Parliamentary questions

Single Payment Scheme Payments

Michael McCarthy

256. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason for the delay in issuing disadvantaged area and single farm payment in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57501/12]

Tax Rebates

Michael McCarthy

173. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Finance the qualification criteria for hauliers who wish to avail of the fuel rebate introduced in Budget 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56833/12]

Departmental Properties

Michael McCarthy

295. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation to explain the delay in proceeding with the planned transfer of a site from Cork County Council and the Industrial Development Authority (details supplied) in County Cork; when he expects the transfer to take place; the current status of the project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56643/12]

Student Grant Scheme Applications

Michael McCarthy

81. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Education and Skills the options open to a person (details supplied) in County Cork in terms of financial assistance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55857/12]

Installation Aid Scheme Applications

Michael McCarthy

201. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the position regarding the installation grant aid in respect of persons (details supplied) in County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55996/12]

Mortgage Interest Relief Application

Michael McCarthy

133. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Finance the position regarding a tax rebate claim in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55210/12]

Heritage Sites Issues

Michael McCarthy

211. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will provide a breakdown of the various Office of Public Works tourism and heritage sites in West Cork along with their corresponding footfall figures for the four quarters in 2011 and 2012 separately; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55119/12]

Agrifood Sector Issues

Michael McCarthy

379. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will he confirm the number of people employed in the agrifood sector here as of 1 December 2012; the percentage this is of the national employment figure; if he will provide a breakdown of those employed as of this date within the areas of primary production, food and beverage manufacturing, and other related activities; if this represents an increase or a decrease on the December 2011 figure; and if so, if he will specify by how much; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55207/12]

Agrifood Sector Issues

Michael McCarthy

380. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide a breakdown of the numbers of people per county who are employed by the agrifood sector as of 1 December 2012, including those working in primary production, food and beverage manufacturing, and other related activities; if he will provide comparative figures for 2010 and 2011; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55208/12]

Agrifood Sector Issues

Michael McCarthy

381. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will confirm the total amount of revenue the agrifood sector has contributed to the economy here so far this year; if he will quantify this percentage in terms of the overall amount contributed by the Irish manufacturing sector to the economy in 2012; if he will outline the percentage of Irish goods and services constituted by those produced by the agrifood industry; the percentage of exports by indigenous manufacturing industries that are from the agrifood industry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55209/12]

Agri-Environment Options Scheme Eligibility

Michael McCarthy

386. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the position regarding an agri-environment options scheme in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Donegal; when will same issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55267/12]

Medical Card Applications

Michael McCarthy

517. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Health the reason for the delay in renewing a medical card in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry;; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55539/12]

General Medical Services Scheme Administration

Michael McCarthy

518. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the further delay that has arisen in the primary care reimbursement service medical officer's department the reasons for same; the steps he will take to alleviate the problem; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55540/12]

Teacher Training Provision

Michael McCarthy

16. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will outline in tabular form the number of students per country who are currently attending teacher training colleges; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54630/12]

Single Payment Scheme Payments

Michael McCarthy

90. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a single farm payment will issue in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54665/12]

Lourdes Hospital Redress Scheme Extension

Michael McCarthy

111. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Health when a review undertaken by his Department on the case of the 35 Neary women who were excluded from the redress scheme in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda, County Louth, will be completed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54673/12]

Enterprise Support Services Provision

Michael McCarthy

115. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if the Industrial Development Agency can extend assistances to a local enterprise (details supplied) in view of the contribution it is making to the local economy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53437/12]

Garda Vetting of Personnel

Michael McCarthy

204. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Justice and Equality when a Garda clearance certificate will issue in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Cork; if this case will be expedited; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53643/12]

Agriculture Schemes Payments

Michael McCarthy

215. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will explain his budgetary position is on maintaining payment levels on the rural environmental option scheme and on the agri environment option scheme, disadvantaged areas and suckling cows; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53467/12]

Common Agricultural Policy Review

Michael McCarthy

216. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will explain his position in relation to a fully funded Common Agricultural Policy for Pillar 1 and Pillar 2; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53468/12]

Health Services Staff Issues

Michael McCarthy

245. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Health if there are any plans to establish a panel within the Health Service Executive for new graduates in the near future similar to the previous one which was set up in 2008; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53511/12]

Mental Health Services Provision

Michael McCarthy

256. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Health the position regarding the €35 million ring-fenced for community mental health teams; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53552/12]

Single Payment Scheme Applications

Michael McCarthy

201. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the position regarding a single farm payment in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53128/12]

Schools Building Projects Status

Michael McCarthy

319. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Education and Skills if funding has been sanctioned for a school (details supplied) in County Cork; the timeframe for the completion of the proposed project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52960/12]

Planning Issues

Michael McCarthy

471. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide an update on a planned review into Part V of the Planning and Development Act 2000 particularly in the context of possible changes to legislation which may affect shared ownership schemes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52403/12]

Rural Environment Protection Scheme Payments

Michael McCarthy

568. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when he will approve a REP scheme payment in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52402/12]

Criminal Law Review

Michael McCarthy

154. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Justice and Equality when he expects the Law Reform Commission to report back to him on their examinations into the difficulties with Section 10 of the Non-fatal Offences Against the Person Act 1997 in terms of demonstrating the need to demonstrate persistence in instances of harassment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51991/12]

Further Education and Training Programmes Provision

Michael McCarthy

84. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will explain the inspection and monitoring arrangements that are in place in establishments providing FETAC courses to ensure proper standards of course content and delivery; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51788/12]

Medical Card Reviews

Michael McCarthy

209. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Health the reason more than 7,000 medical card holders aged over 70 years in County Donegal were recently written to by the Health Service Executive and informed that their cases were being reviewed despite previous assurances that they would be renewed in 2015; the way he intends to address the concerns that have arisen from the situation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51784/12]

Mortgage Resolution Processes

Michael McCarthy

228. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Finance if he will advise on a mortgage situation in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Cork; the options available to the person concerned; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51478/12]

Local Government Reform

Michael McCarthy

449. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he intends to change Section 129 of the Local Government Act 2001 to facilitate the disbanding of the county development board in each local authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51178/12]

Local Government Reform

Michael McCarthy

450. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the powers that county managers have to amend or disband the following agencies which are structures or sub-structures of the county development boards, county childcare committees, joint policing committees and volunteer centres; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51179/12]

Household Charge Exemptions

Michael McCarthy

451. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if persons (details supplied) in County Cork are entitled to an exemption from the household charge; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51182/12]

Medical Card Eligibility

Michael McCarthy

599. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Health the reason a person (details supplied) in County Kerry who was deemed to be within the guidelines for a general practitioner visit card has been refused same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51176/12]

Special Educational Needs Services Provision

Michael McCarthy

626. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Health the way he intends to ensure that plans by the Health Service Executive to reconfigure therapy resources such as speech therapy, occupational therapy, and physiotherapy into geographic-based teams will not adversely affect children in special schools in view of the fact that it means that therapists in special schools will now have to travel to mainstream schools; if he will address concerns that this will lead to a reduction in the level of service to children in special schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51470/12]

Milk Quota Applications

Michael McCarthy

523. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will review the latest decision regarding an application for extra capacity on their milk quota in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49400/12]

Single Payment Scheme Transfers

Michael McCarthy

525. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if there is an alternative method by which a person can transfer single payment entitlements under the 2011 scheme year (details supplied) following correspondence from his Department on the matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49427/12]

Fishing Industry Development

Michael McCarthy

534. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason a fisherman's group in west Cork (details supplied) has been unsuccessful in a number of grant applications in recent times; the way this situation can be improved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49556/12]

Medical Card Delays

Michael McCarthy

599. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Health the reason for the delay in processing a medical card application in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49521/12]

Third Level Courses Availability

Michael McCarthy

83. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Education and Skills his position on a recommendation within the recent Higher Education Authority report to remove home economics initial teacher education from a campus (details supplied) in County Sligo and to relocate to NUI Galway campus; if his attention has been drawn to the concerns of education providers at the campus regarding this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48889/12]

Third Level Staff Deployment

Michael McCarthy

295. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will outline his position in relation to a personnel situation at a third-level institution (details supplied) in County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47484/12]

Special Educational Needs Services Provision

Michael McCarthy

357. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will clarify comments made by the National Council for Special Educational Needs in recent days in which it claimed that the hiring of 10,300 special needs assistants this year, instead of the 10,575 which were budgeted to be hired, was due to a lack of demand, if this position will be reviewed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48303/12]

Flood Prevention Measures

Michael McCarthy

400. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will provide an update on plans for dredging works at Rathbarry river, West Cork; if he will provide a timeline for the project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47685/12]

Registration of Title

Michael McCarthy

815. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Justice and Equality his views on a situation relating to the charging of fees under right-of-way registration regulations as laid down by the new Land and Conveyancing Act; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48366/12]

Ambulance Service Provision

Michael McCarthy

249. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Health his views on a health Service Executive position which requires Community First Responder volunteers in an area of west Cork to pay a €30 fee for inoculation purposes in order to meet the Health Information and Quality Authority standards being imposed on the National Ambulance Service; if his attention has been drawn to the costs that one west Cork CFR group (details supplied) will be expected to meet as a result of this requirement; his views on whether this is acceptable in view of the volunteering dimension of the work involved; if he will engage with the HSE to examine whether a less costly solution is available to volunteers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47112/12]

Naturalisation Applications

Michael McCarthy

184. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the reason an application for naturalisation has not yet been decided upon in respect of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46578/12]

Driver Licences

Michael McCarthy

121. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to the situation whereby a person holding an Australian licence with approved truck and bus categories can drive legally here but there is no similar cover for Irish licence holders in Australia; if his further attention has been drawn to the inconvenience it is causing to Irish citizens in Australia in that they face having to sit a second driving test; his views on whether this is acceptable; if it is possible for him to liaise with the Australian Transport Ministry with a view to putting a reciprocal agreement in place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46475/12]

Flood Relief Schemes Applications

Michael McCarthy

122. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Finance if he will establish a national insurance scheme to provide cover for those persons who are most in need following the repeated flooding in Clonakilty, County Cork, over the past few months, in view of the fact that millions of euros of damages was caused to both business and residential properties, and that private insurance was unavailable to many affected; if his attention has been drawn to difficulties Clonakilty faces in view of the flooding in terms of commerce, sustainable employment and its tourism reputation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45889/12]

Budget Submissions

Michael McCarthy

144. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Finance the number of political parties in opposition that asked his Department to cost their pre-budget proposals and or their policies in respect of Budget 2012; if he will name the parties in question; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45864/12]

Student Grant Scheme Eligibility

Michael McCarthy

225. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the difficulties caused by changes made to adjacent and non-adjacent rates of third level grants for some students in areas such as west Cork; his views on a system that awards the grant on a more graduated basis relative to distance from university; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45944/12]