Parliamentary questions

Invalidity Pension Appeals

Derek Keating

368. Deputy Derek Keating asked the Minister for Social Protection when a decision will be made on an appeal for invalidity pension in respect of a person (details supplied). [52351/12]

Sports Capital Programme Applications

Derek Keating

722. Deputy Derek Keating asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide an update on the sports capital programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52590/12]

School Transport Availability

Derek Keating

112. Deputy Derek Keating asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will intervene in the school bus service that is provided by CIÉ and that has been withdrawn from the parents and school children from the Lucan area, County Dublin, who attend a school (details supplied), while at the same time the service remains in place for families from nearby Celbridge, County Kildare, and in view of the very close proximity of the Celbridge route to Lucan and the fact that so many Lucan families are being discommoded by losing this established school bus service, if he will engage with CIÉ with a view to having the Lucan bus service re-established; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44959/12]

Social Workers Register

Derek Keating

569. Deputy Derek Keating asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of new social workers that have been appointed since she has taken office; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49580/12]

Early Child Care Education Issues

Derek Keating

570. Deputy Derek Keating asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her plans for the early childhood care and education scheme; her views on the benefits of this service; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49582/12]

Child and Family Support Agency Establishment

Derek Keating

571. Deputy Derek Keating asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the position regarding the legislation required to establish the new Child and Family Support Agency; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49583/12]

Detention Centres

Derek Keating

572. Deputy Derek Keating asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the position regarding the children's detention centre in Lucan, County Dublin; her plans for the premises; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49584/12]

Child and Family Support Agency Establishment

Derek Keating

575. Deputy Derek Keating asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will outline to Dáil Éireann the timeframe, structure and other details of the establishment of a new Child Protection Agency; if it will involve negotiating with Social Workers and other professionals’ Trade Union and representative groups; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49667/12]

Departmental Funding

Derek Keating

576. Deputy Derek Keating asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will outline in tabular form moneys and grants that her Department has awarded from 9 March 2011 to 9 September 2012; the number of applications she has received that she was unable to grant aid; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49668/12]

Child Care Services Provision

Derek Keating

577. Deputy Derek Keating asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she is satisfied that the FETAC level five and six will be recognised as the base qualification for childcare workers in private and public crèche facilities; the current standard being operated at European level; if this requires examination to ensure harmonisation and recognition by the European Union Member States; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49669/12]

Health Services Provision

Derek Keating

616. Deputy Derek Keating asked the Minister for Health in view of the report on Narcolepsy published on 19 April 2012 regarding the increased incidence of this condition as a result of the vaccination of Pandemrix, if he has studied the report; his response to the parents of children and the organisation called SOUND that a paper would be put to Government regarding the State Vaccination Programme; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that a family (details supplied) County Dublin, are struggling to make sense of their childs condition following their diagnosis on 4 July 2012; if he will bring a paper to Dail Eireann as promised; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49676/12]

Vaccination Programme

Derek Keating

31. Deputy Derek Keating asked the Minister for Health if he will report on the new forms recently issued to general practitioners for flu vaccinations in view of the fact that GPs have reported that the new forms take a considerable amount of extra time to complete by staff, require information that has already been submitted and is causing their system to be clogged up and the reason these new forms have been introduced during the middle of the programme [48744/12]

Drugs Smuggling

Derek Keating

24. Deputy Derek Keating asked the Minister for Defence are the Defence Forces aid to civil powers activity in relation to the monitoring of and the arresting of those who are importing illicit drugs to the State; if he is satisfied that the Defence Forces, by way of the Irish Navy, the Air Corps and Defence Force patrols, are adequately equipped to assist the Gardaí in dealing with this activity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48455/12]

Drugs Smuggling

Derek Keating

26. Deputy Derek Keating asked the Minister for Defence are the Defence Forces aid to civil powers activity in relation to the monitoring of and the arresting of those who are importing illicit drugs to the State; if he is satisfied that the Defence Forces, by way of the Irish Navy, the Air Corps and Defence Force Patrols, are adequately equipped to assist the Gardaí in dealing with this activity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48454/12]

Animal Welfare Expenditure

Derek Keating

135. Deputy Derek Keating asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he is satisfied that grant aid in respect of animal welfare which amounts to €1.1 million per year is value for money and that the various organisations are providing a service that is in keeping with funding from public moneys; if he is satisfied that they publish accounts and have audited accounts of public money; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47231/12]

Child Care Services Provision

Derek Keating

951. Deputy Derek Keating asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her views and opinions regarding the standards that child-minders should have in relation to formal qualifications; if her attention has been drawn to the fact that 6,500 child-minders have completed the quality awareness programme training course since it was launched in 2004; if her attention has been drawn to the fact that this training course is a ten hour introductory course only; her views in relation to this matter; her plans in relation to the formal regulation of training and standards; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47764/12]

Child Care Services Provision

Derek Keating

952. Deputy Derek Keating asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs under the Childcare Act 1991, there are three exemption categories for carer's of pre-school children which are a relative of the child, anybody who is caring only for a child from one family in addition to their own children and anybody caring for three or fewer pre-school children of different families and she is aware that these exemptions cover the majority of paid child-minders, if she will outline to Dáil Éireann if she is satisfied with this situation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47765/12]

Child Care Services Provision

Derek Keating

953. Deputy Derek Keating asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs she will agree that children in a home-based care and education setting should receive the same protection and support as all children who may attend centred based care and education settings; her y plans to regulate or to insist that child-minders have a minimum standard of qualification before they are allowed provide such a service. [47768/12]

Child Care Services Provision

Derek Keating

954. Deputy Derek Keating asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs has her attention has been drawn to the fact that there are 50,000 young children who are cared for by child-minders every day and most of their 19,000 child-minders are not regulated and are without supervision and support; if she will outline to Dáil Éireann her plans to regulate the child-minding profession; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47769/12]

Child Care Services Provision

Derek Keating

955. Deputy Derek Keating asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if her attention has been drawn to the fact that a large proportion of child-minders work outside the formal economy and, while working outside the formal economy, they are exempt from inspection by the State in relation to regulations; her views on this matter; and the plans she has to rectify it. [47770/12]

Child Care Services Provision

Derek Keating

956. Deputy Derek Keating asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her views in relation to the regulating of the childcare profession and her views in relation to unacceptable practice that child-minders are exempt from inspection, child protection training and even Garda vetting; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47771/12]

Child Care Services Provision

Derek Keating

957. Deputy Derek Keating asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if her attention has been drawn to the fact that there are 257 notified child-minders in Ireland compared to the estimated thousands who are not registered; if she has any plans to introduce a regulation and inspection framework for child-minders; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47772/12]

Charities and Voluntary Organisations

Derek Keating

23. Deputy Derek Keating asked the Minister for Justice and Equality following his decision to seek a voluntary code of practice in relation to corporate governance of charities, community non-profit, community voluntary groups and other such organisation and in view of some recent media revelations in relation to such organisations, if he is satisfied with the current plan for a voluntary code; if he will consider re-examining his proposals in relation to the publication of audit accounts of all organisations, the salary rates of the Senior Officials and Chief Executive of charitable organisations, the expenses, allowances and benefits in kind that are available to Senior Executives; if he will establish an operational procedure for such organisations who are in receipt of support both financially and otherwise from the public and may be in receipt of public funds awarded through the National Lottery, State grant schemes and EU funding; his views on whether such organisations are vulnerable to bad practice, theft and misuse of funds which have been collected in the name of a cause; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46312/12]

Drugs Crime

Derek Keating

34. Deputy Derek Keating asked the Minister for Justice and Equality in view of the ongoing reports of cannabis cultivation and the sale of prescription drugs here, the law enforcement efforts being made to tackle this illicit drug trade; his views on whether the Gardaí have adequate resources and enough trained drug squad members to deal with this matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46508/12]

Departmental Bodies

Derek Keating

208. Deputy Derek Keating asked the Minister for Defence the number of agencies, authorities, boards, committees, working groups, tribunals, councils, task forces or any other non-governmental organisations set up by his Department from February 2000 to February 2011, if he will provide tabulated format the cost to the State of these agencies, organisations and other groups and the justification by the then Government for same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46592/12]

Consultancy Contracts

Derek Keating

209. Deputy Derek Keating asked the Minister for Defence If he will provide details in tabular form of the names of external public relations, consultancy persons and all the organisations used by his Department from February 2000 to February 2011; the amount paid for each; the justification for this expenditure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46594/12]

Social Welfare Payments Waiting Times

Derek Keating

64. Deputy Derek Keating asked the Minister for Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to problems (details supplied) being experienced by those collecting social welfare payments at Lucan Village Post Office, County Dublin; if she has plans to improve these facilities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44093/12]

Social Welfare Payments Waiting Times

Derek Keating

94. Deputy Derek Keating asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will address the problem that has been causing distress to the many residents of Lucan, County Dublin, regarding the payment of their entitlements in Lucan Village Post Office in view of (details supplied); if she will consider making an unannounced informal visit with this Deputy at any time of her choosing to Lucan Post Office; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44092/12]

Tax Code

Derek Keating

195. Deputy Derek Keating asked the Minister for Finance in view of the fact that the current save rate from out of hospital cardiac arrest here is around 7% and that areas such as Las Vegas casinos that had ready availability of automated external defibrillators and which were used within three minutes show a save rate of 74% and where community groups, sports clubs and schools here often have to fundraise for some time to try and purchase automated external defibrillators and for these groups, in particular, the VAT adds considerably to the difficulty in purchasing same and these groups cannot reclaim the VAT, if he will consider exempting these responder automated external defibrillators, and not the more complicated professional devices, from VAT which would help to increase the number of defibrillators in the community in view of the fact that approximately 5,000 people each year die here from heart attacks and if we increased the save rate by 1% there would be more people saved than die from fires in a whole year. [44383/12]

Social Media in Education

Derek Keating

81. Deputy Derek Keating asked the Minister for Education and Skills in view of the growing and worrying trend of youth self-harm and youth suicide, his plans to develop a policy to deal with the growth of social media in education and in particular the use of mobile phones, smart phones, i-pads and laptops during the normal school day; if he has examined the problem of cyber bullying, cyber abuse and the transmission of material including photographs by young persons in an unsupervised, uncontrolled and unacceptable way; in view of his policy to have high speed broadband available in most schools within a short period of time, his views on whether a national policy is required in relation to the use, abuse and misuse of social media in education [42648/12]

School Curriculum

Derek Keating

207. Deputy Derek Keating asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will consider the inclusion of entrepreneurship and innovation as part of the school curriculum in the future either as a stand-alone subject or as part of a number of existing subjects such as business, mathematics and science in view of this Government’s policy to develop the right environment for the creation of jobs and the repair of our broken economy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42858/12]

Public Sector Pensions Legislation

Derek Keating

207. Deputy Derek Keating asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will consider making the compulsory payment of the spouses' and children's contributory pension scheme within the Civil Service a voluntary payment thereby reducing the deductions in civil servants’ salaries; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41908/12]

Speech and Language Therapy

Derek Keating

561. Deputy Derek Keating asked the Minister for Health the position regarding an appointment with a speech therapist in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Clare [41859/12]

Aviation Licences

Derek Keating

596. Deputy Derek Keating asked the Minister for Transport; Tourism and Sport if he will provide the most up to date licence for Weston Aerodrome, Lucan, Dublin, from the Irish Aviation Authority; and if he will forward a copy to this Deputy. [41335/12]

Hospital Consultants Remuneration

Derek Keating

22. Deputy Derek Keating asked the Minister for Health the options in place to deal with the medical consultants pay and their unwillingness to support his plans; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40792/12]

Hospital Consultants Remuneration

Derek Keating

52. Deputy Derek Keating asked the Minister for Health the options he has to deal with the position taken by the Irish Hospital Consultants Association (details supplied); if he will consider recommending to the Department of Finance the introduction of a super tax in such circumstances; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40791/12]

Child Protection Guidelines

Derek Keating

28. Deputy Derek Keating asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if her attention has been drawn to the fact that in different regions of the State, different systems of child abuse management are practiced, for example, in one area a patch system is used, in another a list system is used and in some areas there is a priority system; her views on same; if she will outline her approach to having a service that will meet the needs of all the children of the nation who are at risk; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40496/12]

Departmental Reports

Derek Keating

176. Deputy Derek Keating asked the Minister for Health if she will provide in tabular form the number of reports that he commissioned from 2000 to 2004; the cost of these reports in individual format and the benefits to the State of such reports; if he will outline what was achieved, what was learned and in his opinion if these reports serve any purpose or benefit to him; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40797/12]

Hospital Services

Derek Keating

177. Deputy Derek Keating asked the Minister for Health if he will provide in tabular form a breakdown of hospital activity in hospitals (details supplied) in Dublin; the number of patients being admitted, treated and discharged in 2011 and to date in 2012 in each of these hospitals; the number of patients who have been attending out patients clinics and day hospital clinics in 2011 and to date in 2012; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40798/12]

Primary Care Centres Provision

Derek Keating

178. Deputy Derek Keating asked the Minister for Health the number of professionals including general practitioners, nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, social workers, mental health workers and other allied health professionals who are currently providing a service in the new Palmerstown Ballyfermot Primary Care Unit, Dublin; if he is satisfied that the primary care unit is meeting the needs for which it was designed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40799/12]

Appointments to State Boards

Derek Keating

179. Deputy Derek Keating asked the Minister for Health the system currently being used by him to appoint professionals, citizens and applicants to various boards under his responsibility; if he will compare this to those who were appointed by the previous administrations for the past 14 years; the system that was used by previous Ministers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40800/12]

Medical Card Applications

Derek Keating

180. Deputy Derek Keating asked the Minister for Health if he will provide in tabular form a breakdown of the number of medical cards that have been issued in 2009, 2010 and 2011 to the following areas (details supplied) in Dublin [40801/12]

Consultancy Contracts Issues

Derek Keating

181. Deputy Derek Keating asked the Minister for Health if he will provide in tabular form the amount paid to consultants form 2000 to 2011 by him; if he will outline the name of each organisation used; the reason they were appointed; the cost to the State; the person who approved these appointments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40802/12]

Accident and Emergency Services Provision

Derek Keating

182. Deputy Derek Keating asked the Minister for Health his political and professional views on the benefits of community based defibrillators available to first responders and trained staff such as Gardaí, nurses, first aiders and trained community leaders; if he is in favour of such a project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40803/12]

Hospital Services

Derek Keating

187. Deputy Derek Keating asked the Minister for Health the current plans and function of Peamount Hospital, Newcastle, County Dublin; his plans to examine the development of this hospital; if he will consider discussing with Peamount Hospital the benefits of opening four to six palliative care hospice end of life care beds as an outreach service of Our Lady’s Hospice, Harold’s Cross; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that almost every region of Dublin and County Dublin is now covered for palliative care except for the far reaches of Dublin Mid-West which covers Rathcoole, Newcastle, Saggart and South Clondalkin; if he will give consideration to developing a palliative care service for this region in view of the fact that there will be no extra cost to the State and the hospital has the capacity, the environment and the trained staff to meet this needed service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40826/12]

Health Services Reform

Derek Keating

188. Deputy Derek Keating asked the Minister for Health if he will outline the activities of the Special Delivery Unit since it has been introduced under his stewardship, his plans for the development of further services in line with the Special Delivery Unit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40827/12]

Crisis Pregnancy Services

Derek Keating

205. Deputy Derek Keating asked the Minister for Health the number of children under the age of 18 years that have given birth from 2010 to 2011; the services available to deal with the growing problem of youth pregnancy when girls as young as 13 and 14 years of age become pregnant; the services available to deal with the impact of what is commonly known as a crisis pregnancy for the young mother and her family; the cost to the State in relation to added support systems such as social security, other entitlements and added health issues; if a programme or plan is in place to address this single issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40497/12]

State Bodies Expenditure

Derek Keating

88. Deputy Derek Keating asked the Taoiseach the number of agencies, authorities, boards, committees, working groups, tribunals, council services, task force agencies and other quangos set up by his predecessor in the previous three administrations; the number that he has abolished since then and the savings that he made on these quangos in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40697/12]

Departmental Expenditure

Derek Keating

89. Deputy Derek Keating asked the Taoiseach the total photography costs for his Department by his two predecessors in the past 10 years in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40699/12]

Airport Development Projects

Derek Keating

19. Deputy Derek Keating asked the Minister for Defence his views and if he has plans to consider developing a second airport which would be located in Baldonnel at Roger Casement Aerodrome, Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39486/12]