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection her views on the output from recent research by the Economic and Social Research Institute on private property rental carried out on behalf of the Private Residential Tenancies Board, particularly in relation to the disproportionate increase in recorded rents in cities and in certain other parts of the country closely linked to cities, including parts of County Wicklow; her views on the need to again address the renewed inadequacy in rent supplement payable in certain parts of the country; the solutions under consideration by her to address the rent supplement problem until average rents start to fall again; the effect the current situation is having on homelessness and the growth in the housing list; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24409/15]

Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries

Anne Ferris

196. Deputy Anne Ferris asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs his views on the commitment he provided in Dáil Éireann, and in a Department press statement dated 19 February 2015, that the commission of investigation into mother and baby homes would shortly announce details of how members of the public will be able to contact the commission, or make submissions to inform the commission’s work, the clear implication and public expectation that this initial stage of the commission's work as interpreted by him extends to all members of the public who wish to make a submission, and not just to the comparatively few remaining members of the public, out of the tens of thousands, who spent time in the mother and baby homes, identified in the inquiry's terms of reference; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24457/15]

Adoption Legislation

Anne Ferris

197. Deputy Anne Ferris asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the reason behind the extraordinary delays that his department is encountering in the preparation of adoption tracing and information legislation; the number of officials dedicated to the drafting of such legislation; the number of hours per year that have been spent on the drafting of this legislation during the years 2011 to 2014 and to date in 2015; his views on the reason preliminary legislation that he is proposing to take to Committee Stage, where it may be fundamentally amended in any event, is taking so long to draft; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24475/15]

Renewable Energy Projects

Anne Ferris

248. Deputy Anne Ferris asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will provide a detailed overview of any cost-benefit analysis or long-term value for the money process undertaken by the Coillte-Electricity Supply Board consortium for its proposed wind farm development at Raheenleagh in County Wicklow; the results of any such process; the economic and commercial risks assumed; the level of renewable energy feed in tariff programme support and energy prices assumed over the lifetime of the proposed facility; the budgeted capital cost per megawatt; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24036/15]

Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries

Anne Ferris

136. Deputy Anne Ferris asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he will provide an update on the commission of investigation into mother and baby homes, including the dates and details for the public consultation phase described by him during debates on the publication of the terms of reference for the work of the commission; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22821/15]

Adoption Records Provision

Anne Ferris

137. Deputy Anne Ferris asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he will provide an update on the likely dates and content of legislation to facilitate the provision of identifying information and other personal information to parties to adoptions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22822/15]

Heritage Schemes

Anne Ferris

236. Deputy Anne Ferris asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if she will provide an update on the work of the committee she has established to advise her on Ireland's historic houses; its membership; its date of establishment; the advice it has provided to her in relation to historic houses in County Wicklow, including Russborough House and its contents, which are in trust for the people of Ireland; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22836/15]

Suicide Incidence

Anne Ferris

143. Deputy Anne Ferris asked the Taoiseach the processes undertaken by the Central Statistics Office in the recording and reporting of suicide statistics, including the collection of statistics from Garda stations through the form 104 process; the collection of such statistics from the Prison Service and the Central Mental Hospital; if there has been any recent internal or external review of the effectiveness and accuracy of the data collection and reporting process; the recommendations of any such review; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22125/15]

Prisoner Rehabilitation Programmes

Anne Ferris

565. Deputy Anne Ferris asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if the prison system has engaged or assisted in recent times in any research programmes in the areas of treating challenging behaviour, self destruction, violent behaviour or mental health; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21920/15]

Prisoner Health

Anne Ferris

573. Deputy Anne Ferris asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if she will provide figures for the health care budget allocated to the prison service as a whole in each of the years 2012 to 2014, inclusive; the health care budget allocated to Mountjoy Prison and Wheatfield Prison in the same years; how these figures compare with comparative health care spend in total as well as in each named facility; the respective data per head of prisoner population; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22119/15]

Garda Forms

Anne Ferris

574. Deputy Anne Ferris asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if she will provide an update on the procedures for Form 104 reporting by gardaí to the Central Statistics Office, particularly the manner in which the procedures apply to the recording of suicide statistics; if any difficulties have been identified by Garda management with either the reporting process or the use of the classification system for identifying cause of death; if there are reporting timelines; if there has been any recent study into the overall effectiveness of this element of suicide reporting; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22121/15]

Deaths in Prison

Anne Ferris

575. Deputy Anne Ferris asked the Minister for Justice and Equality to set out the cause of death determination process in use to record causes of death in prisons; the process involved in recording and conveying cause of death statistics from the prison service to the Central Statistics Office, including the timelines involved; if any recent review of the effectiveness of the process has been undertaken; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22122/15]

Deaths in Prison

Anne Ferris

576. Deputy Anne Ferris asked the Minister for Justice and Equality to detail the number of deaths by suicide in Irish prisons in each of the years 2012 to 2014, inclusive; the number of deaths by suicide of released former prisoners on temporary release or remission in the same years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22123/15]

Mental Health Services Funding

Anne Ferris

821. Deputy Anne Ferris asked the Minister for Health if he will provide the total health care budget allocated to the Central Mental Hospital in the years 2012, 2013 and 2014; the health care spend at that facility in each year, and for the data to be presented in total format per annum, and in the format of per head of population within the facility; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22120/15]

Suicide Prevention

Anne Ferris

822. Deputy Anne Ferris asked the Minister for Health the suicide prevention policies applied at the Central Mental Hospital; the number of suicide-related deaths per year over the past ten years at that facility; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22124/15]

Commercial Rates

Anne Ferris

1072. Deputy Anne Ferris asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his views on any proposal to reduce commercial rates obligations on wind farm operators, as well as his views on the necessity to seek European Union state aid approval for any such plan, in view of the fact that the renewable energy feed-in tariff programme required state aid clearance; if any application has been made to seek approval for state aid to wind farm concerns in the form of preferential commercial rates; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22166/15]

Renewable Energy Projects

Anne Ferris

1109. Deputy Anne Ferris asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will provide a briefing on the role of An Bord Pleanála in fast-tracking European Union renewable energy projects of common interest; the number and identity of applicants to any part of that process to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22165/15]

Offshore Renewable Energy Development Plan Implementation

Anne Ferris

1125. Deputy Anne Ferris asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will provide an update on the offshore renewable energy development plan implementation, with particular emphasis on the status of planned wind farms off the east coast of Ireland, in view of the lack of an import export energy agreement with the United Kingdom for the foreseeable future and the growth of alternative energy sources to meet the United Kingdom's renewable and energy security demands, including Scottish wind energy, increased energy connectivity between England and Scotland and the planned increase in domestic nuclear power capacity in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22163/15]

Wind Energy Generation

Anne Ferris

1126. Deputy Anne Ferris asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will provide an update on his Department's knowledge about the progress of the Codling Windpark project; if this project still retains European Union common interest status; if so, the reason this is the case, in view of the lack of the necessary import-export plans to the United Kingdom; if the Codling proposal is still seeking support for interconnection via the Irish-Scottish Links on Energy Study; if the Government is supporting any of these initiatives in any way; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22164/15]

Rail Services Provision

Anne Ferris

1183. Deputy Anne Ferris asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will conduct a review of the Irish Rail ticketing system to ensure that all elderly and other vulnerable passengers who have purchased a ticket will be entitled to a seat during their journey, that all fare-paying passengers will be guaranteed a seat on inter-city journeys; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22292/15]

Export Controls

Anne Ferris

1202. Deputy Anne Ferris asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if she will provide a list of all export licences issued by the National Gallery of Ireland in each of the years from 2010 to 2014 and in 2015 date for paintings or other works of art in the ownership of the Alfred Beit Foundation, or were assets of the foundation at the time of the granting of any such licence; the names and positions of the authorising signatories on any such export licence; the regulatory process leading to the grant of any such licence; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22116/15]

Export Controls

Anne Ferris

1203. Deputy Anne Ferris asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if she will provide a list of all licences or other permits issued by her Department or by previous Departments with responsibility for arts or culture in each year since 2010 and for 2015 to date to enable the export of paintings or other works of art in the ownership of the Alfred Beit Foundation or that were in the ownership of the foundation at the time of the granting of any such licence; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22117/15]

Register of Cultural Objects

Anne Ferris

1204. Deputy Anne Ferris asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if any works of art owned by the Alfred Beit Foundation, have at any stage been entered on the national register of cultural objects; the dates of registration and removal from the register of individual paintings owned by the Alfred Beit Foundation; if the Head of A Bearded Man and Venus and Jupiter by Rubens, The Kermesse Scenes by David Teniers the Younger, Adoration of the Shepherd by Adriaen van Ostade, or any works by Francesco Guardi in the ownership of the Beit Foundation are or have been on the register; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22118/15]

Export Controls

Anne Ferris

1205. Deputy Anne Ferris asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if she granted an export licence to the Alfred Beit Foundation under section 4 of the Documents and Pictures (Regulation of Export) Act 1945; if so, the person who recommended the granting of such a licence; the administrative process leading to the granting of any State licence for export of art work by the Alfred Beit Foundation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22162/15]

Beit Collection

Anne Ferris

1062. Deputy Anne Ferris asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht notwithstanding the fact that the administration of the Beit Foundation, which owns and operates Russborough House, is a matter for the trustees and that her Department has no role in the direct administration of the trust, her views on whether she has, in fact, a role in the arts education of the beneficiaries of the trust, namely, the citizens of Ireland; in view of the fact that the stated charitable intention of this significant bequest is to further the education of fine arts, her views on the clear impact on the role of her Department of the loss to this country of significant assets from the Beit bequest; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20695/15]

Beit Collection

Anne Ferris

549. Deputy Anne Ferris asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if her attention has been drawn to the fact that the intended beneficiaries of the Alfred Beit Foundation are the citizens of Ireland, and that the trust was established with the charitable objective of education in fine arts, her views regarding the risk that further sale of trust assets could be contrary to achieving the overall public benefit objective of the trust; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19524/15]

Heritage Council

Anne Ferris

646. Deputy Anne Ferris asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht her views on the recent announcement that the Alfred Beit Foundation is to auction valuable artwork; if this artwork is part of the works left by the Beits, in trust for the cultural benefit of the Irish State; if other measures have been explored by her Department to fund necessary works at Russborough House in County Wicklow; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18653/15]

Planning Issues

Anne Ferris

538. Deputy Anne Ferris asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his plans to update the planning laws in line with Ireland's obligations towards informing communities as set out in the Aarhus Convention; the timeframe for realising such plans; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17506/15]

Wind Energy Guidelines

Anne Ferris

539. Deputy Anne Ferris asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the extent to which recent increases in the scale and capacity of onshore wind turbines has been considered in the ongoing review of departmental guidance in relation to the minimum siting distances of such turbines from domestic dwellings, schools and other sensitive receptors; the extent to which the national landscape strategy is being linked to same; the types of mitigating requirements being considered in relation to shadow flicker and noise; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17507/15]

IDA Supports

Anne Ferris

94. Deputy Anne Ferris asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if his attention has been drawn to tax or other incentives that a company (details supplied) may avail of by choosing to locate its data centre in County Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17089/15]

Traveller Community

Anne Ferris

375. Deputy Anne Ferris asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he has received an application for funding from Wicklow County Council under the Traveller equine pilot project 2015-16; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that local residents are opposed to this proposal; if he has examined and made a decision on the application; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15609/15]

Wildlife Conservation

Anne Ferris

708. Deputy Anne Ferris asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if she will provide an update on the conservation of the declining snipe bird species and the rare jack snipe species, particularly in the context of the Carrigower Bog in County Wicklow, a nationally important habitat for snipe and jack snipe; her views on any obligations in planning law to protect the habitats of these birds; any planned legislative improvements in this regard; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15387/15]

Mortgage Interest Rates

Anne Ferris

158. Deputy Anne Ferris asked the Minister for Finance his plans to empower the Central Bank of Ireland to cap or otherwise control, within a sustainable range, homeowner mortgage interest rates in view of the significantly high rates here compared with elsewhere in Europe, and the effect this is having on household budgets, new lending, the property market, consumer confidence and competitiveness; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14530/15]

Tax Code

Anne Ferris

159. Deputy Anne Ferris asked the Minister for Finance if the scheme of tax incentives for child care facilities promoted in the Finance Act 1999 left any obligation on crèche owners, who rent out the operation of the crèche, to ensure the continued use of the premises as a crèche and-or the non-application of prohibitively high rents; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14533/15]

Mortgage Arrears Proposals

Anne Ferris

160. Deputy Anne Ferris asked the Minister for Finance if the Central Bank of Ireland has reviewed the split-mortgage proposals offered by Allied Irish Banks and Bank of Ireland to struggling mortgage holders in arrears; if so, his views that this forces Bank of Ireland mortgage holders to enter split-mortgage agreements where the warehoused portion is accruing interest at 2.5% with no write-down whatsoever, while Allied Irish Banks offers a more realistic solution for dealing with the unrealistic debt burden; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14535/15]

Forestry Management

Anne Ferris

294. Deputy Anne Ferris asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will explain the policy of Coillte regarding the management of tree-felling operations in scenic areas of high ecotourism value, and the obligations of Coillte regarding planning permission, environmental impact assessment and appropriate assessment of protected habitats, particularly in relation to the Mullacor Mountain (details supplied) in Glendalough in County Wicklow; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14624/15]

Environmental Impact Statements

Anne Ferris

750. Deputy Anne Ferris asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government in view of the statutory and European Union requirement for the environmental impact statement for the Codling Park offshore wind farm to assess the visual impact of the development from the adjoining coastline, and in view of the fact that the adjoining planning authorities (details supplied) had no statutory role in formally assessing the developer's environmental impact statement and did not do so, if he will confirm the bodies represented on the marine licence vetting committee appointed to advise him that had responsibility and the necessary technical skills for assessing the visual impact of this large-scale development on the coast of County Wicklow; the name and professional qualification of the person or persons who carried out this important aspect of the assessment on behalf of the State; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14214/15]

Broadcasting Sector

Anne Ferris

834. Deputy Anne Ferris asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the measures in place, and planned measures, to encourage the development of home-grown Irish and Irish-language broadcast content, for both online and television media; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14101/15]

National Landscape Strategy

Anne Ferris

920. Deputy Anne Ferris asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the status and planned implementation schedule for the national landscape strategy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14734/15]

HIQA Investigations

Anne Ferris

436. Deputy Anne Ferris asked the Minister for Health in the interest of child protection, if his Department has sought to ensure the publication of the Health Information and Quality Authority report into the death of infants at Portlaoise hospital in County Laois; his views, from a child protection perspective, on the recent reports that the Health Service Executive is attempting to block such publication; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12758/15]

HIQA Investigations

Anne Ferris

443. Deputy Anne Ferris asked the Minister for Health his views on the independent status of the Health Information and Quality Authority; his further views on the importance of maintaining the independence of the authority in terms of maintaining public credibility in its effectiveness in reporting and in terms of the legal necessity to allow it sufficient autonomy to carry out its important oversight, auditing and reporting role without political interference or the existence or perception of institutional or other bias; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12757/15]

Pension Provisions

Anne Ferris

231. Deputy Anne Ferris asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the outcome of her discussions with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform on a pension plan for community employment supervisors; when officials involved will report back on this matter as the indicative date was January 2015; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11898/15]

Flood Relief Schemes

Anne Ferris

307. Deputy Anne Ferris asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the position regarding road restoration works at a location (details supplied) in County Wicklow; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11982/15]

Flood Relief Schemes

Anne Ferris

308. Deputy Anne Ferris asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the planned measures by the Office of Public Works to ensure that unsafe access to the River Dargle flood relief construction site by children is prevented; the measures in place by the office to inspect safety hazards at the site; the current line of responsibility for the statutory safety file for this project; if the safety statement for the works has been inspected and approved by the office; the safety audits which are carried out and by whom; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11983/15]

Flood Relief Schemes

Anne Ferris

309. Deputy Anne Ferris asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his plans to restore the People's Park in Bray, County Wicklow; when these works are due for completion; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11984/15]

Flood Relief Schemes

Anne Ferris

310. Deputy Anne Ferris asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if the Office of Public Works plans to conduct an audit of traffic movements, construction signage and general traffic and pedestrian safety in the vicinity of the River Dargle flood prevention construction site before work recommences in full; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11985/15]

Flood Relief Schemes

Anne Ferris

311. Deputy Anne Ferris asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his plans for the planting and seeding of disturbed river banks at La Vallee, Bray, County Wicklow; if the planting scheme will be open to public consultation as construction work in this area was not included in the environmental impact statement or planning application for the Dargle flood relief scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11986/15]

Northern Ireland

Anne Ferris

467. Deputy Anne Ferris asked the Minister for Justice and Equality her views on the known extent to which IRA kangaroo courts operated in this jurisdiction, both before and after the Good Friday Agreement; in view of the recent comments by the director of Foyle Women's Aid that such IRA kangaroo courts are still in operation in Northern Ireland, if An Garda Síochána is alert to the possibility of ongoing kangaroo courts operating in parts of this jurisdiction; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11466/15]

Foreshore Licence Applications

Anne Ferris

885. Deputy Anne Ferris asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the names and technical qualifications of individual technical experts who sat on the marine licence vetting committee that conducted the environmental impact assessment of the Codling Bank 1 foreshore licence, which was granted in 2005; if he is unwilling to name these persons, the reason given the existence of this committee in an administrative tribunal role similar to that of An Bord Pleanála and the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission whose members are known to the public; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11523/15]