Parliamentary questions

Licence Applications

Maureen O'Sullivan

159. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if a licence application has been received by his Department for an extension to the hare hunting and or beagling season into March 2013. [10806/13]

Human Rights Issues

Maureen O'Sullivan

154. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will make representations to the Moroccan authorities to use civilian courts to ensure fair retrials for those Sahrawi people given long prison sentences by the military court; if he will support the call by Amnesty International and others for the Moroccan authorities to conduct an independent and impartial investigation into the human rights abuses committed in connection with the 8 November 2010 events; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9644/13]

State Properties

Maureen O'Sullivan

283. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will report on the extent, and estimated value, of property held in trust by the State further to Section 28 (2) of the State Property Act 1954, which provides that the State in the person of the Minister assumes responsibility for all personal property and land vested in or held in trust for a dissolved body corporate other than personal property or land held by such body in trust for another person immediately prior to its dissolution and that upon the dissolution of the body corporate, such property becomes State property; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9603/13]

State Properties

Maureen O'Sullivan

284. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform at the time when function transferred in July 2011 to him under the Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Act, 2011 and S.I. No. 418/2011 Finance (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2011, the estimated extent and value of property held by the State under these provisions for upwards of twenty years; and, since the effect of Section 28 is that the Minister does not hold the assets of dissolved companies as beneficial owner, but holds them in trust, if the dissolved company is restored to the Register of Companies within twenty years of the date of its dissolution, and its property is automatically restored to it, the arrangements that apply if the title is not restored to the company / corporate body; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9604/13]

State Properties

Maureen O'Sullivan

285. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the number of occasions since June 1977 when the state, further to the State Property Act, Section 31 has waived the interest acquired under Section 28 of the Act; if he will publish a schedule of the beneficiaries of such waivers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9605/13]

Building Regulations Amendments

Maureen O'Sullivan

430. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will defer signing the new Building Control (Amendment) Regulations 2012 until the report from the environment committee is published; if he will give due consideration to the alliance paper (details supplied) and non-registered architects' concerns over the pending legislation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9551/13]

Immigration Policy

Maureen O'Sullivan

505. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality in view of President Obama's proposal to allow 11 million illegal immigrants to move toward a path of citizenship over eight years, if he will consider a similar incentive such as a regularisation scheme to include certain undocumented migrants to move towards citizenship if they comply with a list of requirements; if not, if he will consider other initiatives that seek to relieve the situation that illegality contributes to undocumented migrants here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10032/13]

Immigration Policy

Maureen O'Sullivan

506. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality in terms of a case by case regularisation scheme here what are the requirements set out for an undocumented migrant to gain legality here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10033/13]

Asylum Seeker Accommodation

Maureen O'Sullivan

527. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality following the review by the UN Committee Against Torture where the committee recommends that the State partly take measures to ensure that all persons detained for immigration related reasons are held in facilities that are appropriate to their status, his views on the current situation relating to immigration related detainees; and the plans that have been made to make appropriate facilities available. [10288/13]

Hospital Trusts

Maureen O'Sullivan

650. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health if he considers that criteria such as existing partnerships, existing geographical links and patient access to appropriate services will be key in choosing the appropriate partnerships in his Department's project plan for the establishment of acute hospital groups which would support the co-location of the Rotunda and Mater Hospitals, Dublin, as indicated by KPMG report of 2008; if, at the very least, he will not make a final decision until after the publication of the review of maternity models of care currently being undertaken by the Health Service Executive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9695/13]

State Agencies

Maureen O'Sullivan

172. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality his views on reports (details supplied) that the selection committee for the new Commission of the Human Rights and Equality Commission lack urgency and are engaged in a process of head hunting the Chief Commissioner, a process that would breach the requirements in the UN Paris Principles in relation to such an appointment; and the action he will take to resolve same. [9347/13]

Driver Licences

Maureen O'Sullivan

267. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if his attention has been drawn to the potential losses that will be made to the retail photography ID sector due to the National Driver Licence Service being awarded photographic ID services for driver licences; if his attention has been drawn to the concerns by many in the sector of the issuing of photo ID images through a Government service and the competition disadvantage this causes for the private sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9375/13]

Human Rights Issues

Maureen O'Sullivan

3. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he has made representations to the British authorities on the location of the royal pardon which was granted to Marian Price and the late Dolours Price; his views on whether the granting of the pardon is being disregarded as Marian Price continues to be detained in prison and is in very poor health. [9030/13]

Northern Ireland Issues

Maureen O'Sullivan

72. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the representations he has made to the Northern Ireland authorities regarding the human rights issues of prisoners in Maghaberry Prison; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9031/13]

Overseas Development Aid Provision

Maureen O'Sullivan

76. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the way he intends to invest in the security of the community sector in Irish Aid's programme countries; the way he intends to increase multi stakeholder, independent review mechanisms to assess the effectiveness of Government systems and its response to threats against civil society space; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9262/13]

Human Rights Issues

Maureen O'Sullivan

77. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade in relation to the recent detention of Jeyasundaram in Sri Lanka, considered illegal by UNWGAD, the reason there was no Irish diplomatic presence on the release date to ensure their release proceeded and to further ensure safety out of Sri Lanka. [9263/13]

National Procurement Service Savings

Maureen O'Sullivan

137. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the National Procurement Service is currently considering placing art and graphic supplies for schools out to tender; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that this could potentially affect paper and stationery suppliers here already undergoing financial difficulties from the economic downturn; the policies in place to increase Irish businesses' engagement with the procurement process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9264/13]

Youth Services Provision

Maureen O'Sullivan

207. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will address the delay to some youth services, in the north inner city of Dublin, in being informed of 2013 funding from CDYSB; the reason for this delay; and the funding allocation for 2013. [9240/13]

National Monuments

Maureen O'Sullivan

173. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport when the Fáilte Ireland report in relation to the Moore Street battlefield site and independence trail, Dublin, as requested by him will be published. [4260/13]

Employment Rights

Maureen O'Sullivan

379. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the rights and obligations of employers towards their subcontractors in the event of a change of title or demotion; if he intends to bring forward legislation in relation to the protection of workers in subcontracting companies who have worked for a long period of time; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8587/13]

Planning Issues

Maureen O'Sullivan

450. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if he intends to continue considering a consent application made under a planning application that has been amended and altered and is, by the applicant's own admission, now subject to further planning approval. [9241/13]

Planning Issues

Maureen O'Sullivan

457. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht in view of the fact that he has undertaken to preserve the national monument Moore St., Dublin, under preservation order No.1 of 2007, if he will explain the basis upon which he can consider an application that seeks his consent to retain only the monument's buildings, that is, 40% of its protected area; the basis upon which the application, in seeking Ministerial consent, can simply ignore the protection afforded to the national monument as a protected structure and a national monument, by redrawing its boundary to facilitate the demolition of protected structures and outbuildings directly linked to the 1916 Rising and build on, over and under it.. [8641/13]

Hare Coursing

Maureen O'Sullivan

624. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his attention has been drawn to the monitoring reports from the National Parks and Wildlife Service which document hare hits, injuries, kills and hares having to be put down due to injuries for the 2011-2012 coursing season; if he is concerned that hares continue to be injured and killed, despite muzzling; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8636/13]

Mental Health Services Report

Maureen O'Sullivan

5. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health if he will provide a breakdown in relation to the 477 posts allocated for mental health in the Health Service Executive's 2013 national service plan; the number of staff of each discipline that will be appointed; to which service, old age, intellectual disability, forensics and so on; to which geographical areas they will be allocated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7765/13]

Health Services

Maureen O'Sullivan

65. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health if he recognises the condition, X microvascular dysfunction, as a cardiac syndrome; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that in the US they have developed a new machine to diagnose the condition more effectively; the reason that some people with this debilitating condition cannot receive a statement from their cardiologists that they are unfit for work which affects their social welfare entitlements; if his Department will formulate public awareness programmes to raise awareness of this condition here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7633/13]

Asylum Seeker Accommodation

Maureen O'Sullivan

267. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the value of the individual contracts to providers of direct provision accommodation; and if these contracts were advertised and awarded as per the EU public procurement regulations. [7792/13]

Alcohol Pricing

Maureen O'Sullivan

312. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health if in view of the Seanad Public Consultation Committee's recommendations of alcohol and cancer, when he will begin work on introducing minimum pricing; the structural separating of alcohol from other products, labelling and a national campaign to provide health warnings on the links between alcohol and cancer; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7766/13]

Voluntary Housing Sector

Maureen O'Sullivan

225. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Finance the actions he will take to increase access to mortgages for people obtaining homes through charitable housing organisations, who have a lower net disposable income and are refused loans through traditional banks; the way he intends to increase home ownership during the stagnation of the housing sector for those on lower incomes; the way he intends to make the financial sector more inclusive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6821/13]

Community Employment Schemes Data

Maureen O'Sullivan

394. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will outline, since January 2012, the decline in the numbers on community employment programmes; if she will further outline for the same period the decline in numbers on the special status drugs rehabilitation community employment programmes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7189/13]

Magdalen Laundries

Maureen O'Sullivan

5. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if, in progressing the issues relating to the Magdalen laundries, he is considering an apology and a redress and restorative justice scheme; and if he will establish a dedicated helpline and outreach service to provide much needed assistance for the ladies of the laundries. [6093/13]

Home-School Liaison Scheme

Maureen O'Sullivan

81. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will clarify whether section 21(9) of the Education Welfare Act (2000) (details supplied) allows individual schools the discretion to come to flexi-school arrangements with parents, similar to those operated in some schools in the UK, whereby a child is homeschooled for a portion of the school week, if such an arrangement is authorised by the school principal and the school principal is satisfied with both the curriculum being delivered at home and the records of said curriculum delivery; and if such an arrangement is authorised at the discretion of the school, if he will further clarify if the school is obliged by the Act to report the homeschool days to the NEWB or does it suffice that the school has a record of the homeschool days. [6249/13]

Magdalen Laundries Report

Maureen O'Sullivan

148. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality when he envisages acting on the report of the committee, chaired by Senator McAleese, into the Magdalen laundries. [6094/13]

Prisoner Complaints Procedures

Maureen O'Sullivan

179. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality in view of recent revelations regarding St. Patrick's Institution, and his plan to implement new procedures for the investigation of prisoner complaints, the timescale he envisages for implementing a new plan for those aged 18 to 21 within the criminal justice system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6292/13]

Human Rights Issues

Maureen O'Sullivan

229. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will address the issue of medicines, supposedly being exempt from the sanctions imposed on Iran, but prevented from getting into Iran because of banking sanctions, an issue causing considerable difficulties for the civilian population; if he will pursue this as a breach of human rights and through his place on U.N. Human Rights Council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5954/13]

Overseas Development Aid Provision

Maureen O'Sullivan

232. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Finance in view of Ireland's new membership to the Asia Development Bank and its contribution of €20 million to the bank, the projects that have been funded with the €20 million and the level of engagement from Irish businesses that exists with the Asia Development Bank; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5244/13]

Property Taxation Application

Maureen O'Sullivan

254. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Finance if he has considered the implications of the proposed property tax, if it is imposed on housing associations particularly in view of the increasing demands on their services by many people, especially vulnerable people with mental health issues and addiction issues, former prisoners; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5349/13]

Property Taxation Application

Maureen O'Sullivan

291. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Finance the measures he is taking in relation to property tax for those homes where the market value is significantly questionable and problematic as they are unable to secure insurance against flooding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6061/13]

Psychological Services

Maureen O'Sullivan

316. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the extent of the engagement between the National Educational Psychological Services, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, Education Welfare Boards, in the interests of those students in both primary and post primary education in need of support. [5427/13]

Insurance Coverage

Maureen O'Sullivan

374. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform further to Parliamentary Question No. 147, the progress he has made in addressing the issues faced by communities who cannot secure insurance for flooding, especially for those where remedial work has been done; if he will consider State intervention on this matter; if he will address the implications for those homes when it comes to property tax; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6052/13]

Forestry Sector

Maureen O'Sullivan

683. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his response to the recent report published by a company (details supplied) which estimates the State would remain liable for costs of €1.3 billion following a sale of harvesting rights; his views on the report's conclusion that the sale of Coillte's harvesting rights would not bring economic benefits; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5243/13]

National Monuments

Maureen O'Sullivan

18. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if he intends honouring his undertaking to preserve the 1916 National Monument in its entirety under preservation order No. 1 of 2007. [4261/13]

NAMA Portfolio Value

Maureen O'Sullivan

72. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Finance if he will have cause to have laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas a schedule of all artworks to have come into the possession of the National Asset Management Agency since the establishment of the agency; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4718/13]

Control of Dogs

Maureen O'Sullivan

171. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine in view of the recent attack on, and mauling of, a family pet by hounds of a County Carlow based hunt and in view of the clear and present danger posed by hunting dogs to domestic animals, livestock, pets and so on, if he will ban all hunting of wild animals with packs of dogs in the countryside. [4725/13]

Mental Health Services Report

Maureen O'Sullivan

197. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health when he will re-establish an independent monitoring group to oversee the implementation of A Vision for Change in view of the recent seven year anniversary of the document, published to help develop mental health services; the priorities that are in place to ensure the continued development of mental health services away from institutional style care towards community-centred care; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4792/13]

Housing Adaptation Grant Applications

Maureen O'Sullivan

512. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government when he will release funding to Dublin City Council which will be used for extensions/adaptions for people with disabilities. [3779/13]

Motor Tax Collection

Maureen O'Sullivan

516. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the amount of income from road tax which went to local authorities in 2012, specifically to Dublin City Council for local road maintenance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3930/13]

Inter-Country Adoptions

Maureen O'Sullivan

639. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will instruct the Health Service Executive to immediately start quick re-assessments of couples in possession of a pre-Hague declaration, Article 63 declarations, in view of the fact that it takes more than eight months in some cases to move from assessment to declaration and some applicants only have 10 months left to the expiration of 370 declaration; if she will instruct the Adoption Authority of Ireland not to stop issuing the Article 17 for adoptions from Thailand in view of the fact that there are still 10 families left on the waiting list for Thailand adoptions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4324/13]

Health Services Staff

Maureen O'Sullivan

685. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the ongoing situation regarding non consultant hospital doctors and junior doctors who are working shifts of 36 hours or more and where some doctors are working more than 70 hours a week in total and are suffering from mental and physical health problems as a result which is also jeopardising the quality of care of hospital patients; the action he will take in response to the Health Service Executive's non-compliance with the EU Working Time Directive transposed into the Statutory Instrument No. 494 of 2004 which states the maximum number of hours of work per week should not exceed 48 hours from 1 August 2009 onwards and 11 hours of rest is mandatory every 24 hours; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4113/13]

Child Care Services Provision

Maureen O'Sullivan

693. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the plans in place for the care of a severely disturbed violent youth (details supplied) in Dublin 7. [4196/13]

Vaccination Programme

Maureen O'Sullivan

728. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health his plans to extend the HPV vaccine to Irish schoolboys in the same way as they are being offered this vaccine free in other countries to help prevent passing on the HPV virus; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4397/13]