Parliamentary questions

Foreign Adoptions

John Lyons

1013. Deputy John Lyons asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs when she intends to address through legislation the issue of adoptive parents having to get a guardian's order for adoptions from certain countries after 12 months; if this consent issue can be addressed at an earlier stage without this cost; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34326/13]

Social Welfare Benefits Numbers

John Lyons

120. Deputy John Lyons asked the Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 154 of 3 July 2013, if she will provide comparable figures for the past five years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33997/13]

Quarterly National Household Survey

John Lyons

121. Deputy John Lyons asked the Taoiseach the number of casual/part-time employees who are working in the private sector grouped by category of occupation, that is retail, health care, security; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32339/13]

Departmental Websites

John Lyons

292. Deputy John Lyons asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will detail the usage of her Department's new website; if she will detail the schemes and services it offers to jobseekers and employers; if she will compare its services and cost effectiveness with that of the previous website; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32950/13]

Departmental Websites

John Lyons

293. Deputy John Lyons asked the Minister for Social Protection the amount her Department's new website will cost; the amount the previous website cost between 2007 and 2012; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32951/13]

Social Welfare Benefits Numbers

John Lyons

154. Deputy John Lyons asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of casual or part-time employees in receipt of social welfare payments such as jobseeker's allowance, jobseeker's benefit and family income supplement, grouped by the 20 largest private sector employers and occupation type; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32340/13]

Primary Care Centres Expenditure

John Lyons

231. Deputy John Lyons asked the Minister for Health if he will provide an assurance that the funds for a primary care centre at a location (details supplied) in Dublin 11 will be ring-fenced in the event that the planned development does not go ahead or is delayed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32459/13]

Social Welfare Appeals Delays

John Lyons

166. Deputy John Lyons asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will expedite an appeal for a jobseeker's allowance payment in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare in view of the fact that they are in urgent need of the payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31421/13]

Departmental Expenditure

John Lyons

375. Deputy John Lyons asked the Minister for Social Protection the cases in which her Department covers the cost of the translation of documents from other languages; the amount the practice will cost her Department in 2013 and has cost her Department in the past five years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30612/13]

Departmental Expenditure

John Lyons

470. Deputy John Lyons asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the cases in which his Department covers the cost of the translation of documents from other languages; the amount this practice will cost his Department in 2013 and has cost his Department in the past five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30613/13]

Departmental Expenditure

John Lyons

600. Deputy John Lyons asked the Minister for Health the cases in which his Department covers the cost of the translation of documents from other languages; the amount this practice will cost his Department in 2013 and has cost his Department in the past five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30614/13]

Disability Support Services Provision

John Lyons

213. Deputy John Lyons asked the Minister for Health when funding will be put in place for an 18 year old (details supplied) in Dublin 12 who will complete their time at school in June 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29526/13]

School Meals Programme

John Lyons

233. Deputy John Lyons asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide the details of the ten schools to be admitted to the school meals programme for the new academic year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28957/13]

Carer's Allowance Appeals

John Lyons

245. Deputy John Lyons asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding a carer's allowance appeal in respect of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 11; and the timescale in which the appeal will be decided. [29174/13]

Mortgage Interest Rates Issues

John Lyons

78. Deputy John Lyons asked the Minister for Finance his views on the recent interest rate increase on variable rate mortgages by a bank (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28194/13]

Schools Building Projects Administration

John Lyons

86. Deputy John Lyons asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will include social clauses for the long-term unemployed in the education projects announced as part of the €150 million extra in capital expenditure for 2013 and 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28256/13]

Public Procurement Contracts Social Clause

John Lyons

99. Deputy John Lyons asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his plans to promote the use of social clauses for the long-term unemployed in the projects announced as part of the €150 million extra in capital expenditure for 2013 and 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28259/13]

After-School Support Services

John Lyons

118. Deputy John Lyons asked the Minister for Social Protection if Ballymun will be included as a location in the next phase of the new after-school child care scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28253/13]

Local Authority Housing Issues

John Lyons

143. Deputy John Lyons asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will include social clauses for the long-term unemployed in any projects under the aegis of his Department announced as part of the extra €150 million in capital expenditure for 2013 and 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28258/13]

Parking Charges

John Lyons

144. Deputy John Lyons asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if local authorities can apply parking charges to privately owned car parks in retail parks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28269/13]

Capital Expenditure Programme Issues

John Lyons

229. Deputy John Lyons asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will include social clauses for the long-term unemployed in the transport projects announced as part of the €150 million extra in capital expenditure for 2013 and 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28255/13]

Beekeeping Industry

John Lyons

824. Deputy John Lyons asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine in view of the importance of bees for pollination and food production, his views on the effect of pesticides on the bee population; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27697/13]

Illicit Trade in Tobacco

John Lyons

87. Deputy John Lyons asked the Minister for Finance in view of the Exchequer losses from the smuggling of illicit tobacco products here and the resulting health effects, if he has any plans to increase the number of freight x-ray scanning machines to cover all our ports; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26182/13]

Illicit Trade in Tobacco

John Lyons

88. Deputy John Lyons asked the Minister for Finance if he will examine the staffing allocations to Customs and Excise to ensure 24 hour operation of existing freight X-ray scanning machines and to allow for the operation of new machines; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26183/13]

Tax Code

John Lyons

140. Deputy John Lyons asked the Minister for Finance his plans to maintain the 9% VAT rate for tourism services such as restaurant meals and hotel accommodation, beyond the end of 2013, to build on the momentum of the Gathering Ireland festival; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25218/13]

Tax Code

John Lyons

164. Deputy John Lyons asked the Minister for Finance if, as part of his plans to extend taxation to online betting platforms like betting exchanges, he has given any consideration to imposing taxation on online casino and poker formats; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25337/13]

Public Sector Staff Recruitment

John Lyons

315. Deputy John Lyons asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if consideration is being given to partially or fully lift the embargo on public service recruitment in key areas as part of his plans for public service reform. [25574/13]

Carbon Budget

John Lyons

467. Deputy John Lyons asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide details of any carbon credits held by local authorities; the net value of these credits; if he will detail any planned investment using carbon credit funds on projects like retrofitting of local authority housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25336/13]

Public Transport Provision

John Lyons

721. Deputy John Lyons asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his views on the possibility of extending a Dublin Bus Service to the airport to better serve the Dublin North West area; if the option of extending the number 4 or 83 services could be considered in view of the fact that both already terminate in Harristown adjacent to the airport; and if a feasibility survey will be undertaken by the National Transport Authority on these or other local services. [25610/13]

Health Services Provision

John Lyons

217. Deputy John Lyons asked the Minister for Health if, in relation to a project (details supplied) in Dublin 11, he will provide details of a timescale for the acquisition of a suitable site, including any sites under consideration; the time scale for the completion of the project:; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24946/13]

Jobseeker's Allowance Payments

John Lyons

412. Deputy John Lyons asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason a person (details supplied) in Dublin 12 had their jobseeker's payment reduced; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23796/13]

Constitutional Convention

John Lyons

152. Deputy John Lyons asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if a decision has been reached on holding a referendum on reducing the voting age to 16 following the Constitutional Convention's recommendation; and if he is considering holding this referendum at the same time as the Seanad abolition referendum in October 2013.. [22085/13]

National Substance Misuse Strategy

John Lyons

375. Deputy John Lyons asked the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on the introduction of the national alcohol strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21106/13]

National Debt

John Lyons

57. Deputy John Lyons asked the Minister for Finance if he will provide a detailed breakdown of the debt repayments and interest repayments for Ireland for 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20909/13]

National Debt

John Lyons

58. Deputy John Lyons asked the Minister for Finance the percentage of tax revenues that were used up in interest repayments for 2012 and that will be used up for interest repayments in 2013 and in 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20910/13]

Death Certificates Issues

John Lyons

281. Deputy John Lyons asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason parents can only receive a death certificate for a stillborn child if the baby weighed at least 500 grammes or had a gestational age of at least 24 weeks; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20129/13]

Death Certificates Issues

John Lyons

282. Deputy John Lyons asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will consider allowing parents to register a death of a stillborn child weighing less than 500 grammes or with a gestational age of less than 24 weeks in order that they can have a death certificate for their child; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20130/13]

Mortgage Interest Relief Extension

John Lyons

304. Deputy John Lyons asked the Minister for Finance in view of the number of families in apartments that are constrained from moving to larger homes due to negative equity and the loss of the tax relief on their mortgage interest, if he will consider an exemption for families who move to larger homes from the loss of this tax relief; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16980/13]

Institutes of Technology Expenditure

John Lyons

455. Deputy John Lyons asked the Minister for Education and Skills the cost to public funds of legal fees and consultancy fees and all other related costs in relation to injunctions, judicial reviews and legal actions involving senior management at the Dublin Institute of Technology in each year since 1 January 2003; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16973/13]

Institutes of Technology Expenditure

John Lyons

456. Deputy John Lyons asked the Minister for Education and Skills the cost to public funds of legal fees and other costs relating to inquiries in relation to staff matters, internal and external, initiated, conducted or authorised by the Dublin Institute of Technology senior management and all other related costs arising in such cases in each year since 1 January 2003; if he will detail the individual costs of each case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16974/13]

Institutes of Technology Expenditure

John Lyons

457. Deputy John Lyons asked the Minister for Education and Skills the total expenditure of the Dublin Institute of Technology on legal costs in each year since 1 January 2003; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16975/13]

Gender Recognition

John Lyons

578. Deputy John Lyons asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason there is no transgender person on the Gender Recognition Advisory Group; if an update will be provided on the work of the group; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16114/13]

Fire Service

John Lyons

803. Deputy John Lyons asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his plans to examine equipping fire-fighters with personal safety devices like mace or pepper spray; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16838/13]

Ambulance Service Staff

John Lyons

1247. Deputy John Lyons asked the Minister for Health his plans to examine equipping paramedics with personal safety devices like mace or pepper spray; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16839/13]

Driving Test Regulations

John Lyons

1363. Deputy John Lyons asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will liaise with the Road Safety Authority on the issue of the appeals process for failing a driving test; if he will consider an alternative appeals process to the current arrangement of a District Court hearing; if he will clarify if there is an appeal process open to drivers in a situation where they are alleged to be late for a test and are not permitted to take a test; and if the procedure of appealing via a District Court hearing still applies in this instance. [16106/13]

Property Taxation Exemptions

John Lyons

173. Deputy John Lyons asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the reason an estate (details supplied) in Dublin 9 was exempt from the household charge in 2012 but is not now exempt from the local property tax; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15948/13]

Property Taxation Exemptions

John Lyons

224. Deputy John Lyons asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the reason an estate (details supplied) in Dublin 11 was exempt from the household charge in 2012 but is not now exempt from the local property tax; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15657/13]

Property Taxation Exemptions

John Lyons

225. Deputy John Lyons asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the reason an estate (details supplied) was exempt from the household charge in 2012 but is not now exempt from the local property tax; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15658/13]

Property Taxation Exemptions

John Lyons

226. Deputy John Lyons asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the reason an estate (details supplied) was exempt from the household charge in 2012 but is not now exempt from the local property tax; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15659/13]

Property Taxation Exemptions

John Lyons

227. Deputy John Lyons asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the reason an estate (details supplied) in Dublin 11 was exempt from the household charge in 2012 but is not now exempt from the local property tax; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15660/13]