Ceisteanna Parlaiminte

IBRC Operations

Catherine Murphy

220. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Finance if he is satisfied that the Irish Bank Resolution Corporation, in its disposal of a company (details supplied) in March 2012, acted in the best financial interest of the State; if his attention has been drawn to the company being sold to a much lower bid; if so, if he sought a satisfactory answer as to the reason; the reason the company was not put into examinership or receivership; if he has questioned the reason the same legal representatives acted for both the company in question and the purchaser; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48159/14]

Social Welfare Code Reform

Catherine Murphy

18. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to the fact that where a young person who is having a domiciliary care allowance payment awarded in respect of them reaches 16 and applies for a welfare payment in their own right, pending the successful outcome of that application the parent-guardian concerned loses their payment entirely, and must wait to apply for a carer's allowance payment to be successful before having key financial support restored; her views that this creates a very serious lack of support for vulnerable families during this period; her plans to help alleviate this pressure; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47092/14]

Exchequer Savings

Catherine Murphy

20. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to the fact that the reported budgetary savings made in her Department throughout her time as Minister that have had a real and adverse effect on the quality and efficiency of the service provided to citizens who access their services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47093/14]

Social Welfare Benefits Eligibility

Catherine Murphy

59. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to the fact that long term sick claimants of illness benefit supports are not permitted to avail of the Christmas bonus announced recently for unemployed recipients; her plans to widen the Christmas bonus qualifying criteria for persons claiming illness benefit for up to eight years and more; if she will widen the fuel allowance scheme to allow these claimants to avail of equal treatment than those availing of unemployment supports; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47458/14]

Social Welfare Benefits Eligibility

Catherine Murphy

61. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to the fact that persons who have been continuously unemployed for more than the 391 cumulative-paid total days are required to avail of the Christmas bonus, due to the fact that they are no longer part of another person's claim; if this qualifying period of 391 days will be assessable against joint claims; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47467/14]

Tourism Promotion

Catherine Murphy

168. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if it is his Department's intention to increase the tourism potential of the Liffey Valley amenity area; the deliberations he or his predecessor has had with interested parties regarding this; if his Department has had any contact with the Department of Arts, Heritage and Gaeltacht Affairs with respect to the tourist potential of establishing a national park in the area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47370/14]

Genealogical Services

Catherine Murphy

97. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if, in the pursuit of a vital all-island approach to genealogical heritage, a conflict arises in the different legal regimes surrounding access to digitised records online versus digitised indexes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46866/14]

National Cultural Institutions

Catherine Murphy

109. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if she has conducted a needs assessment regarding future funding of the national cultural institutions, in particular the National Archives, National Museum and National Library; if she is cognisant of the urgent need to invest in these areas; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46865/14]

Pension Provisions

Catherine Murphy

145. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection her views on the most recent LCP Ireland pensions accounting briefing (details supplied) which estimated the current deficit in the 29 largest defined benefit pension schemes to have more than doubled in one year to €8.5 billion; if her Department had performed a risk analysis of the State's potential exposure if the scenario continues to deteriorate; the measures she is proposing to address this matter; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44336/14]

Rail Network

Catherine Murphy

16. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if the review of the business case for DART underground by the National Transport Authority is complete; if so, if he will share the findings of the report; the timeframe now envisaged for the project; if it is still the intention to move forward under the existing railway order; if compulsory purchases necessary to the project are envisaged; if so, will the notices to treat process be concluded by September 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46014/14]

National Children's Hospital

Catherine Murphy

150. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Health if he will provide the business case for the siting of the proposed national children's hospital at St. James's Hospital; the advantages that site has which were the overriding factors in choosing to site the hospital there; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46592/14]

Data Protection

Catherine Murphy

109. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she is satisfied that information which schools are requested to collect on parents, medical card status, social welfare status and then forward to the NCSE in accordance with the latest allocation model for resources for children with special needs is done in full compliance with data protection legislation; if she will indicate the use made of this information; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46452/14]

Wind Energy Guidelines

Catherine Murphy

97. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government when the revised wind farm planning guidelines will be available; the number of submission received; if it is unfair for local communities and planning authorities to be operating in the dark with large-scale proposed developments in advance of the publication of the new guidelines; if it is within his power to initiate a moratorium on decisions in this area until the guidelines are published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40945/14]

Water Meters

Catherine Murphy

103. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the reason the cost of water meters installation has had to be revised upwards significantly; if he will make available the precise terms of the final contracts with all agents contracted to install meters; if it is anticipated that, as a result of the changed timetable for water metering to commence, there will be any financial implications for the State under the terms of these contracts; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45850/14]

Health Services Access

Catherine Murphy

394. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Health the range of supports which are available for sufferers of fibromyalgia; if his Department is monitoring reported rates; the cases which have been reported in each of the past five years; if there is a strategy in place to try and tackle the problem; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46038/14]

National Parks Projects

Catherine Murphy

621. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the steps taken by her Department towards the creation of a Liffey Valley national park in County Dublin; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46167/14]

Gaelscoil Issues

Catherine Murphy

26. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Skills if her attention has been drawn to the significant demand for a new Gaelcholáiste in the north Kildare area with parents of over 200 children seeking access to such an educational environment as their first choice; her views that at this point An Aonad does not come close to recognising this need; if she will revise earlier statements that it will take up to five years to determine need in this area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45228/14]

Pupil-Teacher Ratio

Catherine Murphy

44. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Skills if her attention has been drawn to the fact that class sizes here are the second highest of EU members; to set out her views on the fact that class sizes in County Kildare are among the highest here; her plans to tackle this in view of the fact that the increases in her Department's funding is only sufficient to maintain present pupil-teacher ratios given the changing demographics; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45229/14]

Local Government Fund

Catherine Murphy

71. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Finance if he will provide all occasions where he has requested a payment from the Local Government Fund under the provisions of S6 (2C) of the Local Government Act 1998 as amended, indicating the dates the request(s) were made; the amounts requested; the dates such moneys transferred; his plans to seek further funds in this manner before the end of 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45622/14]

Irish Water

Catherine Murphy

200. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the amount of money paid out of the local government fund to Irish Water under the provision of section 6(2CA) of the Local Government Act 1998 (as amended), indicating the amounts paid, the dates moneys transferred; the purpose of the transfer in each case; his plans to transfer further funds in 2014 or 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45621/14]