Parliamentary questions

Household Benefits

Dessie Ellis

99. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Social Protection when her Department and the Department of the Environment and Local Government will report on the housing assistance reform, in particular on the introduction of the new housing assistance payment; and if the detail of the report will be made available to Members of the Oireachtas in advance of Budget 2013. [44567/12]

NAMA Staff Qualifications

Dessie Ellis

192. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Finance his plans to appoint a National Assets Management Agency board member with experience in social housing and community development as allowed for in the National Assets Management Agency Act 2009; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44352/12]

Social and Affordable Housing Provision

Dessie Ellis

407. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide a breakdown of the new 3,800 units identified for social housing use on the basis of the responsible local authority. [44312/12]

Social and Affordable Housing Provision

Dessie Ellis

408. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the properties that are currently on offer for leasing to approved housing bodies; and if he will specify which units are now occupied or in the process of being occupied. [44313/12]

EU Funding

Dessie Ellis

734. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the applications for Ten-T funding he has made or plans to make, and for which projects. [44832/12]

Gas and Electricity Disconnections

Dessie Ellis

22. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Communications; Energy and Natural Resources if he will confirm the ratio of rising fuel costs to the increase in electricity prices this year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43725/12]

Pilot Training Courses

Dessie Ellis

259. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Transport; Tourism and Sport if his attention has been drawn to the lodging of registration papers for a pilot training college (details supplied) operating out of the same address as Pilot Training College Ireland Ltd which closed recently leaving many students stranded in Florida, USA having paid very large tuitions; if this in fact the same company under another name; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43569/12]

School Evaluations

Dessie Ellis

111. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on the School Self Evaluation Guidelines which are supposed to be in place to facilitate the planning and improvement of schools here; and the reason these guidelines have not yet been implemented. [43099/12]

Schools Recognition

Dessie Ellis

115. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will confirm that a school (details supplied) in Dublin is continuing the practice of asking parents to pay an annual voluntary contribution in excess of €3,000 despite the school securing permanent recognition from his Department in 2005; if he will provide details of other schools in a similar position that are asking parents to make an annual voluntary contribution in excess of €200. [43100/12]

Broadcasting Service Provision

Dessie Ellis

393. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Communications; Energy and Natural Resources the efforts he will make to see that Saorview packages will start to include Oireachtas TV as standard. [43167/12]

Supported Residential Accommodation Provision

Dessie Ellis

414. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for the Environment; Community and Local Government the number of long term supported residential accommodation units that have been opened since he took office; and his plans for further works. [42803/12]

Homelessness Strategy

Dessie Ellis

415. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for the Environment; Community and Local Government the work he is undertaking to implement the housing first model here; his plans to adapt the original model to the Irish context and if he will give details of any research his Department or others have undertaken to ascertain its effectiveness. [42804/12]

Voluntary Housing Sector

Dessie Ellis

423. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for the Environment; Community and Local Government the number of houses in the approved housing body sector; if the Housing Finance Agency provides mortgages before the balance sheet security of that sector is exhausted; and if lower than his expounds, the way that he will make up the shortfall. [42953/12]

Voluntary Housing Sector

Dessie Ellis

424. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for the Environment; Community and Local Government the risk responses that the Housing Finance Agency has prepared to secure the approved housing body sector against losses and their consequent failure to meet the stringent requirements of the Charities Act. [42954/12]

Housing Regeneration

Dessie Ellis

425. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for the Environment; Community and Local Government the reason for the delay in the funding application for the regeneration of an area (details supplied) and if he will commit to seeing the funding on stream as soon as possible. [42990/12]

Local Authority Housing Mortgages

Dessie Ellis

427. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for the Environment; Community and Local Government the action he is taking to ensure that local authorities pass on cuts to mortgages interest rates to their mortgage holders. [43048/12]

Local Authority Housing Maintenance

Dessie Ellis

435. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for the Environment; Community and Local Government if the funding for works at a location (details supplied) in County Wicklow has been specifically targeted for a particular type of work; or if it is at the council's discretion to use the funds for whatever works it deems necessary to the housing in this area. [43455/12]

Public Transport Provision

Dessie Ellis

706. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Transport; Tourism and Sport his views on the removal of all six buses from a village (details supplied) in County Mayo; [42989/12]

Budget 2012

Dessie Ellis

34. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Finance the plans, if any, he has to conduct and publish an analysis of the net employment effects of the measures taken in Budget 2012; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42277/12]

Budget 2012

Dessie Ellis

66. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Finance the plans, if any, he has to conduct and publish analysis of the net effect on gross domestic product and gross national product of the measures taken in Budget 2012; the plans the Government has to conduct and publish any analysis of the output effects; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42278/12]

Caiteachas Ranna

Dessie Ellis

23. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Dessie Ellis den Aire Ealaíon; Oidhreachta agus Gaeltachta an dtabharfaidh sé tuairisc ar chaiteachas a Roinne go dáta agus é a chur i gcomparáid leis an mbuiséad a leagadh amach don bhliain. [41977/12]

Traveller Culture

Dessie Ellis

42. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Arts; Heritage and the Gaeltacht his plans to ensure that the culture of the travelling community is preserved and valued; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42032/12]

Regeneration Projects Status

Dessie Ellis

148. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for the Environment; Community and Local Government if he will give a timeline for the demolition of the remaining units at a location (details supplied) in Dublin 9. [42089/12]

Credit Guarantee Scheme Implementation

Dessie Ellis

79. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Jobs; Enterprise and Innovation when the credit guarantee scheme will be operational. [41614/12]

Retail Sector Issues

Dessie Ellis

81. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Jobs; Enterprise and Innovation in view of the continued concerns regarding employment in the retail sector, the steps or proposals that are under active consideration by him to address the issue of rigid costs. [41613/12]

Local Authority Housing Maintenance

Dessie Ellis

365. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for the Environment; Community and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the promised funding for upgrade works at a location (details supplied); the amount he has given through internal capital receipts for this work; if he will provide an outline of the project including the works to be carried out; if houses bought from the council will be included; and the timeframe for completion of same. [41400/12]

Local Authority Housing Maintenance

Dessie Ellis

366. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for the Environment; Community and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the fire audit carried out at a location (details supplied); and the way the finding of the audit will affect plans for upgrade work to be carried out by the council. [41401/12]

Water and Sewerage Schemes Status

Dessie Ellis

375. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for the Environment; Community and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the findings of the steering group formed by Longford County Council and the Health Service Executive to investigate issues related to deficient private sewerage networks and sewerage gas ventilation systems in an area (details supplied) in County Longford; the explosions they investigated which happened on 15 march 2012; the recommendations made by this steering group into keeping the site safe for persons who live there and the assistance he plans to give the local authorities and the persons living on the estate to rectify the problems which are a threat to health. [41720/12]

Water and Sewerage Schemes Status

Dessie Ellis

376. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for the Environment; Community and Local Government his plans to grant emergency funding to Longford County Council in order to deal with the unfinished housing (details supplied) in County Longford. [41721/12]

Water and Sewerage Schemes Status

Dessie Ellis

377. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for the Environment; Community and Local Government his plans to set up an investigation into the planning procedure which resulted in the development of an area (details supplied) in County Longford which has serious issues with sewerage and sewerage gas systems which might have resulted in an explosion on the estate on 15 March 2012. [41722/12]

Taxi Regulations

Dessie Ellis

593. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Transport; Tourism and Sport the measures he is planning to help taxi drivers who have a car older than three years but at present cannot afford to buy a less than three year old car in advance of the ending of transferability of licences in January and will then lose what was a family business such as a person (details supplied). [41292/12]

Primary Care Centres Provision

Dessie Ellis

26. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Health if he has an up-to-date-cost-benefit analysis of the development of primary care centres by means of public-private partnership as against development by the Health Service Executive directly; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40986/12]

Primary Care Centres Provision

Dessie Ellis

66. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Health the position regarding the development of primary care centres; the locations chosen to commence development; the criteria used for choosing priority locations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40985/12]

Negative Equity Mortgages Numbers

Dessie Ellis

118. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for the Environment; Community and Local Government the measures he will implement to help those who are in negative equity on shared ownership mortgages for properties which are no longer suitable to their family needs (details supplied). [41055/12]

Negative Equity Mortgages Numbers

Dessie Ellis

119. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for the Environment; Community and Local Government his plans to help those who because of the low level of repayment and increasing rent levels want to buy out their shared ownership mortgage to get credit either from local authorities or other bodies or funds. [41056/12]

Child Care Services Provision

Dessie Ellis

9. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will provide an update on the development of the Inter-Jurisdictional protocol for the transfer of child care cases between this State and the North of Ireland. [40710/12]

Disability Allowance Appeals

Dessie Ellis

259. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Social Protection if a decision as been reached in the appeal against a decision to stop disability payments in respect of a person (details supplied) [40701/12]

Farm Assist Scheme Appeals

Dessie Ellis

260. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding an appeal for farm assist in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Wicklow; and if she will outline any other entitlements they may have and if they qualify for jobbridge. [40702/12]

Household Charge Exemptions

Dessie Ellis

287. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for the Environment; Community and Local Government if he will outline the reason an area (details supplied) was not designated for a household charge waiver by the county council despite being determined to be a category three estate. [40357/12]

Housing Statistics

Dessie Ellis

297. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for the Environment; Community and Local Government the number of dependents listed on applications for social housing in the State broken down by local authority. [40605/12]

International Agreements

Dessie Ellis

46. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Justice and Equality his views on endorsing the Vienna declaration on drug policy, the official declaration of the XVIII International AIDS Conference - Aids 2010 - which was held in Vienna, Austria, from 18 to 23 July 2010. [39339/12]

Pyrite Panel Report Implementation

Dessie Ellis

38. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for the Environment; Community and Local Government the position regarding the progress made on the implementation of the recommendations of the Pyrite report and any other work being undertaken to resolve the issue. [39326/12]

Local Authority Housing Bonds

Dessie Ellis

64. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his plans to work with the other relevant Departments to put in place a model for housing bonds as promised in the Programme for Government. [39063/12]

Local Authority Housing Provision

Dessie Ellis

81. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the fact that Dublin City Council has been repossessing shared ownership homes which were in arrears and instead of placing them back into the housing stock are leasing the properties on three to four year contracts. [39064/12]

Hospital Services

Dessie Ellis

1816. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Health his plans to cut funding for Connolly Hospital in Blanchardstown, Dublin, over the next 12 months; the cuts that he envisages; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39053/12]

Taxi Regulations

Dessie Ellis

1879. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Transport; Tourism and Sport if his attention has been drawn to the fact that taxi drivers renewing their licence are being stopped from working for extended periods due to delays in producing the new licence despite already having confirmed Garda clearance and received a receipt for payment from the National Transport Authority. [37234/12]

Taxi Regulations

Dessie Ellis

1880. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Transport; Tourism and Sport if his attention has been drawn to the fact that taxi drivers renewing their licence are being told by the National Transport Authority that the Carriage Office will give them documentation clearing them to drive while their new licence is being produced despite the fact that the Carriage Office deny this practice. [37235/12]

Rent Supplement Scheme

Dessie Ellis

366 Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Social Protection the current cost of rent supplement to the State; and if she will provide a breakdown by local authority.
[36176/12]

Household Charge

Dessie Ellis

470 Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the cost to the State of the household charge phoneline service and any other costs accrued in promoting the charge or seeking payment such as advertising billboards.
[36088/12]

Household Charge

Dessie Ellis

507 Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the cost to the state of the household charge phoneline service and any other costs accrued in promoting the charge or seeking payment such as advertising billboards.
[36390/12]