Parliamentary questions

Medicinal Products Prices

Seán Crowe

88. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Health the measures he is taking to reduce the cost of generic drugs in view of reports that the Health Service Executive pays up to 24 times more than the National Health Service for some generic drugs; if he will outline a timeframe for same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13770/13]

NATO Membership

Seán Crowe

26. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Defence if he has plans for the State to join NATO. [13161/13]

Oifig an Choimisinéara Teanga

Seán Crowe

33. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Seán Crowe den Aire Ealaíon, Oidhreachta agus Gaeltachta an ndéanfaidh sé ráiteas faoin gcónascadh atá beartaithe idir Oifig an Choimisinéara Teanga agus Oifig an Ombudsman; cad iad impleachtaí an chinnidh sin d’fhostaithe Oifig an Choimisinéara; agus an leagfaidh sé amach na hathruithe atá beartaithe sna míonna atá amach romhainn. [13093/13]

Overseas Missions

Seán Crowe

170. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Defence when Irish troops will be sent to Mali; and the role they will perform. [8852/13]

Local Authority Charges Application

Seán Crowe

123. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the extra local government services that residents can expect to receive with the introduction of the local property tax; and the way he expects this tax to improve the delivery of local services. [12812/13]

Road Traffic Offences

Seán Crowe

17. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will provide an update on the investigation by An Garda Síochána into the allegations by whistleblowers that road traffic offences have been quashed by senior gardaí. [11567/13]

Aviation Licences

Seán Crowe

56. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the total number of military aircraft that landed at Shannon Airport in 2012; the names of the State forces to which these aircraft belong; the reason these aircraft used the landing facilities at Shannon; and the average duration of their stay at Shannon. [11916/13]

Foreign Military Personnel

Seán Crowe

201. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Defence the arrangements, if any, in addition to the Defence Act, that apply to the wearing of uniforms by foreign military personnel, and in particular US military personnel, inside and outside Shannon Airport. [11919/13]

Air Navigation Orders

Seán Crowe

267. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the number of requests that were made by foreign aircraft to carry munitions through Ireland in 2012; the number of these that were granted; the breakdown by country; and the number that were for aircraft that landed at Shannon Airport. [11917/13]

Departmental Schemes

Seán Crowe

95. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide detail of the JobsPlus initiative; and if she will specify the length of the contracts of the jobs involved. [11378/13]

Community Employment Schemes Cessation

Seán Crowe

119. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide further clarification on the way the announced local authority community employment scheme will work; and the reason for not extending the existing CE rather than creating a new scheme to cover this proposal. [11369/13]

Living City Initiative

Seán Crowe

52. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Finance the lobbies or approaches by individuals or bodies, including other Departments, that were made to him in advance of the Finance Bill 2013 being drafted in relation to the Living City initiative; the status of the EU state aid review of the potential scheme now it has been written into legislation; the other cities he has identified for this scheme following on from the pilot scheme; and if he will outline the number of Georgian houses in Limerick and Waterford versus Dublin or other counties. [10575/13]

IBRC Liquidation

Seán Crowe

65. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Finance if he or his Department has exchanged correspondence or had direct communication with the ECB or European Commission following the decision to use a further €16 billion of National Asset Management Agency's unallocated bonds in the purchasing of Irish Bank Resolution Corporation's assets following liquidation. [10574/13]

International Agreements

Seán Crowe

73. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade further to Parliamentary Question No. 8 of 20 February 2013, in relation to outstanding ratification of international agreements, the Department that is leading on identifying the legislative or administrative measures necessary for the State to ratify the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10757/13]

International Agreements

Seán Crowe

74. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade further to Parliamentary Question No. 8 of 20 February 2013, in relation to outstanding ratification of international agreements, his views on the legislative or administrative measures identified by his Department as necessary for the State to ratify the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10758/13]

Shannon Airport Facilities

Seán Crowe

2. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his views on the report by the Open Society Justice Initiative titled Globalizing Torture: CIA Secret Detention and Extraordinary Rendition, which was released on 5 February, regarding the use of Shannon Airport by the CIA for flights of extraordinary rendition, which were not in line with the dictates of international law; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9032/13]

International Relations

Seán Crowe

13. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if there has been informal or formal discussions with the new Libyan Government about its transition to democracy and formalising diplomatic relations. [8855/13]

Undocumented Irish in the USA

Seán Crowe

23. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to the recent hearings in the American Senate on comprehensive immigration reform; if he has discussed this with the American Administration; and his views if it could have a positive effect on the status of the undocumented Irish living in America. [8850/13]

Sports Capital Programme Applications

Seán Crowe

179. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the reason funding applications under the sports capital programme by Dublin City Council in respect of Willie Pearse Park were rejected; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8607/13]

Traveller Community

Seán Crowe

21. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Health in view of the appalling health profile of Travellers evident in the all-Ireland Traveller health study report published in 2010, when he will develop an action plan-update the national Traveller health strategy to address Traveller health inequalities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7457/13]

HSE Planning

Seán Crowe

56. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Health when the Health Service Executive implementation plan will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7456/13]

Children in Care

Seán Crowe

26. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the capacity and numbers in residence in each of the three special care units and the two high support units; the numbers currently awaiting placement in each of these; her plans for additional capacity at any of the current five locations or any other or new location; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7313/13]

Local Authority Funding

Seán Crowe

163. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the equalisation method his Department will apply when distributing funds to local authorities based on the new property tax. [5416/13]

Tenant Purchase Scheme Eligibility

Seán Crowe

197. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the rationale for seeking to change tenant purchase schemes in order that discounts are based on earnings rather than the length of time a social housing tenant has been renting their home. [5553/13]

Food Exports to Iran

Seán Crowe

704. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when he expects the minutiae of the beef deal between Ireland and Iran to be finalised and for exports to commence; and the expected economic benefits of the deal for the economy here. [1677/13]

Alternative Energy Projects

Seán Crowe

28. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will establish a nationwide process of dealing with wind turbine applications that will outline a process where the concerns of all will be addressed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4678/13]

State Properties

Seán Crowe

48. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the position in relation to his effort to secure Bank of Ireland on College Green, Dublin, for the purpose of the Arts; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4503/13]

Irish Language Issues

Seán Crowe

51. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if there is a step-by-step plan in place to ensure that the current derogation on the Irish language as a working language of the European Union is abolished, particularly in view of Ireland holding the Presidency of the European Parliament at the beginning of 2013, in view of statements from Martin Schultz (details supplied), President of the European Parliament, that the decision to remove the aforementioned derogation is entirely at his discretion; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1662/13]

Child Benefit Rates

Seán Crowe

136. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Social Protection if she plans to further cut child benefit in view of the fact that it has already been cut by 22%. [4062/13]

National Internship Scheme Data

Seán Crowe

185. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide the number and duties of jobbridge participants which Government Departments availed of since the scheme commenced; and the number who subsequently got full-time employment in the civil service. [4063/13]

Local Enterprise Offices Remit

Seán Crowe

43. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the saving envisaged in administration with the establishment of the LEOs; and if this will be directed to support startup business. [3240/13]

Local Enterprise Offices Remit

Seán Crowe

49. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the costs associated with the establishment of the new LEOs; and if this will come from the existing supports for business. [3239/13]

Freedom of Information Legislation

Seán Crowe

59. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the reason he intends to retain the exemption for records provided to Ministers for the conduct of parliamentary business within his new Freedom of Information legislation. [3077/13]

Freedom of Information Legislation

Seán Crowe

60. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he intends consulting with the Information Commissioner in relation to those State agencies and or bodies which may be excluded from the Freedom of Information legislation to be introduced later this year; and his views on the possible limitations that will come with the inclusion of An Garda Siochana, refugee and asylum agencies as set out in the draft heads of the Bill. [3076/13]

International Agreements

Seán Crowe

128. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the Unitary Patent package including an EU regulation and an International Agreement amongst the 25 member states, and the creation of a Unified Patent Court may require a constitutional change in Denmark; his views on whether this development involves a transfer of sovereignty; and if this will require a constitutional referendum in this State. [1669/13]

International Agreements

Seán Crowe

129. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if he will provide an update on the state of ratification of the Patent Package in EU member States. [1668/13]

International Agreements

Seán Crowe

130. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation his views on whether the development of an EU unified litigation patent system creates a second legal order inside national legal orders and a parallel judicial system beside national judicial systems. [1670/13]

International Agreements

Seán Crowe

131. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if he has had discussions with his EU counterparts regarding the ratification of the patent package in EU member states; and the dates on which these discussions were held and the counterparts with whom he had discussions. [1671/13]

International Agreements

Seán Crowe

132. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if he has had any discussions with his EU counterparts regarding the current patent system in the EU; if any of the discussions have pertained to maintaining linguistic diversity within member states and the patent system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1672/13]

Tax Code

Seán Crowe

27. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Finance if he has drawn up a table of new effective and marginal tax rates per income decile for 2012 in view of budgetary changes last month; and if he will make this table available to the House of the Oireachtas. [1791/13]

Tax Code

Seán Crowe

58. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Finance his views on whether a minimum number of employees should be employed before a company may be established for the purposes of corporation tax; if he will provide an estimate of the number of persons who are currently operating and paying tax as a company; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1790/13]

Use of Non-Conventional Weapons

Seán Crowe

2. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will support an international investigation to examine if the use of non-conventional weapons, such as chemical weapons and depleted uranium munitions, were used in Israel’s recent bombardment of Gaza in November 2012; and if they were the cause of a rapid rise in the number of patients being admitted into hospitals in Gaza with grotesque injuries, that the Ministry of Health in Gaza said resembles the adverse effects of exposure to uranium or lethal chemicals. [1979/13]

Peace and Reconciliation Programme

Seán Crowe

5. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the programmes which will benefit from the €315,000 increase in Reconciliation and Cooperation on the Island services of his Department as laid out in Budget 2013. [1675/13]

Departmental Expenditure

Seán Crowe

14. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the reason his Department has been given significant increases in some administration spending, such as travel, €452,000, postal and telecoms services, €451,000 and office equipment and external IT services, €945,000, in Budget 2013. [1676/13]

Middle East Peace Process

Seán Crowe

25. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if, in view of the concern over the possible likelihood of an armed conflict between Israel and Iran, he shares the concerns of many of those who want to see a peaceful resolution to conflict in the Middle East, that the increased militarisation of the region is increasing the likelihood of this conflict; his views on whether the export of Dolphin Class military submarines by Germany to Israel possibly breaches Criterion Four of the EU rules governing the exports of military technology and equipment. [1657/13]

Departmental Agencies Funding

Seán Crowe

21. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport in view of the fact that he plans to reduce Fáilte Ireland’s budget from €63.3 million in 2013 to €53.2 million by 2015, his views on whether this will have a negative impact on the tourist industry in terms of visitor numbers and employment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57260/12]

Shannon Airport Facilities

Seán Crowe

27. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will clarify his statement regarding Shannon Airport when he welcomed enormous possibilities for additional military flights; the kind of military flights he was referring; his views on the use of Irish airspace by foreign military forces; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57241/12]

Universal Health Insurance Provision

Seán Crowe

28. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Health if, in relation to the Government's plan ‘future health’ and its statement that social care services will not be covered by universal health insurance, this will mean people having to pay for care services which they are eligible to receive without charge at present; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57014/12]

Hospital Staff Issues

Seán Crowe

44. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Health his views on the study commissioned by the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation showing that significant understaffing in our public hospitals adversely affects patient care; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57015/12]

Child Abuse Reports

Seán Crowe

82. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the recommendations of the Ryan Report that she has yet to implement; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56783/12]