Parliamentary questions

Services for People with Disabilities

Joan Collins

3. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for Health the reason the Health Service Executive is still using the medical model of disability assessments; the reason occupational therapists are in total control of budgets and decisions for wheelchair repairs and replacements; the reason the HSE has not moved to a consultative model with the patient when it comes to these matters; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41146/12]

Hospital Staff Issues

Joan Collins

54. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for Health if he will confirm that all agency workers in hospital are being paid the agreed rates; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41010/12]

Gas and Electricity Disconnections

Joan Collins

111. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for Communications; Energy and Natural Resources the basis on which the Energy Regulator passed on a further 1% over the requested 7.5% increase by Bord Gáis; the persons the Energy Regulator consulted with in their public consultation; his views on the matter in view of the already lowered living standards of persons in recent years, in particular the rise in fuel poverty; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41080/12]

Local Authority Staff

Joan Collins

117. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for the Environment; Community and Local Government if he will provide, in tabular form, a list of the city and county managers who have retired since 1996 to the end of February 2012; the local authority from which they retired; their age on retirement; the number of added years they received on retirement; the amount of the special severance gratuity payment received on retirement; the lump sum received and annual pension payment. [41039/12]

Rail Services

Joan Collins

508. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for Transport; Tourism and Sport his views on a matter (details supplied) regarding the Luas lines; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40457/12]

Pension Provisions

Joan Collins

487. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the position regarding the application of the pension levy to civil servants (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37030/12]

Local Authority Funding

Joan Collins

1131. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for the Environment; Community and Local Government his views on a matter (details supplied) regarding Sligo County Council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39242/12]

Health Services Provision

Joan Collins

1500. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for Health the position regarding the cut in funding of the day service and transport service in Cheeverstown, Airton Road, Tallaght, Dublin 12; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38420/12]

Abortion Law Reform

Joan Collins

1722. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for Health the date on which the expert group on abortion will issue its report to his Department; the date on which he will publish this report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38234/12]

Abortion Law Reform

Joan Collins

1723. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for Health the names of any groups he has met or consulted with on the issue of abortion law or abortion law reform since he has taken office and the number of times he met each group; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38235/12]

Health Services Provision

Joan Collins

1815. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for Health the long-term plan for Brú Choimhín; the reason the day care centre is not open on Fridays; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39052/12]

Pension Provisions

Joan Collins

171 Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to the potential anomaly regarding persons who have effectively finished their working life and have been made redundant at the age of 65 years or a short time beforehand; they may be claiming jobseeker’s allowance benefit and are not allowed to change over to the State pension transition year payment.
[35674/12]

Traveller Accommodation

Joan Collins

465 Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government when the planned announcement will take place in relation to the €251.5 million in funding for local authorities for housing capital allocations announced on 20 March 2012, in particular the allocation amount for Traveller specific accommodation; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[34765/12]

Missing Children

Joan Collins

692 Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if it is of concern to her that with the Olympic Games, summer holiday season and the upcoming US college American football game that the 116000 missing child telephone line is still not fully operational; the responsibility she has for ensuring this hotline is up and running and her responsibility in raising awareness of the number; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[34353/12]

Hospitals Building Programme

Joan Collins

744 Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for Health in relation to the separate cystic fibrosis hospital building on the grounds of St. Vincent’s hospital; the date on which the building will open and when the draft protocol for CF patients bed numbers will be signed off on; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[34455/12]

Coastal Erosion

Joan Collins

91 Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he has received an application from Sligo County Council seeking grant aid of €290,000 to finance protection measures to manage coastal erosion at Strandhill, County Sligo; if it has been brought to his attention that there is concern that if remedial action is not taken soon to protect the dunes south of the promenade at Strandhill that much of the dunes will be lost to the sea; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[34214/12]

Local Authority Funding

Joan Collins

178 Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if it has been brought to his attention that he was consulted on the terms of reference for the financial appraisal of Sligo County Council; the reason he did not recommend as part of the terms of reference that the consultants examine, review and assess the performance and competence of the management of the county council; his views that the performance of the management of local authorities should be exempted from such investigations; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[34213/12]

Local Authority Staff

Joan Collins

179 Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide a list of courses funded by local authorities for senior executives in local government; the location at which these courses are held; the cost of these courses; and the number of attendees per council each year; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[34220/12]

Local Authority Management

Joan Collins

180 Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government when a city or county manager becomes chairperson of the County and City Managers Association and is obliged to spend a number of days each week carrying out the functions and duties as chairperson of that body, if the local authority compensated for the significant period of time the manager is carrying out the functions and duties of chairperson of the CCMA; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[34224/12]

Coroners Service

Joan Collins

189 Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the sum of money Sligo County Council is required to provide to cover the cost of the operation of morgue and coroner expenses in the current year; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[34189/12]

Sports Capital Programme

Joan Collins

270 Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the number of applications received from Sligo Borough Council and Sligo County Council for funding under the sports capital programme 2012; the details of projects for which grant aid has been sought; and when the grant allocations will be made; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[34212/12]

Education Schemes

Joan Collins

235 Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding the application of a school (details supplied) to be on the list as one of the five pilot areas surveyed; whether the areas Dublin 6, Dublin 6W, Dublin 8 and Dublin 12 included in the potential surveyed areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[31900/12]

Regeneration Projects

Joan Collins

430 Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the regeneration masterplan brief for the eastern quadrant regeneration project in Sligo which is of strategic importance for the redevelopment of Sligo; if his further attention has been drawn to the fact that the draft regeneration masterplan brief has not been made available to the elected borough council; if his further attention has been drawn to the fact that the borough council was not consulted at any stage regarding the proposed contents of the masterplan brief; his views on whether such a significant and strategic masterplan brief which is funded by him should be decided upon without consultation with the elected council; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[31681/12]

Regeneration Projects

Joan Collins

436 Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if Cairns Drive and Garavogue Villas have been included in 2012 as areas eligible for funding from the Cranmore-Eastern Quadrant Regeneration project Sligo; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[31700/12]

Local Authority Funding

Joan Collins

431 Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the quarterly payments of the general purpose grants from his Department to city, county, borough and town councils on 2 May 2012; if his attention has been drawn to the payments to Waterford City Council and Sligo County Council on 20 March 2012; the reason Waterford City Council and Sligo County Council were treated in such a manner; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[31682/12]

Local Authority Staff

Joan Collins

437 Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide, in tabular form, the number of senior officials from each city and county council who participated in the programme for senior executives in State and local government at Harvard University in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and to date in 2012; the fee paid to the university for each participant each year; the additional costs and expenses paid in respect of each participant each year; who selects the participants; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[31702/12]

Local Authority Funding

Joan Collins

441 Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the fact that Sligo County Council in its adopted budget for 2012 provided a sum of €187,998 to cover the cost of the operation of morgue and coroner expenses; if he deems that figure sufficient; if it has been brought to his attention that at a meeting of Sligo County Council on the 2 April 2012 the council by majority vote adopted a recommendation made by the County Manager to reduce the sum to €137,998; if he deems that figure sufficient to cover the costs of the operation of morgue and coroner expenses; the statutory obligations of a local authority in terms of the provision of funding for the operation of morgue and coroner expenses; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[31794/12]

Regeneration Projects

Joan Collins

442 Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government further to Parliamentary Question No. 284 of the 2 November 2011, when a reply will issue to same; his views on whether it is acceptable that the Dáil Éireann must wait in excess of six months for a reply to a parliamentary question; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[31800/12]

Local Authority Staff

Joan Collins

443 Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the number of permanent and temporary staff employed by Sligo Borough Council in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and to date in 2012; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[31801/12]

Local Authority Funding

Joan Collins

444 Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the fact that while his Department was consulted by council officials on the terms of reference for the financial appraisal of Sligo County Council, the elected members of the council were not consulted; if he has a policy of encouraging council officials to consult with the elected representatives on such important matters; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[31802/12]

Coroners Service

Joan Collins

495 Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if his attention has been drawn to the fact that Sligo County Council in its adopted budget for 2012 provided a sum of €187,998 to cover the cost of the operation of morgue and coroner expenses; if he deems that figure sufficient; if it has been brought to his attention that at a meeting of Sligo County Council on the 2 April 2012 the council by majority vote adopted a recommendation made by the county manager to reduce the sum to €137,998; if he deems that figure sufficient to cover the costs of the operation of morgue and coroner expenses; the statutory obligations of a local authority in terms of the provision of funding for the operation of morgue and coroner expenses; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[31793/12]

Garda Stations

Joan Collins

502 Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will provide, in tabular form, the list of Garda stations affected in the past six months by reduced opening hours and those due to be affected in the next six months; the previous opening hours of these Garda stations; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[32012/12]