Parliamentary questions

Community Employment Schemes Places

Maureen O'Sullivan

437. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of the additional places she allocated for community employment that have been taken; and the number of vacancies on CE in the Dublin area due to the change in rules regarding eligibility. [31520/13]

Community Employment Schemes Eligibility

Maureen O'Sullivan

438. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Social Protection if, in view of the rates of youth unemployment and the increase in the numbers of under 18 year olds presenting with addiction, she will consider lowering the age requirement from 25 years to 18 years on the special status community employment programmes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31521/13]

Citizen Information Services

Maureen O'Sullivan

444. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Social Protection if her Department has advocated that the Citizens Information Board provide independent prevention advice on gambling addiction especially in young persons in line with the information it provides in relation to alcohol/drugs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31601/13]

Stádas na Gaeilge san Aontas Eorpach

Maureen O'Sullivan

474. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan den Aire Ealaíon, Oidhreachta agus Gaeltachta an bhfuil plean aige le fáil réidh leis an maolú ar stádas na Gaeilge san Aontas Eorpach i 2016 chun níos mó ná 180 post breise a chruthú do dhaoine le Gaeilge san AE; agus an ndéanfaidh sé ráiteas ina thaobh. [32158/13]

Hare Coursing

Maureen O'Sullivan

475. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the action that will be taken in relation to the clubs that have breached section 44 (details supplied) and the licence conditions; if he intends to add an additional licence condition that would help protect landowners from persons entering their lands to net hares without permission including a condition that would require the coursing club to get written permission from the landowner and to make this information available along with hare capture return forms at the end of the coursing season; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32186/13]

Broadcasting Charges

Maureen O'Sullivan

479. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will be extending the exemption of the broadcasting charge to those who qualify for the household benefits package; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31743/13]

Asylum Applications

Maureen O'Sullivan

472. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of persons granted protection or resettled here from the beginning of 2003 until the end of 2012 and for each year; if he will provide a breakdown of positive recommendations and overall decisions from, the Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner, the Refugee Appeals Tribunal, Ministerial Decisions Unit, including Subsidiary Protection and Leave to Remain; the number of persons who have been resettled in Ireland on the UNHCR resettlement programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30658/13]

Revenue Commissioners Investigations

Maureen O'Sullivan

81. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Finance further to Parliamentary Question No. 128 of 15 May 2013, if he will investigate the registered charity (details supplied) and the political donation made as revealed in the their financial statement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29546/13]

Child Care Services Provision

Maureen O'Sullivan

123. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Social Protection the childhood supports that are available for non-jobseeker's, low income and full-time working, yet former lone parents allowance recipients, who still have young children but will not be entitled to lone parent allowance once his or her youngest child reaches seven years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29453/13]

Community Employment Schemes Review

Maureen O'Sullivan

126. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Social Protection her views on the ongoing difficulties experienced by CASPr due to the changes made in 2012 in entitlement rates for community employment participants; if she has looked into solutions for community employment schemes like CASPr that are having difficulties recruiting persons to participate and the way she will offset the negative impact the reduction in numbers of community employment participants is having on their ability to provide vital community services; her views on whether this type of scheme needs different criteria; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29511/13]

Missing Children

Maureen O'Sullivan

197. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the funding that will be made available to advertise and promote awareness of the 116000 number now in operation; if this will include promoting the 116000 number in schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29452/13]

Human Rights Issues

Maureen O'Sullivan

72. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he has information on the serious abuse suffered by 58 Oromo and two Ogadeni refugees in Ethiopia some months ago; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29064/13]

Social Welfare Benefits Eligibility

Maureen O'Sullivan

253. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 395 of 11 June 2013, the alterative social protection payment a person (details supplied) in Dublin 3 may claim to support their family; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29324/13]

Gambling Legislation

Maureen O'Sullivan

388. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality his reason for not compiling, as is the practice in other countries, a national gambling impact study as recommended by the Institute of Public Health; his views on whether there is an increase in the number of persons presenting with gambling addiction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29047/13]

Consular Services Representations

Maureen O'Sullivan

51. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the political representation he has made in the case of a person (details supplied) in relation to possible repatriation here; if he has highlighted issues of mistreatment and instances of inhuman, degrading treatment of prisoners; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28405/13]

EU Enlargement

Maureen O'Sullivan

53. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade in view of further EU enlargement with the accession of Croatia in less than two months, the way he intends to address Bosnia's increasing marginalisation as surrounding states begin EU integration; the way he will address concerns of the failure of the Dayton Agreement to develop Bosnia as a strong and unified state; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28469/13]

National Lottery Licence Sale

Maureen O'Sullivan

77. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the reduction in money granted to good causes under the terms of the new 20-year licence for the national lottery will have a negative impact on the community sector, especially in view of cuts to funding from a number of other funding avenues; if he intends to adjust this reduction once the new operator shows signs of improved profit margins; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28407/13]

Adoption Records Provision

Maureen O'Sullivan

182. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will clarify her statements on the need for a referendum to grant adopted persons full tracing and information rights and the plans in place to address the ineffectiveness of the mechanism of the National Contact Preference Register in addressing adopted persons' tracing and information needs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28471/13]

Mobility Allowance Payments

Maureen O'Sullivan

206. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health if he will provide a timescale for when he will inform those on mobility grants what will replace their payments when they end this month; if he will ensure his commitment that an alternative payment will remain in place for those with disabilities; and if this will be done in a timely and dignified manner in order that persons will be able to make arrangements to minimise undue interruption in their daily lives. [28470/13]

After-School Support Services

Maureen O'Sullivan

124. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will clarify, for those who come off lone-parent allowance early and therefore cannot avail of jobseeker's transition payments due to employment but still struggle with the costs of child care, the reason they cannot avail of the pilot after-school child care supports which are part of the jobseeker's transition; the reason more child care supports are not in place for lone parents who are already engaging in labour activation but are living with existing family requirements, such as increased child care costs during the summer months; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28312/13]

Biofuel Obligation Scheme Implementation

Maureen O'Sullivan

64. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if Irish Aid was consulted in advance of his decision to increase the biofuels blending obligation; the developmental, environmental, consumer or motorist organisations that were also consulted in advance of his decision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26632/13]

Biofuel Obligation Scheme Targets

Maureen O'Sullivan

94. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the total extra annual cost to motorists here of the biofuels blending obligation; if an assessment has been carried out on the indirect land use change impacts of biofuels here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26631/13]

Foreign Conflicts

Maureen O'Sullivan

105. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade in response to Rafif Jouejati's call for a No Fly Zone in Syria, if he intends to promote such an action both at the EU and UN level in order to hamper the Assad regime's overwhelming dominance in terms of air power; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26673/13]

Exports Controls

Maureen O'Sullivan

109. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will ensure that medicines are exported to Iran, that while there is no specific ban on the exportation of medicines to the Islamic Republic of Iran, essential medicines are not getting into the country because of the current restriction on financial transactions with Iran which means Iranian citizens are being deprived of life-saving procedures; his views on the assurances given by the Government there that their nuclear programme is entirely peaceful and well monitored by IAEA; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26843/13]

Overseas Development Issues

Maureen O'Sullivan

115. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his views on whether there is a discrepancy between the conclusions at the 3241st meeting of the EU’s Foreign Affairs Council on 28 May, adopting the Annual Report 2013 of EU Development Aid Targets, and the indicative amounts contained in the annexe to those conclusions; if he recognises that the EU member states reiterate their promises to increase their overseas aid budgets in order to help achieve the Millennium Development Goals, but that the vast majority of those States have not made provisions for delivering the amounts of funding required to do so; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27446/13]

Overseas Development Issues

Maureen O'Sullivan

116. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will clarify the amounts indicated in the annexe to the conclusions at the 3241st meeting of the EU’s Foreign Affairs Council on 28 May; if he intends to drop overseas development aid levels to 0.44%; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27447/13]

Tax Reliefs Application

Maureen O'Sullivan

182. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Finance the amount the Revenue Commissioners paid in 848(a) tax claims to each individual charity in the years 2009, 2010, 2012 and to date in 2013; if he will provide an explanation on the way the Revenue Commissioners assess claims made by charities including the percentage rejection rate of claims for each charity; if he will provide the number of meetings held between the Revenue Commissioners and the Irish Charities Tax Reform Group; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27428/13]

Debt Relief

Maureen O'Sullivan

195. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Finance if he will ask the Africa Development Bank, World Bank and IMF to release all information and evaluations of loans which contributed to Zimbabwe's sovereign debt; and if they will support and co-operate with an official, independent debt audit if one is undertaken by Zimbabwe. [27584/13]

Debt Relief

Maureen O'Sullivan

196. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Finance if he will work to put the debt cancellation needs of southern countries higher on the World Bank and IMF agenda; if he will support immediate debt write downs for countries with high levels of debt distress; and if he will support debt audits where questionable loans are being repaid and work for internationally agreed fair and responsible lending and borrowing practices in future. [27585/13]

Community Employment Schemes Eligibility

Maureen O'Sullivan

395. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Social Protection if there is any discretion for a person to take up a community employment scheme (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27283/13]

Direct Provision Expenditure

Maureen O'Sullivan

412. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Social Protection the total cost of discretionary payments made to asylum seekers in 2012, including the weekly cash allowance and exceptional needs payments; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26842/13]

Natural Heritage Areas

Maureen O'Sullivan

478. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the way the Office of Public Works is using the information from the National Biodiversity Data Centre; if it is moving towards granting protection of the proposed 600 Natural Heritage Areas here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26669/13]

Heritage Centres Expenditure

Maureen O'Sullivan

479. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht his plans to establish a mechanism at a county level for the protection of local biodiversity areas as part of a move to protect the proposed 600 Natural Heritage Areas; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that organisations such as BirdWatch Ireland have been forced to issue a code of conduct for visitors to bird colonies in view of the fact that there are no signage, wardens or cordoning of visitors that would prevent disturbance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26670/13]

Hare Coursing

Maureen O'Sullivan

485. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if the national coursing meeting in Clonmel, County Tipperary on 2, 3 and 4 February, was monitored by the NPWS; similarly for the Irish Cup in Limerick on 22, 23 and 24 February; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27280/13]

Planning Issues

Maureen O'Sullivan

609. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government further to Parliamentary Question No. 167 of 29 May 2013 and No. 183 of 30 May 2013, if he will confirm that, notwithstanding the creation of an Office of Planning Regulator, even the most egregious legacies of planning abuse and corruption from the period beginning with the effecting of the Planning Act 1963 up to the implementation of the Planning and Development Bill 2013 as an Act of the Oireachtas, are henceforth to have a status in law similar to what would obtain had each instance been granted a formal amnesty, even in instances where malfeasance has been imputed by a Tribunal established by the Oireachtas; if he will confirm that the planning regulator and the State will take no further interest in the way the planning process which we now know to have been debased and corrupt allowed such excrescences in many instances into being; and if he will confirm that the State will take no further interest in the associated money trails; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27575/13]

Magdalen Laundries Issues

Maureen O'Sullivan

675. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the measures he has taken to address the requests made by the Rapporteur for Follow-up on Concluding Observations, Committee Against Torture, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (details supplied) on the Magdalene Laundries paragraph 21; the way he will respond to the statement that the inquiry into the Magdalene Laundry institutions lacked many elements of prompt, independent and thorough investigation, as recommended by the Committee in its Concluding Observations; and the way he will respond to the question of whether the Quirke investigation process will have independent statutory powers, be transparent and also subject to an appeals process, and independently monitored. [27281/13]

EU Conventions

Maureen O'Sullivan

713. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality when Ireland will sign and ratify the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence as Ireland holds the EU Presidency and in view of the scale and prevalence of domestic violence here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27408/13]

Prison Education Service

Maureen O'Sullivan

754. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will provide information on the working and training facilities that have been built as part of the new cell block in the midlands prison; the work-training facilities that are available to prisoners on a daily basis within the new cell block at present; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28022/13]

Natural Heritage Areas

Maureen O'Sullivan

787. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the way he will increase protection of the 600 proposed Natural Heritage Areas here; if he is working on proposing areas of conservation in the marine especially in areas exposed to damage from excessive fishing practices such as trawling; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26671/13]

Hare Coursing

Maureen O'Sullivan

791. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his attention has been drawn to statements made by vets as presented in the recent ICABS report, that during cold and wet weather, hares are subjected to health conditions such as pneumonia, pleurisy, peritonitis consistent with septicemia and bacterial infections which compromise their chances of survival during hare coursing meetings; if, in view of this report, he will consider a ban on hare coursing during such adverse weather conditions to ensure that hares have a maximum chance of survival; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26811/13]

Hare Coursing

Maureen O'Sullivan

802. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his attention has been drawn to the statistics collected by ICABS of hare coursing deaths at coursing meetings monitored by the National Parks and Wildlife Service; if he has noted one ranger's account at Liscannor coursing meeting that healthy hares are kept as substitutes in the event of hares becoming injured; if he considers the number of deaths, injuries and euthanasia as constituting a high number; if this contradicts the notion that hare coursing is a non-fatal activity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27008/13]

UN Conventions Ratification

Maureen O'Sullivan

839. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will provide a timescale for Ireland ratifying the UN Second Optional Protocol on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography as it has been 13 years since Ireland signed the Protocol as it is urgently required in view of Ireland's submission of its report on its commitments to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child to the UN Committee in the near future; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27282/13]

UN Convention on Children's Rights

Maureen O'Sullivan

869. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will provide a timescale for Ireland's submission of the State report to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27912/13]

Disability Support Services Issues

Maureen O'Sullivan

1083. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the number of taxis that have wheelchair access; if wheelchair accessible taxis will be exempt from the nine year rule due to the high cost involved in replacing this type of taxi; if his attention has been drawn to the lack of communication between the Taxi Regulator and taxi drivers on same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26841/13]

Overseas Development Aid

Maureen O'Sullivan

60. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade following his Department's acknowledgement of the contradiction between policies to promote biofuels, on one hand, and hunger alleviation goals, on the other, if he will raise this issue forcefully at the upcoming Hunger Summit in London on 8 June as EU policies on biofuels are currently under review during the Irish EU Presidency; if he will demonstrate Irish Aid's commitment to a whole-of-Government approach to development in its new policy document, One World, One Future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26573/13]

Departmental Reports

Maureen O'Sullivan

90. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education and Skills his response to the findings in the report, School Completers - What Next?, that two thirds of students who attend fee-paying secondary schools go on to higher education in comparison to 40% of students from other school types and only one quarter of students from DEIS schools went on to higher education in 2010; the way he intends to address the inequalities of the education system here to ensure more equal levels of progression to third level education across the education spectrum; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26398/13]

Planning Issues

Maureen O'Sullivan

183. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he considers that, in circumastances in which he and his Department have no function with regard to individual planning decisions, he and his Department do have a function in relation to the overall credibility and integrity of the planning system and if he considers that the continued operation of facilities that are themselves egregrious examples of bad planning will tend to undermine public confidence in the planning system that he supervises and oversees; if he wil provide a look-back mechanism in the Planning and Development Bill 2013, whereby instances of questionable planning since the 1963 Act can be referred to the regulator for adjudication; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26395/13]

Planning Issues

Maureen O'Sullivan

167. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he considers that, in circumstances where he and his Department have no function with regard to individual planning decisions, he will provide a look-back mechanism in the Planning and Development Bill 2013, whereby instances of questionable planning since the 1963 Act can be referred to the regulator for adjudication; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26042/13]

Straitéis 20 Bliain don Ghaeilge

Maureen O'Sullivan

62. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan den Aire Oideachais agus Scileanna cén fáth a ndearna sé neamhaird de mholtaí na Straitéise 20 Bliain don Ghaeilge, 2010 – 2030, nuair a thóg sé cinneadh an Chomhairle um Oideachas Gaeltachta agus Gaelscolaíochta, COGG, a chur faoin gComhairle Náisiúnta Curaclaim agus Measúnachta; cén fáth nár chloígh sé le moltaí na Straitéise go mbeadh príomhról ag COGG i gcur i bhfeidhm na Straitéise agus go mbeadh COGG ar an ngrúpa is airde leibhéil ó thaobh na straitéise de; cén fáth nach bhfuil sé ag cloí le moltaí na Straitéise, go háirithe nuair nach bhfuil coigilteas airgid i gceist leis an gcinneadh seo; an gciallaíonn sé seo nach bhfuil an tAire ag tabhairt tacaíochta don Straitéis 20 Bliain don Ghaeilge; céard is fiú straitéis a bheith ann mura bhfuil na Ranna Rialtais féin sásta í a chur i gcuntas; agus an ndéanfaidh sé ráiteas ina thaobh. [25040/13]

Money Advice and Budgeting Service

Maureen O'Sullivan

145. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Finance if the Money Advice and Budgeting Service is being considered for the pilot project of coordinated resolution of multiple debts and if its extensive experience of debt advice service here will be taken into consideration along with its principles of free, independent and confidential service and its community based presence across Ireland; if the UK based company Step Change is being considered for the pilot project as well; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25118/13]