Parliamentary questions

Student Grant Scheme Delays

Michael Lowry

300. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of students in County Tipperary that are still awaiting payments of their student grant through the Student Universal Support Ireland system; the current turnover time for same; the total number of applications received from County Tipperary; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52485/12]

Family Income Supplement Application Numbers

Michael Lowry

408. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of family income supplement applicants and renewals submitted from persons in Co. Tipperary since June 2012; the number of these applications still awaiting a decision; the average turnover time for such applications; the steps being taken to tackle these cases; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52799/12]

Forestry Grants

Michael Lowry

561. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the position regarding the reconstitution grant for repair works to damaged forestry; if his attention has been drawn to the hardship being caused due to the lack of funding for this scheme; if funds will be made available for the continuation of this grant aid in 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52329/12]

Single Payment Scheme Appeals

Michael Lowry

199. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the position regarding a single payment appeal in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary; the reason for the delay in reviewing this case; when a decision will issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50571/12]

Subsidiary Protection Applications

Michael Lowry

509. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the position regarding an application for subsidiary protection in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary; the reason for the delay in processing this case; and when a decision will issue. [50159/12]

Student Grant Scheme Delays

Michael Lowry

363. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the on-going delays in the processing of grant applications by Students Universal Support Ireland; if he will provide figures on the current number of cases with SUSI; the number of applications that have been processed to date; the average processing time for same; the way these figures compare to the previous system; if his attention has been drawn to the difficulties applicants are having in securing accurate information on the status of their application and the hardship these delays and inaccurate information are causing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48322/12]

Single Payment Scheme Applications

Michael Lowry

877. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason for the delay in processing a single farm payment for 2011 in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary; the steps being taken to resolve this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47711/12]

Health Services Staff Issues

Michael Lowry

1179. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to a redundancy issue in respect of a person from the Health Service Executive (details supplied) in County Tipperary; the reasons for the delay in the processing of this application; if he is aware of the hardship and financial impact this delay has on this person; if he will ask the HSE to rectify the situation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48651/12]

School Transport Provision

Michael Lowry

70. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the ongoing post primary school transport case (details supplied) in County Tipperary; the reason for the delay in processing this application for grant aid; if his further attention has been drawn to the hardship being caused as a result of this delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46926/12]

School Transport Provision

Michael Lowry

220. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the impact of the changes to the post primary school transport scheme on a school (details supplied) in County Tipperary; if his attention has been drawn to circumstances of this school and the subsequent detrimental effect of these changes; his views on whether this school is particularly impacted; the reasons for the delay in responding to written queries from this school and from South Tipperary VEC from his office and his Department; if his attention has been drawn to the fact was supplied to these bodies; when a substantive response will issue in this case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45885/12]

Rural Development Programme Funding

Michael Lowry

411. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide information on an application for funding in respect of an organisation (details supplied) in County Tipperary, when a decision will issue on this matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45649/12]

Departmental Correspondence

Michael Lowry

529. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his attention has been drawn to a case (details supplied) in County Tipperary; the reasons the Solicitor in his Department has failed to respond to written queries relating to this case over the past 18 months; the steps being taken to resolve this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45682/12]

Single Payment Scheme Payments

Michael Lowry

257. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when payments will issue in respect of a transfer of entitlements application for a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary; the reason for the delay in processing this case; if his attention has been drawn to the hardship being caused as a result of this delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45263/12]

Family Income Supplement Waiting Times

Michael Lowry

134. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to the delay by her Department in processing reviews of family income supplement payments and the impact this is having on low income families that are already stretched to the last (details supplied); her plan to address this issue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43568/12]

Medical Card Eligibility

Michael Lowry

239. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Health when the decision was made not to automatically qualify cancer patients for a medical card (details supplied); if he will advise the Health Service Executive consultants of this change; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43578/12]

General Medical Services Scheme Administration

Michael Lowry

249. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the fact that some general practitioners are now charging individuals for issuing letters which are required to confirm their medical conditions when applying for a social welfare payment; her views on whether she considers this a fair practice on the part of some G.Ps; if she will intervene to place a cap on such charges in view of the fact that these are persons applying for a social welfare payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43663/12]

Disability Allowance Appeals

Michael Lowry

564. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on the interim arrangements in place for the office of disability appeals and the position of the disability appeals officer; when all completed determinations and reasons for decisions reports from the office of disability appeals officer will be made available for public inspection, including any reports from the former disability appeals officer; the amount he has spent on legal costs in relation to the office of disability appeals officer since these interim arrangements were put in place; his views on whether the independent functions of the office of disability appeals officer has been compromised by being situated in his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41869/12]

Education and Training Boards Issues

Michael Lowry

65. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide some information on the categorisation of VEC’s, further to Circular 24/2012; if he will detail the criteria used for this categorisation; if he will detail the way in which this criteria was applied to North Tipperary; if this categorisation impacts negatively on the staffing structure for the new Education and Training Board; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40737/12]

Garda Deployment

Michael Lowry

137. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the reasons for the delay in replacing the crime prevention officer in the Tipperary division; the length of time this position has now been vacant; if other crime prevention officers have been replaced in other divisions; the reason such a position can be immediately replaced in one division and not another; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40787/12]

Defence Forces Recruitment

Michael Lowry

146. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Defence if he will provide clarification on the reasons a specific individual was deemed ineligible to join the Defence Forces; if he will provide clarification on the illness and conditions that would prevent a successful application to the Defence Forces; if there is a register or list of such; if a specific named condition will render a person ineligible for enlistment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40941/12]