Parliamentary questions

Garda Confidential Recipient

Stephen Donnelly

319. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the date and manner in which he relieved from duty the confidential recipient, Mr. Oliver Connolly. [10924/14]

Garda Confidential Recipient

Stephen Donnelly

320. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the termination arrangements which apply to the confidential recipient, Mr. Oliver Connolly, including the final date of his tenure and the compensation or termination payments made or agreed to be made to him. [10925/14]

Garda Confidential Recipient

Stephen Donnelly

321. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will provide a reference to the legislative basis for his relieving from duty the confidential recipient, Mr. Oliver Connolly. [10926/14]

Garda Confidential Recipient

Stephen Donnelly

322. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if, prior to his relieving from duty the confidential recipient, Mr. Oliver Connolly, he consulted with the Commissioner, the Ombudsman Commission, the Garda Síochána Inspectorate, the Garda Síochána Representative Associations and the trade unions or staff associations recognised as representing civilians; if he did, if he will provide in tabular form, whom he consulted with; the date of consultation and the position on the relieving from duty of the person consulted. [10927/14]

IBRC Mortgage Loan Book

Stephen Donnelly

53. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Finance if the measures currently being worked on by his Department to protect mortgagors whose loans are sold to unregulated institutions as part of the winding up of the Irish Bank Resolution Corporation will be extended to all mortgagors whose loans are with unregulated institutions (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9981/14]

Information and Communications Technology

Stephen Donnelly

116. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the way the Government missed the 8 April 2014 deadline for upgrading IT systems from Windows XP, in view of the fact that the end of mainstream support was 14 April 2009; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10135/14]

IBRC Mortgage Loan Book

Stephen Donnelly

65. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Finance further to Parliamentary Question No. 206 of 18 February 2014, if he will confirm that he has seen the independent advice from PWC, sought by the Irish Bank Resolution Corporation Special Liquidators, in full; if he is satisfied with its approach and recommendations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9977/14]

School Transport Administration

Stephen Donnelly

68. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will give the required approval to the European Commission to disclose all documents in the Commission's control in its investigation of state aid to Bus Éireann and Ireland's answer to the question by European Commission in C 31/07 paragraph 82; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9971/14]

School Transport Administration

Stephen Donnelly

69. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the European Commission was told by the Irish authorities that the school transport services were operated under contract by Bus Éireann and also to confirm that the European Commission was quoting from the Irish submission that the service was operated under contract in its letter to the Minister for Foreign Affairs as published on the Official Journal of the European Union of 15 September 2007; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9973/14]

Substance Misuse

Stephen Donnelly

228. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Health if he will provide update on the national substance misuse strategy, with specific reference to any deliberations on the introduction of a minimum price of alcohol; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9808/14]

Microenterprise Loan Fund Applications

Stephen Donnelly

365. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation further to Parliamentary Question No. 281 of 4 February 2014, if he will provide in tabular form a county breakdown of the 153 approved microenterprise loan fund applications according to where applicants are based, as requested. [9077/14]

Control of Dogs

Stephen Donnelly

428. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht his plans to introduce legislation that would ensure the control of hunting dogs based on a case (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9660/14]

Animal Welfare

Stephen Donnelly

506. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his plans to introduce legislation that would ensure the control of hunting dogs based on a case (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9659/14]

Services for People with Disabilities

Stephen Donnelly

701. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Health his plans to cut the waiting times for those who require wheelchairs and aids by allowing the Health Service Executive to take back and recycle those that are no longer required by a patient, often stockpiled in nursing homes and other facilities; if such an approach is feasible; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9534/14]

Irish Water Establishment

Stephen Donnelly

156. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if the transfer of contracts from local authorities to Irish Water has resulted in any late payments to contractors on behalf of Irish Water, in any cases where late payments have occurred the steps being taken to expedite payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8614/14]

Irish Water Establishment

Stephen Donnelly

157. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the formal notification of the transfer of contracts from local authorities to Irish Water that has been issued to contractors; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8615/14]

Irish Water Establishment

Stephen Donnelly

158. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the number of contractors who have had contracts transferred from county councils or local authorities to Irish Water and a numerical breakdown of contractors per local authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8616/14]

Pensions Levy

Stephen Donnelly

183. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Finance if he will provide exact details of the amount, in monetary terms, of the €1.452 billion pension levy collected to date that has been used for job initiatives; if he will detail each of these initiatives and indicate exactly the number of full-time, paid jobs which were created as a direct result of these initiatives. [7779/14]

IBRC Mortgage Loan Book

Stephen Donnelly

206. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Finance further to Parliamentary Question No. 137 of 22 October 2013, if he will publish the independent advice from PwC in relation to the way the residential mortgage portfolio and other loans in Irish Bank Resolution Corporation are to be dealt with, sought by the IBRC special liquidators. [8165/14]

IBRC Mortgage Loan Book

Stephen Donnelly

207. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Finance if a scenario was modelled in which individual mortgagors, whose loans have ended up with Irish Bank Resolution Corporation would be able to bid on their own loans; and if such a scenario was modelled, he will publish same. [8166/14]

IBRC Mortgage Loan Book

Stephen Donnelly

208. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Finance if analysis has been carried out that indicates the potential loss in return to the State if individual mortgagors were permitted to bid on their own loans, as opposed to splitting the Irish Bank Resolution Corporation loan book into four segments, as currently planned; and if so, if he will publish the difference in sale value. [8167/14]

IBRC Mortgage Loan Book

Stephen Donnelly

209. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Finance if a date has been set by the special liquidator for the sale of the Irish Bank Resolution Corporation residential mortgage book, or any parts thereof; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8168/14]

IBRC Mortgage Loan Book

Stephen Donnelly

210. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Finance if discussions are under way with potential buyers of the Irish Bank Resolution Corporation residential mortgage book; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8169/14]

Departmental Reports

Stephen Donnelly

413. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Social Protection further to an article in The Irish Times on 3 February 2014, which stated that detailed studies were carried out on core benefits prior to budget 2014, if she will publish these studies in full; and her views on whether the budgetary process and debate on proposed budgetary measures would be improved by publishing such detailed studies pre-budget. [8315/14]

Roadworthiness Testing

Stephen Donnelly

856. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to make vintage trucks and trailers exempt from testing under the Road Safety Authority (Commercial Vehicle Roadworthiness) Act 2012, in order that pre-1980 vintage trucks are treated equally with other vintage veteran vehicles, for example cars and caravans, which are exempt from roadworthiness testing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8358/14]

Property Tax Data

Stephen Donnelly

133. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Finance notwithstanding the decision not to make allocations from the local government fund at a municipal district level, if for the purposes of transparency and to further strengthen democracy at a local level, he will provide a breakdown of local property tax revenues on a municipal council level for 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6367/14]

Irish Water Funding

Stephen Donnelly

373. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the projected costs for the establishment of Irish Water; if he will use the borrowing provisions of the Water Services Act 2013 to repay the full establishment costs of Irish Water into the local government fund; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6364/14]

Irish Water Funding

Stephen Donnelly

374. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if the annual costs of water provision, in addition to the establishment costs of Irish Water, are to be paid out of the local government fund in 2014; if this represents a double payment for water services by local authorities and local communities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6365/14]

Local Authority Funding

Stephen Donnelly

375. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government further to Parliamentary Question No. 108 of 6 November 2013, if it is his intention to reduce the proposed retention of local property tax receipts to below 80% to support those local authorities with weaker funding bases; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6366/14]

Microenterprise Loan Fund Applications

Stephen Donnelly

281. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of applications made to the microfinance scheme to date, in total, and broken down by county where applicants are based; if he will provide the number of businesses which have been accepted, processed and drawn down funds to date; and if will also provide in total and broken down by county where the business is based. [5203/14]

Health Services

Stephen Donnelly

641. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Health the analysis and data used by his Department, in consideration of whether the Health Service Executive should take over Mount Carmel Hospital, which led to the determination that Mount Carmel would not be of value to the health system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5105/14]

Health Services Staff

Stephen Donnelly

642. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Health the plans that have been developed in his Department to date for bringing any and all of the highly skilled workforce from Mount Carmel Hospital into the public health workforce, as intimated by him when he said we will certainly be looking at every possibility and way of bringing them into the public sector if we can; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5106/14]

NAMA Staff Unauthorised Disclosures

Stephen Donnelly

42. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Finance if the National Asset Management Agency has a recognised data leakage or loss prevention system in place to detect and prevent data breaches and data exfiltration transmissions; if he is satisfied that whatever system is in place is adequate to prevent sensitive data from being deliberately or mistakenly disclosed to unauthorised personnel; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4541/14]

Electricity Transmission Network

Stephen Donnelly

460. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if the proposed EirGrid Grid Link project is to be used exclusively for point to point transmission; if there will be any elements of a localised distribution network; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1290/14]

Electricity Transmission Network

Stephen Donnelly

461. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will provide a list of all independent reports to determine the need for EirGrid's Grid Link proposal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1291/14]

Electricity Transmission Network

Stephen Donnelly

462. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if home owners will be compensated for any drop in value of their homes as a result of EirGrid's Grid Link project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1294/14]

Departmental Staff Remuneration

Stephen Donnelly

143. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Finance the number of staff working in the banking division of his Department; their pay grades; the details of any other work they carry out for either the banking policy division, any other unit of his Department, or any other organisation which results in remuneration on top of their stated pay grade; and, in instances where there is remuneration on top of their stated pay grade, the amount of that remuneration; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53922/13]

School Enrolments Data

Stephen Donnelly

211. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide in tabular form the total number of junior infants admitted to schools in September 2013 (details supplied); the total still on the admissions list when applications were complete in September 2013, that is those who enrolled that the schools were unable to accommodate; and the total applicants, to date, for junior infants for September 2014. [53933/13]

Community Development Projects

Stephen Donnelly

395. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if the next round of local and community development and Leader programmes will continue to be delivered by local development companies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53917/13]

Community Development Projects

Stephen Donnelly

396. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if the next round of local and community development and Leader programmes will be delivered by staff currently delivering such programmes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53918/13]

Health Services Staff Data

Stephen Donnelly

208. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs further to Parliamentary Question No. 232 of 26 September 2013, if the Health Service Executive has provided a response; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53473/13]

Currency Exchange

Stephen Donnelly

126. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Finance if his attention has been drawn to the growing use of crypto-currencies such as Bitcoin; if he has concerns regarding the legality of using such currencies as de facto legal tender in any transactions in this jurisdiction; if he has any concerns regarding the use of such currencies to circumvent taxes and any potential loss to the Exchequer as a result; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52492/13]

School Enrolments

Stephen Donnelly

199. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Education and Skills if schools can amend admissions policies to prioritise children of a particular faith in instances where their applications for patronage stated they will embrace children of all faiths and none; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52923/13]

Haddington Road Agreement Implementation

Stephen Donnelly

218. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if new sick leave entitlements under the Haddington Road agreement, which amount to three months full pay and three months half-pay in a four-year period, will be applied retrospectively to affected public servants; or if the measure will only affect those applying for sick leave after the implementation of the changes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52496/13]

Mental Health Services Provision

Stephen Donnelly

513. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Health in regard to the paucity of facilities available to the mental health team serving areas of north Wicklow (details supplied), in particular now that the planned primary care centre appears to be indefinitely postponed, if he will ask the Health Service Executive to complete an urgent review of the current situation, with a view to the HSE providing adequate services for the level of work required; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52831/13]

Departmental Staff Sick Leave

Stephen Donnelly

173. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will examine the case of a person (details supplied) employed in his Department who was recently on sick leave and who is now owed both sick-pay and earned income; if he will expedite payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52236/13]

Shared Ownership Scheme

Stephen Donnelly

115. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if there is any recourse in the case of a person (details supplied) who bought apartments from the Dublin Docklands Development Authority, under the affordable housing scheme in 2009, which have subsequently fallen considerably in value. [52151/13]

Quality and Qualifications Ireland Accreditation

Stephen Donnelly

110. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason the application process for access to ACELS recognition is opening only for a temporary period; the way a language school can obtain ACELS recognition outside of those dates; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51591/13]

Garda Recruitment

Stephen Donnelly

291. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if precedence will be given to Garda reserves in the upcoming recruitment drive recently announced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51580/13]

Commercial Rates

Stephen Donnelly

146. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his plans to provide county councils with the ability to waive or reduce rates in specific areas such as community initiatives and not-for-profit organisations (details supplied); if not, if he will consider such provisions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50952/13]