Parliamentary questions

Services for People with Disabilities

Colm Keaveney

7. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he will intervene with Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, to restore funding to the Disability Equality Specialist Support Agency; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20406/15]

Disabled Drivers and Passengers Scheme

Colm Keaveney

57. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Finance his views on altering the Disabled Drivers and Disabled Passengers (Tax Concessions) Regulations 1994, in order to permit vehicles to be purchased from parties other than authorised dealers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20929/15]

Health and Safety Regulations

Colm Keaveney

72. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the reason copies of the two most recent health and safety reports into the psychiatric unit in University Hospital Galway have not been provided to the staff health and safety representative; if disciplinary action has been taken against those responsible for their failure to provide said copies, such failure being contrary to legislation and regulation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20985/15]

Health and Safety Inspections

Colm Keaveney

157. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Health the reason copies of the two most recent health and safety reports into the psychiatric unit in University Hospital Galway have not been provided to all those legally entitled to receive them; if disciplinary action has been initiated against the Health Service Executive managers for any failure that may have arisen with respect to their statutory responsibility to provide said copies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20984/15]

Educational Disadvantage

Colm Keaveney

179. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will reconsider the decision to cut a home school community liaison officer from a school (details supplied) in County Galway, particularly in view of the high numbers of students from a disadvantaged background, its designation under the delivering equality of opportunity in schools scheme and the likely impact this loss will have on a minority who have traditionally suffered from poor educational outcomes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20989/15]

Central Statistics Office Remit

Colm Keaveney

47. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Taoiseach if he is aware that the Office for National Statistics in the United Kingdom has, since 2011, systematically measured the personal well being of the population in order to gain a more complete picture of national well-being; if he sees merit in statistics of this type being gathered in this jurisdiction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19269/15]

School Completion Programme

Colm Keaveney

264. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs further to Parliamentary Question No.172 of 12 February 2015, if the review of the school completion programme has been completed; if so, the findings of that review; if the school completion programme funding in the Tuam, Loughrea, Gort and Athenry areas of County Galway will be protected in the 2015-2016 academic year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19206/15]

Mental Health Services Provision

Colm Keaveney

384. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Health his plans to instigate a renewal or review of a Vision for Change before 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19780/15]

School Accommodation Provision

Colm Keaveney

422. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of companies or other entities her Department entered into lease agreements with for the provision of prefabricated units to primary and secondary schools; the identity of these companies or other entities; the length of the lease with the five largest providers; the value of these leases; when these leases were last negotiated; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19386/15]

IBRC Loans

Colm Keaveney

285. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Finance if he will confirm if borrowers of the Irish Bank Resolution Corporation were offered an incentive discount on their loans to refinance or buy their loans back from the special liquidators before the special liquidators had to put the loans up for auction; if so, the number of borrowers who were granted this discount; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18365/15]

Hospital Appointments Delays

Colm Keaveney

459. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) in County Galway may expect to receive an appointment for a medical procedure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18282/15]

Disability Activation Projects

Colm Keaveney

32. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection her views on whether not extending all Intreo services to persons with disabilities throughout Ireland, including all the voluntary activation schemes, for example, the Youth Guarantee scheme and Momentum, regardless of payment type that the disabled person is on, discriminates against persons with disabilities when they seek activation and employment opportunities on a par with their non-disabled peers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17244/15]

Disability Activation Projects

Colm Keaveney

57. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the proposals she will bring forward to ensure that persons with disabilities will not be worse off if they take up employment opportunities; the way she proposes to make work pay for persons with disabilities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17245/15]

Insolvency Service of Ireland Data

Colm Keaveney

261. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the administrative cost of running the Insolvency Service of Ireland in 2014; the total fees received by the service in 2014; the total number of cases completed across each category of insolvency arrangement; the budget allocated to the service for 2015; the total staff currently employed by the service; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17536/15]

Health Services Staff Recruitment

Colm Keaveney

296. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Health if he will provide, broken down by Health Service Executive area, the number of paramedics the HSE plans to hire in 2015; the number of positions that have currently been filled; the number that are currently in the recruitment process; if all these positions will be opened to external candidates; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17220/15]

Health Services Staff Recruitment

Colm Keaveney

298. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Health the number of mental health posts due, under the budget 2015 allocation of €35 million, to be advertised at the end of quarter 1 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17287/15]

Hospital Waiting Lists

Colm Keaveney

307. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) in County Galway can expect to receive an appointment for a long awaited medical procedure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17368/15]

School Discipline

Colm Keaveney

447. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Education and Skills the guidelines her Department issued on the use of face-down prone restraints in primary or secondary level schools, including schools that service special educational needs in particular; her views that the use of these restraints pose a risk to the health, well-being, or life of the children who this form of restraint is used upon; if her Department records the incidence of the use of such a restraint in each school and for each pupil; if such a record is kept, if she will provide the number of times this restraint was used in primary or secondary level schools, detailed separately, in each month of 2014; the average number of times it was used, per pupil, in primary and secondary schools, detailed separately, in each month of 2014; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17230/15]

Schools Building Projects Status

Colm Keaveney

474. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Education and Skills in view of the fact that the current site of a school (details supplied) in County Galway is not fit for purpose, when the pupils and teachers of the school can expect the building of the new school, announced in 2012, to commence; whether it will be on the accelerated building programme; when she anticipates the school opening; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17492/15]

Road Projects

Colm Keaveney

589. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport in view of the boost that it could have provided to the region, and in view of the serious levels of deprivation that exist in Gort and Tuam in County Galway, his views that it is regrettable that so few local persons have been employed on the construction of the M17 and M18 Gort to Tuam motorway; the action he will take to rectify this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17253/15]

Road Projects

Colm Keaveney

590. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport in view of the already high levels of economic deprivation that exist in Gort, County Galway, and the fears of the local business community, which has worked hard to provide employment, that the single junction planned for the town will make it less attractive for passing trade along the motorway, if consideration will be given to an alteration for the plan to provide for a second junction for Gort; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17254/15]

Easter Rising Commemorations

Colm Keaveney

608. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht her views that Ireland should mark the anniversary of one of the main foundational moments in this country's struggle to achieve a national republic, the Easter Rising of 1916, in a manner similar to other republics, such as the United States of America and the French Republic, that is to say without any sense of apology to, or cultural cringe towards, the foreign people and government that long usurped the sovereign and indefeasible right of the people of Ireland to the ownership of Ireland, and to the unfettered control of Irish destinies; the manner in which she plans to give expression to this in the centenary celebrations of the 1916 Rising, and to the vision of a republic that cherishes all of the children of the nation equally and is oblivious of the differences which had been carefully fostered by an alien government, which had divided a minority from the majority in the past; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17252/15]

Hospital Appointments Status

Colm Keaveney

240. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Health the position regarding a hospital appointment in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16273/15]

Hospital Appointments Status

Colm Keaveney

274. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) in County Galway will receive an urgent appointment for heart surgery; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16427/15]

Hospital Appointments Status

Colm Keaveney

275. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) in County Galway will receive an appointment for an awaited procedure as the person is on the waiting list for five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16431/15]

Mental Health Services Provision

Colm Keaveney

4. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Health the way he proposes to address the increase in cases of electroconvulsive therapy being used against a patient’s will; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14853/15]

Nursing Homes Support Scheme Applications

Colm Keaveney

450. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) in County Galway will receive a decision on an application under the fair deal scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13896/15]

Hospital Appointments Status

Colm Keaveney

461. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) in County Galway will receive an appointment for a medical procedure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13941/15]

Speech and Language Therapy

Colm Keaveney

529. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Health if he will provide, in tabular form and for each local health area, the number of persons currently on the speech and language therapy assessment waiting list; the number waiting less than four months; from four to 12 months; and more than 12 months. [14288/15]

Speech and Language Therapy

Colm Keaveney

530. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Health if he will provide, in tabular form and for each local health area, the number of persons currently on the speech and language therapy treatment waiting list; the number waiting less than four months; four to 12 months; and more than 12 months. [14289/15]

Medical Card Applications

Colm Keaveney

444. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) will receive a decision on an application for a medical card; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12817/15]

Hospital Appointments Delays

Colm Keaveney

461. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) in County Galway will receive follow-up medical treatment following a recent procedure in view of the fact the person was assured of being called back within three weeks, and it has now been almost five weeks since the initial procedure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12911/15]

Departmental Funding

Colm Keaveney

112. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the amount of funding that has been allocated by her Department to the PolskaÉire Festival; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12258/15]

Mental Health Services Provision

Colm Keaveney

129. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to an article in the Roscommon Herald on 12 March 2015 stating concerns regarding the closure of Rosalie Unit in Castlerea, County Roscommon, which is a 25-bed psychiatry-of-later-life unit and is under the care of the newly established POLL team; that in the past few months the staff have been informed that the unit will be reduced to a 15-bed specialist unit for dementia and Alzheimer's respite and assessment beds, and that current staff will be transferred to POLL community teams; and to facts (details supplied) regarding the unit; his views that these facts will render the unit unfit for purpose and that Health Service Executive management are using this as an excuse to close it, despite the impact this will have on residents who have been in this service for many years, many of whom lack any family to protect their interests and well-being, and are now having their future welfare undermined by the proposed closure; if he will meet with the nurse and clinical management in County Roscommon to discuss this issue and to prevent the closure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12235/15]

HSE Correspondence

Colm Keaveney

134. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 196 of 15 January 2015, if he will reply to the question again, in view of the fact that the person who responded to this Deputy by correspondence on behalf of the Health Service Executive to that parliamentary question specifically denied any knowledge of the correspondence and contradicted its contents at a public meeting (details supplied); the reason this occurred; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12268/15]

Turf Cutting Compensation Scheme Applications

Colm Keaveney

207. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the reason a positive decision has not been made regarding the acquisition of property in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Galway; the date on which a decision will be made; the amount of ground to be acquired; the amount of compensation to be paid; his views on this project, taking into account the co-operation of this person over many years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12295/15]

Physical Education Facilities

Colm Keaveney

529. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if the Early Years Capital Programme will provide funding for the strand grants to provide natural outdoor spaces that promote active outdoor play in 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11237/15]

Hospital Appointments Status

Colm Keaveney

641. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) in County Galway will receive a date for surgery, in view of the fact that the person is a full-time carer and is finding it difficult to carry out this function due to pain suffered on a daily basis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11578/15]

Domiciliary Care Allowance Applications

Colm Keaveney

152. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the reason a child (details supplied) in County Galway in respect of whom a domiciliary care allowance was awarded in 2008 is now not regarded as a qualified child, in view of the fact that the child's medical condition has deteriorated over the years; when a decision will be received on a domiciliary care allowance for a second child; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9872/15]

Mental Health Services Provision

Colm Keaveney

371. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) in County Galway will receive an appointment for counselling; his views that the waiting time for such appointments leaves persons in distress, delays their recovery and increases cost on the health service, for example, through increased medication costs; his plans to increase the provision of counselling service and reduce waiting times; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9940/15]

Fiscal Policy

Colm Keaveney

83. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Finance if he will confirm that a quote attributed to him which recently appeared in a British news magazine (details supplied) is accurate, that is, if quantitative easing becomes the function of national central banks, rather than primarily of the European Central Bank, then he thinks that it will be ineffective; if he still stands over that assessment; in view of the form of quantitative easing that the European Central Bank has now engaged in, does this involve bond purchases being made by national central banks, rather than by the European Central Bank; his views that it will be ineffective; if he does not believe it will be ineffective, then how does he reconcile that assessment with the quote attributed to him; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9692/15]

Garda Surveys

Colm Keaveney

140. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Justice and Equality her views that the morale of An Garda Síochána ought to be of concern to her and her Department; if she has received any report, formal or informal, on the state of morale within An Garda Síochána; if not, the steps she will take to ascertain the current morale of the force; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9647/15]

Hospitals Policy

Colm Keaveney

184. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Health his views that the protection and promotion of the dignity of the individual person receiving treatment in our hospitals should be one of the core values in the delivery of care; his further views that failure to protect and promote such should warrant some consequence to the managers or care teams or both within the hospital where such failures occur; the action he will take to ensure that this core value is promoted and delivered in all of the care settings for which the Health Service Executive and his Department are responsible; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9643/15]

Ministerial Advisers Remuneration

Colm Keaveney

231. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the total severance packages, stated in total euro amounts and individually detailed, received by any special advisers to his office since January 2014, specifically in respect of persons (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9640/15]

Foreign Policy

Colm Keaveney

232. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the primary goal and purpose of Irish foreign policy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9645/15]

School Discipline

Colm Keaveney

104. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs to detail the peak age for exclusion from primary and secondary level education, taken separately and together; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9397/15]

Mental Health Services Provision

Colm Keaveney

112. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Health the peak age for admission into psychiatric care for persons under the age of 18 years of age, for persons between the ages of zero and 25, for all persons; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9398/15]

Mental Health Services Provision

Colm Keaveney

113. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Health if he will provide in tabular form for the child and adolescent mental health service in Carlow-Kilkenny the number of children admitted to an adult inpatient unit in each year from 2011 to 2014 inclusive; the number of children admitted to an adult inpatient unit in each month of 2014; the numbers waiting for their first outpatient appointment with CAMHS, detailed into those waiting for longer than one month, three months, six months, nine months, 12 months, 18 months and 24 months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9405/15]

Disability Services Provision

Colm Keaveney

114. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Health if he will provide in tabular form for early intervention teams in counties Carlow and Kilkenny, the number of children waiting for their first appointment, detailed into those waiting for longer than one month, three months, six months, nine months, 12 months, 18 months and 24 months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9407/15]

Mental Health Services Provision

Colm Keaveney

115. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Health the total allocation provided to mental health services in counties Carlow and Kilkenny for each year from 2011 to 2014, inclusive; the actual spending in respect of mental health services in each of those years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9408/15]