Parliamentary questions

Housing Assistance Payments Administration

John Browne

619. Deputy John Browne asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if there is a statutory or indicative timescale for notification to a landlord of any problem in a tenancy supported by the housing assistance payment, whether through differential rent being unpaid or any other problem; the rationale in the legislation for the housing assistance payment to be paid in arrears, rather than in advance, as is normal in the private rental sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48415/14]

Pensions Legislation

John Browne

180. Deputy John Browne asked the Minister for Finance if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the current Revenue Commissioners rules regarding pension schemes allow a married couple where both are employed outside the home to accrue total pension benefits of €4 million, whereas a married couple where only one spouse is working outside the home can only accumulate funds of €2 million; his views on an EU survey showing that the pensions gender gap is 35% and the way this discrimination meets the commitment in the statement of Government priorities 2014-2016 to address the gender gap in pensions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47155/14]

Water Quality

John Browne

229. Deputy John Browne asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the efforts his Department is making to prevent the pollution of our fishing lakes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44004/14]

Food Safety Authority of Ireland Investigations

John Browne

385. Deputy John Browne asked the Minister for Health the efforts his Department is making to investigate the health implications of aspartame in our drinks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44003/14]

Water Services Provision

John Browne

488. Deputy John Browne asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the total estimated costs of abolishing Irish Water. [42835/14]

Water Services Provision

John Browne

489. Deputy John Browne asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his views on a future referendum on an amendment to the Constitution to prevent the privatisation of Irish Water. [42836/14]

Irish Water Administration

John Browne

490. Deputy John Browne asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the number of outstanding contracts with outside companies currently entered into by Irish Water; the companies involved; the expiry date of these contracts; and their overall monetary value. [42837/14]

Irish Water Expenditure

John Browne

491. Deputy John Browne asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide a detailed breakdown of the start-up costs of Irish Water broken down by section of expenditure. [42838/14]

Pension Provisions

John Browne

69. Deputy John Browne asked the Minister for Finance his views on the funding ability of a non-pension scheme member spouse who, pursuant to a pension adjustment order in divorce or separation cases, has pension benefits transferred to a spouse which are still deemed to be part of the pension assets of the original owner, given that a threshold of €2 million applies before punitive rates of tax apply and therefore is a de facto limit on pensions; his further views on a pension adjustment order which transfers benefit worth €2 million to the non-member, which effectively means that the member spouse has no allowance left to provide for a new family as the non-member spouse would have both the €2 million pension benefit and a €2 million allowance available to provide for their family; if he views this as contrary to the principle of equal treatment for both old and new families; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42666/14]

Aquaculture Licences

John Browne

107. Deputy John Browne asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of aquaculture licences fully granted or determined by him in 2014 versus the targets he set for determinations at the beginning of the year; the reasons for any shortfall; where the bottlenecks still exist in dealing with the backlog of processing aquaculture licences; the agency responsible for any delays in processing determinations and the solutions being put in place to deal with the problem; if the agency causing the problem is one under his control or the responsibility of another Department; if it is outside of his remit, the steps he has taken with the Department involved to resolve the issue; the list of bays and number of aquaculture licence determinations which he committed to achieve during a speech at the recent national shellfish conference organised by the IFA; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42687/14]

Pension Provisions

John Browne

366. Deputy John Browne asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if a member of the non-established State employees scheme who will be 64 years of age in December, and who has total reckonable service of 18 years and 310 days spread over several periods in various Government Departments, is eligible to claim preserved pension benefit in advance of age 65 under the actuarially reduced benefit scheme; the method of application whether now or at age 65; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41301/14]

Nursing Homes Support Scheme Administration

John Browne

646. Deputy John Browne asked the Minister for Health his plans to improve the waiting list times for approval of funding for the fair deal scheme for persons awaiting funding and suffering from ill-health as County Wexford applicants are forced to wait at least 15 weeks for approval for funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41294/14]

Generic Drugs Substitution

John Browne

446. Deputy John Browne asked the Minister for Health the proportion of medicines sold here that are generics; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40270/14]

Health Services Expenditure

John Browne

182. Deputy John Browne asked the Minister for Health the amount that has been saved since this Government came to power in each of the following areas; savings on the State's drug budget; Health Service Executive payroll; hospital consultants pay; HSE procurement that is procurement other than non-pay procurement and non-core pay expenditure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39735/14]

Mortgage Arrears Report Implementation

John Browne

171. Deputy John Browne asked the Minister for Finance if he will provide the breakdown of appeal categories in the independent Office of the Financial Services Ombudsman in respect of the number and percentage relating to code of conduct on mortgage arrears or mortgage arrears resolution process complaints, insurance companies, and so on in the period 2011 to 2014; if he will also provide the number of appeals and the equivalent percentage of each appeal category where the finding was upheld, partly upheld or not upheld; his views on the mediation option applying to the Financial Services Ombudsman not being accepted by financial institutions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37986/14]

Civil Registration Legislation

John Browne

60. Deputy John Browne asked the Minister for Finance if dowries are legal here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37448/14]

Rent Supplement Scheme Administration

John Browne

150. Deputy John Browne asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the reason the views of landlords are not represented in her departmental review examining maximum rent limits for rent supplement on the same basis as tenants' views are taken account of through certain representative bodies; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36763/14]

Property Tax Application

John Browne

198. Deputy John Browne asked the Minister for Finance if section 97(2) of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997, where it refers to services rendered to a tenant, should apply in the case of local property tax and any other local charges which may be introduced in the future, as such services are for the benefit of tenants and not landlords; the difference between local property tax and payment of local authority rates in the same section of the Act, particularly as local authorities now have the power to vary the local property tax rate; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36893/14]

Proposed Legislation

John Browne

277. Deputy John Browne asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if the proposed mediation Bill will have any relevance either to insolvency legislation or in the context of mediation being refused in appeals to the Financial Services Ombudsman; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36548/14]

EU Directives

John Browne

287. Deputy John Browne asked the Minister for Finance the way the EU directive on agreements for consumers relating to residential immovable property is to be transposed into Irish law; the timescale for this to happen; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34274/14]

Tax Code

John Browne

325. Deputy John Browne asked the Minister for Finance if he will expedite the facilitation of a stamp duty arrears resolution (details supplied) in County Wexford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34734/14]

Domiciliary Care Allowance Applications

John Browne

393. Deputy John Browne asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection when an application for domiciliary care allowance will be approved in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Wexford. [31379/14]

Carer's Allowance Applications

John Browne

407. Deputy John Browne asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection when an application for carer's allowance will be approved in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Wexford. [31600/14]

Tax Reliefs Eligibility

John Browne

48. Deputy John Browne asked the Minister for Finance if, where graduate entry medicine students have to pay the cost of fees and therefore take out student loans, these loan repayments are tax deductible; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30519/14]

Schools Complaints Procedures

John Browne

84. Deputy John Browne asked the Minister for Education and Skills the action his Department is taking to resolve a major dispute in a primary school (details supplied) in County Wexford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29981/14]

Fisheries Protection

John Browne

296. Deputy John Browne asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the reason the fishermen on the River Barrow have yet to be allowed to return to their fishing while the other two rivers, the Nore and Suir are opened sporadically and the nine persons affected by the ban on fishing would like the order rescinded; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30028/14]

Fisheries Protection

John Browne

300. Deputy John Browne asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources when fishing will be allowed at the Waterford estuary rivers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29982/14]

Drugs Payment Scheme Coverage

John Browne

415. Deputy John Browne asked the Minister for Health if he will seek to have the Health Service Executive and Biogen reach an agreement regarding making the drug Fampyra available for patients suffering from multiple sclerosis under the community drugs scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29984/14]

Schools Building Projects Status

John Browne

297. Deputy John Browne asked the Minister for Education and Skills when the new proposed primary school for New Ross town will proceed to construction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29872/14]

Hospital Appointment Delays

John Browne

787. Deputy John Browne asked the Minister for Health if he will arrange to have a person (details supplied) in County Wexford, who is in severe pain, dealt with as a matter of urgency by the Health Service Executive. [29869/14]

Consumer Protection

John Browne

41. Deputy John Browne asked the Minister for Finance if he will confirm the particular consumer codes applying to buy-to-let mortgages for personal investment as distinct from buy-to-let mortgages attached directly or indirectly to trading entities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28777/14]

Tax Reliefs Cost

John Browne

42. Deputy John Browne asked the Minister for Finance the total expenses claimed against tax by private landlords, excluding loan interest payments; if he will break down the list under common headings, such as refurbishment-maintenance, furnishings, insurance, management costs, agents letting fees, wear and tear capital allowances, accounting, advertising or any similar break down; the percentage and or number of landlords who have recorded a net loss and a similar listing of those who recorded a net profit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28779/14]

Rent Supplement Scheme Payments

John Browne

222. Deputy John Browne asked the Minister for Social Protection the way payment will apply for rent supplement after the roll-out of the housing assistance payment in regard to paying the recipient or the landlord; her views on the reason it is necessary to have two forms of assistance in place; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27819/14]

Medical Card Reviews

John Browne

8. Deputy John Browne asked the Minister for Health when he expects the thousands of discretionary medical cards withdrawn since 2011 to be restored; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27064/14]

Ambulance Service Provision

John Browne

62. Deputy John Browne asked the Minister for Health the way the Health Service Executive is going to deal with the continued concerns regarding the provision of ambulances; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27063/14]

Water and Sewerage Schemes Status

John Browne

121. Deputy John Browne asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the position regarding the upgrading of the sewerage system in Enniscorthy, County Wexford ; the reason for the ongoing delay in approving it to go to tender; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27552/14]

Garda Station Expenditure

John Browne

135. Deputy John Browne asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the total amount of moneys spent to date on the purchasing of lands for the proposed new Garda station in Wexford town; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27551/14]

Hospital Staff Recruitment

John Browne

186. Deputy John Browne asked the Minister for Health when he will approve extra nursing staff for Wexford Hospital; his views that with the opening of the new accident and emergency department that such extra staff are required as a matter of urgency; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27550/14]

Carbon Tax Implementation

John Browne

127. Deputy John Browne asked the Minister for Finance the reason a carbon tax is imposed on smokeless coal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27001/14]

Insurance Industry Regulation

John Browne

136. Deputy John Browne asked the Minister for Finance if his attention has been drawn to the fact of the Maltese regulator in the Setanta Insurance case being unable to have a meaningful engagement with the Central Bank of Ireland for over a year in regard to Setanta; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26661/14]

Insurance Industry Regulation

John Browne

137. Deputy John Browne asked the Minister for Finance if Setanta Insurance, or any directly or indirectly related body, ever applied for a licence in Ireland or was ever turned down by the Central Bank of Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26662/14]

Bord na gCon Administration

John Browne

430. Deputy John Browne asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 139 of 4 June 2014, if he will confirm that the review of certain matters of Bord na gCon does incorporate the viability of existing greyhound tracks within its terms of reference; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27187/14]

Garda Recruitment

John Browne

477. Deputy John Browne asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the reason no exemptions are made for serving Garda Reserves when applying for permanent Garda positions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26998/14]

Aquaculture Licences

John Browne

122. Deputy John Browne asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of shellfish aquaculture licences nationally and covering what amount of foreshore, in hectares, is in the possession of French oyster farmers; the mechanism and process under which he sanctions such trading in licences; the number of such licence trades that have occurred in the past ten years; the average price per hectare in 2013 and 2014 for licences which are traded; if he has any control over this value; if business plans or other bona fides are required from non-national companies that intend to exploit the nationally owned and regulated public foreshore; if there is any requirement on these companies to employ local persons to operate sites here; the surveillance required for the importation of live shellfish stocks into these sites; if non-national companies are eligible for grant aid from the Irish State under the rules of the European Fisheries Fund or the forthcoming European Maritime and Fisheries Fund; if licences may be traded if they are subject to section 19 of the 1997 Fisheries (Amendment) Act; if licences which are under the protection of section 19 and which have been transferred and paid for under contract between the licensee and third party are still valid and, if so, who is the licensee and who is liable for licence fees to the State as per the conditions of the individual licences; if the perception by the Irish industry is true that non-national companies are given preference over existing Irish oyster farmers in terms of processing licence or renewal applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26384/14]

Dormant Accounts Fund Deposits

John Browne

105. Deputy John Browne asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the total amount of moneys accumulated to date in the dormant accounts fund since its inception; the amount available in the fund at present; the plans and projects he has to allocate the fund; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24904/14]

Harbours and Piers Development

John Browne

118. Deputy John Browne asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the plans for the development of Howth Harbour, County Dublin; if he will consider having a report carried out on the potential of the harbour from a marine and tourism viewpoint; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24895/14]

Insurance Industry Regulation

John Browne

164. Deputy John Browne asked the Minister for Finance further to Parliamentary Question No. 55 of 29 May 2014, regarding Setanta Insurance, the date on which the home regulator advised the host regulator of the company’s solvency issue, of the company's deficit and any measures required; if it is his understanding that the accounts of Setanta Insurance showed it was not solvent from a regulatory viewpoint for some time and could not therefore be in a position to meet its EU regulatory obligations under Solvency I; if he will expand on his statement that the regulatory obligations were met, and at what point in time they were met; his views on the behaviour of the home regulator in this case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24358/14]

Bord na gCon Remit

John Browne

139. Deputy John Browne asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he has carried out an independent report on the greyhound industry and if so, when it will be available and its findings made public; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23936/14]

School Curriculum

John Browne

15. Deputy John Browne asked the Minister for Education and Skills his response to a recently undertaken survey which suggests that people want to see independent assessment of students at junior cycle; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23380/14]

Special Educational Needs Staff

John Browne

46. Deputy John Browne asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he has met with parents of children with special needs to discuss his Department's recent Circular 0030/2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23379/14]