Parliamentary questions

Social Welfare Benefits Eligibility

Thomas Pringle

417. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when her Department's report into barriers facing seasonal workers accessing social welfare payments in County Donegal will be published and made available; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18714/18]

Brexit Negotiations

Thomas Pringle

11. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if Irish fisheries will be included in negotiations in the lead-up to Brexit; the progress made to date to defend Ireland's position in respect of fisheries in the lead-up to Brexit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18263/18]

Fishing Industry

Thomas Pringle

31. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when the consultation paper to review the options for more restricted access to large fishing vessels trawling specifically within Ireland’s six mile nautical zone will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18262/18]

Television Licences Data

Thomas Pringle

202. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the number of television licences sold through post offices in each of the years 2014 to 2017, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18347/18]

Television Licences Data

Thomas Pringle

203. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the statistics on the way in which television licence holders paid for their licence by each of the options available to them in each of the years 2014 to 2017, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18348/18]

Middle East Issues

Thomas Pringle

83. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if increased assistance will be provided to humanitarian agencies in Gaza following the high number of Palestinians shot and injured during the six-week great march of return which began on 30 March 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18250/18]

Teaching Council of Ireland

Thomas Pringle

173. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Education and Skills the changes that will be carried out to an Scrúdú le haghaidh Cáilíochta sa Ghaeilge for entry into primary school teaching; when these changes will be carried out; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17423/18]

Local Improvement Scheme Administration

Thomas Pringle

550. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if his Department has changed its practice in which it no longer funds private or non-council roads on islands unless the council agrees to take over the future maintenance of those private roads; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17668/18]

Thatching Grants Applications

Thomas Pringle

349. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government when a decision will be made on an application for a thatching grant by a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17340/18]

Small and Medium Enterprises Supports

Thomas Pringle

24. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation her plans to address issues facing small businesses in County Donegal including concerns regarding the retreat of rural services and the lack of Government supports for small businesses outside the remit of Enterprise Ireland and the IDA and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16256/18]

School Staff

Thomas Pringle

88. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to appoint an administrative principal to a school (details supplied) in County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16892/18]

School Transport

Thomas Pringle

432. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Education and Skills the value of individual contracts for school buses (details supplied) in each county; if there are large differences from county to county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16280/18]

Health Services Provision

Thomas Pringle

858. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Health his plans to engage with an organisation (details supplied) and the pharmaceutical industry to ensure that new medicines are available to persons with MS in a timely manner; the efforts he has carried out to date to ensure new medicines are available in a timely manner to those that need them most; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15784/18]

Coillte Teoranta Activities

Thomas Pringle

1052. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the numbers of Coillte farm partnerships in each county in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15263/18]

Fisheries Protection

Thomas Pringle

1057. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when the consultation process as part of the consultation paper to review the options for more restricted access for large fishing vessels trawling inside Ireland’s six-nautical-mile zone is expected to commence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15322/18]

Fisheries Protection

Thomas Pringle

1068. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when the consultation on fishing inside the 12 mile limit is likely to commence; the time limit for submissions; when the results will be known; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15434/18]

Fodder Crisis

Thomas Pringle

1077. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on recommendations by an association (details supplied) to address the growing number of farmers experiencing fodder shortages; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15787/18]

Television Licence Fee Collection

Thomas Pringle

1202. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if, under the current section 145 of the Broadcasting Act 2009, a statutory body can be appointed at his discretion as the collection agent of the television licence fee and continue to have the full powers of enforcement as currently utilised by An Post; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16797/18]

Departmental Offices

Thomas Pringle

1204. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport when a person (details supplied) - who has been waiting for more than two months - will receive a certificate of competency from the marine office and the reason for the delay in the marine office in his Department; if his attention has been drawn to the consequences this has on persons who cannot apply for work until they receive it from the office; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15309/18]

Town and Village Renewal Scheme

Thomas Pringle

257. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development when he plans to launch a further round of the town and village renewal scheme in 2018; the status of phase 1 and phase 2 of the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14406/18]

Education Centre Network

Thomas Pringle

245. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Education and Skills the name of each director and chairperson of the Donegal Education Centre in each of the years 2009 to 2017 and to date in 2018, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13595/18]

Education Centre Network

Thomas Pringle

246. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of companies that applied for the competition following the recent tendering process to appoint auditors to the education centre network; the name of the successful tenderer; the agreed price for the awarding contract; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13596/18]

Education Centre Network

Thomas Pringle

247. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason external auditors have been appointed to audit all 21 education centres despite the fact that each centre will be carrying out internal audits by independent auditors; the reason each centre is being audited twice; the audit which will be considered the official audit for the annual report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13597/18]

Education Centre Network

Thomas Pringle

248. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to ensure that all 21 education centres publish their annual reports from 2016 onwards on their websites; the reason this has not been the practice to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13598/18]

Education Centre Network

Thomas Pringle

249. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Education and Skills when the report commissioned by his Department regarding governance and accountability of education centres will be published; the key recommendations contained in the report; the fee paid to a company (details supplied) to carry out the report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13599/18]

Foreshore Licence Applications

Thomas Pringle

462. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if foreshore licences or other licences have been issued for Lough Foyle in the history of the State; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13759/18]

Permanent Structured Co-operation

Thomas Pringle

63. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the scale of Ireland's involvement in the European Union Training Mission Competence Centre and Upgrade of Maritime Surveillance to be developed under PESCO and which were formally adopted by the EU Council on 1 March 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12883/18]

School Staff Appeals Mechanism

Thomas Pringle

204. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Education and Skills if an appeal by a school (details supplied) in County Donegal will be considered in view of its need for extra staffing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13096/18]

Tús Programme

Thomas Pringle

311. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when the national review of the operation and delivery of the Tús initiative will conclude; if Tús services in County Donegal will be preserved (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13015/18]

UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

Thomas Pringle

344. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Justice and Equality when Ireland will opt into the optional protocol in relation to the UNCRPD; the reason it was not declared at the time of Ireland's official ratification of the convention in view of the fact that in the roadmap to ratification it states Ireland's intention to sign and ratify the optional protocol to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities at the same time as the convention itself is being ratified; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12390/18]

Bus Éireann Services

Thomas Pringle

882. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if Bus Éireann recently made changes to its timetable (details supplied) for the express services from Donegal town to Dublin from 9 a.m. to 8.30 a.m.; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12948/18]

Housing Assistance Payment

Thomas Pringle

937. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the location from which a HAP applicant can redeem the full cost of rent which they have had to borrow in order to pay the rent while the HAP application is being processed (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11927/18]

Expert Panel on Concrete Blocks

Thomas Pringle

1067. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government his plans to ensure that a State-funded mica redress scheme will be provided as part of the approach to the issue to be announced in April 2018; the extent to which his response will include local authority homes affected by mica in County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12972/18]

Disability Act Employment Targets

Thomas Pringle

90. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if Part 5 of the Disability Act 2005 will be amended to allow for a greater number of persons with disabilities to work in the public service; if the public service employment target of 6% of persons with disabilities takes into account the existing rates of disabilities associated with an ageing workforce; if graduates with disabilities that have yet to enter the workforce will also be targeted in this measure in view of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10453/18]

Maternity Services Provision

Thomas Pringle

168. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Health if the national development plan, Project Ireland 2040 funding will be allocated to bring County Donegal's maternity services into alignment with the national maternity strategy and national maternity standards; if not, the reason therefore; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10704/18]

Hospital Facilities

Thomas Pringle

156. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Health if a second dialysis unit is being developed in Letterkenny University Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10267/18]

Fishery Harbour Centres

Thomas Pringle

184. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 169 of 21 February 2018, the contractual commitments contained as part of the recently announced funding commitments for Killybegs harbour centre (details supplied); the reason the figures do not correlate between those provided by his Department and the figures provided in his reply; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10263/18]

Energy Schemes

Thomas Pringle

172. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if council tenants can avail of a rooftop solar grant in summer 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9027/18]

Rural Development Policy

Thomas Pringle

31. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the measures being undertaken by his Department to address persistent depopulation in rural towns across County Donegal and the rest of the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8823/18]

Fishery Harbour Centres

Thomas Pringle

169. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the contractual commitments contained within the €7.98 million funding recently announced for Killybegs harbour centre; if only €2.9 million of the funding is newly acquired in view of the fact that the €5.08 million allocated for contractual commitments represents previous funding commitments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8902/18]

Hospital Equipment

Thomas Pringle

325. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Health if hospitals within the Saolta hospital group have been affected in view of the recent safety call-back of foetal monitoring devices; if all compromised foetal monitoring devices have been fully retired from all use; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8233/18]

Medicinal Products Availability

Thomas Pringle

205. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Health if requests to remove barriers imposed on general practitioners distributing the pain patch, Versatis, will be examined; his plans to examine the provision of pain management options for persons here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7879/18]

Renewable Energy Incentives

Thomas Pringle

23. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he will report on the recently announced grant-aided scheme for rooftop solar panels; when the scheme will be rolled out to domestic users; when the scheme will be subsequently rolled out to businesses and farmers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7530/18]

National Broadband Plan Implementation

Thomas Pringle

54. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the alternative plans being considered by his Department for rolling out the national broadband plan since a company (details supplied) pulled out of the procurement process; the measures he is taking to prevent further delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7471/18]

Climate Change Adaptation Plans

Thomas Pringle

76. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the position regarding the new climate action offices and the way in which they plan to interact with local communities to mitigate against climate change; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7472/18]

Aquaculture Licences

Thomas Pringle

47. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the way in which produce of aquaculture can be sold and marketed from Lough Foyle in view of the fact that there is no licensing procedure for the farms; the way in which produce is distinguished from licensed produce in the rest of the county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7135/18]

Fodder Crisis

Thomas Pringle

56. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the timeframe and costs of the fodder transport scheme for farmers in County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7134/18]

Aquaculture Licences

Thomas Pringle

67. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when he will publish the legislative changes recommended by the review of aquaculture licensing processes; the timeframe for completion of the legislative changes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7136/18]

Harness Racing Industry

Thomas Pringle

70. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on the recent acquisition of Portmarnock racecourse by NAMA and its imminent auction; if special consideration can be given to an organisation (details supplied) which has community based organisational status; if the social and sectoral benefits that would result from the sale of this infrastructure to the organisation will be considered; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7132/18]

Teachers' Professional Development

Thomas Pringle

176. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Education and Skills the extent to which he is examining the issue of mobility for experienced teachers and new entrants in the teaching profession; the way in which he plans to improve career mobility for new and existing teachers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6762/18]