Parliamentary questions

Bord na Móna

Michael Moynihan

109. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his recent discussions with Bord na Móna on planned redundancies at Bord na Móna and its subsidiaries; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31789/15]

Housing Grant Payments

Michael Moynihan

1464. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will amend the guidelines issued to local authorities regarding grant availability for the upgrading of heating systems under the housing aid for older people scheme, given that the template application form which is issued to all local authorities states that no grant is available under this scheme for upgrading an existing central heating system; his views that the grants available from Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland cover only a small proportion of the cost of such works and as such are not viable for many households; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31623/15]

Better Energy Homes Scheme

Michael Moynihan

1551. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will ensure that the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland makes available to the public the details of any contractors who have been removed from the registered list of contractors for the purposes of SEAI grants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31621/15]

Better Energy Homes Scheme Expenditure

Michael Moynihan

1552. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the amount that was paid by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland to external contractors to investigate the works carried out by contractors under SEAI schemes; if the results of any such investigations will be made available to the public; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31622/15]

Broadcasting Charge

Michael Moynihan

1555. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his policy toward community media and funding currently provided; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31829/15]

National Council for Special Education

Michael Moynihan

695. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the criteria by which special needs assistants are allocated; and specifically how her Department can guarantee the reasonable safety of a child who is allocated only a shared assistant, despite having been diagnosed with multiple problems, including profound global developmental delay, epilepsy with frequent severe seizures, and a high risk of sudden infant death syndrome; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30368/15]

Special Educational Needs Service Provision

Michael Moynihan

696. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the provisions made for providing essential educational resources for children with profound developmental issues to prepare them to enter national school, given that they do not qualify under the July provision programme until after their first year of national school, despite their developmental difficulties having been defined by the Department through the programme to require extra educational assistance outside the school year, and how to access such resources in a timely fashion, when children are still being assessed or, in many cases, waiting months or years for assessments to be provided; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30369/15]

Energy Policy

Michael Moynihan

797. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the approximate cost of introducing a renewable heat incentive, which his Department plans to bring online next year; if he has considered including any project installed from the date the initiative is announced to retrospectively qualify once the initiative opens; the approximate cost of this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29963/15]

National Carers Strategy Implementation

Michael Moynihan

19. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation his response to the recent family carers' scorecard which claims his Department has yet to engage with the national carers strategy. [28655/15]

National Carers Strategy Implementation

Michael Moynihan

22. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the progress made by his Department in the role assigned to it under the national carers strategy in supporting working carers and former carers who wish to return to the workforce. [28656/15]

Banking Sector

Michael Moynihan

262. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Finance if he has received representations from agents who worked for the Educational Building Society, prior to the society's acquisition by Allied Irish Banks; his views that these agents suffered a loss of income, financial hardship and a loss of livelihood; that in these circumstances these agents are due a recompense; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28441/15]

Wind Energy Guidelines

Michael Moynihan

852. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his views on the opinion of the head of an organisation (details supplied) regarding set-back distances of up to 1,500 m for wind turbines from residential areas, and the effects, if any, on health from wind turbine noise; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28505/15]

National Broadband Plan Implementation

Michael Moynihan

901. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if the target outlined in his Department’s 2012 document, Delivering a Connected Society - A National Broadband Plan for Ireland, of providing high-speed broadband across the country during the lifetime of this Government has been achieved; if not, when will it be achieved; the current level of availability; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28835/15]

National Broadband Plan Implementation

Michael Moynihan

902. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if the target outlined in his Department’s 2012 document, Delivering a Connected Society - A National Broadband Plan for Ireland, to provide 70 Mbps to 100 Mbps broadband speed to more than half of the population by 2015 has been reached; if not, when will this target be reached; the current estimated percentage of the population that can access such speeds; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28836/15]

National Broadband Plan Implementation

Michael Moynihan

903. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if the targets outlined in his Department’s 2012 document, Delivering a Connected Society - A National Broadband Plan for Ireland, to provide at least 40 Mbps broadband speed to at least a further 20% of the population, and potentially to as much as 35% around smaller towns and villages, have been achieved; if not, when will these targets be achieved; the current estimated percentage of the population that can access such speeds; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28837/15]

National Broadband Plan Implementation

Michael Moynihan

904. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if the target outlined in his Department’s 2012 document, Delivering a Connected Society - A National Broadband Plan for Ireland, to provide a minimum of 30 Mbps broadband speed to every remaining home and business has been achieved; if not, when will this target be achieved; the current estimated percentage of the population that can access such speeds; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28838/15]

Road Network

Michael Moynihan

933. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will approve funding for urgent works to the Poulavoune Roundabout on the N22 in Ballincollig, County Cork (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28783/15]

Nursing Staff Provision

Michael Moynihan

23. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Health the action his Department will take to address the shortage of nurses in the nursing home sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27576/15]

Hospital Accommodation Provision

Michael Moynihan

47. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Health when the new cystic fibrosis unit in Cork University Hospital will be fully operational; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27575/15]

Agriculture Scheme Payments

Michael Moynihan

186. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he is aware of the concerns in the farming community regarding situations where farmers who have entered into partnerships with sons or daughters, and where the possibility of delays in issuing payments under the new Common Agricultural Policy is causing a cashflow problem towards the end of the year; if he will confirm that there will not be delays to payments in these situations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27187/15]