Parliamentary questions

Fuel Laundering

Declan Breathnach

59. Deputy Declan Breathnach asked the Minister for Finance further to Parliamentary Question No. 83 of 3 July 2018, if his attention has been drawn to new techniques being employed by fuel smugglers utilising a form of distillation of diesel fuel that successfully removes the marker; if his attention has been further drawn to the fact that a large tanker of diesel sludge was illegally dumped in Dundalk in recent weeks; if he will provide an increase in resources to capture those involved in fuel laundering; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40929/18]

Carbon Tax Implementation

Declan Breathnach

60. Deputy Declan Breathnach asked the Minister for Finance if his attention has been drawn to the fact that an increase in carbon tax on solid fuel in the forthcoming budget will lead to an increase in illicit trade in solid fuels to the detriment of legal business owners south of the Border; if his attention has been drawn further to the fact that such an increase would also lead to increased use of illegal polluting solid fuels purchased on the black market; if he will keep prices in line with pricing north of the Border; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40940/18]

Garda Transport Provision

Declan Breathnach

169. Deputy Declan Breathnach asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if his attention has been drawn to the vehicles in the Garda fleet in County Louth; if his attention has been further drawn to the fact that gardaí cannot carry out their duties properly due to the unavailability of vehicles for use in community policing; the way in which investment from the €6 million announced in 2017 to enhance the Garda fleet has been invested in County Louth; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40837/18]

Garda Transport Data

Declan Breathnach

173. Deputy Declan Breathnach asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the details of the capital funding of €6 million which was allocated in 2017 to enhance the Garda fleet of vehicles by county, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40891/18]

School Textbooks

Declan Breathnach

246. Deputy Declan Breathnach asked the Minister for Education and Skills the process for verification of school textbook content prior to being certified as suitable or accurate in detail by his Department or the National Competitiveness Council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39934/18]

Disabilities Assessments

Declan Breathnach

350. Deputy Declan Breathnach asked the Minister for Health the number of persons waiting for an initial disability assessment in County Louth in the age brackets 18 to 65 years of age and over 65 years of age; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39488/18]

Disabilities Assessments

Declan Breathnach

355. Deputy Declan Breathnach asked the Minister for Health the number of children in County Louth waiting on an initial assessment of needs; the number of children in County Louth waiting longer than three, six and 12 months, respectively for an assessment of needs; if the HSE in County Louth is in compliance with the regulations governing assessments of needs by which assessments must be completed within three months from commencement unless there are exceptional circumstances; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39509/18]

Weather Events

Declan Breathnach

210. Deputy Declan Breathnach asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if a programme of assistance will be introduced to help farmers who have lost up to 70% of their maize crop due to the conditions during Storm Ali; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that harvesting machinery is incapable of lifting a maize crop once it has fallen; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38997/18]

Residential Institutions Redress Scheme

Declan Breathnach

165. Deputy Declan Breathnach asked the Minister for Education and Skills the steps he is taking to ensure that redress that is owed is paid by the church (details supplied). [36587/18]

VAT Rate Application

Declan Breathnach

153. Deputy Declan Breathnach asked the Minister for Finance if the 9% VAT rate for the hotel sector will be maintained in budget 2019, which would bring Ireland in line with tourism VAT rates in other competing European countries; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36492/18]

Maternity Protection Entitlements

Declan Breathnach

336. Deputy Declan Breathnach asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the delay in implementing breastfeeding breaks for teachers as agreed upon by the teachers conciliation council at its meeting of 8 May 2018; if his attention has been further drawn to the fact that it was agreed that breastfeeding breaks would be extended until 104 weeks after the birth of the child and that such breaks would be covered under the supervision and substitution scheme; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that under Circular 31/06 employees of the Civil Service have been entitled to breastfeeding breaks since 2008; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36561/18]

Illicit Trade in Tobacco

Declan Breathnach

826. Deputy Declan Breathnach asked the Minister for Health the reason no statistics on non-Irish duty-paid and illicit tobacco products were included in the Tobacco Free Ireland report released in July 2018; if his attention has been drawn to the reason this information was omitted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36250/18]

Development Contributions

Declan Breathnach

1338. Deputy Declan Breathnach asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if new guidelines regarding development contributions will be issued to all local authorities outlining that purpose-built housing or alterations to housing to cater for persons with disabilities should be exempt from development contributions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35560/18]

Irish Water

Declan Breathnach

1390. Deputy Declan Breathnach asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the average connection fee charged by Irish Water for mains and sewerage for each local authority area in 2016, 2017 and 2018 in tabular form. [36493/18]

Irish Water

Declan Breathnach

1391. Deputy Declan Breathnach asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the reason for the large discrepancies in the cost of new water and sewerage connections from one local authority area to another; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that 57 different connection charging regimes exist with over 900 different connection charges due to the fact that each local authority area has its own method for calculating connection charges with different cost structures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36499/18]

Irish Water

Declan Breathnach

1392. Deputy Declan Breathnach asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government when the Commission for Regulation of Utilities plans to publish recommendations regarding Irish Water's plan to charge a flat fee of €5,636 for connection to both water mains and sewerage; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that publication of this report has been delayed twice; if his attention has been further drawn to the discrepancies in charges for connections that exist from one area to another; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36500/18]

Social and Affordable Housing Provision

Declan Breathnach

1398. Deputy Declan Breathnach asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the measures he is taking to increase the stock of social housing by 50,000 by 2021; the immediate measures he is taking to alleviate the plight of the increasing number of families presenting as homeless; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36584/18]

Student Accommodation

Declan Breathnach

1399. Deputy Declan Breathnach asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the measures he is taking to alleviate the crisis in student accommodation; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the severe shortage in rental accommodation is continuing to push rents upwards and out of the reach of most students that are then left with no choice but to defer their college place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36585/18]

Television Licence Fee Collection

Declan Breathnach

2049. Deputy Declan Breathnach asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his plans to remove the contract from An Post for collecting the annual television licence fee and assign it instead to either the Revenue Commissioners or a private contractor; the arrangements he will make for the persons that purchase weekly licence stamps at their local post office as a convenient way to pay for their television licence when due for renewal in the event; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33307/18]

Parking Provision

Declan Breathnach

2183. Deputy Declan Breathnach asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to create a park and ride and share facility at a location (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33248/18]