Parliamentary questions

Minor Works Scheme Restoration

Tony McLoughlin

522. Deputy Tony McLoughlin asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the minor works grant, which was granted last year and which is crucial for many rural schools, will be allocated again in 2014; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40175/14]

Schools Building Projects Status

Tony McLoughlin

531. Deputy Tony McLoughlin asked the Minister for Education and Skills when she expects that the autism unit and corridor extension at a school (details supplied) in County Leitrim will commence construction; the expected completion date for same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40281/14]

Rural Broadband Scheme

Tony McLoughlin

435. Deputy Tony McLoughlin asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources when the Government will proceed to invest up to €512 million in the rural fibre broadband network scheme that was announced last April; and the timeframe in which this scheme will be rolled out in Drumkeerin, County Leitrim. [30965/14]

Non-Principal Private Residence Charge Exemptions

Tony McLoughlin

507. Deputy Tony McLoughlin asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will consider an appeals mechanism for persons who wish to appeal a non-principal private residence penalty imposed on them, specifically for owners of second properties who live abroad and can prove they were living abroad when the non-principal private residence tax was introduced and were not aware of their liability until they received a letter imposing five years' charges and penalties of more than €3,200. [31462/14]

Rural Transport Programme

Tony McLoughlin

815. Deputy Tony McLoughlin asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the number of staff currently employed by the Rural Transport Programme who will have their positions made redundant due to the restructuring of the programme into the 18 Transport co-ordination units; if there will be a specific redundancy package offered to staff that find themselves losing their jobs with this programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29445/14]

Departmental Staff Redeployment

Tony McLoughlin

235. Deputy Tony McLoughlin asked the Minister for Social Protection when a person (details supplied) in County Sligo working in her Department will have their transfer request to County Sligo sanctioned following a considerable wait; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28140/14]

Waterways Ireland Staff

Tony McLoughlin

265. Deputy Tony McLoughlin asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if his attention has been drawn to any plans or proposals by Waterways Ireland to close its regional office based at Carrick-on-Shannon, County Leitrim, and reallocate the existing 15 staff members; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28042/14]

Nursing Homes Support Scheme Administration

Tony McLoughlin

475. Deputy Tony McLoughlin asked the Minister for Health if he will be allocating further funding under the fair deal scheme across the regions over the next three months to address the current backlog in the system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27994/14]

Pupil-Teacher Ratio

Tony McLoughlin

222. Deputy Tony McLoughlin asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he has considered undertaking a cost-benefit analysis of the decision to increase the pupil-teacher ratio for private schools from 19:1 to 23:1, which is resulting in some schools moving from fee-paying to a free scheme at a substantial cost to the taxpayer; his views on whether his actions are fair to the minority Protestant faith in that the previous funding model helped the continuity of these schools to achieve parity and maintain this service for the minority population within this country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27198/14]

Social Insurance Rates

Tony McLoughlin

258. Deputy Tony McLoughlin asked the Minister for Social Protection if she has given consideration to changing the rate of PRSI for persons working as part of a Tús programme and earning in excess of €352 per week; if she considers this rate excessive in view of the fact that such workers only earn €20 in excess of their social welfare income and work for 19.5 hours per week; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26894/14]

Visa Applications

Tony McLoughlin

472. Deputy Tony McLoughlin asked the Minister for Justice and Equality when a decision will be made by her Department on a visa application in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Sligo whose family is based in Pakistan; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26900/14]

Medical Card Reviews

Tony McLoughlin

635. Deputy Tony McLoughlin asked the Minister for Health the reason persons (details supplied) in County Sligo were not informed directly that their medical card was being revoked and were only informed when the person visited the pharmacy; if he will ask the Health Service Executive to consider a review of this case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27210/14]

Haulage Industry Regulation

Tony McLoughlin

680. Deputy Tony McLoughlin asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if there is any progress to report on the working group considering the establishment of a HGV road charging regime for Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26982/14]

Motor Tax Rates

Tony McLoughlin

681. Deputy Tony McLoughlin asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if his attention has been drawn to the effect that the new UK tariff regime is having on Border-based hauliers such as in Leitrim, Donegal and Cavan and the possible impact on jobs locally if those companies chose to relocate north of the Border if action is not taken to bring about measures to allow south of Ireland-based hauliers compete with their Northern counterparts. [26983/14]

Tourism Project Funding

Tony McLoughlin

682. Deputy Tony McLoughlin asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to extend the network of greenways across the country; and if there will be an opportunity for the application by Counties Sligo, Leitrim and Cavan for funding to be considered again in any future programme. [26984/14]

State Airports

Tony McLoughlin

683. Deputy Tony McLoughlin asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if his Department has considered a meaningful role for Sligo Airport in relation to the delivery of further emergency services for the west and north west; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26985/14]

Tourism Promotion

Tony McLoughlin

684. Deputy Tony McLoughlin asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if his Department and Fáilte Ireland will consider any application locally to bring forward a marketing initiative for the Sligo region following the re-opening of Lisadell House, Sligo for this summer season; and if he will consider a visit to Lissadell House this season to meet with the local tourism providers. [26986/14]

Cancer Screening Programmes

Tony McLoughlin

612. Deputy Tony McLoughlin asked the Minister for Health the progress that has been made to date in extending the free BreastCheck service to women up to age 70; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25253/14]

Cancer Screening Programmes

Tony McLoughlin

614. Deputy Tony McLoughlin asked the Minister for Health when Sligo Regional Hospital will be up and running as a colonoscopy centre for the national colorectal screening programme as announced in the autumn of 2011; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25257/14]

Medical Card Eligibility

Tony McLoughlin

659. Deputy Tony McLoughlin asked the Minister for Health if an appeal will be considered under the discretionary medical card in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Sligo; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25492/14]