Parliamentary questions

Local Authority Services

Seán Kyne

391. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for the Environment; Community and Local Government if he will report on the progress of the Keeping Communities Safe document, the publication of which local authorities have indicated is necessary as it will inform local fire safety strategies. [41986/12]

Septic Tank Registration Scheme

Seán Kyne

402. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for the Environment; Community and Local Government the number of private residential septic tanks, if any, that were grant funded or aided by his Department in the period 2007 and 2011 in order to comply with Environment Protection Agency guidelines from 2006 and 2009; and his views on the demands from some to provide 100% funding for the same in the future. [42075/12]

Crime Prevention

Seán Kyne

435. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Justice and Equality his views on the concerns of persons in rural locations such as Connemara, County Galway, regarding the effectiveness of An Garda Síochána at crime prevention and the upholding of the law and public order in the face of possible closure of rural Garda stations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41982/12]

Courts Service Issues

Seán Kyne

436. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Justice and Equality his views on the fact that irrespective of the reconfiguration or rearrangement of Court Service facilities that court proceedings through the medium of Irish must continue to be available to residents of Gaeltacht areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41984/12]

Garda Divisional Headquarters

Seán Kyne

437. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the time-frame for the development of the new Garda Divisional Headquarters in Galway as announced in the recent stimulus plan. [41992/12]

Aquaculture Licences Applications

Seán Kyne

479. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Agriculture; Food and the Marine if he will provide an update on the licensing of salmon farming off the Aran Islands in Galway bay; if his attention has been drawn to the possible threats to wild fish stocks due to possible disease or sea lice emanating from these farms. [41983/12]

Departmental Offices

Seán Kyne

480. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Agriculture; Food and the Marine if he will confirm the plans to relocate the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, AES, veterinary office from Dockgate buildings in County Galway; the timeline for relocation and the new locations under consideration. [41985/12]

Live Exports

Seán Kyne

481. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Agriculture; Food and the Marine if he has engaged in discussions with Egypt and Libya and the Lebanon on the issue of live cattle exports. [41990/12]

Inter-Country Adoptions

Seán Kyne

504. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the progress made to date regarding the bilateral agreement with Russia on the issue of adoptions. [41988/12]

Tax Code

Seán Kyne

130. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Finance if consideration will be given, in view of the increased challenges a person with a disability faces to obtain employment, to the extension of the revenue job assist tax allowance into a more long term tax allowance which would support persons with a disability in employment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40631/12]

Institutes of Technology Issues

Seán Kyne

156. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on the strategic partnership recently formed by Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology, Letterkenny Institute of Technology and the Institute of Technology Sligo as an attempt to achieve technological university status. [40626/12]

Bullying in Schools

Seán Kyne

157. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Education and Skills if consideration will be given to the offer from the anti bullying campaign to provide training in combatting and preventing bullying to teachers and school staff free of charge; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40627/12]

Student Support Schemes Issues

Seán Kyne

158. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the budgetary amount allocated to the student assistance fund which provides emergency financial support to students in order that they can continue their studies will be maintained this year. [40628/12]

Mortgage Resolution Processes

Seán Kyne

257. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Social Protection the rationale for the exclusion of independent financial brokers who are regulated by the Central Bank and operate to a high standard from taking part in the advisory service for persons experiencing mortgage difficulties. [40625/12]

Sick Pay Scheme Expenditure

Seán Kyne

258. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Social Protection if a regulatory impact analysis has been or will be conducted on the sick pay proposals which she is considering on account of the uncertainty the proposals have created and the negative effects such proposals could have on job retention. [40633/12]

Renewable Energy Generation Issues

Seán Kyne

273. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Communications; Energy and Natural Resources if he will provide an update on the analysis undertaken by his Department and the Sustainable Energy Authority; and if this analysis will be published. [40629/12]

Hydraulic Fracturing Policy

Seán Kyne

274. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Communications; Energy and Natural Resources if he will provide an update in the Environmental Protection Agency research taking place into the practice of hydraulic fracking; when this research will be completed; and if he will provide assurances that no authorisations for fracking will be granted without comprehensive research on its effects as well as a full public consultation process in the area concerned. [40630/12]

Broadcasting Sector Regulation

Seán Kyne

275. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Communications; Energy and Natural Resources if, in view of the digital dividend which will arise from the cessation of the analogue TV signals and the freeing up of the radio spectrum between 790 MHZ and 862 MHZ, his views on the progress of the auction of this infrastructure; and if he will provide assurances, notwithstanding the statutory function of ComReg in this area, that the dividend will benefit homes and businesses in rural as well as urban areas as outlined in the Programme for Government. [40632/12]

Social Welfare Code

Seán Kyne

401 Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Social Protection if there are plans to add flexibility to the qualification criteria of social welfare schemes such as the jobseeker’s schemes and the family income supplement which would take into the account the changes which have occurred in the Irish workplace which have resulted in less predictable standard working hours, for example a teacher employed on a half-week contract but required to teach over several days and hence ineligible for a payment such as casual jobseeker’s allowance.
[36708/12]

Hospital Staff

Seán Kyne

708 Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Health about his views that hospital consultant salary levels are out of line with our European neighbours; and his plans to reform this area of expenditure in view of the reform remit of his Department.
[36440/12]

Hospital Staff

Seán Kyne

778 Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Health if, in the context of the State’s financial position and the remuneration rates in other European states, there are plans to renegotiate the contracts of hospital consultants which would generate savings to the Exchequer but also permit the recruitment of additional consultants, thereby reducing patient waiting times.
[36596/12]

Irish Language

Seán Kyne

183 Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Education and Skills if there are any plans to review the teaching of Irish at secondary level; if consideration will be given to the development of a new subject which would place a greater emphasis on the acquisition of conversational skills; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[35384/12]

Proposed Legislation

Seán Kyne

612 Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will provide an update on the progress of the new mental capacity legislation; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[35386/12]

Single Payment Scheme

Seán Kyne

652 Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason a request has issued to a person (details supplied) in County Galway to refund part of their 2011 single farm payment; the way this amount was calculated and which specific parcels of land his Department have deemed unfarmable; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[34585/12]

Child Care Services

Seán Kyne

714 Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will outline the practice and frequency of the inspections of child care facilities across the country to ensure adherence to best practice standards.
[35385/12]

Departmental Properties

Seán Kyne

108 Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Finance the schedule for the vacating of the Central Bank of Ireland on Dame Street, Dublin; and if members of the public will be afforded the opportunity to contribute suggestions on the future possible uses for this building.
[33639/12]

Departmental Reports

Seán Kyne

134 Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Finance if he will report on the progress made in implementing those recommendations categorised as immediate, short and medium term of the Advisory Group for Small Business Report entitled The Voice of Small Business for which he has been designated as having lead responsibility.
[33644/12]

Departmental Functions

Seán Kyne

135 Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Finance if the recommendation of the Deloitte report into the €3.6 billion accounting error to transfer sole responsibility for the compilation of statistics and information on the Government deficit to the Central Statistics Office will be implemented; and, if so, if a timescale will be indicated.
[33647/12]

Bullying in Schools

Seán Kyne

182 Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to introduce statutory provisions to require the preparation and operation of safe schools programmes to combat bullying in schools and educational facilities in a holistic and community-centred approach; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[33637/12]

Departmental Bodies

Seán Kyne

206 Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if he will report on the progress made in implementing those recommendations categorised as immediate, short and medium term of the Small Advisory Group’s Report entitled The Voice of Small Business for which he has been designated as having lead responsibility.
[33641/12]

Skills Development

Seán Kyne

207 Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the procedures in place to ensure cross-departmental co-operation for the filling of strategically important vacancies at companies in highly globalised and competitive industries when such companies have encountered clear difficulties in sourcing Irish and EU citizens with the requisite skills.
[33646/12]

Water Services

Seán Kyne

335 Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the position regarding the report on the establishment of Irish Water.
[33638/12]

Local Government Reform

Seán Kyne

336 Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will report on the progress of implementing those recommendations categorised as immediate, short and medium term of the small advisory group’s report entitled The Voice of Small Business for which he has been designated as having lead responsibility.
[33643/12]

Small and Medium Enterprises

Seán Kyne

389 Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will report on the progress made in implementing those recommendations categorised as immediate, short and medium term of the small advisory group’s report entitled The Voice of Small Business for which he has been designated as having lead responsibility.
[33642/12]

Health Service Staff

Seán Kyne

531 Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Health if consideration will be given to amending the Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005 to include creative arts therapists on the list of recognised professionals in view of the fact that such an eventuality would enhance client safety and welfare while also recognising the benefits of arts therapies.
[33636/12]

Water Fluoridation

Seán Kyne

532 Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Health if in view of the growing scientific doubt as to the benefit of fluoridation of public water supplies and in recognition that Ireland is one of last remaining countries in Europe not to have discontinued this practice, he will exit the current three year minimum contract for water fluoridation when the opportunity to do so arises in November 2012.
[33640/12]

Local Government Charges

Seán Kyne

173 Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will confirm that the non principal private residence fee is applicable to persons who own only one private dwelling but who have had to relocate to a different area of the country in order to obtain employment and as a result are living in private rented accommodation; and if the NPPR is applicable, that steps will be taken to end this unfair anomaly brought about by the current employment market situation.
[32611/12]

Sports Capital Programme

Seán Kyne

110 Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Transport; Tourism and Sport if he will outline the number of applications received under the sports capital programme; the total value of the applications and the expected timeline for deciding on applications. [31913/12]

Public Transport

Seán Kyne

147 Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide an update on the progress of the National Transport Authority’s review of the public service obligation bus contracts system.
[31912/12]

School Management

Seán Kyne

209 Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Finance if he will outline the rationale for the changes in section 20 of the Finance Act 2011 relating specifically to school principals and boards of management of schools now acting as principal contractor on school building projects; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[32500/12]

School Management

Seán Kyne

210 Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Finance if any, additional supports and or resources are being made available to school principals and school boards of management in relation to section 20 of the Finance Act 2011 which has added an administrative burden as school principals and school boards of management now need to contact revenue in relation to any school building projects, schools now need to register for VAT with revenue, and schools now need to liaise on a constant basis with revenue on school building projects; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[32501/12]

EU Funding

Seán Kyne

278 Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform in the context of the new focus of the structural fund elements of the EU multi-annual financial framework which favours supporting transnational programmes across multiple member states, the efforts being taken to ensure that Ireland is not precluded from the benefits of such funding on account of our geographical status.
[32499/12]

Broadcasting Services

Seán Kyne

419 Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will outline his plans for the analogue telecommunications spectrum which are due to become available in October and which have the potential to transform broadband internet provision across the country.
[32429/12]

Organ Donation

Seán Kyne

678 Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Health if consideration will be given, in the context of the introduction of a new driving licence format, to altering the current organ donation policy from opt in to opt out; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[32430/12]

Driving Licences

Seán Kyne

738 Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if consideration will be given, in the context of the introduction of a new driving licence format, to altering the current organ donation policy from opt in to opt out; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[32427/12]

Driving Licences

Seán Kyne

739 Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if consideration will be given, in the context of the introduction of a new driving licence format, to altering the current organ donation policy from opt in to opt out; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[32431/12]