Parliamentary questions

Orthodontic Service Provision

Dominic Hannigan

680. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for Health the latest update on the national independent review of orthodontic services; if the review is assessing orthodontic services in the Dublin North East Health Service Executive region; the timeline for the review; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7507/14]

Medical Card Applications

Dominic Hannigan

697. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for Health if he will have information corrected on a medical card in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Meath; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7685/14]

Orthodontic Service Provision

Dominic Hannigan

698. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for Health the reason a person (details supplied) in County Meath has been waiting four years for orthodontic treatment in Navan Hospital, County Meath; when the person will receive the treatment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7686/14]

Mental Health Services Provision

Dominic Hannigan

771. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for Health if the Meath child and adolescent mental health services are fully staffed; if not, the positions that are vacant; when he expects them to be filled; the way a child or young person in County Meath can access the services; and the services a child or young person may expect to receive. [8377/14]

Tax Credits

Dominic Hannigan

80. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for Finance the way the change to civil partnership legislation has affected cohabiting couples who are seeking to share tax credits when one is working and the other is not; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7246/14]

School Patronage

Dominic Hannigan

106. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on the progress made by the Catholic management in the 23 primary schools where parents voted in 2013 to change the patronage of the school and to divest control from the Catholic Church; when his Department expects this change to happen; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7248/14]

National Lottery Licence Sale

Dominic Hannigan

126. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the amount his Department spent on external advisers and consultants in relation to the competition for the national lottery licence; the number of consultants hired; the hourly rate; the number of hours they worked in total; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7252/14]

Corporate Governance

Dominic Hannigan

129. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if he will be enhancing the powers of the Director of Corporate Enforcement to ensure a more successful prosecution of white-collar crimes and provide more dissuasive sanctions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7249/14]

Political Funding

Dominic Hannigan

165. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will, in view of the findings of the recently-published EU anti-corruption report, act on the recommendations for Ireland, including placing an overall limit on the amount a person may give to a political party and electoral candidates or elected representatives who are members of that party, imposing a reasonably short time limit for political parties to discharge their financial disclosure obligations, and the regulation of financing of referendum campaigns; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7253/14]

Planning Issues

Dominic Hannigan

168. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his response to the recently published EU anti-corruption report; if he intends to act on the recommendations for Ireland, which include ensuring that planning enforcement powers are vested in an independent urban planning regulator with capacity and powers to investigate systemic problems, ensuring that local authorities implement plans for the prevention of fraud and corruption, and ensuring the effective prevention and detection of conflicts of interest, notably at local level; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7251/14]

Crime Levels

Dominic Hannigan

185. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the reason, as noted by the EU anti-corruption report, the number of convictions for white-collar crime in Ireland has fallen from 579 in 2003 to 178 in 2010; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7249/14]

Charities Regulation

Dominic Hannigan

186. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the estimated cost of the new charities regulator and when he or she is likely to be appointed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7250/14]

Agrifood Sector

Dominic Hannigan

217. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the progress made to date on joint agricultural development and agribusiness investments in Ethiopia and Ireland; the other opportunities being explored for agribusiness in Africa; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7257/14]

Agrifood Sector

Dominic Hannigan

218. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the progress made during the trade visit to Nigeria on agribusiness potential, in view of the fact that some of the fastest growing states in the world are in Africa; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7258/14]

Waste Disposal

Dominic Hannigan

385. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his plans to introduce a waste collection regulator; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6477/14]

Foreign Conflicts

Dominic Hannigan

9. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for Defence the position regarding the decision taken by the EU to deploy a military mission to the Central African Republic; the rationale for this decision; his Department's rationale for not participating; if Ireland will deploy any personnel and the nature of their role; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5560/14]

Green Paper on Defence

Dominic Hannigan

18. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for Defence the number of submissions he has received to date on the Green Paper on defence; the consultations that have been held by his Department; the expected timeline for the White Paper on defence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5561/14]

Microenterprise Loan Fund Application Numbers

Dominic Hannigan

79. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of microenterprises that have received funding through Microenterprise Ireland; the number of jobs this has created and the overall monetary investment; when the new communications strategy for the company will start; what the difference is between the new strategy and the old; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5781/14]

Better Energy Homes Scheme Expenditure

Dominic Hannigan

103. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the number of home owners who have benefited from the better energy homes scheme; the number of jobs it has created and the overall investment since February 2011; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5778/14]

Local Authority Housing Provision

Dominic Hannigan

117. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will rank each local authority by the percentage change in the proportion of housing stock made up of social housing for rent in each year between 1997 and 2014; the waiting lists for social housing in each of the years between 1997 and 2014 in each local authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5780/14]

Water Charges Introduction

Dominic Hannigan

445. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if there are plans for waivers on water charges for people on low incomes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5050/14]

Anti-Social Behaviour

Dominic Hannigan

504. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if his attention has been drawn to the reported anti-social behaviour problems in a town (details supplied) in County Meath; the measures that are being taken to tackle the problem; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5049/14]

Youth Cafés Provision

Dominic Hannigan

594. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her plans to establish a youth café in a town (details supplied) in County Meath in 2014; if she received applications from groups in that town for youth cafe funding; if her attention has been drawn to the lack of youth services in that local area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5047/14]

Youth Cafés Provision

Dominic Hannigan

595. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if funding for the 2014 youth café capital funding programme will be maintained at 2013 funding levels; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5048/14]

Diplomatic Representation Expenditure

Dominic Hannigan

158. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the number of Irish staff, by grade, and the number of local staff, by grade, in our embassies in countries (details supplied); the costs of each embassy, split by staff costs and non-staff costs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3623/14]

Pupil Data Collection

Dominic Hannigan

70. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of mixed race children in Irish primary and secondary schools, in Irish reform schools and Irish industrial schools between the years of 1950 and 1980; the total number of children in each of these streams of the education provision in Ireland at the time; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3084/14]

Public Procurement Regulations

Dominic Hannigan

82. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform when he expects the recommendations of the two-year review of EU public procurement law, which was passed by the European Parliament this week, to be implemented by local authorities and Government bodies here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3013/14]

Construction Contracts

Dominic Hannigan

86. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform when the Construction Contracts Act will come into force; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3060/14]

Construction Contracts

Dominic Hannigan

87. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform when he expect his officials to finish working on the code of practice for the adjudication procedure for the Construction Contract Act; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3061/14]

Trade Relations

Dominic Hannigan

189. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if there are any plans to establish a trade czar to work with our embassies in the promotion of Ireland as a trading partner and as a place for businesses to set up; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2884/14]

Tax Code

Dominic Hannigan

163. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for Finance if he will consider a change to the VAT regime for travel agents based in Ireland who are offering hotel packages online in locations outside of Ireland to enable them to compete with travel agents who operate in countries with low or no VAT rates for hotel accommodation in order that they can compete on an equal footing with travel agents who do not have to legally charge VAT on their offers and are at a competitive advantage because of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1688/14]

Consumer Protection

Dominic Hannigan

166. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for Finance if the review of section 149 of the Consumer Protection Act 1995 undertaken by his Department has been completed; if the review will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1812/14]

Standard Bank Account

Dominic Hannigan

167. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for Finance if the report on the standard bank account pilot scheme 2012-2013 has been published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1813/14]

Standard Bank Account

Dominic Hannigan

168. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for Finance the actions his Department will take to progress the standard bank account following the completion of the pilot scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1814/14]

Standard Bank Account

Dominic Hannigan

169. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for Finance the membership of the financial inclusion working group chaired by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1815/14]

Consumer Protection

Dominic Hannigan

170. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for Finance if there is any legal basis in Ireland for the charge-back provision for disputed transactions on credit and debit cards similar to section 74 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 in the UK; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1816/14]

Garda Reports

Dominic Hannigan

604. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will provide the work of the Garda Síochána analysis service, GSAS, on youth crime; if the service's reports in this area will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1793/14]

Forestry Sector

Dominic Hannigan

708. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when he plans to publish the forest review policy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1794/14]

Forestry Sector

Dominic Hannigan

709. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if it is proposed to continue the native woodland scheme for the next round of EU funding for the period 2014-20; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1795/14]

Youth Guarantee

Dominic Hannigan

731. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the proposed role of her Department in contributing to the implementation of the youth guarantee; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1790/14]

Children and Young People’s Policy Framework

Dominic Hannigan

732. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs when she plans to publish the children and youth policy framework; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1791/14]

Youth Employment Initiative

Dominic Hannigan

733. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her views on the proposed EU Work Plan for Youth; if she supports this proposal; if so, what the Irish Government priorities will be; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1792/14]

Health Services Provision

Dominic Hannigan

762. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for Health if he will supply documents that show the way the money follows the client model is applied to an organisation (details supplied) in County Meath; the way this is broken down on a client category basis; if there are plans to change this for the organisation concerned in 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55372/13]

Health Services Provision

Dominic Hannigan

763. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for Health the amount of funding that will be available to an organisation (details supplied) in County Meath in 2014 under its SLA agreement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55373/13]

Orthodontic Service Provision

Dominic Hannigan

903. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for Health for details on the latest update on the independent review of orthodontic services of orthodontic treatment in Navan hospital, County Meath; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1705/14]

Hospital Staff Recruitment

Dominic Hannigan

376. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for Health the position regarding the recruitment of staff for the epilepsy monitoring unit in Cork University Hospital; when he expects the unit to open; if the funding for the unit is ring-fenced within the CUH budget; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54984/13]

VAT Rate Application

Dominic Hannigan

75. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for Finance if he will consider a change to the VAT regime for travel agents to enable them to offer gross wholesale accommodation prices to Irish agents so they can compete on an equal footing with travel agents from the UK which do not have to charge VAT on their offers and are at a competitive advantage; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54581/13]

School Enrolments

Dominic Hannigan

92. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will identify the catchment area for a school (details supplied) in County Meath; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54498/13]

EU Treaties

Dominic Hannigan

106. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if it is technically possible for section 48 of the Treaty on European Union to be amended so as to allow a part of an existing member state to continue to be part of the EU if that part were to secede from membership of the existing member state; if such were to occur, if a referendum would be required in Ireland to ratify the amended treaty; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52862/13]

Fire Safety Regulations

Dominic Hannigan

326. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the steps home owners can take if they discover that the fire wall between their home and their neighbour's home has not been finished, which means the home does not comply with fire regulations, but the builder of the home has gone out of business; if, where they have an insurance policy with HomeBond, the work needed to bring their home in line with fire safety regulations will be covered; if not, whether grants are available to help home owners get this work done; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52611/13]