Parliamentary questions

Fisheries Offences

Thomas Pringle

182. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason under SI No. 125 of 2016, European Union (Common Fisheries Policy) (Point System) Regulations 2016, a fisherman who has penalty points added and is taken to court for the same infringement but, who subsequently does not receive a conviction, cannot have his or her points cancelled; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4963/16]

Fishing Industry

Thomas Pringle

194. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will review the policy directive 2003/2 on fleet sub-segmentation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5104/16]

Naval Service Operations

Thomas Pringle

223. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Defence when the Naval Service will restart its search and rescue operation in the Mediterranean in light of the recorded 2,507 % increase in the numbers of persons crossing to Italy in the past week since the closure of the so-called "Balkan route"; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5299/16]

UN Conventions Ratification

Thomas Pringle

228. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Justice and Equality when she will ratify the United Nations Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities; the actions she has carried out in anticipation of this; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5108/16]

EU Agreements

Thomas Pringle

257. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if she will ensure that Ireland does not sign up to a new agreement with Turkey at the meeting of the European Council this week which, if successfully passed, will be in contravention of our international obligations to protect refugees in accordance with the United Nations; if Ireland will contribute any further payments to Turkey or accept any more refugees other than those agreed to in September 2015; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5115/16]

Humanitarian Aid

Thomas Pringle

262. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if she will work with lawyers from the Immigrant Council of Ireland on the ground in refugee camps in France to identify vulnerable migrants, including lone children who may have legal grounds for entry here; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5300/16]

Refugee Resettlement Programme

Thomas Pringle

263. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the timeline for Ireland to meet its commitment to offer shelter, protection and hope to 4,000 refugees; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5301/16]

Refugee Resettlement Programme

Thomas Pringle

264. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if she will guarantee that Ireland’s commitment to offer shelter to 4,000 refugees will not be affected by any new arrangement between the European Union and Turkey; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5302/16]

Child and Family Agency Staff

Thomas Pringle

267. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the level of staffing granted to Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, to facilitate a speedy, robust and transparent system for handling sensitive information given the age profile of those persons seeking information regarding adoptions from mother and baby homes; the waiting time for responses in the regional adoption service, Child and Family Agency in St Conal's Campus, Letterkenny, County Donegal; if he is aware that many of those persons requesting information are elderly and cannot afford the long waiting times for responses, as currently being experienced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5107/16]

Health Screening Programmes

Thomas Pringle

366. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Health if he will roll out free heart screenings for second level students as part of a national health plan to combat sudden adult death syndrome; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5106/16]

Hospital Services

Thomas Pringle

367. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Health to reverse the decision to downgrade community hospitals in County Donegal including Lifford, Stranorlar and Ramelton; if a contingency plan is in place to preserve the services into the future and to prevent further downgrading, removal of the residential care units and eventual closure of the three hospitals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5109/16]

Hospital Services

Thomas Pringle

368. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Health to meet with representatives of the Save Our Services group who are campaigning on behalf of the Lifford, Stranorlar and Ramelton community hospitals in County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5110/16]

International Agreements

Thomas Pringle

430. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will ensure that Ireland does not sign up to a new agreement with Turkey at the meeting of the European Council this week which, if successfully passed, will be in contravention of our international obligations to protect refugees, in accordance with the United Nations; if Ireland will contribute any further payments to Turkey or accept any more refugees, other than those agreed to in September 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5114/16]

School Staff

Thomas Pringle

486. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she is aware of the issue regarding the retention of a much needed teaching post in St. Peter's National School, Mountcharles in County Donegal; the measures she will take to address this; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5112/16]

Schools Refurbishment

Thomas Pringle

487. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will make a decision on a school building (details supplied) in County Donegal; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5113/16]

Fire Stations Provision

Thomas Pringle

536. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will address the need for a new fire station in Glencolmcille, County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5111/16]

Environmental Policy

Thomas Pringle

537. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government to address the concerns raised by those in the tyre industry regarding the full PRI scheme; if he will consider an industry-led scheme instead; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5116/16]

Telecommunications Services Provision

Thomas Pringle

560. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources to address the issue of mobile phone coverage in rural areas particularly in the Glencolmcille and Kilcar areas in County Donegal; if he has liaised with representatives from mobile phone companies to address this matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5103/16]

National Broadband Plan Implementation

Thomas Pringle

561. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if Eir's recent expansion of its rural broadband roll-out scheme will impact on the Government's national broadband plan; if the 300,000 homes covered by Eir include homes earmarked under the Government's scheme; if this will affect the plan's application for European Union funding, as a private company is already providing broadband to a number of areas in rural Ireland; if an updated plan is under way taking into account private sector involvement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5105/16]

General Practitioner Training

Thomas Pringle

271. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Health the number of students who have graduated from general practitioner schemes in the years 2014 and 2015 and the percentage of those students who have remained in the locality of the training scheme from which they have graduated, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3692/16]

Refugee Data

Thomas Pringle

15. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Justice and Equality her response to the low level of refugee applications to the State under the European Union's relocation plan; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2998/16]

Prisoner Transfers

Thomas Pringle

20. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the status of an application for a transfer by a person (details supplied) detained in Maghaberry Prison in County Antrim; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2999/16]

Constitutional Convention Recommendations

Thomas Pringle

73. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Taoiseach which Oireachtas Committee will be responsible for reviewing the Constitutional Convention report on economic, social and cultural rights; if the report will be reviewed before the next general election; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2731/16]

Basic Payment Scheme Payments

Thomas Pringle

190. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of payment to a person (details supplied) under the grassland scheme, the disadvantaged areas scheme and the single payment scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2878/16]

Basic Payment Scheme Payments

Thomas Pringle

191. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of agricultural payments to a person (details supplied) in County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2883/16]

Jobs Initiative

Thomas Pringle

198. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine how many meetings of the Killybegs employment implementation group his Department attended since the group's formation in 2011; by year, in tabular form; the items discussed at the meetings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2917/16]

Jobs Initiative

Thomas Pringle

199. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine for details of the 89 jobs created by the Killybegs employment implementation group; by company, as per the claim by Bord Iascaigh Mhara; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2918/16]

Schools Establishment

Thomas Pringle

442. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Education and Skills to review an application by a group (details supplied) in County Donegal to form a new secondary school in 2016, given the increase in students enrolled; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3060/16]

Renewable Energy Incentives

Thomas Pringle

479. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources when the expected renewable heat incentive will be launched in 2016, given the Government's commitment regarding this; what will its terms and conditions be; if smaller businesses will have access to supports for the installation of renewable heat technologies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2697/16]

Fish Quotas

Thomas Pringle

3. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of the implementation of a catch-and-release bluefin tuna angling fishery in the north west; if he will ask for a quota to facilitate this potentially important tourism initiative; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2363/16]

Fish Quotas

Thomas Pringle

7. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine how he will ensure that active vessels of under 10 m will receive an adequate herring quota if a small quota is secured for the north west in 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2293/16]

Competition and Consumer Protection Commission

Thomas Pringle

8. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will make a submission to the Competition and Consumer Protection Authority on the takeover of Irish Country Meats by Anglo Irish Beef Processors; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2294/16]

Sheepmeat Sector

Thomas Pringle

10. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will introduce a premium of €20 per ewe to assist sheep and hill farmers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2295/16]

Fish Quotas

Thomas Pringle

12. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if European Union quotas are decided on historical fishing track record, how Lithuania secured a horse mackerel and mackerel quota in Irish waters; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2296/16]

Suckler Welfare Scheme Payments

Thomas Pringle

15. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will work towards a suckler cow premium of €200 per head in order to ensure that beef farmers can remain in business; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2297/16]

IDA Site Visits

Thomas Pringle

15. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation how he will increase the number of Industrial Development Agency Ireland-sponsored visits to County Donegal and accordingly increase the county's share of job creation numbers within the north east and the north west regions, given that counties such as Sligo and Louth experience higher numbers of agency-sponsored visits, yet are grouped in the same regional category as County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2078/16]

Enterprise Data

Thomas Pringle

26. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if he will respond to recent findings in the GeoView report compiled by An Post and Ordinance Survey Ireland which showed that the overall commercial vacancy rate in County Donegal stands at 14.2% with 32% in Ballybofey, the highest in the country, while the national average stands at 12.6%; how he will address the issues that are hampering business development in rural counties such as County Donegal to encourage balanced economic growth; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2077/16]

Departmental Expenditure

Thomas Pringle

134. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the amount Seetec Employment and Skills Ireland has been paid for its work under the JobPath scheme; how many persons it has assisted; her views on whether this represents value for money; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2315/16]

Departmental Contracts

Thomas Pringle

135. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the organisations she uses for outsourcing departmental work, including the processing of applications, the value of the contracts in place and the tasks they carry out; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2316/16]

Immigration Controls

Thomas Pringle

274. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of persons refused leave to land at Cork Airport from 25 to 31 October 2015, by reason for refusal, by nationality, by gender, by country to which they were returned, and by the number who subsequently applied for asylum. [1895/16]

Immigration Controls

Thomas Pringle

275. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of persons refused leave to land at Dublin Airport from 25 to 31 October 2015, by reason for refusal, by nationality, by gender, by country to which they were returned, and by the number who subsequently applied for asylum. [1896/16]

Immigration Controls

Thomas Pringle

276. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of persons refused leave to land at Cork Airport from 15 to 21 November 2015, by reason for refusal, by nationality, by gender, by country to which they were returned, and by the number who subsequently applied for asylum. [1897/16]

Immigration Controls

Thomas Pringle

277. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of persons refused leave to land at Dublin Airport from 15 to 21 November 2015, by reason for refusal, by nationality, by gender, by country to which they were returned, and by the number who subsequently applied for asylum. [1898/16]

Immigration Controls

Thomas Pringle

278. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of persons refused leave to land at Cork Airport from 6 to 12 December 2015, by reason for refusal, by nationality, by gender, by country to which they were returned, and by the number who subsequently applied for asylum. [1899/16]

Immigration Controls

Thomas Pringle

279. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of persons refused leave to land at Dublin Airport from 6 to 12 December 2015, by reason for refusal, by nationality, by gender, by country to which they were returned, and by the number who subsequently applied for asylum. [1900/16]

Spent Convictions Legislation

Thomas Pringle

281. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Justice and Equality why the Criminal Justice (Spent Convictions) Bill 2012 was not brought before Dáil Éireann by the end of 2015 as indicated in her recent reply to Parliamentary Question No. 109 of 18 November 2015; when the Bill will be brought before Dáil Éireann; if this will be before the end of this Dáil, given that justice reform is high on her agenda, yet for over a decade reform has not taken place in the area of spent convictions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2016/16]

Garda Misconduct Allegations

Thomas Pringle

286. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Justice and Equality why the then Garda Commissioner did not disclose in Febuary 2002 that he designated the death of a person (details supplied) as a hit-and-run road traffic accident and gave directions that names of persons (details supplied) were not to be attributed to this death; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2137/16]

Garda Misconduct Allegations

Thomas Pringle

287. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if the Morris tribunal, which commenced on 28 March 2002, had been informed by her Department or the Garda Commissioner of the redesignation of the death of a person (details supplied) in February 2002 and the fact that the person's death was no longer considered as a murder; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2138/16]

Garda Misconduct Allegations

Thomas Pringle

288. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Justice and Equality why in September 2002 the then Garda Commissioner did not make the inquest into the death of a person (details supplied) aware of the redesignation of that person's death; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2139/16]

Refugee Data

Thomas Pringle

464. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if the Yazidi community of northern Iraq is included in her plans to accept refugees agreed with the European Union; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46521/15]