Parliamentary questions

Local Authority Housing Provision

Dessie Ellis

499. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government in view of the Pullen and others versus Dublin City Council section 62 Judgement, when he intends to bring forward legislation to facilitate local authorities in refusing to house applicants who are involved in drug dealing and severe anti-social behaviour. [8293/13]

Local Authority Housing Waiting Lists

Dessie Ellis

500. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the number of persons currently on the housing waiting list for the Ballymun and Finglas area of Dublin city. [8295/13]

Local Authority Housing Waiting Lists

Dessie Ellis

501. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the number of persons currently on housing waiting lists for local authorities across the State; the reason they were assessed as having a housing need; and if he will provide a breakdown by local authority and the number of applicants currently waiting over five years and over ten years respectively. [8296/13]

Hospital Waiting Lists

Dessie Ellis

732. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Health the reason a person (details supplied) in Dublin 9 will have to wait until 10 October 2014 to see a consultant respiratory physician at Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, despite their persistent respiratory difficulties. [8729/13]

Taxi Regulations

Dessie Ellis

751. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if his attention has been drawn to the serious problems taxi drivers are having with registration on the new taxi portal site and the worrying failure of the phone helpline or email service to properly explain the process exacerbated by many phone calls going unanswered and emails bouncing back not received. [8965/13]

Prescription Charges

Dessie Ellis

6. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the fact that there is a double charging of the prescription charge on medical card holders where the prescription item, as prescribed by the general practitioner, is not available in the milligram dosage prescribed, for example, 15mg of a given tablet available only in 10mg and 5mg, 7.5mg of a given tablet available only in 5mg and 2.5mg, that is each of the examples shown the patient concerned was charged €3 rather than the €1.50 per prescription item; if he will clarify the situation and instruct the pharmacy sector to charge only per item as prescribed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7454/13]

Hospital Services

Dessie Ellis

43. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Health the reason the new epilepsy monitoring unit at Cork University Hospital and the redevelopment unit at Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, remain unopened, in view of the completion of the units in the autumn of 2012 at an estimated spend of €900,000; if he will address this situation in the interest of epilepsy patients here; the timeframe for the opening of these facilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7452/13]

Child Care Services Provision

Dessie Ellis

32. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of places currently available on the after school scheme that was announced in budget 2013; the timeline for availability of the proposed 6,000 places; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7305/13]

Hospital Procedures

Dessie Ellis

654. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Health the reason a person (detailed supplied) in Dublin 11 will have to wait two years to see a neurologist in Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, despite his experience of continuing unexplained seziures and MRI and EEG results which show an abnormality on the left side of his brain. [6805/13]

Green Paper on Defence

Dessie Ellis

37. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Defence the date on which the Green Paper on Defence will be published. [6125/13]

Prison Visiting Committees Remit

Dessie Ellis

15. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Justice and Equality his plans to review the existing functions and powers of the Prison Visiting Committees. [5994/13]

Prison Inspections

Dessie Ellis

54. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Justice and Equality his plans to make the Inspector of Prisons accountable to the Oireachtas; and his plans to put the inspector's standards on a statutory footing and introduce a binding mechanism for the implementation of recommendations [5993/13]

Pyrite Issues

Dessie Ellis

129. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the position regarding the development of primary legislation for dealing with the levies required to resolve the problems being experienced by families in pyrite contaminated homes; when a fully appointed resolution board will be in place; and if it will include a representative of the Pyrite Action Group in order to best address these continuing problems causing much hardship and concerns to the persons affected. [6050/13]

Homeless Persons Supports

Dessie Ellis

143. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the measures he is taking to provide affordable housing specifically for those moving out of homelessness and emergency accommodation in view of the large numbers who are stuck in emergency accommodation due to a shortage of housing. [5557/13]

Local Authority Housing Maintenance

Dessie Ellis

145. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the action he is taking to help local authorities to work to prioritise the retrofitting of their housing stock to improve insulation and energy conservation focussing on older homes and those designated for senior citizens. [5559/13]

Anti-Social Behaviour

Dessie Ellis

551. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the action he is taking as part of the Programme for Government commitment to tackle anti-social behaviour in all housing tenures and if he will outline any successes or initiatives already in operation. [5112/13]

Local Authority Housing Provision

Dessie Ellis

552. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the number of families in Ballymun, Dublin, that are still waiting to be rehoused as part of the regeneration project and the details of when these families will be re-housed. [5113/13]

Traveller Accommodation

Dessie Ellis

574. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the plight of six families currently residing adjacent to a halting site (details supplied in Dublin 15 one of whom has been there for 18 years; and the actions he will take to help the local authorities to accommodate them [5471/13]

Driver Licence Applications

Dessie Ellis

887. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the reason a person (details supplied) in Dublin 14 who applied for a category A full motorbike licence and passed his test was denied a class A licence despite having applied and passed his test as well as submitting his certificate before 19 January 2013 [5472/13]

Telecommunications Services Provision

Dessie Ellis

35. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his view on a mobile telephone company blocking the use of Skype on its devices; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4684/13]