Parliamentary questions

Public Sector Staff Remuneration

Olivia Mitchell

358. Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will provide in tabular form, the figures for pay and pensions to the Public Service for the year, 2011 and 2012; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8730/13]

Back to Education Allowance Eligibility

Olivia Mitchell

401. Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will review the decision to disallow back to education allowance in respect of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 12; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8198/13]

Universal Health Insurance Provision

Olivia Mitchell

719. Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Health the date on which in 2013 free general practitioner visits will be made available to those on the long term illness scheme as stated in Budget 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8520/13]

Hospital Acquired Infections

Olivia Mitchell

723. Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Health the number of patients who die as a result of hospital acquired infections; the measures that are being taken to reduce these incidents and if these measures apply equally to private hospitals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8619/13]

Student Grant Scheme Appeals

Olivia Mitchell

72. Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will clarify if a person (details supplied) has been awarded their Student Universal Support Ireland grant appeal, as it is unclear on the basis of two conflicting and upsetting communications this Deputy has received from SUSI; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7592/13]

Universal Social Charge Payments

Olivia Mitchell

196. Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Finance if, in view of changes to the rate of universal social charge for the over-70s in budget 2013, he will provide an update to the example he previously cited in Dáil Éireann (details supplied) which outlined the difference between the gross and net take-home pay of a single public service pensioner over the age of 70 whose gross income is €125,000 after paying the PSPR, universal social charge and all other relevant taxes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7173/13]

Public Sector Staff Remuneration

Olivia Mitchell

309. Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will provide, in tabular form, the figures for pay and pensions to the Public Service for the month of January in 2011, 2012 and 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7176/13]

Organ Donation

Olivia Mitchell

702. Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Health when he expects to introduce legislation to provide for an opt-out system of organ donation; if other incentives to donation are being considered; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7175/13]

Property Taxation Collection

Olivia Mitchell

68. Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Finance if the local property tax will be paid by the National Assets Management Agency and by the banks where residential properties are in their ownership; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3154/13]

Postal Services

Olivia Mitchell

165. Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the position regarding the public procurement process for a post code provider; when it is envisaged the switch to post codes will take place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3153/13]

Planning Issues

Olivia Mitchell

180. Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he has considered imposing a minimum standard for chimneys built as part of exempted one storey extensions to two storey houses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3368/13]

Pension Provisions

Olivia Mitchell

202. Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Finance the reason the early access to pension funds as announced in Budget 2013 is limited insofar as it applied only to funded additional voluntary contributions; if he will consider including personal pensions going into the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1874/13]

Health Services Staff Issues

Olivia Mitchell

1036. Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 632 of 22 May, 2012 if a principal dental surgeon was appointed for Dublin South East/Wicklow at end of June 2012; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1201/13]

Universal Social Charge Payments

Olivia Mitchell

192. Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Finance if he will consider either this year or for next year's budget dealing with the anomaly caused by the €60,000 threshold attracting a 7% universal social charge whereby an income of €60,0011 produces a loss of €13,000 in income; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56955/12]

Teacher Training Provision

Olivia Mitchell

174. Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Education and Skills if there are any financial supports available for student teachers to facilitate their participation in the Gaeltacht placement programme where their means are limited; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55268/12]

Rent Supplement Scheme Administration

Olivia Mitchell

264. Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of staff working at the Dublin central rent supplement applications processing unit; the number of applications received by the unit since it opened and the processing time of applications; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55581/12]

Private Rented Accommodation Standards

Olivia Mitchell

73. Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government with the remaining provisions of the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) (Amendment) Regulations 2009 being introduced on 1 February 2013, if landlords will be subject to a fine in examples (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54952/12]

Student Grant Scheme Appeals

Olivia Mitchell

225. Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Education and Skills in a case in which Student Universal Support Ireland accepts that a grant was incorrectly refused, the reason it is necessary for an applicant to go through a lengthy appeals process particularly in the case of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 18; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54494/12]

State Agencies

Olivia Mitchell

506. Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if BIM has reported back to him on foot of his request for information on the allegation that the agency was competing unfairly with the private sector in relation to training in the area of marine and water hazards; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54038/12]

Medical Card Applications

Olivia Mitchell

573. Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Health if he will expedite the medical card application in respect of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 16; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53775/12]

Medical Card Drugs

Olivia Mitchell

218. Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Health if any assessment has been carried out of the impact on the numbers of items dispensed to medical card holders of the fifty cent charge and particularly if the €10 annual cap negates the purpose of the charge; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53123/12]

The Gathering Expenditure

Olivia Mitchell

109. Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide information on the recently announced supports available to groups for Gatherings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52583/12]

State Airports

Olivia Mitchell

145. Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide an update on proposals to separate Shannon Airport from the Dublin Airport Authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52584/12]

Carer's Allowance Appeals

Olivia Mitchell

361. Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Social Protection the waiting times for carer’s allowance appeals to be processed; the position regarding carer's allowance appeals in respect of persons (details supplied) in South Dublin; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52278/12]

Banking Sector Remuneration

Olivia Mitchell

184. Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Finance the action that can be taken to curtail pensions paid to some of the former top managers in the covered banks; the way these pensions are funded; if he will assure taxpayers that recapitalisation moneys do not and will not underpin these pensions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49404/12]

Pension Provisions

Olivia Mitchell

185. Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Finance further to Parliamentary Question No. 207 of 16 October 2012, if legislation or new procedures are in place to ensure adequate monitoring and early action by the Central Bank of Ireland to prevent in the future the losses which occurred in the case of Custom House Capital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49405/12]

Financial Services Regulation

Olivia Mitchell

186. Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Finance if following media coverage (details supplied) of the activities of debt management companies, legislation to control same or bring such companies under Central Bank regulation is being considered,; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49406/12]

Tax Code

Olivia Mitchell

223. Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Finance if he will consider in the upcoming budget the case of buy to let landlords in circumstances where the formula used to subtract losses from 25% of interest paid to the bank Budget 2011 may result in taxable gain; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49543/12]

Disability Allowance Appeals

Olivia Mitchell

368. Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding a disability allowance application in respect of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 14; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49720/12]

Constituency Nomenclature

Olivia Mitchell

437. Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will consider retaining the long-standing constituency name Dublin South as it has a resonance for its citizens which is completely lacking in the replacement name Dublin-Rathdown; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49408/12]

Health Services Provision

Olivia Mitchell

584. Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Health if proposals regarding supports for those suffering from Narcolepsy following vaccination are to hand; and when they will be communicated to sufferers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49407/12]

Hospital Services

Olivia Mitchell

1022. Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Health if he will provide a list of hospitals operated or funded by the Health Service Executive who have service level agreements in place with third party commercial entities to undertake the collection of cord blood; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47625/12]

Noxious Weeds

Olivia Mitchell

549. Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the measures in place to ensure compliance in the more rural parts of south Dublin with the Noxious Weed Act 1936 in view of the fact that there are reports of a proliferation of ragwort in the area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45926/12]

Tourism Industry Issues

Olivia Mitchell

63. Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will outline the progress that he has made in improving air access to Ireland from North America; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45063/12]

Light Rail Project

Olivia Mitchell

85. Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport when work on the construction of the LUAS BXD project will commence and conclude; if he will outline the measures he has taken to ensure that disruption to businesses is kept to a minimum during the lifetime of the project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45064/12]

Job Assist Scheme Eligibility

Olivia Mitchell

94. Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Finance the reason persons receiving illness benefit do not qualify for revenue job assistance until they are ill for 18 months or more while those unemployed or receiving jobseeker's benefit, jobseeker's allowance, one parent family, disability allowance, blind pension or invalidity pension qualify after 12 months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45440/12]

Airport Security

Olivia Mitchell

80. Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if Irish passports now being issued meet the criteria required to use the automatic border control machines in use in some countries including Britain; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45339/12]

National Internship Scheme Data

Olivia Mitchell

166. Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide an update on her statement in Dáil Éireann (details supplied) that she would seek to make graduate architects eligible for the Jobbridge scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45115/12]

Maternity Services

Olivia Mitchell

309. Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Health if he would respond to reports from pregnant women that public hospitals and particularly a hospital (details supplied) in County Wexfrod are still not facilitating the procurement of their cord blood despite him having previously stated that this apparent reluctance among hospitals should be addressed by the Health Service Executive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45344/12]

Investor Compensation Company Limited

Olivia Mitchell

207. Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Finance if he will respond to requests for further compensation of those who set up a private pension and indirectly invested in a company now in liquidation (details supplied) in view of the fact that the Central Bank of Ireland apparently began monitoring the company from 2009 and the losses appear to have occurred after that date; if any other avenues of compensation are available to these persons who stand to lose a huge proportion of their pension and who can now only recover a maximum of €20,000 through The Investor Compensation Company Limited; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44596/12]

Tax Yield

Olivia Mitchell

77. Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Finance the total annual income tax take in 2011 from public service employees; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41211/12]

Public Sector Pensions Expenditure

Olivia Mitchell

89. Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the total annual cost in 2011 of public service pensions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41210/12]

Pension Provisions

Olivia Mitchell

61. Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Finance further to Parliamentary Question No. 81 of 11 January 2012, if the group that was established to examine charges in the pension industry has yet reported to him; his views on whether it may be possible to use this information to advance the issue of the industry adsorbing the impact of the pension fund levy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41014/12]

Mortgage Resolution Processes

Olivia Mitchell

261. Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will clarify the person's who may become a member of the panel of advisors of the new independent advisory service for mortgage holders; if her attention has been drawn to concerns among professions such as financial brokers that they will suffer from loss competitive advantage if they are admitted to this scheme at a much later date; if she will give consideration to immediately admitting such professions which are well regulated and meet the criteria of the scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40730/12]

Personal Insolvency Act

Olivia Mitchell

300. Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the professions who may act as personal insolvency practitioners under the Personal Insolvency legislation; if his attention has been drawn to concerns among many professions such as financial brokers that these functions might be confined to the legal and accountancy professions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40733/12]

Back to Education Allowance Eligibility

Olivia Mitchell

755. Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Social Protection if, in view of the current jobs market requiring many workers to switch sector and skills-set, she will review the criteria for the back to education allowance to enable applicants to enrol on courses which may be at a FETAC level, equivalent to or below their current level of qualifications; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38245/12]

Social and Affordable Housing

Olivia Mitchell

497 Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government further to Parliamentary Question No. 341 of 11 October 2011, the position regarding the exemption of the clawback applying to home owners who bought homes under the affordable housing and shared ownership schemes prior to 2009; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[36272/12]

Family Law Cases

Olivia Mitchell

244 Deputy Mary Mitchell O’Connor asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if persons are waiting up to a year to receive a hearing date for emergency maintenance applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[35475/12]

Family Law Cases

Olivia Mitchell

246 Deputy Mary Mitchell O’Connor asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of times, on average, maintenance application cases are adjourned; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[35479/12]

Family Law Cases

Olivia Mitchell

247 Deputy Mary Mitchell O’Connor asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the timeframe for the hearing of maintenance cases at Phoenix House family law circuit courts, Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[35480/12]