Parliamentary questions

Adult Education

Arthur Spring

87. Deputy Arthur Spring asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will consider the extension of the dates of adult literacy courses being taught in adult literacy and basic education centres nationwide; and if summer courses will be introduced for students who wish to continue their learning during the traditional summer break in education. [27699/14]

Overseas Development Aid Provision

Arthur Spring

124. Deputy Arthur Spring asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if increased funding for 2014 will be provided to an organisation (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26835/14]

Overseas Development Aid

Arthur Spring

125. Deputy Arthur Spring asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if the foreign aid programme will provide for a co-ordination strategy of a global education unit whereby a best practice template for foreign aid education could be provided using EU and Irish State funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26836/14]

Teaching Council of Ireland

Arthur Spring

53. Deputy Arthur Spring asked the Minister for Education and Skills the time it takes to process a membership registration application to the Teaching Council. [26194/14]

HSE Complaints Procedures

Arthur Spring

654. Deputy Arthur Spring asked the Minister for Health if a formal complaint lodged by a person against the Health Service Executive is recorded on the complainant's medical records. [25473/14]

National Broadband Plan Implementation

Arthur Spring

100. Deputy Arthur Spring asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will provide an update as to the way the implementation of the national broadband plan has improved the provision of internet connection in Tarbert, County Kerry. [24889/14]

Pension Provisions

Arthur Spring

295. Deputy Arthur Spring asked the Minister for Social Protection if a person (details supplied) in County Kerry was entitled to a tax free lump sum on finishing work. [24360/14]

Medical Card Eligibility

Arthur Spring

533. Deputy Arthur Spring asked the Minister for Health the number of applicants who applied for a discretionary medical card since 2012 and who failed to qualify for the means tests by less than €100. [24516/14]

Medical Card Eligibility

Arthur Spring

534. Deputy Arthur Spring asked the Minister for Health the number of applicants who applied for a discretionary medical card since 2012 and who failed to qualify for the means tests by more than €100 and less than €300. [24517/14]

Medical Card Eligibility

Arthur Spring

535. Deputy Arthur Spring asked the Minister for Health the number of applicants who applied for a discretionary medical card since 2012 and who failed to qualify for the means tests by more that three hundred euros. [24518/14]

Taxi Regulations

Arthur Spring

593. Deputy Arthur Spring asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his views on whether the current protocol and regulations for the taxi industry meet the requirements and needs of the taxi driver. [24675/14]

Taxi Regulations

Arthur Spring

594. Deputy Arthur Spring asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his views on whether the current regulations are prohibitive to new entrants to the taxi industry; if the new regulations mean there are further set-up/on-going costs to taxi drivers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24676/14]

Local Authority Housing

Arthur Spring

80. Deputy Arthur Spring asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if a person, who availed of the rural local authority housing scheme in which the applicant provided the site and the local authority constructed the house for the applicant, is entitled to compensation for any additional value added to the property by the tenant when the tenant moves out of the house and signs over any claim to the house to the local authority. [24043/14]

Rent Supplement Scheme Data

Arthur Spring

102. Deputy Arthur Spring asked the Minister for Social Protection the monthly percentage in variation, not amount, from the monthly mean of rental income supplement reviews issued in the preceding 12 months for which the relevant data is available. [23876/14]

Family Reunification Applications

Arthur Spring

157. Deputy Arthur Spring asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if there is an automatic right for non-EEA nationals, who are immediate family members, that is children under age 18 and spouses, of Irish citizens, to qualify for a joint spouse or point parent visa in order that they can migrate to Ireland if the member of the family who is an Irish citizen can prove an ability to financially provide for the family. [23874/14]

National Internship Scheme Funding

Arthur Spring

398. Deputy Arthur Spring asked the Minister for Social Protection if there are certain exceptional circumstances, at the request of the applicant and host company, that would permit the applicant to enrol on the JobBridge scheme for second time with the same company. [22511/14]

Medical Card Eligibility

Arthur Spring

892. Deputy Arthur Spring asked the Minister for Health if a person, who has gifted all their savings to their children, is eligible to qualify for a medical card in view of the fact that the reduced amount of the persons savings qualifies that person for the medical card by means test. [23054/14]

Medical Card Reviews

Arthur Spring

908. Deputy Arthur Spring asked the Minister for Health the monthly percentage in variation, not amount, from the monthly mean of medical card reviews issued in the preceding 12 months in which the relevant data is available. [23100/14]

Medical Card Reviews

Arthur Spring

909. Deputy Arthur Spring asked the Minister for Health the monthly percentage in variation, not amount, from the monthly mean of under 70 medical card reviews issued in the preceding 12 months in which the relevant data is available. [23101/14]

Medical Card Reviews

Arthur Spring

910. Deputy Arthur Spring asked the Minister for Health the monthly percentage in variation, not amount, from the monthly mean of over 70 medical card reviews issued in the preceding 12 months in which the relevant data is available. [23102/14]

Medical Card Reviews

Arthur Spring

231. Deputy Arthur Spring asked the Minister for Health the reason for the withdrawal of a medical card from a person (details supplied) in County Kerry. [20819/14]

Tax Code

Arthur Spring

114. Deputy Arthur Spring asked the Minister for Finance under the tax agreements with the United Kingdom, the obligation an Irish citizen residing in Ireland has to pay the USC to the Irish Revenue Commissioners on income from a UK pension. [19635/14]

Television Licence Fee Collection

Arthur Spring

436. Deputy Arthur Spring asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his views on introducing a seasonal TV licence for a period of three to four months for owners of mobile and holiday homes in view of the fact that many will already have paid the full TV in their permanent residence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19415/14]

Hospital Waiting Lists

Arthur Spring

899. Deputy Arthur Spring asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the waiting time for a public patient (details supplied) in County Kerry to receive an appointment for an eye operation in the South Infirmary-Victoria University Hospital in Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19496/14]

Water and Sewerage Schemes Funding

Arthur Spring

177. Deputy Arthur Spring asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if funding will be provided to replace the remaining pipe network in the mid-Kerry water supply scheme in view of the number of interruptions to that water scheme in recent years. [18345/14]

Road Improvement Schemes

Arthur Spring

269. Deputy Arthur Spring asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if emergency funding will be provided to upgrade the condition of the stretch of road in County Kerry between Coolgarrive Cross and Coolcorcoran on the L3018 in the interest of public safety. [18348/14]

Residential Institutions Redress Scheme

Arthur Spring

223. Deputy Arthur Spring asked the Minister for Education and Skills if there have been cases appealed to the review committee taken under section 15(4) of the Residential Institutions Redress Act. [17347/14]

Student Grant Scheme Eligibility

Arthur Spring

262. Deputy Arthur Spring asked the Minister for Education and Skills the entitlement of a person (details supplied) to a student grant in order to further the applicant's education and career progression. [17919/14]

Nursing Homes Support Scheme Applications

Arthur Spring

178. Deputy Arthur Spring asked the Minister for Health the position regarding an application for the nursing home support scheme in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry. [17059/14]

Home Help Service Provision

Arthur Spring

202. Deputy Arthur Spring asked the Minister for Health the position regarding entitlement to home help hours in respect of a person, details supplied, in County Limerick; the reason for a reduction in hours; and if the decision will be reviewed. [17167/14]

Third Level Admissions Entry Requirements

Arthur Spring

90. Deputy Arthur Spring asked the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 355 of 25 March 2014, and based on the response (details supplied), if he will encourage third level institutions which require mature student applicants with previous degrees to complete the MSAP examination, to consider changing their admission policy in the future. [17017/14]

Proposed Legislation

Arthur Spring

167. Deputy Arthur Spring asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the progress of the criminal law (sexual offences) (amendment) Bill 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15755/14]

Grassland Sheep Scheme Payments

Arthur Spring

208. Deputy Arthur Spring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will consider protecting the current arrangement whereby a separate payment is made for the grassland sheep scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15788/14]

Public Sector Allowances Review

Arthur Spring

58. Deputy Arthur Spring asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason a person (details supplied) in County Kerry does not qualify for a masters degree allowance in view of the fact that the person has the necessary qualifications and considerable teaching practice; and if this decision will be reviewed. [14454/14]

Local Authority Housing Eligibility

Arthur Spring

137. Deputy Arthur Spring asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government further to Parliamentary Question No. 507 of 25 February 2014, if the same guidelines were issued to all local authorities in relation to the administration of the housing aid for older people; and if the guidelines contained information in relation to the exemption for applicants under the age limit based on hardship grounds or where specific advice is provided by medical professionals. [14262/14]

Severe Weather Events Response

Arthur Spring

154. Deputy Arthur Spring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the way the amount allocated to Kerry County Council for local authority projects approved for funding under the storm damage programme was calculated; the reason for the discrepancy between the amount allocated to County Kerry and other coastal counties in view of the length of the County Kerry coastline and the number of piers in the county. [14256/14]

Property Tax Application

Arthur Spring

185. Deputy Arthur Spring asked the Minister for Finance if the owner of a house, which has been declared uninhabitable by an engineer and is the subject of a dispute in the High Court between the owner and the builder, is not obliged to pay the local property tax until the case is resolved in the High Court or the house is habitable again. [13734/14]

Tax Yield

Arthur Spring

233. Deputy Arthur Spring asked the Minister for Finance the amounts in tabular form, for VAT, PAYE, income tax and corporation tax paid in County Kerry for the years 2006, 2009 and onwards to the most recent available records. [13481/14]

Tax Code

Arthur Spring

248. Deputy Arthur Spring asked the Minister for Finance under the tax agreements with the United States, the obligations an Irish citizen residing in Ireland has to pay income tax to Irish revenue on income from a US pension if tax is already paid to the US Government based on the income from the pension to pay income tax to Irish revenue on income from a US pension if the income amount is lower than the income tax threshold in the United States. [13649/14]

Third Level Admissions Entry Requirements

Arthur Spring

355. Deputy Arthur Spring asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on the fact a person (details supplied) who was unable to sit the MSAP exam on 8 March 2014 due to a certified medical reason has been advised he will have to wait until next year to resit the MSAP; the options that are open to the student in order to enrol for studies in the 2014-15 academic year; and if this student should be exempt from sitting the MSAP as he previously attained a degree from the same university in which he plans to enrol. [13621/14]

Drugs Payment Scheme Coverage

Arthur Spring

988. Deputy Arthur Spring asked the Minister for Health when the drug Fampyra will be made available free of charge to patients with multiple sclerosis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12852/14]

General Practitioner Services

Arthur Spring

1034. Deputy Arthur Spring asked the Minister for Health if a person (details supplied) in County Limerick will be given an extension to the end of 2014 in order to have sufficient time to gather and provide information to support the review of their dispensing arrangements, including identifying patients for whom they wish to continue dispensing. [13243/14]

Health Services

Arthur Spring

1072. Deputy Arthur Spring asked the Minister for Health when the tendering contract for Kerry General Hospital shop will commence; if stipulations will be built into the tendering process that accommodate the NLN students that currently work there and also train new students going forward; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13418/14]

Cancer Screening Programmes

Arthur Spring

1120. Deputy Arthur Spring asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 257 and 258 of 13 March 2014, if the review published in the AJR in 2009 was not a case-controlled clinical trial, with women randomly assigned to machines and not consulted. [13720/14]

Cancer Screening Programmes

Arthur Spring

1121. Deputy Arthur Spring asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 257 and 258 of 13 March 2014, if he views the statistically significant increase in breast cancer incidence which occurs with each screening as a positive. [13721/14]

Cancer Screening Programmes

Arthur Spring

1122. Deputy Arthur Spring asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 257 and 258 of 13 March 2014, if the increase in recall rates is laudable. [13722/14]

Cancer Screening Programmes

Arthur Spring

1123. Deputy Arthur Spring asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 257 and 258 of 13 March 2014, if he will confirm that digital mammogram images can be manipulated. [13723/14]

Cancer Screening Programmes

Arthur Spring

1124. Deputy Arthur Spring asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 257 and 258 of 13 March 2014, if these images can subsequently be used to confirm a diagnosis of cancer. [13724/14]

Cancer Screening Programmes

Arthur Spring

1125. Deputy Arthur Spring asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 257 and 258 of 13 March 2014, if the guidelines for quality assurance also include information that a standardised detection ratio is the preferred method for ensuring unit performance, and if unit performance supersede women's health. [13725/14]

Jobseeker's Allowance Eligibility

Arthur Spring

109. Deputy Arthur Spring asked the Minister for Social Protection her Department's policy in relation to a recipient of jobseeker's allowance who qualifies for illness benefit and if that recipient is required to submit a new application for jobseeker's allowance when the entitlement to illness benefit elapses; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12567/14]