Parliamentary questions

Commercial Rates Exemptions

Derek Nolan

83. Deputy Derek Nolan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will allow for amendments to the upcoming valuation Bill that will abolish commercial rates for community and not-for-profit early childhood care and education services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47560/14]

Health Services Staff

Derek Nolan

125. Deputy Derek Nolan asked the Minister for Health if he will provide, by year, from 2009 to date in 2014, the reductions in occupational health therapy posts; the reasons for the reductions; his plans to increase the posts; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47390/14]

National Dementia Strategy Publication

Derek Nolan

142. Deputy Derek Nolan asked the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on the national dementia strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47487/14]

Local Authority Funding

Derek Nolan

164. Deputy Derek Nolan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if Galway County Council has applied for funding to renovate a vacant unit (details provided) in County Galway; if any such funds have been drawn down; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47385/14]

Employment Support Services

Derek Nolan

130. Deputy Derek Nolan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection to outline her views on whether counselling may be useful as an activation tool; if her attention has been drawn to programmes incorporating these methods as designed by a company (details supplied); if funding streams, or consideration thereof, exists within her Department for the utilisation or further development of such programmes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46941/14]

Living City Initiative

Derek Nolan

172. Deputy Derek Nolan asked the Minister for Finance if he will provide an update on the living city initiative; when it is due to begin; if areas within the counties and cities initially announced have been identified; the buildings it will apply to in terms of age; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46905/14]

Tobacco Control Measures

Derek Nolan

285. Deputy Derek Nolan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs when legislation to allow for plain packaging of cigarettes will be introduced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47133/14]

Schools Site Acquisitions

Derek Nolan

410. Deputy Derek Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the progress of site acquisition in respect of a primary school (details supplied) in County Galway; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47323/14]

School Services Staff

Derek Nolan

411. Deputy Derek Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills her views on recognising grant paid school secretaries as public servants; if she will change their terms and conditions to reflect this; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47324/14]

Schools Site Acquisitions

Derek Nolan

412. Deputy Derek Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the progress of site acquisition for a post-primary school (details supplied) in County Galway; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47353/14]

Foreshore Issues

Derek Nolan

417. Deputy Derek Nolan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the enforcement action that has been taken regarding complaints of in-fill of the foreshore (details supplied) in County Galway; if he will provide an update on the situation and its history; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46832/14]

Microenterprise Loan Fund Applications

Derek Nolan

62. Deputy Derek Nolan asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if he will provide a breakdown of the number of male applicants to the microfinance scheme; and the number of successful applicants in 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46430/14]

Proposed Legislation

Derek Nolan

220. Deputy Derek Nolan asked the Minister for Finance if he will provide an update on proposed legislation pertaining to consumer protection mortgages and the requirement for said mortgages to be regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland; if there is a timeframe proposed for this legislation to be enacted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46248/14]

Schools Refurbishment

Derek Nolan

129. Deputy Derek Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if and when she plans sanctioning the release of funding for the minor works grant to all primary schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45467/14]

Citizenship Applications

Derek Nolan

275. Deputy Derek Nolan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the reason there has been a delay of over four months in processing the citizenship application in respect of persons (details supplied) in County Galway considering that their application for certification of naturalisation was approved in July 2014; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45044/14]

Garda Operations

Derek Nolan

280. Deputy Derek Nolan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality her views on putting the text alerts system run by community watch throughout rural Ireland on a statutory footing in order to combat rural crime; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45114/14]

Medical Card Eligibility

Derek Nolan

336. Deputy Derek Nolan asked the Minister for Health his views on introducing a policy whereby medical cards for sick children are not means tested; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45004/14]

Prescription Charges

Derek Nolan

338. Deputy Derek Nolan asked the Minister for Health if the prescription charge is a short term measure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45007/14]

Wind Energy Guidelines

Derek Nolan

502. Deputy Derek Nolan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide an update on the review of the wind farm guidelines that his Department was undertaking; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44949/14]

Voluntary Housing Sector

Derek Nolan

509. Deputy Derek Nolan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if capital assistance scheme funding will continue to be made available to voluntary groups who wish to apply for same; his plans to change the nature of the programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45052/14]

Voluntary Housing Sector

Derek Nolan

514. Deputy Derek Nolan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if applications for CAS and CAF funding will be available in 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45129/14]

Property Tax Administration

Derek Nolan

515. Deputy Derek Nolan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will outline the county councils which require their local authority tenants to pay property tax through their rent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45133/14]

Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Derek Nolan

563. Deputy Derek Nolan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if, as part of carbon emissions targets, he will incentivise the conversion of cars from petrol to liquid petroleum gas; if he will deal in particular with the issue of cars registered pre-2008; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45300/14]

Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Derek Nolan

579. Deputy Derek Nolan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the laws that currently exist here regarding the regulation of the industry relating to the liquid petroleum gas conversion of cars; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45293/14]

Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Derek Nolan

580. Deputy Derek Nolan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the view of the Road Safety Authority on the practice of converting petrol engines to liquid petroleum engines; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45294/14]

Farm Inspections

Derek Nolan

241. Deputy Derek Nolan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the progress on the charter of rights for farm inspections; when it will be available for publication; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44202/14]

Primary Care Centre Provision

Derek Nolan

417. Deputy Derek Nolan asked the Minister for Health his plans for a health centre (details supplied) in County Galway; if there are plans to close it; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44198/14]

Hospital Closures

Derek Nolan

419. Deputy Derek Nolan asked the Minister for Health if there is no threat to the future of a hospital (details supplied) in County Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44204/14]

National Spatial Strategy

Derek Nolan

502. Deputy Derek Nolan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if a new national spatial strategy is being drafted; if so, the timeframe for such a process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43947/14]

Microenterprise Loan Fund Application Numbers

Derek Nolan

243. Deputy Derek Nolan asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of women that applied for the microfinance scheme in 2013 and 2014; the number of female applicants who were successful; the counties the successful applicants were from; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43219/14]

Departmental Funding

Derek Nolan

439. Deputy Derek Nolan asked the Minister for Health the efficiency targets that were set, through the social care division, for section 39 organisations; the process through which section 39 organisations were asked to make savings; the way the amounts were calculated and, specifically, the methodology that was used; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43322/14]

Value for Money Reviews

Derek Nolan

440. Deputy Derek Nolan asked the Minister for Health the way the amount of funding deducted from Ability West in County Galway was calculated; where it was recommended that savings could be identified within the organisation; if a breakdown of the total amount of savings will be given in terms of Haddington Road agreement savings and value for money savings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43323/14]

Medical Card Eligibility

Derek Nolan

675. Deputy Derek Nolan asked the Minister for Health the reason a person (details supplied) whose income is below the qualifying threshold was refused the full medical card. [41438/14]

Ferry Services Provision

Derek Nolan

1147. Deputy Derek Nolan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht her plans for the Aran Islands ferry service; if the service is due to cease at the end of the month; if so, the measures that will be put in place to assist islanders; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41378/14]

Banking Sector Remuneration

Derek Nolan

58. Deputy Derek Nolan asked the Minister for Finance if he will itemise bonuses and their amounts awarded to bank staff working in the nationalised banks for the year 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39037/14]

Financial Services Ombudsman Data

Derek Nolan

59. Deputy Derek Nolan asked the Minister for Finance if he will itemise the number of complaints the Financial Services Ombudsman dealt with in 2013; the number that were resolved successfully; the number of complaints that were found to be of no merit; the number of decisions that were appealed to the courts; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39046/14]

Medical Card Eligibility

Derek Nolan

172. Deputy Derek Nolan asked the Minister for Health the reason the decision to return discretionary medical cards to those who had them withdrawn, as announced in June 2014, did not apply to a former medical card holder (details supplied) in County Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39010/14]

Diplomatic Representation

Derek Nolan

218. Deputy Derek Nolan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if employee protections are in place for persons working in the foreign missions here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39040/14]

Bullying in Schools

Derek Nolan

254. Deputy Derek Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if anti-bullying and suicide prevention numbers were published on post-primary school homework journals in 2014; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39050/14]

Planning Issues

Derek Nolan

317. Deputy Derek Nolan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the number of inurement clauses that were removed in each local authority; the grounds for quashing them; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39048/14]

Water Charges Exemptions

Derek Nolan

220. Deputy Derek Nolan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if there will be provisions or reliefs introduced for farmers in respect of paying water charges, considering they use a large volume of water for feeding animals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38397/14]

Rail Network

Derek Nolan

235. Deputy Derek Nolan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide a detailed update on plans for the redevelopment of Ceannt Station in County Galway including the stage the planning is at; his Department's vision for the station and the timeframe in place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38306/14]

Health Services

Derek Nolan

373. Deputy Derek Nolan asked the Minister for Health when the Health Service Executive national capital steering group will conclude its cost benefit analysis of proposals for a new emergency department at University Hospital Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38102/14]

Student Grant Scheme Eligibility

Derek Nolan

456. Deputy Derek Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to amend the current reckonable income criteria for postgraduate Student Universal Support Ireland applicants who live with a boyfriend or partner, as these couples do not benefit from the tax credits afforded to married couples but are nonetheless deemed as a single entity for the purposes of measuring their income; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37772/14]

International Agreements

Derek Nolan

479. Deputy Derek Nolan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he is satisfied with the level of input by his Department to the proposed Irish ratification of the EU free trade agreement with Colombia and Peru; the degree to which his Department has been consulted in formulating the Government position; the extent to which he believes the ratification complies with the One World, One Future document signed off by the Cabinet in May last year which commits the Government to greater coherence across Government policy in support of development objectives; if he will support further debate in Dáil Éireann on the issue before deciding to ratify the agreement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36830/14]

Sports Capital Programme Administration

Derek Nolan

629. Deputy Derek Nolan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport when the application process will be open for the next round of sports capital grants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37000/14]

Rural Social Scheme Administration

Derek Nolan

44. Deputy Derek Nolan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if a person participating in a rural social scheme may claim widower's pension simultaneously; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35983/14]

Proposed Legislation

Derek Nolan

93. Deputy Derek Nolan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if she will provide a timeframe within which the gambling control Bill will come before the Houses of the Oireachtas and when it is expected to become law; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35989/14]

Capital Assistance Scheme Applications

Derek Nolan

182. Deputy Derek Nolan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if capital assistance scheme funding will continue to be made available to voluntary groups who wish to apply for same; if he has any proposals to change the nature of the programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36008/14]

Broadband Service Provision

Derek Nolan

206. Deputy Derek Nolan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his plans to make broadband available in an area (details supplied) in County Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36002/14]