Parliamentary questions

Import Costs

James Browne

473. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to remove the 14% import tariff that applies to fertiliser imports to the European Union; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18119/16]

Inland Fisheries Stocks

James Browne

494. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if a recent survey of fishery stocks has been carried out on the River Slaney; if so, when and the findings; if not, when is it proposed to carry out such a survey; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18081/16]

Inland Fisheries Stocks

James Browne

495. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will re-open a hardship fund for drift net licence holders on the rivers Barrow, Nore, Suir and Slaney; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18083/16]

Inland Fisheries Stocks

James Browne

496. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if drift net licences are transferable or inheritable; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18086/16]

Mental Health Services Staff

James Browne

218. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Health the number of the 34 posts in the national forensic mental health service, which are required in order to meet more secure therapeutic environments for those persons who meet the criteria for section 21 (2) of the Mental Health Act, that have been filled; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17658/16]

Mental Health Services Staff

James Browne

219. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Health the number of the seven dietician-clinical nurse specialists, required in 2016 to address the physical health needs of persons with severe and enduring mental illness, that have so far been appointed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17659/16]

Mental Health Services Staff

James Browne

220. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Health regarding progressing the implementation of the three existing clinical programmes in mental health services, the number of the two clinical leads, 12 local programme co-ordinators and 18 early intervention for psychosis workers, which have to be appointed in 2016, that are in place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17660/16]

Motor Insurance Coverage

James Browne

107. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Finance if it is permissible for an insurance company not to insure a person (details supplied), given that each of the persons have a card approved by a general practitioner, GP, under the medical card scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16667/16]

Motor Insurance Coverage

James Browne

108. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Finance why insurance companies will not cover drivers due to their age; if it is permissible for insurance companies to have an upper age requirement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16669/16]

Tax Code

James Browne

143. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Finance the availability of agricultural relief from capital acquisitions tax, where the farming land that is the subject of the relief has an already commissioned solar farm or is wholly or partially the subject of an unexercised option in favour of a solar farm developer or the subject of a burden in the Land Registry prohibiting the alienation or transfer of the landholding without the consent of a solar farm developer; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17073/16]

Air Quality

James Browne

244. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if and to what extent his Department or any agency under its remit monitors the level of nitrogen dioxide in the atmosphere; the towns and cities that regularly exceed a nitrogen dioxide level of 40 micrograms per cubic metre in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16866/16]

Departmental Staff Recruitment

James Browne

324. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he is aware of a requirement for temporary staff recruited for Census 2016 to be under 70 years of age; if he will ensure that this age discrimination is not a factor in any recruitment of temporary staff for Census 2021 or any other State data gathering exercises requiring temporary staff; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16658/16]

Mental Health Services

James Browne

366. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Health if a nurse is permitted to discharge a person from psychiatric care; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16779/16]

Air Pollution

James Browne

401. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Health if he is aware of a recent report in a publication (details supplied) that has linked air pollution to increased mental illness in children; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16995/16]

Agriculture Scheme Eligibility

James Browne

490. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the position regarding the land designation assigned to agricultural lands that have a commissioned solar farm installation under the land parcel identification system, and the pro rata availability of land, with a commissioned solar farm, under the basic payment system-greening payment and other area aid schemes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17072/16]

Renewable Energy Feed in Tariff Scheme

James Browne

507. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the position regarding the total, per month and per county, in megawatt and connection values, of solar farm developments looking for grid connection since 1 January 2015; the notional recommended maximum of solar capacity on the Irish grid; the timescales for the introduction of a solar renewable energy feed in tariff, REFIT, and if a future solar REFIT will be open to participation by all households with solar panels on their rooftops, as there is currently no solar REFIT; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17071/16]

Child Care Services Provision

James Browne

567. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the schemes she provides for subsidised child care; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17074/16]

Gas Networks Ireland

James Browne

20. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources to request the Commission for Energy Regulation if it has approved or if and when it will approve the extension of the natural gas pipeline to New Ross, County Wexford and to request Gas Networks Ireland to state if and when it will extend the pipeline to New Ross, given that it has already extended it to Wexford town, and narrowly bypassed New Ross; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16170/16]

Broadband Service Provision

James Browne

22. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources when he will roll out rural broadband in County Wexford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16169/16]

Film Industry Development

James Browne

194. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the funding available for independent film-makers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16560/16]

National Broadband Plan Implementation

James Browne

253. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the status of the roll-out of broadband in County Wexford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16559/16]

Zero-hour Contracts

James Browne

46. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation his plans and timeframe for bringing forward legislation to address the issue of zero-hour contracts; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15869/16]

Regional Development Initiatives

James Browne

53. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the measures she plans to take to provide and support sustainable jobs in the south east given the high rate of unemployment there; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15868/16]

Agri-Environment Options Scheme Payments

James Browne

184. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when he will issue payment to a person (details supplied) under the agri-environment options scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16088/16]

Child Care Services

James Browne

15. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she agrees that grandparents offer a valuable and often overlooked role in raising their grandchildren; the supports are available to grandparents who act in loco parentis to their grandchildren; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14852/16]

Workplace Relations Commission

James Browne

25. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she proposes putting in place supports for parents who may no longer be able to avail of the traditional au pair role given the recent clarification by the Workplace Relations Commission that au pairs are not exempted or treated as separate categories of workers under Irish employment law and that Ireland’s body of employment rights legislation protects all employees who are legally employed on an employer-employee basis, regardless of what title is given to them and additional supports.. [14853/16]

Grocery Industry

James Browne

201. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to meet supermarket owners to discuss and ensure proper payments are made to farmers for their produce; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15089/16]

Trade Agreements

James Browne

60. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the contingency plans he has in place for future agrifood trade should the UK vote to leave the EU; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14481/16]

Dairy Sector

James Browne

586. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the steps he will take to ease the financial burden dairy farmers are currently experiencing due to the low price of milk, given the European Commission's refusal to facilitate a further deferral of superlevy payments. [15071/16]

Credit Availability

James Browne

587. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the steps he will take to address the current access to credit crisis that some farmers are experiencing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15072/16]

Local Improvement Scheme Funding

James Browne

605. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport when he will provide funding for the local improvement schemes; the amount he intends to provide; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14588/16]

Road Projects Status

James Browne

628. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the status of the Oylegate-Enniscorthy bypass; the stage it is at and the projected timeline for its completion; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14589/16]

Mental Health Services Funding

James Browne

3. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Health his priorities for mental health services under the new programme for Government; why there is no funding commitment on mental health services as there was in the programme for Government for the period 2011 to 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14119/16]

School Transport

James Browne

177. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 102 of 26 May 2016, if he monitors payments to Bus Éireann under State aid rules; if Bus Éireann is market-orientated; the meaning of the phrase market-oriented; if Bus Éireann competes with private bus operators; the specific monitoring precautions in place since 2004 to make sure there is no cross-subsidisation from payments to Bus Éireann for school transport; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14167/16]

Medicinal Products Supply

James Browne

163. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Health if the Health Service Executive clinically evaluated the impact of discontinuing access to Camcolit for medical card holders or through community drug schemes and, if so, whether he will publish the evaluation. [13844/16]

International Time Zones

James Browne

212. Deputy James Browne asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the European Union issues that arise with regard to the duration of summer time from March to October; if it is possible to extend summer time to run from February to November; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13154/16]

Medicinal Products Availability

James Browne

694. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Health why the HSE has stopped access to Camcolit for medical card holders, or through community drug schemes; his views on whether it is too expensive; the number of persons in 2015, who received the drug through the medical card or community drug scheme and the overall cost of this provision; the extent of the proposed price increase sought by the manufacturer; the impact of this on overall expenditure on the drug in 2016; and his views regarding claims that this could put patients at risk and that the HSE’s recommended alternative is not interchangeable. [13149/16]

Garda Resources

James Browne

41. Deputy James Browne asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality her plans to provide support services such as mental health supports for members of An Garda Síochána to ensure their well-being; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12312/16]

Tax Reliefs Eligibility

James Browne

58. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Finance his plans to extend stamp duty consanguinity relief to farmers of over 67 years of age; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12334/16]

School Transport

James Browne

102. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Education and Skills given the assurance from Bus Éireann that any surplus received for the operation of school transport services is ring-fenced and exclusively used on school transport such as information technology and new school buses, the amount spent, including expenditure from this surplus, with a value of over €25,000 for each item, and if the expenditure went out to public tender under law or Government guidelines, in each of the years 2005 to 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12493/16]

HSE Expenditure

James Browne

184. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Health the amount the Health Service Executive expended on legal fees in 2015; the barristers and solicitors who received these fees; the amount paid to each; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12297/16]

HSE Expenditure

James Browne

187. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Health the amount the Health Service Executive expended on legal fees in each of the years 2011 to 2016 to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12306/16]

Mental Health Tribunals

James Browne

188. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Health when he will put positions on the Mental Health Tribunal up for renewal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12307/16]

Mental Health Services Staff

James Browne

199. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Health as per Annex 17.2 of A Vision for Change, the original requirement set out for each position (details supplied), the number of these positions filled and the number yet to be filled, in tabular form, taking account of demographic change. [12388/16]

Counselling Services Provision

James Browne

206. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Health the status of the counselling service in the primary care service, including the numbers referred to, seen by and on waiting lists for community health care organisations in 2016 to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12427/16]

Mental Health Services Staff

James Browne

207. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Health the number of posts targeted, filled and still in the recruitment process by year using the extra funding of €35 million originally committed to in the 2011 to 2016 programme for Government for the enhancement of community-based mental health services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12428/16]

Psychological Assessments Waiting Times

James Browne

208. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Health the number of persons waiting for a first appointment with a psychologist, following referral, for one month or two, three, three plus to six, six plus to nine, nine plus to 12 and 12 plus months, by Health Service Executive area in tabular form. [12429/16]

Mental Health Services Data

James Browne

209. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Health the number of persons waiting for a first appointment with a psychiatrist, following referral, for one month or two, three, three plus to six, six plus to nine, nine plus to 12 and 12 plus months, by Health Service Executive administrative area in tabular form. [12430/16]

Mental Health Services Expenditure

James Browne

210. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Health the budgeted and actual spending, by mental health administrative area from 2012 to 2015, inclusive, and 2016 to date in tabular form. [12431/16]

Medical Aids and Appliances Provision

James Browne

219. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 158 of 19 May 2016, to provide grants to community groups for the provision of defibrillators and automated external defibrillators; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12494/16]