Parliamentary questions

IDA Supports

Anne Ferris

94. Deputy Anne Ferris asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if his attention has been drawn to tax or other incentives that a company (details supplied) may avail of by choosing to locate its data centre in County Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17089/15]

Traveller Community

Anne Ferris

375. Deputy Anne Ferris asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he has received an application for funding from Wicklow County Council under the Traveller equine pilot project 2015-16; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that local residents are opposed to this proposal; if he has examined and made a decision on the application; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15609/15]

Wildlife Conservation

Anne Ferris

708. Deputy Anne Ferris asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if she will provide an update on the conservation of the declining snipe bird species and the rare jack snipe species, particularly in the context of the Carrigower Bog in County Wicklow, a nationally important habitat for snipe and jack snipe; her views on any obligations in planning law to protect the habitats of these birds; any planned legislative improvements in this regard; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15387/15]

Mortgage Interest Rates

Anne Ferris

158. Deputy Anne Ferris asked the Minister for Finance his plans to empower the Central Bank of Ireland to cap or otherwise control, within a sustainable range, homeowner mortgage interest rates in view of the significantly high rates here compared with elsewhere in Europe, and the effect this is having on household budgets, new lending, the property market, consumer confidence and competitiveness; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14530/15]

Tax Code

Anne Ferris

159. Deputy Anne Ferris asked the Minister for Finance if the scheme of tax incentives for child care facilities promoted in the Finance Act 1999 left any obligation on crèche owners, who rent out the operation of the crèche, to ensure the continued use of the premises as a crèche and-or the non-application of prohibitively high rents; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14533/15]

Mortgage Arrears Proposals

Anne Ferris

160. Deputy Anne Ferris asked the Minister for Finance if the Central Bank of Ireland has reviewed the split-mortgage proposals offered by Allied Irish Banks and Bank of Ireland to struggling mortgage holders in arrears; if so, his views that this forces Bank of Ireland mortgage holders to enter split-mortgage agreements where the warehoused portion is accruing interest at 2.5% with no write-down whatsoever, while Allied Irish Banks offers a more realistic solution for dealing with the unrealistic debt burden; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14535/15]

Forestry Management

Anne Ferris

294. Deputy Anne Ferris asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will explain the policy of Coillte regarding the management of tree-felling operations in scenic areas of high ecotourism value, and the obligations of Coillte regarding planning permission, environmental impact assessment and appropriate assessment of protected habitats, particularly in relation to the Mullacor Mountain (details supplied) in Glendalough in County Wicklow; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14624/15]

Environmental Impact Statements

Anne Ferris

750. Deputy Anne Ferris asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government in view of the statutory and European Union requirement for the environmental impact statement for the Codling Park offshore wind farm to assess the visual impact of the development from the adjoining coastline, and in view of the fact that the adjoining planning authorities (details supplied) had no statutory role in formally assessing the developer's environmental impact statement and did not do so, if he will confirm the bodies represented on the marine licence vetting committee appointed to advise him that had responsibility and the necessary technical skills for assessing the visual impact of this large-scale development on the coast of County Wicklow; the name and professional qualification of the person or persons who carried out this important aspect of the assessment on behalf of the State; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14214/15]

Broadcasting Sector

Anne Ferris

834. Deputy Anne Ferris asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the measures in place, and planned measures, to encourage the development of home-grown Irish and Irish-language broadcast content, for both online and television media; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14101/15]

National Landscape Strategy

Anne Ferris

920. Deputy Anne Ferris asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the status and planned implementation schedule for the national landscape strategy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14734/15]

HIQA Investigations

Anne Ferris

436. Deputy Anne Ferris asked the Minister for Health in the interest of child protection, if his Department has sought to ensure the publication of the Health Information and Quality Authority report into the death of infants at Portlaoise hospital in County Laois; his views, from a child protection perspective, on the recent reports that the Health Service Executive is attempting to block such publication; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12758/15]

HIQA Investigations

Anne Ferris

443. Deputy Anne Ferris asked the Minister for Health his views on the independent status of the Health Information and Quality Authority; his further views on the importance of maintaining the independence of the authority in terms of maintaining public credibility in its effectiveness in reporting and in terms of the legal necessity to allow it sufficient autonomy to carry out its important oversight, auditing and reporting role without political interference or the existence or perception of institutional or other bias; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12757/15]

Pension Provisions

Anne Ferris

231. Deputy Anne Ferris asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the outcome of her discussions with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform on a pension plan for community employment supervisors; when officials involved will report back on this matter as the indicative date was January 2015; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11898/15]

Flood Relief Schemes

Anne Ferris

307. Deputy Anne Ferris asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the position regarding road restoration works at a location (details supplied) in County Wicklow; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11982/15]

Flood Relief Schemes

Anne Ferris

308. Deputy Anne Ferris asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the planned measures by the Office of Public Works to ensure that unsafe access to the River Dargle flood relief construction site by children is prevented; the measures in place by the office to inspect safety hazards at the site; the current line of responsibility for the statutory safety file for this project; if the safety statement for the works has been inspected and approved by the office; the safety audits which are carried out and by whom; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11983/15]

Flood Relief Schemes

Anne Ferris

309. Deputy Anne Ferris asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his plans to restore the People's Park in Bray, County Wicklow; when these works are due for completion; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11984/15]

Flood Relief Schemes

Anne Ferris

310. Deputy Anne Ferris asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if the Office of Public Works plans to conduct an audit of traffic movements, construction signage and general traffic and pedestrian safety in the vicinity of the River Dargle flood prevention construction site before work recommences in full; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11985/15]

Flood Relief Schemes

Anne Ferris

311. Deputy Anne Ferris asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his plans for the planting and seeding of disturbed river banks at La Vallee, Bray, County Wicklow; if the planting scheme will be open to public consultation as construction work in this area was not included in the environmental impact statement or planning application for the Dargle flood relief scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11986/15]

Northern Ireland

Anne Ferris

467. Deputy Anne Ferris asked the Minister for Justice and Equality her views on the known extent to which IRA kangaroo courts operated in this jurisdiction, both before and after the Good Friday Agreement; in view of the recent comments by the director of Foyle Women's Aid that such IRA kangaroo courts are still in operation in Northern Ireland, if An Garda Síochána is alert to the possibility of ongoing kangaroo courts operating in parts of this jurisdiction; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11466/15]

Foreshore Licence Applications

Anne Ferris

885. Deputy Anne Ferris asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the names and technical qualifications of individual technical experts who sat on the marine licence vetting committee that conducted the environmental impact assessment of the Codling Bank 1 foreshore licence, which was granted in 2005; if he is unwilling to name these persons, the reason given the existence of this committee in an administrative tribunal role similar to that of An Bord Pleanála and the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission whose members are known to the public; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11523/15]